Fighting Her Father's War: The FIghting Tomcats

by M. L. Maki

  Puck, “Use the tractor, she’s done.” Stepping out of the cockpit, he reaches past her and shuts down the engine, “It’s a good thing I do my homework.” As the engines spool down, he undoes her harness. They’re moving the tractor into position as Joey runs up, “How many ki…,um, sir, is she alright?”

  Puck takes helmet off and tosses it into the RIO’s seat. Gently, he takes her face in his hands, looking into her eyes. They are sunken and she’s having trouble focusing. He physically lifts her form the cockpit and lowers her to Joey. Thud and Speedy run up. When her feet touch the deck, she collapses, and Thud grabs her under the arms. Puck climbs down and sweeps her up into his arms, “Thud, Speedy, post flight the bird for us, please?”

  Joey’s eyes are huge, “Is she okay?”

  Puck, “Later,” walking toward the island. Fluffy, just stepping out onto the flight deck, sees Puck carrying the skipper. He turns back and opens the door.

  Captain Van Zandt is standing just inside, “Is that Commander Hunt? Admiral Halsey needs…” and Fluffy pushes past the staff captain, “Later, sir.” Keeping ahead of Puck, opening doors and bulling people aside.

  As Puck carries her down the starboard side ladder, she puts her arms around his neck and tucks her head against his chest like a child. He carries her all the way to medical, with Fluffy acting as lead blocker. They walk into the chaos of medical, and a corpsman with a clip board asks, “Name and injury?”

  Puck, flatly, “Commander Hunt. Assault, rape, dehydration, and exhaustion.”

  The corpsman shrugs, “Get her some water and a nap, we’re swamped.”

  Fluffy grabs his uniform, starting to lift him up, “She needs care.”

  The corpsman says, “Go ahead and beat me, we’re still swamped. Her injuries are not life threatening. Take care of her yourself.”

  Puck, “Put him down, he’s right. We’ll take her to her stateroom and get some water down her. Then, we’ll put her to bed.”

  USS LONG BEACH, MESS DECKS REPAIR LOCKER 51

  MM1 Walters makes his way aft on the second deck, his oxygen breathing apparatus ready, but not on. The smoke in the passageway seems to be coming from the ventilation. He sees the repair 6 investigator open the door to the enlisted berthing area, waves, and turns around. On his way back, he checks the athwart ship passageway. He pulls off a glove and puts the back of his hand to the bottom of the non-water tight door; it’s warm. Then he checks the middle of the door; it’s warmer. He tells the line tender with him to report back a hot door, giving the location. Then, he hears a crash on the other side of the door and steps back toward the mess deck as flames flicker out of the ventilation ports near the overhead. He reports back to Lt. JG Knots, “Go check the main deck, assess, and get back to me. Fire team out, attack aft, port side.”

  Walters climbs a ladder, again checking the hatch, and it’s cool. He and his line tender climb through the scuttle, barely fitting with their OBAs. On the main deck they find themselves in another athwart ship passageway. They check the hatches port and starboard to the 5 inch gun magazines, then the library door, and they’re all cool. Going into the library, he directs his battle lantern’s beam into the gloom. Nothing is burning, but paint is beginning to peel from the aft bulkhead. He yells at his tender, “Go tell the locker officer we need to keep the library bulkhead cool and protect the books.”

  MM3 Small, “There just books.”

  Walters grabs him, “They tell our future, idiot. Go tell him.” He continues walking forward to check the XO’s and other senior officers staterooms. He’s checking the door when a lieutenant runs down from the 01 level, turns to Walters, grabbing him, “Get a fucking fire hose. The wardroom is on fire!”

  “But, sir, I’m an investigator.”

  The LT grabs him by the OBA straps, pushing him against the wall, “THEN FUCKING INVESTIGATE WITH A HOSE!”

  Small climbs up out of the scuttle, “Go tell Knots the wardroom is on fire and I’m manning a hose.” He pulls the one and half inch hose off its storage camel back and fakes it out by stringing it back and forth across the deck so it won’t kink when it’s charged. He puts down his face mask, fires up his OBA and tests it. Then, charging the hose, he holds the nozzle tight in his hand. Dragging the hose behind him, he climbs the ladder to the o1 level and pushes open the wardroom door. He sees fire everywhere, and several places where the overhead has collapsed. Opening the nozzle, he sweeps it back and forth, laying down high velocity fog.

  CHAPTER 49

  USS CARL VINSON, 03 LEVEL PORT SIDE

  Puck climbs the four stories up to the 03 level with Sam in his arms, Fluffy continuing to lead block. She looks at Puck, trying to focus her eyes, and in a small voice, “Puck, put me down.”

  “We’re almost to your stateroom.”

  “No, Eric. Put me down.”

  “Okay,” and lowers her to her feet. She wobbles and he steadies her. “You need to rest, Spike.”

  Fluffy adds, “We got your back, boss.”

  “I know, Fluffy. Help me to the ready room. I need water and something to eat.”

  Puck, “Are you sure, Sam?”

  Her voice firming, “Puck…Puck, just help me. Fluffy, what…find out the status of our planes. How many can fly?”

  Fluffy exchanges a look with Puck, “Spike, we got it. Go rest.”

  She turns toward Fluffy, raising her voice, “There is no time, Chief. As we speak, the Japanese are planning the next attack. We have to be ready.”

  Fluffy nods, and heads topside.

  USS FIFE, REPAIR 6

  Lt. JG Laura Wakefield is crazy busy. She has fires forward in repair 5 locker area and multiple people injured. She managed to get the CHENG back in medical, with a corpsman stabilizing him for medivac. The central control station is ablaze, as is combat and the superstructure up to the bridge. It’s a mass conflagration drill come to life. A petty officer runs up to her, “Ma’am, I need you forward.”

  “I’m busy,” then to a phone talker, “Tell locker 1 and 2, I need all the hoses they can provide working aft.”

  BM1 Coats tries again, “Ma’am, the chief can do this. I need you forward.”

  She turns to him, “Petty Officer Coats, I’m busy. B.U.S.Y. BUSY. If I don’t get this right, we’ll lose the ship. You got it?”

  Coats stands his ground, “Ma’am, the whole ship needs you. Not just this locker. YOU are in charge!”

  She looks at him baffled, “What?”

  “Ma’am, the CO, XO, DCA, and Weapons Officer are dead. The CHENG needs to be medivaced off. You’re it. You are the commanding officer of the USS Fife. Let the locker chief do his job and start doing yours, ma’am.”

  She looks around and shakes her head, “Do we have contact with higher?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Okay, okay. Does the 1JV still have contact fore and aft?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Okay, Coats, you are now my conning officer. Go forward, establish coms with the power plants, aft steering, and the helicopter control station, and keep us from hitting anything. I’ll be aft at Helicon. They have a radio there. MOVE!”

  USS CARL VINSON, VF-154 READY ROOM

  Thud walks in still in his sweaty flight suit, his faces tracked with his tears, and anguish. The rest of the squadron start arriving for the post brief. ‘Johnny’ Walker asks, “Thud, have you seen the skipper?” Thud looks at him, staring, but not seeing, then shakes his head, no.

  “Hey, what’s going on, Thud?”

  Speedy, coming in behind Thud, “Just drop it, Mi amigo, comprende?”

  Gunner and his RIO, NOB, com in laughing. But a couple of steps in, pause, taking in the quiet, and Gunner asks, “Hey, Thud, where’s the skipper?”

  Speedy, “She’s okay. Just drop it.”

  “Okay, man, chill.”

  Swede walks out of the XO’s office. All the aircrew is in the room except Spike, Puck, and Packs. Thud exchange a look of silent understanding, and Thud says, “Lt. Ca
rleton tried to shoot Spike down out there. He nearly succeeded when I couldn’t get to her. Carleton was shot down, I think, by a Jap. Book went around the bend and tried to kill Spike and Puck. And, and, and I couldn’t help them.” The room is silent.

  Puck leads Sam into the ready room. She is very unsteady on her feet. Puck, “Somebody get her some water and some food.” Swede grabs a water bottle and throws it to Puck, who catches it offhand, opens it, and hands it to her. He helps her into a chair at the front.

  Sam take a long pull of water, and takes in the ready room, eyes still unfocused. Then, “Thud, you did your best.”

  “A wingman is supposed to protect his partner. I failed you.”

  Puck, “Not at the expense of your own life, Thud. I only caught bits of what you were doing, but the Jap you tangled with was damn good. Carleton lost. You’re right, a Japanese sidewinder got Book. We got the Japanese. There were two chutes, so Book is going to survive for court martial.”

  Thud, still crying, “Spike, are you hurt?”

  Sam rubs her face, “Just exhausted and thirsty. Thud, I’ll live. You did your best.” Looking up at all her people, “You all did.” Her voice firming up, “Okay, where are we at? Right now, we need to prepare for a second strike. Which of you have undamaged birds?”

  USS SALT LAKE CITY, BRIDGE

  Captain Ellis Zacharias stands at the port bridge wing with a loud hailer. At his elbow is the bridge phone talker and the OOD. The Chester, CA 27, is alongside offering aid. The destroyer, Mugford, DD 389, is on the other side spraying water on the fires forward. Captain William Handy Hartt, Jr. of the Chester shouts, “Salt Lake City! We stand by to take on your crew.”

  “We’re not done yet, friend. I have three fourths of a ship to fight with.”

  “What do you need?”

  “I need pumps, shoring equipment, and fire fighters.” The last is drowned out by the noise of helicopter. The OOD, “Captain, the Carl Vinson is sending an assistance detail. Shall I land them on the stern?”

  “Yes, John, that will do. Have them coordinate with the DCA.”

  Down in the bowels of the Salt Lake City, BT1 Rivera is neck deep in water operating a valve. As the ship rolls, his head goes under, but he stays with it. As his head clears the sloshing water, he gasps for air. Then he works his way to the ladder, “Go tell the DCA that the starboard main can be re-pressurized.” As he works his way to waist level, he shouts, “Send down the eductor. The main is coming up a bit.” Something bumps against his leg. He pushes it off, looking up the stairs. But the ship keeps rolling and the thing bumps into him again. He looks down and sees the lifeless eyes of BT1 Grady staring up at him.

  He hears a shout from above, “Eductor coming down.” He grabs the heavy salt water operated pump and lowers it into the water.

  USS CARL VINSON, BRIDGE

  The RO, Captain Tucker, stands beside Captain Johnson, “Sir, we were lucky. We lost the forward port CIWS, its control room, some fans and supplies. We have smoke damage to an air wing berthing, but that’s about it. The fires are being overhauled and the ship is fully functional. Casualties are two dead, eight wounded, and one re-wounded.”

  “Re-wounded?”

  “Yes, sir, one of the Stoddert survivors who was badly burned. He was staying sick in quarters because medical had no room for him. He opened the wounds on his hands and got a couple of new burns fighting the fire. Good thing he did, too. We could have last number 2 catapult.”

  The BMOW announces, “Admiral on the bridge.”

  Johnson, “Two dead and nine wounded, and you call that lucky?”

  Admiral Halsey, “I do, William, how long until we are ready to counter-attack?”

  “The aircraft are mostly on board now, and being rearmed and refueled. It’ll be about thirty minutes, sir. Where do you want to hit?”

  Halsey, “We took losses, but we hit them good. I want to attack the air field the jets flew from. Your radar plane had them returning to Hokkaido. I’m told there is only one military airfield there. I want to blow them to hell.”

  BLACK KNIGHTS READY ROOM

  Sam sits at a table writing. A phone talker sitting next to her reports, “Knight 309 is patched and flight worthy.”

  “Very well, we have six birds…” She pauses and takes a breath, “Swede, put together a flight and report to Combat.” She’s handed a glass of water and she downs it, “Thank you. Swede, four AIM-54s on each bird, ok?” We don’t want to play with the F-15s if we don’t have to.”

  Swede, “Roger, boss. Get some sleep.”

  “Swede, I’ll sleep when we’re clear.” She pauses again, stretches her shoulders and absently eats a granola bar. Rubbing her eyes, “Swede, what’s the status of 224?”

  Puck, “Spike, Swede left. You need to sleep.”

  Irritated, “When we’re clear,” and nods off. She comes to, shaking her head, “Focus, Puck, what’s the status of 224?”

  “They’re replacing a section of wiring. It should be anytime.”

  “Are the aircrew not on duty, resting?”

  “All but you and I, Spike. You need to sleep.”

  She effort she focuses on her RIO, “Lieutenant Hawke, I need to make sure we are ready to fight. It’s my squadron, and mine to do.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  USS CARL VINSON, BRIDGE

  Captain Johnson stands near his chair talking to Admiral Halsey and drinking coffee when a petty officer walks in, “Request to enter the bridge with dispatches.” The conning officer, “Granted.”

  They young RM2 walks up to Halsey, handing him a clipboard, “Sign here, sir.” Halsey signs, the petty officer hands him an envelope and leaves.

  Halsey opens it, “Damn it to hell. It’s Nimitz. There is to be no follow on attack. He’s ordering us to patch ourselves together and return to Pearl. Damn it….Anything new on the Salt Lake City?”

  Johnson sips his coffee, “They’re still fighting it. From what they said, the missile hit didn’t directly cause the damage, but somehow triggered a secondary explosion, which blew the bow off.”

  “Something detonated the mount 81 magazine. We need to figure that out. Anyway, put out to your pilots to stand down until morning. I want a radar plane and four fighters airborne all night. I’ll tell Enterprise to keep patrolling, too. We need to start back home.”

  BLACK KNIGHT READY ROOM

  Sam is still at her desk, working. Her head bobs down and catches herself, takes a drink coffee, and starts reading again. Captain Holtz walks in with a handful of papers. Seeing Puck, “The flight schedule, Puck, could you post it?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Papa pulls up a chair and sits down, “How are you, Spike?”

  She struggles to focus, “I’m too wiped out to fly, but…but, I got six planes ready and three more almost ready. Swede is ready to lead. We’re ready for the next strike, sir.”

  “There won’t be another strike. We’re heading back to Pearl…Spike, I’m sorry.”

  “What?”

  “I know what happened, what Lt. Carleton did. What he did on the sponson, and in the air. Look, I knew he was melting down. I knew he hated you. I should have figured it out. I, um, I should have done something.”

  “Sir. Sir, he’ll pay for what he did. It, it isn’t your fault.”

  “Sam, Carleton is dead. His neck was broken during ejection.”

  Startled, “Um, damn, okay, sir. Sir, it wasn’t your fault. How could anyone know he would,…that he would try to hurt me, that he would kill Chief White.”

  “Spike, Samantha, what happened out there? Did you shoot him down?”

  “No, sir. No, he was so focused on us, he forgot the Japanese. Sir, what about Lt. Boxter?”

  “He’s in medical, but he’ll recover. Are you going to be okay, Sam?”

  “I’m…I’m tired, sir. God, sir, we lost people. Good people. How do I deal with that?”

  “We keep going, Sam. We’ve a lot of war in front of us. We fight to survi
ve each day and trust the guys above us know what they’re doing. Each day, we change everything that happened before.”

  “I know, sir. But, are we changing it for the better?”

  “Yes, Sam. You, I, all of us, we’re making a better future.”

  THE END

  THE STORY CONTINUES IN

  DIVIDED WE STAND

  BOOK TWO OF

  THE FIGHTING TOMCATS

  GLOSSARY

  16: VHF channel 16 is the international emergency channel.

  1MC: General announcing system. Ship wide loud speaker system.

  (Number)K: Fuel state. K for thousand pounds.

  AB1: Navy enlisted rate and rank. Aviation Boatswain’s Mate First Class (E-6).

  AD: Naval aviation rating. Aviation Machinist.

  ADC(AW): Naval enlisted rank and rate, with warfare badge. Aviation Machinist Chief, Air Warfare specialist (E-7).

  ADM: Admiral. Naval Officer rank (O-10). Also used colloquially for Rear Admirals Lower and Upper, and Vice Admirals (O-7 through 9).

  AGL: Above Ground Level.

  Ahead (Bell): The standard bells, or speeds of a ship are ahead 1/3, ahead 2/3, ahead Standard, Ahead full, and Ahead Flank. The number is the amount of revolutions per minute of the shaft.

  Ahead Flank Emergency: Order to come to the fastest ahead speed as fast as possible. See Bell.

  Air Boss: The ship’s force air department head. The air boss commands all operations on the flight deck and hanger deck.

  Amphenol: Multi-prong electronic or electrical connection.

  AN: Naval Enlisted non-designated aviation rank. Airman (E-3).

  AOCS: Enlisted rate and rank. Aviation Ordinanceman Senior Chief (E-8).

  Arco: When an aircraft flies as a refueler they are given a special call sign. Usually the name of a gas station chain.

  ASROC: Anti-submarine rocket. A torpedo delivered by a rocket.

  ASW: Anti-submarine warfare.

  Auto-gyro: An emergency landing technique that uses the wind blowing through the helicopter rotors to keep them spinning, then uses the collective to slow the bird’s descent at the last moment.