CHAPTER 37: GENERAL SCHEISSKOPF

Summary

Peckem had just replaced Dreedle at Wing Headquarters. When he receives the news that Colonel Scheisskopf has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general, Peckem is stunned since he had expected that promotion. Scheisskopf, who was formerly General PeckemÂ’s junior officer, is now his superior. Peckem phones Wintergreen and tells him that it is all his fault. Scheisskopf is now the top boss and he orders everyone to march.

Notes

PeckemÂ’s scheming to reach the top has ended in a minor disaster. A memorandum prepared by Wintergreen has caused the military bureaucracy to place Scheisskopf in command of combat operations. This just goes to show that even an officer as powerful as General Peckem is not in control of his own destiny in the world of "Catch-22." In this chapter, PeckemÂ’s world is turned upside down. From giving commands, he is now reduced to carrying out orders. In a way, he has become insignificant. Scheisskopf, always fond of parades, gets his own way, and orders everybody to march.

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