New England Gale
James Reed walked down the hallowed halls of the Lincoln Memorial one more time. It was the dead of winter and the trees were bare like his soul. When James was depressed he always took a walk down to the Lincoln Memorial. As he walked around the great monument to a man who was his inspiration he often wondered what the country was like over a hundred years ago. Such sacrifice this man gave to hold the country he loved together. At 82 he often felt that the younger generation did not know what it was to sacrifice for their country. The younger generation had no respect for what his generation did to insure that the United States could exist. “Young people always asking the government for a hand out,” James Thought. When he was a young man it was an honor to serve your country. James unbuttoned his faded blue London Fog trench coat as he faced the life like statue of his mentor. His hand went to the Medal given to him by Franklin Delano Roosevelt for gallantry in battle. A tear fell from his eyes. The gold star on the anchor and blue ribbon had long lost its luster. As he fingered it and was gazing at the face of Mr. Lincoln a young marine in his dress blues passing by popped to attention and saluted and then shook his hand.
“Thanks old timer.” said the Marine respectfully.
James had received his medal of honor for gallantry at the battle of Leyte Golf during World War II.
James thanked the man, “Thank you young man, Semper Fi
Semper fi too bad I am not your age you know how many marines I decked in bar fights at Pearl Harbor?”
“I bet you did sir, I am honored to be serving in the same service as you sir, I wish I could sit and stay and listen to your war story, I bet it is a doozy, sir
The gloomy grey clouds hovering over the Lincoln memorial and his faded glory that he held in his hand made James feel very old. He so longed to feel alive again like he did in his twenties. He often would sit at the airport watching the young soldiers leave Washington DC. to all corners of the Earth. He would watch them leave for hours wishing that he could be a part of their cause, a part of their lives. “Oh to be full of that energy again,” he continued to reflect, “To only have the wind blow through your hair on the deck of a destroyer in the South Pacific and not knowing if you were going to live to see the next day. What exhilaration, what truth, now that was heaven.” Instead to James he was stuck in a Hell.
Long retired from a prospering business that still existed to day. His son, Paul was running it now. He had inherited the import business from his long since dead father who was a former Irish rum runner of prohibition. The family made a huge fortune off of prohibition and then just went legit after the twenty first amendment to the constitution was passed in 1933. He had acted as CEO and had made his own small fortune. He continued importing Liquor.
He spied a park bench facing the water and fountains in the Lincoln memorial. As he sat he was poked in the thigh by an old friend, his Navy DA Colt 38. Would he have the guts today to end his misery? Again he had been coming here at the end of each month for a year. Would today be the day? Each day he would sit and speak to Abe in search for a reason to live with the pistol out on his lap. Last month it was a call from his grand daughter on his aging cell phone. He was lucky on that day he remembered how to work the confounded device and he answered after much fumbling, his grand daughter was asking him to come to her Birthday party. He remembered her words, “Gwandpa are you there?”
“Yes Pumpkin Grandpa is here. I just had problems answering”
“Oh Grandpa did you remember to push the green button?” she said in her little condescending tone, she sounded just like her mother when shed did that, Then with out a breath she continued just like her mother would with her interrogation, “When are you coming to see me gwandpa, I am going to be five next week and I want you at my party, Did you hear me gwandpa? Gwandpa I am talking to you!”
“I hear you loud and clear sunshine, now what was your name again and which grand child is this?” he said in his oldest voice, this was part of a game that he played with his grandchildren.
“Gwandpa, this is Charlotte your favorite!”
“Who?Did you say Charlene? Ok Charlene…”
“Gwandpa this is …
The conversation would continue like this for 30 minutes with him playing with his grand child on the phone. He rarely saw them.
“Oh Terri has it come down to this. I am so sad and lost without you. God have you forgotten me. Show me the way.” Terri was now gone. His wife of over fifty years passed away and since his passing he had been coming to this park wanting to join her Looking for enough courage to end it all. How ironic is that. A Medal of Honor recipient a coward he thought. Why was he able to face down enemy fire and not the death of his wife? Perhaps he was a coward. He again fondled the cold steel of the .38 was this to be the end of him? He took it out.
Terri was the love of his life. He had met her after Pearl Harbor at Trippler Army hospital. She was a Navy lieutenant attached to the Army. He had broken his leg really bad in the initial Pearl Harbor attack and was confined to a bed for 3 months. He was a pilot on the USS Enterprise. After the injury a flight surgeon said he would never fly again so he signed up for destroyer duty. Terri was his Florence Nighten gale. While he recovered he spent six glorious months in Oahu with her before he had his new orders. His first date with her he remembered like it was yesterday even though yesterday was a blur.
Lt. James Reed’s eyes flickered from the sun that was creeping through the glass of his hospital bed. He awoke in a large bay that was converted to hold a large amount of patients there must have been 50 other men crammed into this small lobby like space. Slowly he opened his eyes to regain consciousness...."Thank God, I am alive..." he thought. The last thing he remembered was the Japanese plane smashed into the tarmac some where near his position. He was knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital by the chief and some other sailors that had been helping him keep the guns going.
"I see you have awoken, Lt. Reed". Lt. Terri Jansen US. Navy, stood before him with his medical chart in hand, a cup with pills were in the other hand. Disturbed and startled, Lt. James Reed turned his head, and saw before him, what he thought to be an angel. She was beautiful. A khaki nurse's uniform, just above the knee, she was wearing a navy khaki nurses cap, underneath her cap was chestnut brown hair, all pinned up in a bun tied neatly off her long graceful neck. Her deep blue eyes reminded him of the Pacific deep blue sea, and her lips, like the deep red corals that lay under the sea's bed. She was very fair skinned, her eyes, he thought, sparkled, and her smile lit up a room like a candle. She was not very tall, about 5'1, 130 pounds. She smelled like the Hawaiian flowers of the island, on a hot summer's day. "Have I died and gone to heaven?" he said, as he looked up at her.
Terri thought she knew how to handle men like this, but she was wrong for the next thing she knew she was dating him. How that happened was beyond her now. They were dancing at the Royal Hawaiian to the Andrew Sisters. It was their first date.
“Let’s not dance anymore, I would hate to kill you on our first date. Let’s go swimming!” exclaimed Terri as she raced out of the dance hall. James did not have anytime to respond, he just half ran and half walked after her for his legs was still hurting.
Terri turned to face him giggling and red from drinking mai tais all night, “Come on stumpy, you’re so slow. If that is how fast you are going to run, the Japs will catch you for sure.!” She yelled that comment as she raced across the now cool sands of Waikiki beach. Torches dotted the beach but other then that, the moon was the only light. It was not full and there were clouds in the sky. Terri raced to the waters edge stripping down to her bra and panties and then jumping in. James splashed in full throttle uniform and all too drunk to care. The warm water cascaded over his entire body as he splashed knee deep into it.. They embraced each other and kissed. His warm lips caressed hers. His arms were exploring her back.
On the beach once dressed they spoke about their lives.
“You know Terri it is so funny you were raised in New England too. You are like a New England Gale. You are so full of spirit and strength. I have never met anyone like you before. I do not want to lose you.”
“Hmm from your description of me it sounds like you want to ride me lieutenant. I am not sure I am a horse.” She laughed so loud at that and almost fell over. James laughed too and then held her hand and again gazed into her blue eyes. He held that gaze for what seemed like eternity before their lips embraced for a long passionate kiss. Then Terri said in the soft voice, “If you keep kissing me like that I will never let you go Lieutenant.”
“Is that a promise Lieutenant? Your love will keep me alive throughout this damn war. That is a promise I will make.”
“What, to stay alive? I hope so, any idea when you will leave me?”
“Nope, no orders yet, I think they are waiting for the doctor to sign off on my leg.”
Well if that’s the case I will go and break the other one.” The two basked in each others company till the fingers of dawn and the shore patrol kicked them off the beach.
James awoke from his memory. A chill caused him to get up and stretch. Was God playing with him now making him remember his past, bringing her to his thoughts when he no longer could hold her. His dream was so real that he had to look around to see if Terri was there. Then more memories began to roll in like the tide. Another tear fell for his fallen friend and he gripped the pistol harder on his lap hidden under his coat. He was sure he was going to blow his brains out today.
He remembered the day he shipped out like it was yesterday. He was in his whites. The ship, The Samuel B. Roberts DE 413 was brand new and headed for the Philippines to reinforce Admiral Halsey. He was on the pier like it was yesterday. “Will I ever see you again my love?”
“Of course you will.” James was short on words when he said good bye. He was standing at the foot of the gang plank. Men were boarding so there was not much privacy.
Terri ‘s body was all leg. She came to say good bye in her Navy Khaki uniform. She wore a long khaki skirt and her sandy blonde hair was up in bun. Tears spilled down her face as if a damn had broken as she embraced her love for possibly the last time.
“Damn the Navy, I just put you back together and they want to tear you apart again, Damn the Navy.” Terri stated loudly hoping some of the admirals would hear. She was not loud enough for a navy band was playing near by. James stood tall in his summer whites and would have made the Navy recruiting office proud. He wore his wings and surface warfare badges proudly and the dark navy blue and gold lieutenants stripes glistened in the hot tropical Hawaiian sun.
The ships whistle blasted one time as warning for all stragglers to get on board. Lt James Reed hugged his girl one more time and then looked into her eyes with hope and said, “Terri my darling girl, will you marry me.” He slipped a 1 carat diamond ring onto her finger which dazzled in the glare of the tropical sun like a light house beacon.
“Dang you James Allan Reed, of course I will!”
James yelled to his division at attention at the rails, a Navy tradition for all departing ships,” She said yes mates, she said yes!” The whole division let out a roar and James slung his sea bag over his shoulder and ran up the gang plank almost forgetting to salute the officer of the deck as he boarded. He was happy. The next thing he remembered was his brush with death.
The klaxon echoed through out the ship. James had just finished writing a letter to his love, Terri. A letter she would never receive for the boson of the watch sounded general quarters, “ General Quarters, General Quarters, all hands man your battle stations, this is not a drill.” Men could be seen scampering like rabbits up and down ladders all over the ship dogging hatches and setting condition zebra through out the ship. This meant all water tight doors were latched or dogged shut in case of a breach in water tight integrity. After all stations reported manned and ready the Captain, Bob Copeland addressed the ship in his Southern draw, “A large Japanese fleet has been contacted. They are fifteen miles away and headed in our direction. They are believed to have four battleships, eight cruisers and a number of destroyers. This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can. God have mercy on us.”
Petty officer first class Bell was the mount Captain for mount 51. The mount captain was responsible for all the machinery in the mount. Petty officer Bell took great pride in his duties and had one numerous praise from Captain Copeland on the performance of Mount 51. Everything piece of steel in the mount was operating at top efficiency and sparkled so much that Lt Reed felt he could eat off the deck. From his battle station in mount 51 forward of the bridge Lt Reed was frozen in fear but did not let his emotions affect his duties to his crew and men. His voice did not crack nor did any fear run over to his movements. His men looked up to him and counted on his calmness to pull them through this action. Over the horizon loomed 6- 8 jap heavy cruisers. He could barely make out their distinct pagoda superstructure. “petty officer Bell, have we reported manned and ready?”
“Yes sir, about five minutes ago. So what do you think our chances of surviving this are sir.”
“Well Petty officer Bell, do you believe in God?”
“Yes sir I do…”
“If I were you I would start praying to him now for you might be meeting him here very shortly.”
Petty officer Bell was catholic and he immediately started on a rosary.
The shells were bursting all over them now. Commander Copeland wanted to make sure that his torpedoes were going to count. This meant closing the range on the jap cruiser to less then 3000 yards, this was less then a mile. Approaching 14” armored piercing shells roared overhead. The sounds from there own 5inch guns popping off dwarfed in comparison to the eight inch and 14” that were raining down upon them. Lt Reed was shouting bearings and ranges for firing solutions. The gun boss, kept the breech trays loaded. Ammunition was continuously coming from the magazine handling rooms from below decks. It did not matter what type of shell was being fired, they fired them all. The smell of cordite cut through Reeds nostrils as he gave the firing order. He could see the five inch shells exploding on the portside superstructure of their target. Fires had erupted all around. The closeness of their target kept the 14inch shells overhead. One such shell went through and through the armored piercing shell failing to detonate the steel plate of the Roberts’s passed through one side and out the other. Meanwhile in the first thirty five minutes of fire Lt. Reed and his crew managed to fire 284 rounds of five inch shells and the mount aft shot 324 rounds. The shells did not penetrate the armor but started fires from bow to stern and slowed the giant down.
At about 7:22 am The Sammule B. Roberts had managed to go undamaged mainly due to its low profile above the water. The huge shells from at least three cruisers and one battle ship sailing by like freight trains. Most of the shells were passing overhead. The exo then shouted that three fourteen inch shells landed astern. About 10000 yards off in that direction was the battle ship Kongo. The Captain could only do one thing. He put on the brakes. He had given the order all back full. This caused every rivet in the tiny destroyer escort to shake rattle and roll. The ship shuddered down to the very foundation causing the crew to doubt its seaworthiness. All this effort went by the way side for the cruiser at five thousand yards, finally found their range. Three eight inch shells slammed into the superstructure. The forward boiler was gone causing the ship to go from 30 knts down to 17. Power was now cut to the gun mounts making it very dangerous to operate the five inch guns. Power was needed to operate the automatic gas ejection system that puffed air into the breech after each firing. Without this system it was a matter of time when the shells would start cooking off in the breech. Petty officer Bell alerted Mr. Reed of the problem.
“Mr. Reed, we have no firing solutions from combat. Combat is off line and now we have no power to the ejection cooling system.”
“Petty officer Bell we have to keep laying shells down on target or we will cease to exist. That big Jap cruiser will wipe us off the map if we stop firing now. Keep firing.”
“Aye aye sir….”
Without the cooling system the gun mount got very hot very quickly. Two men below mount 51 in the handling room passed out from heat exhaustion. Mount 51 started to get another rhythm going. Reed new the situation was grim. He also knew if his mount stopped firing that the ship was doomed. Despite the danger of explosion from his own shells, Reed ordered the mount to keep firning. At this point the cruiser Chickuma’s superstructure was visible to the gun crew. Machine gun fire from the .50 calibers were raking the decks of the Chickuma keeping them clear. Any minute now Reed expected another giant 14 inch shell to slam into the little escort. His gun crew cheered as they sent their 5 inch 127 mm shells blasting into the sides of the cruiser. They could all see the fires started by their handy work. They were able to get about 10 more rounds off. Reed who was now gazing through the thick smoke and flames with his binoculars was trying to guide his shells in. They were rocking the cruiser fore and aft. The five inch shells exploding and starting more fires on the main deck of the Jap cruiser. They were headed straight for the amidships of the cruiser, two ships ablaze about to meet death.
Then the call came out for all hands to abandon ship. Lt Reed refused. With flames all around him now he wanted to give his shipmates a fighting chance to survive the battle. He kept pressing the firing key kicking overboard two petty officers. He had never felt so much alive as he faced death looking him straight in the eye, marching his way to the very gates of hell. His face so black with oil and soot that he probably looked like the devil himself riding the small destroyer to the bottom of the sea as shells from the Kongo screamed over head.
There was a big explosion in the mount. The explosion sent a tongue of flame down into the depths of the mount. Lt Reed and petty officer Bell were near the hatch to the mount when the mount exploded. The percussion sent both men flying off the ship and into the rough sea. The concussion of the men hitting the ocean caused there life belts to inflate and there they lay unconscious in the water. Several more eight inch shells hit the Samuel B. Roberts. The ship was going down but not before firing over 600 rounds of five inch shells into the enemy and earning the nickname the destroyer that acted like a battle ship. Only two men of Reeds 40 man division survived.
James woke up. His hand was still on the .38 under his coat. The sun was just popping out of the clouds. The weather man was wrong again no rain. His cell phone rang. His hand went from the .38 to the phone searching for the magical green button. Finally acquiring it with his old and shaky hand he pressed the button answering it at the same time. “Lt. James Reed can I help you…” correcting himself mid sentence, “This is James how may I help you,” he said almost stumbling over his words.
“Pops is that you? What the heck are you saying now old man?” It was his son Paul, the youngest of four. “Pops the kids and I Have got a great deal for the labor day weekend which is in a couple of days. We want to fly you out to Hawaii to join us for a fishing trip and perhaps you can take us out to Pearl Harbor and show the kids where you met mom and fought off the Japs. What did you say pops?” As he walked he gripped the butt of the pistol. He began to take it out of his waste band. All he could think was, “God I see you now.”
On the phone his son Paul heard a shot. It rang through the phone like a thunder bolt. Then there was silence.
“Hello, Pops, you there, what the Hell was that…..Pops answer the phone! Are you playing with that stupid pistol again?” Paul shouted in complete panic.
The silence was broken by a rustling sound, and then came some cursing.
“See son, what happens when death is so near!” his son could hardly hear him because James had dropped the phone on the car floor. Paul imagined the car full of blood. “Dad, don’t worry dad, I will call an ambulance right now!”
“What the hell for son?”
“…Because I don’t want you to die! And I just booked your ticket to Hawaii, come on Pops hang on…”
“I am not going anywhere son, I just blew a fricken hole in my car roof when I took the pistol out of my waist band. I took it out because I was tired of it poking me in the crotch, I am just lucky I did not blow my dick off…besides God showed me the way. I saw my Terri the way God wanted me to see her and someday I will see her again, just not today.”
He was saved again, Terri would have to wait a bit longer, at least till he got back from Hawaii.
“
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