It's almost 10pm on the night of Monday, December 8th, 1941. The White House, the residence of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, has finally calmed down since the Pearl Harbor attack brought unceasing chaos Sunday afternoon and all today, until about half an hour ago. Finally peace and quiet, despite the fact the United States of America had declared war today on the Empire of Japan. For the first time the bright lamp of the White House on the Pennsylvania Avenue side had been turned off, a serene, but darkened omen that America was now at war.

Finally peace and quiet, despite the fact the United States of America declared war today on the Empire of Japan. Less than six hours ago, Roosevelt had signed the declaration of war. The US Congress, both houses, voted for war, except for one pacifist representative from Montana, Jeannette Rankin, a Republican, of course.

Roosevelt sat in his wheelchair staring out of his office window, feeling he had earned some time to himself, especially after making the speech of his life asking Congress for a declaration of war. Suddenly, he started to fear his serenity would be disrupted any moment by Eleanor, his wife was always nagging him to go to bed early. Well not tonight, he was going to relax a little with his camel cigarettes and a martini cocktail, just one martini cocktail, because in Roosevelt's view gentlemen do not drink in excess, especially when they are in the company of others.

The President was wearing a white shirt, a black tie, a dark grey suite with very light pinstripes with a white crown folded pocket square in his left chest pocket, his ever-present gold bloodstone family crest ring with a gold band guard ring behind the family crest ring, plus a black armband on his left arm, to symbolize how America was in mourning for its lost citizens at Pearl Harbor. He was stuck in his thoughts reflecting about his Infamy speech before Congress today now with a black cigarette holder firmly clenched in his mouth and enjoying the tobacco rich smoke he was generating around the room and partaking every so often from his homemade martini cocktail, which according to his friends and family, were the worst tasting martini cocktails ever made, too much vermouth!

Suddenly, Roosevelt heard one of White House grandfather clocks chime off as ten o'clock had just approached. The door to his office slowing opened up, but it was not Eleanor, it was Arthur Prettyman, Roosevelt's personal valet and his Scottish Terrier dog, Fala, entered the office with Arthur asking the President if he was ready for bed?

The President responded, "Sorry Arthur, I'm going to stay up a little longer. Anyhow, Harry (Harry Hopkins-Chief Advisor to the President) had set up a late night appointment for me with a Colonel War Cloud. War Cloud, a very appropriate name these days, what do you say to that Arthur?"

"Mr. Hopkin's friends have always seemed to be interesting people for the times they are, Mr. President," Arthur had responded with insightful sincerity.

"Very true Arthur, very true indeed. By the way, have you seen the Colonel yet? I was suppose to meet with him ten o'clock tonight," the president said curiously.

"I saw an Army officer being detained by the secret service. They should be bringing him over soon. The secret service are certainly on their toes these days, Mr. President," Arthur said with a smile.

"Yes, Arthur, the secret service are certainly on their toes ever since Pearl Harbor. They are afraid of Jap parachutists falling on top of the White House to kill me," the President said with a loud chuckle. "I also heard a wild rumor about Nazi air attacks launched from U-boats. We are not even at war with Germany, but because the Japs attacked Pearl Harbor, now Hitler is going to bomb the White House!" Roosevelt said with a jovial laugh.

Arthur laughed with the President, but he too was one of many Americans petrified of Jap and Nazi attacks. However, Arthur was more concerned with the President over working as he did the last two days and needed his rest right now.

"Mr. President, I do wish you would go to bed right away. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day and you are scheduled for another fireside radio chat to the country tomorrow," Arthur said with true concern.

"Don't worry Arthur, right after my meeting with War Cloud, I will go straight to bed. Leave Fala with me. He'll protect me and will make sure I'll go to bed before midnight," The President said with a nod to his Scottish Terrier dog Fala sitting on a chair next to his desk. 

Arthur responded with this answer, "One does not refute the Chief Executive, Goodnight Mr. President." 

The President said, "Thank you,  Arthur!"

Arthur walked out of the room and closed the door. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door.

The President said, "Enter," and the door opened with a suited secret service agent announcing,"Mr. President, here is Colonel War Cloud for his ten o'clock appointment."

"Thank you, Mike," the President said to the White House Secret Service Detail Chief Mike Reilly, who had personally escorted Colonel War Cloud to the President's office.

Into the office walked Colonel Joseph War Cloud dressed in a US Army Dress Uniform, standing six foot-one inches tall with a muscular medium frame, light brown skin color, and black colored hair with fringes of white formed into a high crewcut hairstyle. 

"Delighted to meet you, Colonel War Cloud, how do you do this evening Joe?" said the President with that FDR grin and putting out his hand to shake the Colonel's hand.

"Pleasure to meet you Mr. President," said the Colonel who had to bend down a little to shake President Roosevelt's hand and War Cloud noticed how dependent the President was on his wheelchair. War Cloud made eye contact with the President, but he couldn't keep his eyes off the gas mask strapped to the President's wheelchair.

Roosevelt noticed War Cloud staring at his gas mask saying, "I see you noticed how White House Security issued me a gas mask right after the Pearl Harbor attack. Rather fashionable these days, isn't it?"

"I also noticed the newly constructed crash barriers at each entrance to the White House, the newly installed sentry gates, the tripling of your uniformed policemen and secret service agents, with a four man machine gun detail patrolling the side avenues around the White House in a US Army Reconnaissance car," War Cloud recounted as if it was second nature to methodically analyze security precautions of vital government buildings.

Roosevelt responded slightly surprised and impressed on how the Colonel had a keen ability of observation, "That is all correct! You should of seen my massive security detail today as I traveled to the Capitol building. Can you believe I rode in Al Capone's shiny black armored limousine, which had been taken by the Treasury Department." The President laughed at the irony of on how a gangster's armored car protected the chief executive of the United States Government.

War Cloud laughed in agreement with the President and then after a small moment of silence, the President said, "I was told by Harry you're a thirty year man and you are one of the most traveled officers in the United States Army. Now, in how many countries and what countries have  you been deployed to, Colonel War Cloud?"

"I've seen duty in almost twenty countries; England, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Turkey, China, Japan, the Philippines, all over Central America and the Caribbean, and most recently Greenland and Iceland," War Cloud responded with a sense of pride in his variety of duty posts.

"I must say Colonel, you have a most interesting and appropriate name for an Army officer. You are part Indian?" Roosevelt asked with a touch of acting, like he didn't already know the answer.

"Yes, Mr. President, I am half Indian of the Devil's Lake Sioux in North Dakota. However, I was born and raised in Grand Forks and spent summers with my cousins in Fort Totten and Devils Lake. I attended the University of North Dakota and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering, then I joined the Army. I have served in wars big and small. I have observed the armies of foreign powers and I have seen how the art of war is used in several different lands. So in the end, being a graduate of the University of North Dakota and a soldier for thirty years, that makes me a Fighting Sioux, which happens to be the mascot for the University of North Dakota, The Fighting Sioux of North Dakota!" Colonel War Cloud waited for the President to respond in complete silence as the President decided to finish his martini cocktail and began smoking his cigarette again.

"Well, that is quite a biography and resume, Colonel. I have been to both Devils Lake and Grand Forks, such delightful country! Yes, I most certainly agree, you are a Fighting Sioux Warrior and I am proud that you are a member of our armed forces. Colonel, you are the man I have been looking for to select, train, and lead a special commando force in the name of the newly established United Nations, against Axis military facilities behind enemy lines! What do you say to that Colonel?"Roosevelt had responded in a serious, sincere, and straight to the point manner and now waited for the Colonel to answer.

"Thank you, Mr. President for the honor and yes, I accept, but I thought we were only at war against the Japanese," War Clouded answered in a shocked and perplexed tone.

"Yes, that is correct, we just declared war on Japan today, but I know Herr Hitler and his Fascist thugs are very tempted to make war on America and I suspect very shortly they will foolishly declare war on America, just as the Japanese have insanely done. Soon we will be at war with Germany and Italy, which I want to be ready for if possible with my very own special commando team to prevent potential military threats deep within Axis Territory," Roosevelt thought his little explanation about the enemy at hand was quite thorough, but was ready to explain more if needed.

"I see! So this United Nations you speak of, will be a military organization then?" War Cloud asked with a curious tone.

"Yes and no. The United Nations is currently a cause to bring the world together to fight and defeat the armies of darkness, which will march all over the face of the Earth if we do not stand united, determined, and armed for battle against this Axis of Evil craving to dominate and conquer the whole World. Once our united cause in war is victorious, then the United Nations shall act as an assembly of peaceful cooperation, but today the United Nations is a crusade to defeat the forces of evil," Roosevelt said as if he was giving one of his fireside radio chats.

"So who am I going to be receiving my orders from?" War Clouded asked cautiously.

"Mostly from Harry Hopkins and of course at times directly from me and Winston. Possibly in the future even from Stalin himself, but never from the Joint Chiefs of Staff or any other military command. Your orders will always be issued by the Civilian Command, thats me," Roosevelt answered with a firm tone.

"Do you mean Prime Minister Winston Churchill of the British Empire and Marshal Stalin of the Soviet Union?" War Cloud asked unbelievably that foreign heads of state were going to give him orders.

"Yes, I do. This will not be a solely American military unit, this will be an entirely international military unit made up of the best soldiers the United Nations can provide in our quest to defeat Italian Fascism, German Nazism, and Japanese Imperialism." Roosevelt was now starting to feel a little tired, but he was willing to stay up all night if necessary to promote his ideas of the United Nations.

"How large of a unit do you wish this commando team to be?" War Cloud asked thinking it would be a large combat unit.

"Colonel, how old are you?" Roosevelt asked a question that surprised War Cloud.

"I am fifty-two years old, almost fifty-three in the next couple of months," War Cloud responded with puzzled amazement.

Roosevelt shot back with a spontaneous response, "Then fifty-two men from around the world. I don't want this unit too big nor attract too much attention from the generals. Oh, by the way, talking about generals, I will be promoting you as a one star general, what do you think of that General War Cloud?"

"I am shocked. You want a special commando team composed of soldiers from around the world, you want the unit to be only fifty-two men, and you want to make me a general! Any other surprises?" War Cloud said as if he had just been hit by a bus out of nowhere.

"No, no other surprises needed, at this time. Will you accept this new command, General War Cloud?" Roosevelt asked knowing War Cloud would answer yes, especially with this new commando unit being wholly unorthodox. He knew War Cloud was a man who thrived on challenges.

"I like a challenge, Yes, sign me up! However, you have not told me the name for this new international commando team." War Cloud was expecting some sort of numbered unit name.

"I don't know! I didn't think about that. Well, lets see, the Axis Powers have been intruding into their neighbors affairs and the business of the United States for some time, so I think its time we start intruding into their affairs. Lets call the unit The Intruders! Yes, The Intruders, I like the name of that. The Intruders, Team 52. How say you general?"

"I like it, The Intruders: Team 52. That sounds outstanding Mr. President." War Cloud agreed with great enthusiasm.

"By the way, General War Cloud, I know you will be busy in the next three to four months selecting and training The Intruders, but I would like to start planning your first mission. We have been receiving reports from Mexico of Japanese ship, sub, and aircraft movements on the West Coast of the Pacific Ocean. I want you to start thinking of a recon mission for Mexico," the President had a strange feeling that these reports of Japanese naval and air movements might be real and could pose threats to San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and most importantly, the Panama Canal.

"Where exactly on the West Coast of Mexico are these reports coming from?" War Cloud asked with curious concern.

"On the Southern portion of the Baja Peninsula called Magdalena Bay. The Japanese and Germans were both interested in this bay for naval operations during the First World War and now I think the Japanese may be creating some sort of naval air station in that area," the President concluded in a cautious manner. 

"I see, what should we call this first mission, Operation Thunder Bolt or Operation Sea Stallion?" War Cloud suggested with a light chuckle.

"No, lets keep it simple, lets call your first mission Operation Rookie, I like the sound of that!" Roosevelt said with optimistic creativity and a little devilish humor.

War Cloud's light chuckle disappeared and his face became stone serious. He did not like the operation name of this first mission, but he thought, if that is what the President wants, then that is what the President gets, however this rookie team will be the most professional and most skilled military unit ever formed! 

"Mr. President, I'll guarantee you sir, just like the rookie seasons of Shoeless Joe Jackson and Joltin Joe DiMaggio, our rookie season will be a smashing hit! We will hit a home run and we will win the game in our first mission, Operation Rookie," General War Cloud said with such Iron determination, that FDR smirked knowing Harry had made the right choice to suggest War Cloud as the leader of The Intruders. 

"So, you are a true baseball fan!" Roosevelt said with a feeling that War Cloud was a man after his own heart.

"There are three things that inspire me Mr. President, the Cubs beating the Yankees, Army beating Navy, and the training of soldiers. Baseball, Football, and Warriors, these are my challenges that give me purpose," War Cloud calmly explained as if he was explaining the holy trinity for his own personal religion.

"You and I are men of the same heart. I may be stuck in these damn braces, but if I had it my way, I'd be out at the ball park everyday," Roosevelt said with a tired manner, reflecting his ever constant challenge of being the first paralyzed US President.

"I don't see any braces Mr. President! I see the tip of the spear, a man who will save us all," War Cloud said with true conviction.

"Thank you General! I appreciate that! However, I am feeling a little tired. Would you please help me to my room?" Roosevelt said with earnest gratitude and at the same time, severe tiredness starting to wear him down.

"Of course Mr. President," War Cloud said as he quickly walked behind Roosevelt's wheelchair and started to roll the President out of the office.

As the two men proceeded down the hallway with War Cloud slowly pushing the President's wheelchair with Roosevelt merrily smoking his cigarette, both men thought the same, they had each found the right man for the job, saving the World from evil.