The Violent Sea

by Russell Moran

  Chapter 35

  Any time something big and serious happens at sea, a Naval Board of Inquiry is convened.

  A carrier that goes missing for two days more than justifies a Board of Inquiry.

  One day before the board convened, I got a personal call from Hugo Johnston, Secretary of the Navy. Meg and I were staying at married officers’ quarters at the Washington Navy Yard.

  “Harry, I decided to personally see the paperwork through. Your appearance at the board, as I’m sure you know, is simply required by Navy Regs. Nobody suspects you of anything but outstanding service. I wish I could be there, but I have a meeting at the White House.”

  The Board convened in a large theater-shaped conference room at the Pentagon. Six admirals sat on the Board as well as a Deputy Secretary of Defense. Admiral Gerald (“Jerry”) Poindexter was the chairman. We had met once before just prior to fleet maneuvers, when he was in command of a strike group. The board members sat at a table on the left side of the raised platform, and the witness lectern was off to the right. I was called as the first witness, but Jerry Poindexter wanted to start with a few comments.

  “Admiral Fenton, you’re well known to all of us on this board, and we thank you for joining us today (as if I had a choice). We’re all familiar with the strange phenomenon of time travel, and we recognize that it will be a major part of our focus here today. So, let me state for the record, that the USS Gerald R. Ford, Admiral Fenton’s flagship, suddenly disappeared on the morning of October 26th, 2018, as the ship steamed for the Sea of Japan, along with the other three ships that comprised Carrier Strike Group 14, to engage in maneuvers with the naval forces of South Korea and Japan. We have learned that the Ford disappeared because it encountered a wormhole, which we all know is a time portal to another era. In his written statement, Admiral Fenton tells us that the Ford found itself in the year 1944, right in the middle of the Pacific Theater of World War II. The ship stayed in 1944 for over two months, but, in the strange workings of time travel, it was only gone for two days in 2018 time. I should note that Admiral Fenton wears a Purple Heart and the Navy Cross. So, tell us, Harry, what did you do with our ship for two days?”

  Everybody cracked up at Poindexter’s comment. This Board had been convened because Navy Regulations required it under the circumstances. Nobody expected any negative details. I think these people looked at this hearing as a fun event. All that was missing was the popcorn.

  “Ladies (two of the admirals were women) and gentlemen, let me first say that it’s good to be back here in 2018, but it’s a different 2018 than the one we left. Yes, I’ve experienced time travel, but I really don’t understand it, not that anybody does. After we encountered the wormhole near Guam, I decided to contact the American fleet. My knowledge of history told me that Admiral William Halsey was the man we should look for. One of our search planes spotted the USS New Jersey, which I knew was Halsey’s flagship. Because of wartime radio silence, we made contact with the New Jersey by use of signal lamps. He invited us to visit. All the details are in my written report, but let me summarize the most important points. Admiral Halsey, with his Third Fleet, Admiral Kinkaid with his Seventh Fleet, as well as Admiral Spruance of the Fifth Fleet, all agreed with my plan. We had a big problem locating the wormhole because of a navigational error, so I made the decision that, before we tried to find the wormhole back to the present, I would use the firepower of the Ford to help the American Fleet in the war against Japan. So, my plan was simple: to destroy as much of the Japanese naval forces as possible at the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and in so doing, convince Japan to surrender. My plan worked, and we sank each and every Japanese warship at Leyte Gulf, including nine battleships, one of which was the revered Yamato. The officer who commanded that attack was my wife, Lieutenant Meg Fenton. Japan capitulated on November 3, 1944, one week after the Battle of Leyte Gulf. That much, you all know. At the beginning of my testimony I said that the Ford returned to the present on October 28, 2018, but it was a different 2018 from one we left. Our history in the year 2018, differs from yours, and included the following. The war in the Pacific would rage on for almost another year. After the Battle of Leyte Gulf, history would record the hellish Battles of Luzon, Manila, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Because Japan refused to surrender, and it seemed that they would fight to the end to defend their homeland, President Truman ordered the dropping of two nuclear bombs, one on Hiroshima and one on Nagasaki, resulting in over 250,000 civilian deaths. That is the history that we on the Ford know, and it differs sharply from the history that you know.”

  Meg raised her hand.

  “Please go ahead, Lieutenant Fenton,” Poindexter said.

  “I just want to make sure that you all grasp the significance of what my husband said. Because of his decision to force Japan’s hand by destroying all its naval forces at Leyte Gulf, Harry saved hundreds of thousands of lives, both American and Japanese. Did I marry well, or what?”

  Everybody cracked up. It doesn’t take Meg long to put a room in the palm of her hand.

  “Yes, Lieutenant Fenton,” Jerry Poindexter said, “you did marry well, indeed. I’m going to go out of order here. Because this hearing involves the phenomenon of time travel, I would like to call on one of our colleagues who taught the world what time travel means. As we all know, Admiral Ashley Patterson, seated next to me, became world famous when she was the commanding officer of the USS California, popularly known as The Gray Ship, a guided missile cruiser that time traveled back from the year 2013 to the American Civil War. Ashley, please ask Admiral Harry, your time-traveling colleague, whatever is on your mind.”

  “Thank you, Jerry, and let me say, Harry, that it’s an honor and pleasure to meet you. You and I have a lot in common—we both changed history, for the better. You took your actions with the Ford to bring the Pacific war to a fast close, and in so doing, as your wife just pointed out, saved a few hundred thousand lives. A few years ago, I sat in your seat before a Naval Board of Inquiry. Back then, nobody knew anything about time travel. The Navy’s big question to me was, ‘Where the hell have you been, and your answer better be good.’ You know a different history of World War II than the rest of us here, just as I knew a different history of the Civil War, much different from what the books now tell us. Just like you, I was nervous about changing history, but I figured what can be wrong with saving a lot of lives. The Civil War history that I knew, as did everybody on the California, told us of a war that would drag on for four horrible years with total casualties on both sides of about 700,000 people. But when we returned through the wormhole to 2013, we found that the history books had changed. The new history told us that the American Civil War was one of the shortest wars in history, lasting only four months, with total casualties of less than a thousand. So, my crewmates and I on the California changed history, as did you, Meg, and the crew of the Ford. I salute you, Admiral Harry.”

  “And I join Admiral Patterson in saluting you, Harry,” Poindexter said. “Does anyone else have a question?”

  John Monroe, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, raised his hand.

  “Along with my colleagues here on this Board of Inquiry, I am impressed beyond words at what Admiral Fenton and his crew accomplished. But, because this is a Board of Inquiry, there is a subject that needs to be addressed. From everything I’ve read and heard about your wife, Lieutenant Meghan Fenton, she is an outstanding naval officer, as well as an ace jet pilot. But here’s my question. What if the Navy assigned Lieutenant Fenton to a different duty station from yours? The fact that your wife serves alongside you has raised a few eyebrows, to say the least. Do you wish to comment on that, admiral?”

  “Sure, Mr. Secretary, you asked a simple question, so I will give you a simple answer. With me, you get a package deal, a twofer—Meg and me. We have a unique relationship that I can’t explain here. You want me? Meg’s included. No Meg, no me. If you try to separate us, I will resign my commission, something I’d hate to do. I hope I’ve answered yo
ur question.”

  Leave it to Harry, Meg thought. He doesn’t take shit from anybody.

  “If I may make a comment,” Ashley Patterson said. “I’m not sure that you’re all aware of this, but my husband Jack has been with me on every deployment. He’s a famous author, as I think most of you know, but besides that he’s a fine naval reserve officer. Just as Admiral Harry relies on Meg, I rely on Jack. In both situations, the ‘good of the service’ is well taken care of. Consider the possibility that the Navy’s mission is better served with Harry and Meg, just as it is with Jack and me.”

  “Okay, ladies and gentlemen, I think we’ll take a break. I’ve prepared a finding of today’s Board of Review and let me know if you want to add or subtract something.”

  After the break, which only lasted 20 minutes, Admiral Poindexter read from the findings.

  “The Board of Review, In the Matter of the USS Gerald. R Ford’ s Disappearance on October 26 and 27, 2017, do hereby find unanimously:

  1. That Admiral Harold Fenton and his wife and aide, Flag Lieutenant Meghan Fenton, along with the crew of the USS Gerald R. Ford, comported themselves and executed their duties in the highest of traditions of the United States Navy;

  2. That this board recommends to the United States Navy, that Admiral Harold Fenton continue as commanding officer of Carrier Strike Group 14;

  3. That, based on the reports of hundreds of personnel on the Ford who testified to her leadership and actions, that the normal promotion rules of time-in-grade be suspended, and that Lieutenant Fenton be promoted to the rank of full commander. This decision has been cleared with the Senate Armed Forces Committee and the White House prior to this hearing.

  4. That the written reports of Admiral Harold Fenton and Commander Meghan Fenton are accepted and are incorporated herein.

  “This unanimous vote will hereby become part of the record.”

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, the time is 1730 hours. I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink. We’ve completed our formal report, and now I’d like to propose a toast to a couple of amazing naval officers. Please join us in the lounge down the hall. I’d love to hear more about the adventures of Harry and Meg Fenton in 1944.”

  ***

  “Hey, commander, how about a kiss?”

  Meg and I waited at Reagan International Airport for a Navy transport plane to take us back to Pearl Harbor.

  “Harry, I’m freaked out over my promotion. Holy shit—full commander. I can’t believe they suspended the time-in-grade requirement.”

  “You managed to impress a few tough cookies, Meg. Also, the Navy, when sitting as a board such as those folks, like to make naval history. I can’t wait to make the announcement to the crew. Everybody seems to call you Meg. Do you think that will change?”

  “I hope not. Hey, I loved the way you referred to us as a ‘twofer’ to that asshole Deputy Defense Secretary. ‘Harry and Meg Fenton—America’s Twofer.’ We should get a plaque made up.”

  “Admiral Patterson’s story about her and her husband being at sea together nailed it. We’re not the only husband and wife team in the Navy.”

  “A team? I love the way you put it.”

  “That’s because we are a team. I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d resign if the Navy split us up. But now that you will wear scrambled eggs on your hat, I think I’ll give you another promotion. You are hereby relieved of your duties as my aide, and I appoint you my Chief of Staff—which you are already in practice.”

  Chapter 36

  The Office of Naval Operations didn’t waste any time in ordering Carrier Strike Group 14 to resume its planned deployment to the Sea of Japan. We were due to cast off our lines the day after Meg and I returned from Washington. They didn’t even appoint a replacement captain for the late Marty Brinkman, so, I’m still the CO of the Ford. Something told me that there must be a reason for the rush. I called Buster to my office so he could update me on his intelligence briefings.

  “Great to see you two again,” Buster said. “From what I hear, you both were a hit at the Board of Inquiry. Congratulations, Commander Meg.”

  “How did you know about the Board of Inquiry?” I said. “I thought the deliberations were supposed to be top secret.”

  “Hey, I’m a spook, remember? I had an insider at the hearing, none other than Admiral Ashley Patterson of Gray Ship fame. I’m good friends with Ashley and her husband Jack. They remind me of you and Commander Meg. I guess you heard the Gray Ship story and how Ashley Patterson changed history at the Battle of Bull Run with some modern firepower, just like you did in World War II at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Have I mentioned that it’s an honor to serve with you, sir?”

  “Thanks, Buster. Hey, the name’s Harry. So, what have you got to tell me about our latest intelligence?”

  “I’ve kept a file on incidents of possible terror plots. You’ve been gone for just over two days in 2018 time. During those two days there have been 20—that’s right, 20 incidents on 15 different ships. CIA Director Carlini has kept me updated daily. Now here’s the fucking scary part, pardon my Arabic. These incidents have all occurred after my Operation Escort went into effect. The good news is that the escort program is working. All the incidents were discovered because an escort reported it immediately. But what’s surprising is that the suspects tried to pull something off even though they had escorts. No explosions, but a lot of unauthorized photo taking and testing of security. Of the 20 sailors involved, 12 of them could be described as career track, that is a rank of first class petty officer or higher. Five of the incidents involved chief petty officers.”

  “But why would those events accelerate our joint exercise deployment?”

  “There’s no direct correlation, but a lot of people at the CIA and the Pentagon think that ISIS, al-Qaeda, and possibly Iran and North Korea, are planning some big stuff, and get this—they’re worried about nuclear weapons. The White House wants these joint naval maneuvers to happen as soon as possible. I think President Blake wants to lure the jihadis out of the shadows, so we can kill them.”

  The squawk box squawked. “Admiral Fenton, this is Lieutenant Commander Tracy, the OOD. I suggest that you turn on the TV, sir.”

  “Good morning to our viewers who have just tuned in. This is Shepard Smith for Fox News. As I reported a few minutes ago, there has been an explosion on the Hanja, a Sejong the Great class destroyer from the South Korean Navy. Those ships are similar in size and armaments to the American Arleigh Burke class destroyers. A bomb detonated on the ship’s bridge, rendering it inoperable. The ship is surrounded by emergency vessels which have been pouring a steady stream of water to douse the huge fire. The Hanja had been scheduled to engage in joint naval maneuvers with the American Carrier Strike Force 14, commanded by Admiral Harry Fenton. Six ships from the Japanese Navy are also scheduled to join in the war games. This incident comes after a rash of bombings of US Navy warships in recent weeks. We will bring you updates as we get more information on this breaking story.”

  ***

  “Admiral Fenton, the White House is on line one for you, sir.”

  “Harry, Matt Blake here. I’m sure you’ve heard about the attack on that South Korean destroyer. This incident underscores the importance of the joint maneuvers you’ll soon be involved in. I know that you and your wife have just returned to Pearl Harbor from the Naval Board of Inquiry. By the way, I’ve been told that you comported yourself in your normal excellent fashion. Have you been updated on the latest incidents?”

  “Yes, sir, I’m meeting with CIA agent Atkins now.”

  “Hello, Buster. It doesn’t surprise me that you’ve wasted no time in bringing the admiral up to date. Is Lieutenant Fenton there—I mean Commander Fenton?”

  “Yes, sir, I’m here.”

  “Congratulations on your promotion, Meg. I’ll take credit for personally lobbying the Navy and Defense Departments, not to mention the Senate Armed Services Committee, to suspend the time-in-grade requirement. I don’t
know what the Navy would do without you and your husband. Sinking the largest battleship ever built more than justifies your promotion. Nice shooting, commander.”

  “Thank, you, sir.”

  Meg never blushes—but she was blushing.

  “I won’t detain you folks any longer. Like it or not, we find ourselves in a shooting war, and I know that Harry Fenton likes to win wars. God bless you folks. I won’t tell you to keep your powder dry, but to use your powder to keep our country safe.”

  Chapter 37

  Carrier Strike Group 14 rendezvoused with the Japanese and South Korean ships in Tokyo Bay on Friday afternoon, November 2, 2018. The South Korean ships included the Dokdo, an amphibious assault ship, three Sejong the Great class destroyers, like the one that was recently bombed, and the Kyong Buk, an Ulsan class frigate.

  The Japanese ships included the JS Izumo, a helicopter carrier, which they also refer to as a helicopter destroyer; the JS Atago and the JS Ashigara, both guided missile destroyers; and the JS Abukuma and JS Oyodo, destroyer escorts.

  Joint naval exercises with other countries have two major purposes, the first being “to show the flag,” to publicly flex muscles. Operations like this have been conducted ever since sea power existed. The purpose is to show a potential enemy that you’re a tough customer. You talkin’ to me?

  The second reason for joint naval exercises is to train navies from different countries to work together. Different languages can be a challenge. By agreement, all the participating ships communicated in English—with mixed results. Giving and taking orders in a language not your own is always difficult. Add to the language problem the emotional strain of combat, even simulated combat, and things can get dicey.