Brett Ashton - Vengeance - Hatred and Honor

“With all due respect, sir, if you are not going to listen to my full answer, why are you even bothering to ask me the questions?”

The admiral’s eyebrows rose at this question and Commander Kenworthy stiffened even more. The captain glared at me intently, apparently unshaken by my question. And even, to my surprise, as if he expected it at some point.

“What I want to know, Lieutenant Commander,” he said unrelenting, “was it intelligent decision making or cowardice that led you to so grossly overstep your authority?”

I had been running the experience over and over in my mind for the months since the attack, looking for any detail I may have missed that would suggest I could have done any better. I had studied the damage assessments and personally talked to the dive team working on the ship. Was there any way to save the Oklahoma or more of her crew? The answer was always no. After months of investigation and soul searching, I was absolutely certain of every step of my decisions and was not going to remain passive about being questioned by this man. Above all, whether he was a captain or not, I was not going to be called a coward. I’d had enough.

“With all due respect, sir,” I said almost shouting at him, “I went down the port side of the ship, the side that was under attack, to try to get as many of the crew as I could over to the starboard side for their safety. I was strafed multiple times. I nearly got killed by two of the torpedoes. Chief Fitzgerald got blasted right out of my arms as I tried to save him.”

The captain tried to interrupt at this point but I just wouldn’t have it and continued right over top of his objections.

“I shouted into every hatch I passed along the way to pass the word that the ship needed to be abandoned and stayed with the Oklahoma until I could no longer do anything for her or the crew, let alone even walk on her slanted decks. I stayed with the ship until she almost rolled over on me as I swam away because I stayed with her for so long. It was no longer even possible to climb to the starboard side, which would have been the safest way to get off of her.”

“For all I knew, Commander Kenworthy was dead, as well as Lieutenant Commander Hobby, and there was no time to waste running around looking for them. The crew was in danger, and fast action was the only thing that was going to save any of them. If you or history judges my actions as cowardice, so be it. You can both be damned for all I care!”

The captain, unusually relaxed considering what I had just said to him, turned and looked at the vice admiral and nodded. Without any other sign, some decision seemed to have been made. Commander Kenworthy relaxed as if some magic button had been switched off.

The vice admiral got up and walked toward the door behind me. As he passed, he gave me a warm, hearty smile that looked just short of a laugh and said, “That took guts, son; congratulations.” He patted me on the shoulder and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Puzzled, I looked at Commander Kenworthy who, at this time, was wearing a big smile. Then I looked at the captain behind the table. The captain’s expression had lightened considerably as well.

“Jacob, have a seat,” he said to me, motioning toward one of the chairs.

“Sir?” I said startled by the sudden informality and casualness.

“Please sit down,” he repeated.

The XO had already reached for a chair for himself, so I grabbed one of the other ones, more mystified than ever. This was a completely unexpected turn of events.

“My name is George Fort. I’m the commanding officer of the North Carolina ,” he said, gesturing toward the window. “Commander Kenworthy tells me you want a transfer.”

Understanding dawned on me like a flash. It was a setup through and through. I had just been tested!

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m sorry to have had to put you through the questioning like that, Jacob. Commander Kenworthy gave us a full report of your actions in combat, as well as otherwise. He couldn’t have given you a higher recommendation. But Vice Admiral Halsey and I wanted to be absolutely sure of you before we took any further action. I wanted to test your resolve under pressure and see if you would hold your position.”

“I understand, sir. There is no other position to hold.”

“Very good, then.” He paused for a moment, as if thinking. “The navy believes air defense is going to have an increasing importance over the coming years. The battleships are going to be undergoing extensive modifications to add as many anti-aircraft guns as possible.”

“I’ve seen evidence to support that assessment, sir,” I replied, taking into account what had happened right where we were a number of months before, and still feeling a little bit miffed about the wringer that he had just put me through.

“The thing is,” he continued, undaunted, “I need an air defense officer, and owing to the fact that we are at war, we don’t have a lot of time to train. The admiral and I wanted to be sure we got somebody in that position who is knowledgeable and quick at making good combat decisions under pressure. We are going to be doing a lot of anti-aircraft screening for the Enterprise and Admiral Halsey’s task group in the near future and probably the same for other ships in the more distant future. Do you want the position?”

There was really only one answer to that question I could give him. This would not only be a very high-profile job that would advance my career but would give me plenty of chances to pay the Japs back in spades for what they did to the Oklahoma .

In addition to that, I was a sailor who loved the ships I served on. I wanted to feel the motion of a pitching deck beneath my feet in the open sea again. Being surrounded by the destruction at Pearl Harbor was beginning to wear on me.

“Yes, sir,” I said, without any hesitation.

“Very well, Jacob. Welcome to the crew of the battleship North Carolina . You are on a very short learning curve. I expect you to understand your part of the ship’s systems and procedures within the week. You will be my eyes and defense above the ship, and I trust you to not let me down. I expect your input on recommended modifications to your systems on my desk within a week. Keep in mind that the navy is going to be adding as many guns as possible to the ship.”

“Understood, sir.”

“Very well then, Lieutenant Commander Williams; the sky above the Showboat is yours. Is there anything you need from me?”

“One thing, sir.”

“What would that be?”

“Since the attack, I prefer to go armed at all times when I’m in a potential combat area, just in case,” I said, indicating the forty-five on my chest, “Is that going to present any problem on your ship?”

“What good would a handgun do in Sky Control?” he asked.

“Truthfully, sir, probably none. But when the Oklahoma was under attack, the Japs were flying very low to release their torpedoes. There was a point when I was sure that I could have shot one of the Japs right out of his cockpit if I would have been armed, especially if I had been at my battle station on spot one. They were close enough that I could see the whites of their eyes. And their faces continue to haunt me. It wouldn’t have saved the Okie but who knows where that plane and pilot are going to attack next? I’d like to have another chance if the situation ever presents itself.”

Captain Fort paused as if thinking.

“George,” Commander Kenworthy said, “I’ve seen Jake shoot before. He’s the champion of the Oklahoma ’s shooting club, far above the rest. And would be competitive with anybody you care to put him up against. In fact, I’d be willing to bet you twenty dollars that if you threw an empty soup can in the air, he could hit it at least twice before it hit the ground. If he says he could hit a Jap from Sky Control with a handgun, I’d tend to believe him.”