Bringing Him Back by Gary Whitmore - HTML preview

By

Gary Whitmore

This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to events or places or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright 2011 by Gary Whitmore eBook cover created by Gary Whitmore

This fiction story is dedicated to all those men that served in the Armed Forces during World War II. Thank you for your service and sacrifice.

A special dedication goes out to all those families that lost a brother, father, husband, or friend while serving in World War II keep our freedom alive.

Prologue

It’s the summer of 1943, with another beautiful clear night and a full moon shining down on Santa Monica.

It was Saturday night, and the Santa Monica pier was a carnival atmosphere.

The Ferris wheel was packed tonight, as everybody wanted a bird’s eye view of the lighted city of Santa Monica.

Carl Eastman, twenty-two years old, sat with his latest girlfriend, Sandy, in one of the suspended seats on the Ferris wheel.

In the seat below him was Carl’s best friend Ben Grayson, twenty-two years old, who held a camera in his hand, and by his side was his soul mate Diana Broward, also twenty-two years old. While the Ferris wheel went around and around, Carl moved around to catch a glimpse of Ben and Diana, causing his suspended seat to swing back and forth.

Sandy quickly gripped the bar before them, scared she would fall out. “Stop that, or we’ll fall out,” she cried in a panic while she gripped the bar tighter with white knuckles.

“I’m sorry, I’m just looking around. It’s so beautiful up here,” he replied, but he was really jealous when he saw Ben’s arm around Diana and her head resting on his shoulder.

Sandy sensed his jealousy but didn’t care since she was with him tonight. She placed Carl’s arm around her shoulder and cuddled.

The Ferris wheel went around and around, with everybody enjoying the ride.

The Ferris wheel stopped with Ben and Diana’s seat at the top while the attendant assisted passengers out of their seats at the landing.

“Yes! I will!” Diana beamed, followed by a scream of joy from the top of the Ferris wheel.

Carl, Sandy, and the other passengers craned their necks to see what happened at the top of the Ferris wheel.

“Are you two okay?” Carl yelled upward at Ben.

“We’re doing great!” Ben yelled back excitedly.

Carl wasn’t happy with the sound of his response, as he had a strong hunch of what just happened.

It was Carl and Sandy’s turn to disembark out of their seat five minutes later. They walked out of the fenced area of the Ferris wheel and waited to see what happened with Ben and Diana.

Diana ran to Carl excitedly while flashing an engagement ring in his face. “We’re getting married!” she cried joyfully, then hugged Carl.

Carl looked heartbroken with the good news.

People nearby and still on the Ferris wheel clapped when they heard the good news.

Ben had a huge, proud smile while he looked at Carl.

Diana broke away from Carl, who remained speechless while he looked at Ben. “Congratulations, buddy. I hope I’ll be your best man,” he finally said to break his silence, then stuck out his hand to be polite.

“Of course, you’ll be my best man,” Ben said while he shook Carl’s hand.

Diana ran over and showed Sandy her engagement ring.

Sandy held Diana’s hand and looked jealous while she admired her diamond ring.

Ben looked at an older couple who looked happy with their engagement news.

“Sir, please take our picture to capture this glorious day?”

Ben asked the old man.

“It would be my pleasure,” the old man replied while he walked up to Ben.

With Diana between the two guys, Sandy, Carl, and Ben posed with the Ferris wheel in the background.

The old man snapped their picture and then handed Ben his camera.

“Thank you, sir,” Ben said.

“Congratulations on getting engaged,” the old man said, then shook Ben’s hand.

Ben and Diana held hands while they walked away from the Ferris wheel.

Carl tagged along, with part of him happy for Ben and the other half sad.

Later that night, the four went out for a night on the town of swing dancing at a local nightclub in Santa Monica called The Boogie Woogie Dance Club. They drank and danced to celebrate Ben and Diana’s engagement further.

Later that night, Ben and Diana slept in a room at the Beachside Motor Court while Carl and Sandy slept in a separate room.

In Carl’s room, he lay in bed with Sandy cuddled by his side. Sandy reached under Carl’s tee shirt and ran her hand over his chest. She nibbled on his ear and then kissed his cheek.

“We’ve been dating for six months now, Carl. I was wondering if you’ve considered giving me an exciting night like what Ben gave Diana?” she asked, then nibbled on his ear again.

“Maybe,” he replied, but he could only think about Diana and Ben getting married.

Sandy looked disappointed, as that wasn’t the answer she wanted. “There’s something else that’s been bothering me,” she said while she fiddled with her hands.

“What’s that?” Carl replied, a little irritated.

“Can we, for once, go on a date all by ourselves? I like Ben and Diana, but we’re always double-dating. I want to spend time alone,” she complained.

“Sure,” Carl replied but couldn’t care less.

She kissed him on his lips and made moves that indicated she wanted to make love.

“Not tonight, I’m really exhausted,” Carl said, then rolled over to his side and closed his eyes.

Sandy rolled over on her side, and her eyes welled up.

The next morning, Ben, Diana, Carl, and Sandy returned to their Santa Barbara home.

On Monday morning back in Santa Barbara, it was back to business when Ben and Carl reported back to work. They both worked on constructing an office building built by the Eastman and Grayson Construction Company, which was owned by their fathers.

Ernie Eastman and Jack Grayson were partners in the construction firm they started in 1928. Ben and Carl began working for their father’s firm when they were ten.

First, they started out part-time, picking up trash on the weekend construction sites. They had slowly evolved into jobs that carried more responsibilities. They both were recently given jobs as assistant foremen since they graduated six months ago from Santa Barbara City College with business degrees. The boys were slated to take over the business after their father’s retirement in the future.

Ben and Carl walked to the top floor of the building, which was nothing but steel beams and a concrete floor. Ben had some blueprints in his hand, and they both double-checked plumbing installations.

Then, an Army C47 Skytrain airplane flew over the building and caught Carl’s attention. He watched the C47 while it flew away and started thinking about his future.

“Ben, that Japanese submarine that fired at the oil refinery this past February got me thinking,” Carl said.

“Thinking about what?” Ben asked while he looked at the blueprints.

“Thinking that now we’re out of college, we should enlist.

We need to do our duty and serve our country. I mean, what if more Japanese submarines try to blow up our home? If we help out Uncle Sam, we can prevent that from happening again. I’m thinking of the Marines,” Carl replied.

“Enlist in the Marines?” Ben said while he looked at Carl.

“Yeah. Remember when we were boys and talked about becoming pilots?” Carl recalled.

“Yeah,” Ben replied with a smile while he remembered the makeshift airplane they made out of scrap wood from a construction site.

“I’m thinking we could join the Marines and learn how to become pilots,” Carl said while he watched the C47 that was now flying toward the coast.

“Marines, huh?”

“The Marines. We’re too tough for any other branch of service,” Carl replied while he puffed out his chest like a muscleman.

Ben thought about it for a few seconds, then smiled. Then his smile suddenly went away the second he got concerned. “I don’t believe my future bride will be delighted with me joining the military,” he added.

“It’s our duty. Do you want everybody to think we’re cowards?” Carl replied with a serious look.

Ben thought about his comment. “I guess we’ll be Marines,” Ben said, as he never wanted to be called a coward.

“If we become pilots, one or both of us might not return home,” Carl said.

“You’re right. Who would take care of Diana?” Ben replied, a little concerned.

Then Carl had a little smirk. “Well, my friend, I promise that if anything happens to you, I’ll take care of her,” Carl offered.

Ben thought about it for a few seconds, then stuck out his hand. “It’s a deal!”

Carl shook his hand to make the offer official.

Ben looked curious. “So buddy, are you going to pop the question to Sandy?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Carl replied, as all he could think about was Diana.

They returned to their blueprints and continued checking out the plumbing installation.

That night was the toughest in Ben’s life when he told Diana that Carl and Ben would enlist in the Marines. Her eyes

widened, but she knew a war was happening, and Ben had to perform his duty.

A month later, Ben and Diana got married in the backyard of his parent’s house. It was a small wedding since there was little time to prepare for a large ceremony. But Diana was still happy, as she was now Mrs. Ben Grayson, and she had dreamt of this day since she was thirteen. Sandy didn’t attend because Carl broke up with her two weeks ago. He didn’t want a bride at home while he was off to war, as this was the bullshit story he told everybody.

Ben and Diana returned home after a short honeymoon for three days down in Santa Monica. It was time for him to leave for the United States Marine Corps.

Two days later, Ben and Carl’s parents said goodbye at the train station. Diana walked Ben arm-in-arm down the station and fought to hold back her tears. Carl trailed along behind them.

“I’m so scared you’ll be off in this war,” she said while her lips trembled and her eyes welled up.

“Don’t worry, Diana, I’ll make sure nothing happens to Ben,” Carl said to comfort her.

Diana hugged Carl and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

“I know you will, Carl, and I also love you,” Diana said, followed up with a little kiss on his cheek.

“And I also got Carl’s back,” Ben said.

“All aboard,” the conductor said while he walked alongside the train.

Diana and Ben engaged in a kiss by the train.

Carl felt out of place, so he waved at his parents and got on the train.

Ben tried to leave, but Diana clung to his arm as she didn’t want to let him go.

The train started to move away.

“I have to go, honey,” Ben said, then pried her away and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

Ben jumped on the train and waved at Diana, whose eyes welled up.

She watched the train pull away from the station.

Ben and Carl took the train down to the Los Angeles airport, where they later got on a DC-3 airliner that flew them to Washington, D.C.

Then, after another train ride, they finally arrived at the Marine Corps training base in Quantico, Virginia.

They spent ten weeks of grueling basic training in Quantico. They graduated and were now Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

They were transferred to Texarkana for the Wartime Training School, where they were evaluated by being checked out in a Piper J-3 Cub.

They were later transferred to Athens, Georgia, where they attended a preflight school.

After Georgia, they transferred to Dallas, Texas, for primary flight training.

After Texas, they were sent to Pensacola, Florida, for immediate flight training. This place was perfect for Ben because Diana had an aunt who lived in Tallahassee, so she moved there to be closer to Ben.

As soon as Ben arrived in Pensacola, he spent his first weekend in Mexico Beach with Diana. That was a very romantic weekend that resulted in them conceiving a child.

After Pensacola, Ben and Carl were transferred to the Corsair Operational Training Unit at Lee Field in Green Cove Springs, located south of Jacksonville, Florida. This provided more opportunities for Ben and Diana to have romantic weekends while he completed his training.

It was now 1944, and the boys got transferred to the Marine Corps Air Station at El Toro, California, to wait for an assignment into a squadron for the war.

Before going to El Toro, Ben and Carl left home in Santa Barbara. Carl moped around the home while Ben spent precious time with his pregnant wife.

Carl went to El Toro while Ben stayed home a few extra days.

Diana cried the night before Ben left for El Toro, fearing he would never return home.

“Don’t worry, honey. I’ll be coming home,” Ben consulted her. “I’m scared you won’t. Then who will take care of our baby and me?” Diana sobbed.

“Don’t worry; Carl said if anything happens to me, he’ll take care of you,” he said while he rubbed her back.

“But I want you to take care of me,” she said between sobs.

“I will, but just in case, Carl said he would marry you and take care of you for the rest of your life,” Ben told her while he kissed her cheek.

The next day, Ben left Santa Barbara and headed to El Toro, California.

After some time at El Toro, Ben and Carl were lucky to get the same assignment at Engebi in the South Pacific.

While at Engebi, things were going great for the two young men while they flew Corsairs. Ben became an ace pilot while Carl lagged behind with the number of Zero’s he shot down.

Then, that horrible day happened on May 11, 1944. It was during a battle where the Japanese had the upper hand this time, and Carl and Ben’s Corsairs were the only survivors.

“Catch up to me, and we’ll head back to base,” Ben told Carl over the radio net.

From inside Carl’s Corsair, he saw Ben’s Corsair all alone.

He looked at the photo of Ben, Diana, Carl, and Sandy at the Santa Monica Pier wedged between instruments on his console.

“I’m on my way. Man, I can’t believe what just happened.

We lost everybody,” Carl said into the radio net.

“We lost some good friends. But I’m glad you survived,”

Ben replied from the radio net.

“Me too, and I ran out of ammo, but I’m glad the remaining Zeros flew off,” Carl responded into the radio net.

There were a few minutes of silence while they headed back to Engebi.

Inside Ben’s Corsair, he looked around for Carl’s plane and assumed he was behind him, watching his back. The photo of

Ben, Diana, Carl, and Sandy wasn’t wedged between some instruments on his console, as he had forgotten it today.

“Ben! A Zero’s coming back at you!” Carl cried out from the radio net.

Ben strained to see Zero but couldn’t see the threat. “I’ll get rid of the bastard,” Ben said into the radio net.

“He’s at your six o’clock position,” Carl shouted from the radio net.

Then Ben heard machine-gun fire from inside his cockpit.

Then machine gunfire sprayed across the nose of his airplane. The radio antenna snapped off from the nose section and whipped around in the air.

“I’m hit,” Ben cried out from the radio net.

Carl didn’t respond to Ben’s radio call.

“Carl. Can you hear me?” Ben cried out into the radio net.

There wasn’t a response from Carl since Ben’s radio was inoperative.

Then, more machine gun fire sprayed his engine compartment, and flames shot outward. His engine quit, and there was an eerie silence while Ben stared at his propeller that stood still. Oil sprayed out and splattered all over his canopy.

Ben slid the canopy back and had to peek outside for visibility.

Ben performed his ditching procedures and headed toward the ocean.

Ben was able to safely ditch his Corsair into the water. He tried to unbuckle his harness and learned it was jammed.

Then he heard the sound of an airplane that approached.

He looked, and his eyes widened in shock. “What the hell?”

Ben frantically tried to unbuckle his harness to escape, but it was too late. His Corsair was sprayed with machine-gun fire and instantly exploded into a fireball.

Later that day at Engebi, Carl landed his Corsair and was guided to his parking spot. He turned off the engine and slowly got out of his plane.

He climbed down the fuselage, and the second his boots hit the dirt, Carl dropped to his knees and sobbed.

A topless Sergeant rushed over to Carl. “Lieutenant, what happened?” he asked.

“They’re all gone!” Carl sobbed out.

The Sergeant assisted Carl to his feet and walked him to the debriefing tent.

Later that day, Carl told Colonel Weaver how the whole squadron had been shot down and how a Zero had come after Ben while they were headed home. He further told the Colonel that he ran out of ammo and couldn’t save his best friend’s life.

Carl’s eyes welled up in front of the Colonel, who hated these moments as he had to write the letters to the family.

Colonel Weaver looked at Carl and saw he was shot in his groin by the huge bloodstain on his pants. He pointed it out to Carl, who looked down and then passed out at the sight of his blood. Carl dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

Carl was later discharged with a purple heart and returned home to Santa Barbara.

Two months after Carl arrived home, the remains of Ben’s body were sent home for burial. That was the saddest day in the lives of Diana and Carl, especially with Diana holding Ben’s baby, Robert, in her arms. At the same time, she watched his casket being lowered to the ground. Diana sobbed and dropped to her knees. Carl stood by her side and assisted her back to her feet. She sobbed into his shoulder while he comforted her.

Two more years passed, and life moved on, and like Carl promised to Ben, he proposed to Diana. She accepted, as she always loved Carl, and he would have been her second choice as a husband if she never met Ben.

Chapter 1

It was October 1995, a beautiful, sunny, chilly October day in Santa Barbara.

Fifty-one years had passed since Ben Grayson lost his life in the South Pacific during World War II. Carl Eastman stayed married to Diana, raising Ben and Diana’s son, Robert, who grew up to be a wonderful man.

Robert was now fifty-one years old and was married to Kathy, who was forty-eight years old, for the past twenty-nine years. They had a son, James Eastman, who was now twenty-eight.

Carl and Diana never had kids since Carl couldn’t father a child. This was from a blunt testicular trauma and war wound he received while in the Marines.

When James was younger, Diana told countless wonderful stories about Ben, his real grandfather. James wished he had the chance to know Ben, but fate never allowed that to happen.

Jack Grayson and Ernie Eastman retired from the construction business in 1975 and turned the company over to Carl. Then, when James graduated from UCLA, Carl gave him a job at the construction company per Diana’s request. Robert didn’t enjoy working in the construction business, so he became a stockbroker and opened his office in Santa Maria.

James worked as the financial manager for the construction company since he had a business degree. The business had been great, with Carl becoming financially independent.

He made tons of money from all the construction jobs.

Then, per Diana’s request, he purchased a Corsair F4U airplane, having it restored to USMC markings. She wanted him to restore the Corsair in honor of Ben.

Carl loved flying, became a certified flight instructor, and taught James how to fly the Corsair. James had a private pilot’s

license and enjoyed flying the World War II fighter. He became quite proficient with handling this beautiful aircraft.

It was October 20th, 1995, and Carl took the Friday off early to take his Corsair up for a spin. He wanted to practice maneuvers since he would perform in an upcoming Vandenberg Air Force Base airshow.

James worked diligently at his desk in his office at the Eastman Construction Company. A yellow post-it with a reminder to get the power turned off at the Bannister house on Monday was stuck to his computer monitor. This was an action Carl assigned to James the other day.

While James worked, he heard the sound of a Corsair outside his office window.

He ran over to the window and saw Carl’s Corsair while it flew over their office building.

Carl rocked the wings of the Corsair, as he knew James was probably looking out his window.

Carl flew the Corsair away over the city.

James returned to his desk, looked at his watch while sitting down, and noticed it was 4:30 p.m.

He turned off his computer and walked out of his office.

James walked down the area of numerous cubicles.

“Goodnight, James. Have a great time at the airshow tomorrow,” Roger, a male employee, called out from his desk while he was getting ready to head home.

“Goodnight, Roger, and thanks. We will,” James replied while he walked by an “Office Halloween Costume Party -

October 31st” poster tacked to the bulletin board.

James walked farther down the office area and went past Carl’s grand office, where the door was closed with a “Gone Flying” sign hanging on it.

Carl’s administrative assistant, Mindy, was preparing to leave for the day. “Goodnight,” she called out when she saw him. “Goodnight, Mindy,” James replied, then walked away.

James walked out of the building, and while he walked to the parking lot, he searched the sky for Carl’s Corsair. The airplane wasn’t in sight in the sky.

He must have landed. James thought to himself while he walked to his 1992 Mustang. He got inside his car, started it up, and drove off.

James drove through the streets of Santa Barbara and parked in front of some shops.

He exited his car, walked down the sidewalk, and stopped at a “Designs by Teri Eastman” office. He went inside Teri’s office.

Inside the office was Teri Eastman, a twenty-seven-year-old beautiful Italian female who worked on a graphic design on her Macintosh computer. She started this business three years ago after working for a local firm after she graduated from college.

So far, the business has been profitable for Teri, and she loves being her own boss.

Teri and James had been married for two years now. They first met when the Eastman Construction Company hired her services for some advertisement brochures. It was love at first sight.

“Are you ready, Teri?” James said, then gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“In a minute, I want to wrap this up,” she replied while she placed the final touches on a book cover design.

James approached a table and picked up some of her finished products. He admired another book cover design and a brochure.

“Are you sure you’re not a descendant of Rembrandt?” Teri chuckled. n“He was Dutch. I’m Italian.”

“You could probably get away with working for a counterfeiter,” he said jokingly.

“I won’t do anything illegal,” Teri said while she got up from her computer. Her eyes widened with a smile when she remembered something. “I have good news. My college best friend Mandy called. She just got her dream job with a publisher in New York,” she said.

“That’s great.”

Teri turned off her computer.

She walked over and closed the blinds to her window.

They walked to the door, and she turned off the lights. They walked out of her office.

James walked her to his Mustang and opened the passenger door outside her office. Carl had always stressed to James the importance of being a gentleman. She got inside the Mustang and closed the door.

James and Teri drove down an old, run-down residential area ten minutes later. All the homes on Memphis Avenue were over fifty years old and shabby, and the lawns were taken over with weeds. This was once a beautiful neighborhood when folks cared about their houses and yards over forty years ago.

Teri looked curious while she stared out her window.

“You’ve never driven down this street to go home,” she asked.

“Grandpa Carl wanted me to check on something.”

He drove down Memphis a little farther and saw a big, old, two-story house. It looked like termites had been feasting on it for years. A big excavator was parked in the front yard.

He stopped his Mustang by the street by that house, and they both looked at it.

“Are they going to tear down the old Lloyd Bannister house?” Teri asked curiously.

“Yeah. Last month, we got awarded a contract to build a fancy apartment building on that huge lot. Grandpa Carl wanted to see if they started demolition.”

“That old man Bannister was a kook,” Teri said. “How’s that?”

“Mom was his nurse when he was on his deathbed back in eighty-two. She would tell a story about how Lloyd claimed he built a time machine,” Teri told him.

“Time machine? You never told me that story,” James asked curiously while he drove his Mustang down the street.

“I forgot about it until I saw his house. I haven’t been down this street in probably ten years,” she replied.

“That’s interesting. I wonder if he actually time-traveled?”

James asked while he glanced back at the Lloyd house. He loved watching time travel movies like The Final Countdown, Back to the Future, and Somewhere in Time.

While he glanced back, he started to drift toward a parked car. “Keep your eyes on the road!” Teri cried out and smacked his arm.

James looked forward, and his eyes widened in shock when he saw the parked car. He quickly turned away and missed hitting the car by inches.

“I hope you pay better attention when you fly,” she lightly scolded him.

“I do,” he replied while he drove away.

He stopped at the end of the street and looked to his right.

He remembered this area. “Grandma would take me down here when I was a kid. She said Grandpa Ben’s house was four streets down,” Ben told Teri.

“I can imagine this area was really nice back in those days,”

she said.

“It was,” he replied, then turned left and drove away.

Later that evening, Teri read the book Girl Of My Dreams in their bedroom while James played a video game on their computer at the desk.

On the floor near the desk was a silver Kanstul Chicago model trumpet on a stand. James played in the marching band in High School, and he practiced to stay proficient over the years.

While Teri read her book, James played the World War II video game called Be A South Pacific Ace. This game used some actual ace pilots from World War II, but James used his name.

James was a Naval pilot during this battle, and their aircraft carrier was under attack. He flew a Corsair, and he dog fought with a Japanese Zero. He fired his machine gun and shot down the Zero, and it crashed into the Pacific Ocean. He jumped out of his chair and did a victory dance around the room.

“I’m an ace pilot. Yahoo!” he cried joyfully while “Ace Pilot” flashed across the screen.

Teri looked up from her book and watched James dance around the room. She rolled her eyes. “Boys will always be boys,” she muttered to herself.

“This game is great training for tomorrow,” he said while he jumped in bed.

“I hope you know I worry about you every time you get airborne,” she said with a worried look.

“Did you know it’s safer to fly than drive a car?”

“That’s what they say, but I still get that sick feeling in my stomach,” she said.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. Grandpa Carl was an excellent teacher,” he replied, then kissed her.

“You better be safe,” she said while reading her book.

“I’m always safe,” he said, and then he got a huge grin.

“Grandpa agreed to let me perform in the show this year,” he said. “Perform in the show? What does that mean?” Teri said and looked really worried.

“You know, fly some aerobatic maneuvers for the crowd.”

“What? You never told me that!” Teri said, a little upset, and placed her book down on her lap.

James realized he had goofed. “I’m sorry. I was planning on telling you at dinner, but I forgot,” he said.

“You’re going to have me worried sick. But I knew I was marrying a pilot. I guess I’ll just have to get used to it,” she said, then continued to read her book.

James got under the covers and looked excited about performing in front of a crowd.

It was Saturday morning, and Teri and James had a quiet breakfast.

“Is your mom still planning on being at the show?”

“Mom said she was still coming, and grandma would pick her up,” Teri replied while she sipped her green tea.

“Good,” he replied, then sipped his coffee.

After breakfast, James was ready to leave.

“I’ll meet you at the airport,” he said, then gave her a kiss on her lips.

James entered his bedroom and removed a World War II A-2 jacket from the closet. He wore the jacket and left the room.

Later that morning, James drove to the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport.

He walked over to a hangar and went inside.

He walked up to Carl’s Corsair, around it, and looked the plane over. Then he looked at the fuselage and stared at the

“Carl J. Eastman - Pilot” and “In Memory of Ben Grayson”

markings.

Carl Eastman, now seventy-four years old with white hair still looking great, sat inside the cockpit, getting it prepped for its flight. He also wore a World War II-type A-2 jacket. Carl heard someone enter the hangar and glanced down at James.

“Good morning, James.”

“Is she ready?” James asked.

Carl got out of the cockpit and climbed down the fuselage.

“She’s in great shape,” Carl said while he walked up to James.

Diana Eastman walked out of the unisex bathroom. She was now seventy-four years old and looked great for her age.

James looked excited while he glanced at the Corsair and couldn’t wait to perform in the show. “I’ve been practicing for the show all night with my video game,” James said with a gleam in his eye.

“Good morning, James,” Diana said while she walked up to him and kissed him on his cheek.

“Morning, Grandma,” James replied and followed with a kiss on her cheek.

“Are you ready for the air show?” Diana asked.

“You bet!” James excitedly replied. “Grandpa told me last week that I could perform this year.”

Carl looked seriously at James while he placed an arm around James’ shoulder.

James could sense something was wrong.

Carl hesitated, and then he glanced at the Corsair. “Listen.

I was thinking last night, and I think it’s best to do the show. I still think you’re still too green.”

James looked disappointed, as he had his heart set on performing in the airshow.

Diana sensed this and frowned at Carl. “Did you tell him he could perform, Carl?”

“I did, Diana, but this is an expensive airplane. Doing aerobatic maneuvers can be tricky, and he already had one close call.” Diana saw James’s disappointed look and felt sorry for him.

“Can he at least fly it to the Air Force base?” Diana asked.

Carl thought about his offer. He was going to turn down her offer, but her eyes told him he better agree. “Of course,”

Carl said.

Diana gave Carl a kiss on his cheek. “Good. I’m going to leave and pick up Teri and her mom. Robert and Kathy will meet us at the air base. I’ll see you both at the show,” she said, then gave Carl another kiss on his cheek and gave James a kiss on his cheek.

She walked out of the hangar.

“Okay, get her airborne,” Carl said with a pat on James’

shoulder.

After Carl had airport personnel tow his plane from the hangar to the flightline, James climbed up the Corsair and got inside.

“Okay, James, she’s your plane. Be careful flying to Vandenberg,” Carl yelled out from down below.

James waved down at Carl. He then ensured the ignition switch was off and the mixture control to idle cut-off.

“Ready,” he yelled to the maintenance man outside the Corsair.

The maintenance man stepped away from the Corsair.

James configured the fuel selector and opened the cowl flaps. He then configured the propeller, carburetor air, supercharger, throttle, battery and instrument switches, electric auxiliary fuel pump, and the electric primer switch. Then he

placed the mixture to rich, turned off the auxiliary fuel pump, and turned on the ignition and starter switches. The engine of the Corsair started.

After receiving the proper ground clearance from the tower, James taxied the plane over to runway 7.

Then, he performed his run-up checks. He received clearance again and rolled the Corsair down the runway.

James performed a smooth take-off and was airborne.

Thirty minutes later, he climbed, flew along the beach, and headed toward Vandenberg Air Force Base.

Later that day, James leveled the Corsair out at 9,000 feet.

Then he got a smirk and performed a perfect barrel roll in the Corsair.

Chapter 2

After James landed the Corsair on runway 12 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, he taxied behind the “Follow Me”

truck that escorted them to his assigned parking spot on the flightline.

James parked the Corsair in his assigned spot. He placed the cowl, intercooler, and oil flaps in their proper setting.

Propeller and carburetor controls were configured, and the throttle was set for 1,000 rpm. He then placed the mixture control to idle cut-off. After the propeller stopped rotating, he turned off the ignition switch.

James looked so proud when he released his harness and exited the plane.

Thirty minutes later, Carl walked up to the plane with lounge chairs and a small cooler of sodas and water.

“You made it in one piece,” he said while he looked at his plane.

“Of course,” James replied.

Diana and Teri walked down the flightline and up to the Corsair.

Teri gave James a kiss on the lips.

“Where’s your mom?” he asked.

“Looking at other planes on the flightline,” Teri replied.

“How did my grandson do?” Diana asked Carl.

“He brought her here safe and sound,” Carl replied.

Then Robert Eastman, with a hint of gray hair, and Kathy Eastman, who stayed in great shape from years of jogging, walked up to the Corsair.

“Hi, Mom and Dad,” James said while he got up and gave Kathy a kiss on her cheek, then shook Robert’s hand.

“Carl, let James fly the plane up here,” Diana told them.

Teri looked a little worried overhearing that bit of news.

“How did he fly, Dad?” Robert asked.

“Like I told your mother, he flew better than some of the pilots I was stationed with during the war,” he said.

“That’s my boy,” Robert said while he placed an arm around James’ shoulder.

A Jeep drove up and stopped by the Corsair.

“Carl, a little change in plans; you’re going on right after the Thunderbirds,” the driver told Carl.

“Got it,” Carl replied.

The Jeep drove off, and the sound of the Thunderbird F-16 jets starting up in the background was heard.

“We’re going to walk closer to the runway and watch the Thunderbird show,” Robert told Carl.

Carl and James stood up.

Diana walked over and gave Carl a kiss on the cheek.

“Have a good show,” she said.

Teri gave James a kiss on his lips. “Be careful up there in the air,” she said, still a little nervous.

“Oh, things have changed; Grandpa Carl’s doing the show,”

James told her, looking slightly disappointed.

Teri looked relieved, then gave Carl a kiss on his cheek.

“Be careful,” she said.

“Always,” Carl replied.

Robert held Kathy’s hand; they walked away down the flightline with Diana and Teri.

“Go perform the preflight for me,” Carl instructed James.

They folded up their chairs and moved them and the cooler to the grass behind the plane.

Carl watched while James performed the preflight on his Corsair.

Later that day, the Thunderbirds were finished with their show, and Carl had his Corsair on the taxiway, ready to perform his show.

Then, the Thunderbirds taxied off the runway.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we will now have Carl Eastman of Santa Barbara perform some aerobatic maneuvers with his F4U

Corsair. And what a beautiful airplane! Carl was a Marine pilot in World War Two in the South Pacific and fought the Zeros in a

Corsair,” the announcer informed the crowd from the loudspeakers.

Most of the crowd eyed the runway for Carl’s Corsair.

Amongst the crowd was Henry Foley, a seventy-three-year-old white-haired man who walked with a bit of a limp and the aid of a cane. The announcement the announcer made was of extreme interest to Henry.

He pushed through the crowd to get a closer view of the runway.

After receiving clearance from the tower, Carl taxied to the end of runway 12.

Henry watched while Carl’s Corsair rolled down the runway and was soon airborne. After seeing Corsair, Henry had so many good and bad memories.

James watched Carl’s Corsair take off from the runway from where the place was parked.

Carl flew the Corsair away, then banked and returned to the runway.

“Okay, ladies and gentlemen, Carl Eastman will now perform a Humpty Bump,” the announcer said over the loudspeakers.

Carl flew the plane horizontally over the runway. He flew into a vertical climb. While in the vertical climb, he did a half a roll. He then flew half a loop straight down into a vertical dive.

He came out of the dive with the same attitude over the runway. He flew the Corsair away from the crowd.

The crowd clapped over his performance.

Henry continued to watch Carl’s plane with extreme interest.

“Carl will now perform an Immelmann,” the announcer said over the loudspeakers.

Carl flew his airplane over the runway. He flew into half a loop, and when he reached the top of the loop, he went into half a roll. He flew away from the crowd.

Henry pushed his way through the crowd to get closer to the runway. He watched the air show for another ten minutes.

“Carl will perform a Cuban eight for his grand finale,” the announcer said over the loudspeakers.

The crowd looked up at the sky for the Corsair.

Carl flew his plane straight and level and went into a vertical climb. He rolled the plane right-side up when he reached the top of the loop. He entered a 45-degree dive and leveled out at the attitude he started the maneuver. Then he began a second loop, and when he got to the top of the loop, he rolled the plane right-side up. He then went off into a 45-degree dive and recovered with the same attitude he had when he started the maneuver.

He flew away from the crowd.

Carl banked his airplane around and came back in for a landing.

He landed on runway 12 and taxied near the announcer’s stand.

“And a round of applause for World War II Marine pilot Carl Eastman and his beautiful Corsair,” the announcer told the crowd.

Henry watched while Carl had his canopy back, and he waved at the crowd.

Henry watched while Carl taxied his Corsair off the closest taxiway, where a “Follow Me” truck waited.

Carl taxied his Corsair behind the truck that drove him to his parking spot. Carl shut down his Corsair.

Carl exited the plane while some ground crew drove a tug up to the Corsair.

Carl watched while the ground crew towed his plane back into its parking spot.

James walked over to the grass, grabbed the lounge chairs and coolers, and brought them back to the front of the plane.

Carl and James sat and drank a cold bottle of water.

“Whew. That was fun!” Carl beamed while opening a water bottle taking a drink. “Maybe you can perform next year,” Carl offered, then sat down in his lounge chair.

“Are you serious?” James asked, double-checking.

Carl looked at James and could see the determination in his eyes. "Yeah, I'm serious."

James was jumping for joy inside while he sat down on the other lounge chair.

Carl and James watched while people walked down the flightline.

"Great show!" a man walked up.

"Thank you," Carl replied.

Then the man walked around the Corsair and snapped some pictures.

Four other men and six young boys walked up and admired Carl's Corsair.

Then Henry walked up and looked at the fuselage. He glanced at Carl. “Carl, is that you?" he asked while he approached Carl.

Carl looked over and saw Henry. He looked at Henry and didn't recognize him.

"Carl, it's me, Henry Foley. Remember?" he asked smiling.

Carl thought for a few seconds then he remembered, but deep down, he wasn't that thrilled with meeting an old war buddy. “ Ah, yes, Henry," Carl said while he stood up and stuck out his hand to be polite.

They shook hands then Henry glanced at the Corsair.

"She's a beautiful Corsair. Reminds me of our days at Engebi."

James got up and walked over to Henry.

"Hello sir, I'm James Eastman, Carl's grandson," James said while he stood up and stuck out his hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, young man," Henry said with a warm smile while he shook James' hand.

"Ben Grayson was my real grandfather," James told Henry.

Henry looked confused for a few seconds then it dawned on him. "Ah, yes. I remember Ben being all excited about his wife giving birth," Henry said. "So, I take it you keep in touch with Ben's wife?" he asked Carl.

"I married her and raised Ben's child," Carl replied.

Henry thought for a few seconds. "That's right, I remember Ben telling us about your pact."

"What pact was that?" James asked, curiously.

"Your grandfather and Carl had a pact that if anything happened to Ben, Carl would marry his wife and raise their baby," Henry replied.

James looked surprised. "I never knew that," James said.

"Well, that's not something we want to tell everybody, as taking care of Robert was our top priority," Carl said.

James looked at Carl and was impressed. Then he looked at Henry. "Please have a seat. I've never met anybody that was stationed in the war with my real grandfather," James offered.

"I would love that," Henry said then sat down in James'

lounge chair.

Carl sat down in his lounge chair. He glared at James and wanted to smack him, as he really didn't want to talk with Henry and bring up old South Pacific memories. But he decided to be polite and talk with Henry.

Henry looked at Carl. "Carl Eastman, I can't believe I ran into you,” then Henry thought for a few seconds. "What has it been? Fifty-one years?" Henry asked.

Carl thought for a few seconds. “ Yeah, I guess it's been that long."

Henry chuckled. "I remembered that incident during that ball game at El Toro."

"What incident?" James asked, curiously.

"Oh nothing," Carl quickly replied, and everybody could sense he didn't want to talk about it.

Henry looked back at the Corsair. "I haven't flown one of these since the South Pacific. I'm glad to see you're still getting up in the air," he said.

"Yeah, I still love flying," Carl replied.

"After being shot at in the South Pacific, I couldn't wait to stay on the ground," Henry said.

"That's too bad," James said.

Then Henry chuckled. "I still remember your first mission," Henry said, followed by some more chuckles.

Carl glared at Henry with a look that he better not explain any further. Henry noticed and decided that it was still a sore subject and dropped the topic. Then his eyes widened and snapped his fingers when he remembered something. "Oh, guess who I saw five years ago in Philly? Remember Gunnery Sergeant Bud Sewickley?" Henry asked Carl.

Carl thought for a few seconds. "Oh yeah. He was that personnel guy at El Toro. I remember he had a permanent bar stool at the NCO club every evening," Carl replied.

"Yep, the one and only. He apparently owns a used car dealership in South Philly. I spent a few days on business and saw his commercial on the television. He stated he stared his dealership back in forty-six with two brothers. And he hasn't changed one bit. Except he has a cheesy white-haired mustache and is bald," Henry said. Then he looked at James. "This guy could get you just about anything you wanted. And I mean anything."

"He sure was a wheeler and a dealer," Carl added.

"Bud could even get you stateside orders for a high price.

One brother worked in Marine Corps headquarters in the assignment section while his other brother worked in the Pentagon," Henry informed.

James walked over to the cooler and opened it up. He grabbed a bottled water then looked at Henry. "Sir, would like something to drink? Water or Coke?" he asked Henry.

"Thanks, James, I would love a coke," Henry replied, then looked at the fuselage.

Carl discreetly gave James a look of disapproval, as he really didn't want to spend all day chatting with Henry.

"I remember that day Ben was shot down like it was yesterday," Henry while James handed him a coke.

Carl stood up. "I'm going to head to the Porta Johns. I'll be right back," he said, then quickly walked away.

James looked a little concerned. "Did he get upset?"

Henry watched while Carl walked down the flightline. "No, it was hard for him to watch his best friend die, and there was nothing he could do to save his life," Henry said. "He probably

doesn't want to relive it again,” Henry said looking sad. "Plus, I don't think Carl liked me too much since I would hang around with Ben. I think he was jealous of me believing I would steal away Ben's friendship," Henry added.

"That doesn't sound like grandpa Carl," James said then he looked at the plane. "I never heard exactly what happened the day Grandpa Ben died," James said while he sat down in Carl's chair and hoped Henry would share some information about the past. "It was May eleventh, nineteen forty-four, and we were sent on a mission to escort some B twenty-fives. They were going to bomb some Japanese aircraft carriers believed to be heading to the Ailinglaplap atoll. We thought they had just built a new airstrip there and were sending in supplies," Henry said then sipped some more coke. "I didn't fly that mission because I acted stupidly that night before, so I wasn't in any shape to fly, so I was grounded," Henry said then sipped his Coke. He glanced at the plane.

"It was a horrible mission. It ended with Ben and Carl being the only survivors. But when they thought it was safe to return home, a Zero came out of nowhere and attacked Ben's plane. Carl ran out of ammunition and Ben told him to get back to base. Ben thought he could shake the Zero off, but he didn’t.

So Carl had to watch his best friend crash to the depths of the Pacific Ocean and then be powerless to stop that Zero from blowing up Ben's plane. War is so terrible!"

"Didn't that Zero come after Grandpa Carl?"

"No. Carl stated that the Zero just flew away," Henry replied.

"Wow. I never heard what really happened that day,"

James said.

"Everybody on the base really loved and respected Ben.

He probably would have been awarded the Medal of Honor and been classified an ace if he lived," Henry said while he looked sad over talking about his past. "If I could turn back time, I would have prevented Ben from flying that day," Henry said.

"How?" James asked.

"I don't know. Maybe got him stinking drunk the night before or something. Break his arm," Henry replied.

James thought about Henry's comment.

"We never found that new Japanese airstrip," Henry said and drank some more coke. "Then the next day after that happened, Carl started drinking heavily and got grounded from flying for doing some stupid maneuvers. I recall they discharged him and sent him home," Henry added.

Carl walked back the second Henry finished telling that bit of information.

James looked at Carl and felt sorry for him.

Carl opened his mouth to speak, but Diana, Robert, Kathy, and Teri walked up from the other direction. With them was Teri's mother, Nancy, a fifty-five-year-old woman, who stayed in shape by jogging just like her daughter. Nancy was a widow, as Teri's father passed away from a brain tumor five years ago.

"Great flying, honey," Diana said to Carl.

"We loved the show, dad," Robert said to Carl and gave him a little hug.

Henry saw Diana and stood up.

"Hello, I'm Diana Eastman," she said to Henry when she saw him.

"I'm Henry Foley. Are you Diana? Ben's wife?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. Do I know you?" she replied curiously.

"No. I was stationed with Ben and Carl in the South Pacific. So I heard Ben talk about you every day," he answered.

Diana smiled at hearing that comment from Henry.

"I'm Robert Eastman, and this is my wife Kathy," Robert said while he walked up to Henry.

"And that beautiful woman is my wife, Teri," James added.

"And this is my mother, Nancy," Teri said.

Henry nodded hello to everybody, then he looked at Robert. "Are you Ben's son?" Henry asked.

"Yes, sir."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I remember the day when Ben ran around Engebi telling everybody he was a father. He was so proud," Henry told him.

"Grandpa, grandma's ready to leave," Henry's nine- year-old granddaughter called out from the flightline.

They all looked over and saw his granddaughter ten feet away. Carl got relieved.

"Okay, darling. I'm coming," Henry called out to her. "Well, Carl, it was nice seeing you again," he said, then stuck out his hand. Carl shook it. "It was, Henry," Carl replied but lied, as he couldn't wait for Henry to leave.

"James, it was really nice to meet you," Henry said while he stuck out his hand.

James shook Henry's hand. "It's been a pleasure meeting you, sir," James replied.

Henry waved goodbye to everybody else and walked over to his granddaughter.

They watched while Henry held his granddaughter's hand, and they walked down the flightline to where his wife waited 50

feet away.

"Well, James, what do you say we fly her home? I have to catch a flight to Spokane for that conference next week," Carl said. "Speaking of which, mom and dad want you to call them when you get there. They want to take you out to dinner since you'll be in town," Kathy said then gave Carl a kiss on his cheek.

"I will," Carl replied.

Teri gave James a kiss on the lips. "Fly safe, and I'll see you later tonight," she said.

"I will," he replied, then he looked curious. "Where's your mom?" he asked Teri.

"She's wondering around the air show," she replied. Kathy gave James a kiss on his cheek.

Diana gave James a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll talk to you in a few days, dad," Robert said then he grabbed Kathy's hand.

Robert, Kathy, Diana, and Teri walked away down the flightline.

Carl and James gathered up the lounge chairs and cooler.

An hour later, James flew the Corsair back to Santa Barbara. While he flew, he couldn't stop thinking about Henry's talk of his real grandfather.

If I only knew him. James thought to himself while he flew the Corsair at 9,500 feet.

James had an idea since he was alone.

James flew the Corsair into a vertical climb for a loop. When he got to the top of the loop, he rolled the plane right-side up. He entered into a 30-degree dive and leveled out at 2,000 feet below the attitude he started. Then he began a second loop, and when he got to the top of the loop, he rolled the plane right-side up. He went off into a 25-degree dive and recovered 1,500 feet below the attitude he started the maneuver.

James looked proud and knew he could do an excellent performance at an airshow.

Chapter 3

It was Sunday morning, and James drove Carl to the Santa Barbara airport so he could catch a flight to Spokane. When he picked Carl up at his house, he told Diana he would return for coffee. She couldn’t wait, as she loved spending time with her grandson.

James was back at his grandparents’ house an hour after dropping Carl off at the airport. He drank coffee in the living room with Diana while they looked at her old family album.

“I’m surprised you have this sudden interest in Ben. The last time we looked at this album, you were around eight years old,” she recalled.

“I forgot about this album,” James said while glancing at the family memories book.

“You would listen to some of my stories I told when you were six years old, but I guess when you got older, you had different interests than an old album. Interests like airplanes and girls with more emphasis on the girls,” Diana lightly chuckled while opening the album.

“Meeting Henry Foley at the airshow got me really curious.

He spoke highly of Grandpa Ben,” James replied, then sipped his coffee.

“It was nice to finally meet someone who knew Ben in the war,” Diana said while sipping her coffee. “Carl would never talk about his South Pacific experience. He said it brought back too many horrible memories. It took me years to get him to finally purchase and restore that airplane in Ben’s honor,” she added.

Diana showed James a picture of Ben when he was five.

“He was an adorable young boy,” she said while admiring the photo.

“Wow. It’s hard to imagine he ever existed,” James said while looking at the photo.

She turned the page, and there was that picture of Carl, Diana, and Ben in high school at the Santa Barbara Dons baseball game.

In this picture, Ben and Carl were in uniform and posed with Diana, and the guys had their arms around her.

“Ben was the left fielder, and Carl was one of their pitchers. Ben was the star with tons of home runs. Carl did okay as a pitcher and a little better when he batted,” she told James.

“Grandpa Carl would never talk about his childhood,”

James said.

“For some reason, he only wants to think about the future and forget the past. Not me; I like to reminisce about the good times I experienced,” Diana said.

“I find what people did in the past fascinating,” James told her. “Carl and Ben were best friends ever since elementary school. I think it started in kindergarten. Of course, their father’s being business partners made it easier for them to pal around.”

“That’s so cool,” James said.

“Then, when puberty hit, they started showing off to win my affection,” she said with a chuckle, recalling those days.

“Like what?” Ben asked curiously.

Diana sipped her coffee while she thought of a good memory. She smiled when a memory came to mind. “They always tried to outdo each other in sports when they were thirteen. They would both say stuff like, I’ll hit a home run for you, Diana. And, of course, Ben would always succeed, and Carl failed and got frustrated,” she recalled.

“So, I take it Ben was the athlete, and Carl wasn’t?” James asked.

“Poor Carl tried too hard, but it just wasn’t him. And I think he was a little jealous of Ben because of that,” she stated, then turned the page.

James saw the picture of Ben, Diana, Carl, and Sandy taken at the Santa Monica pier with the Ferris wheel in the background.

She touched the picture, as the sight of it still brought back a tender moment. She hummed part of Glenn Miller’s In the Mood song.

“I know that song; it’s called In The Mood,” said James.

“Correct. Ben loved that song, and we danced to that song the night this picture was taken. In fact, this picture was taken minutes after Ben proposed to me on the Ferris wheel. We drove down to Santa Monica for the weekend. Carl brought his girlfriend, Sandy, along,” she said while her eyes welled up. “Carl broke up with her the following Monday,” she added.

“Why?” James asked.

“I don’t know, but I remember he didn’t keep a girlfriend for four months. Sandy actually held the record of six months,”

she recalled, then sipped her coffee.

“Wait, I guess you can say you held the record with your fiftieth anniversary a few months ago,” he told her warmly.

She chuckled. “I guess you’re right,” she admitted, then turned the page.

They looked at Ben and Diana’s wedding picture.

“I could sense that Carl was upset when I accepted Ben’s proposal. Ben was my soul mate, and I prayed he would ask,”

she said, then sipped her coffee. “I loved Carl back then but loved Ben more. But fate had it where Carl got me in the end,”

she sadly recalled while wiping away a tear and thinking about Ben. She turned the page, and they saw a picture of Ben, Carl, and Diana at the beach in Pensacola.

“When Ben and Carl got stationed in Pensacola for more flight training, I went to live with my Aunt in Tallahassee,” she reminisced while she stared at the picture. “We spent one day at the beach in Pensacola, and then Ben and I went to Mexico Beach to be alone. I believe that’s when Robert was conceived,”

she reminisced again.

James cringed a little, as that was too much information for him right now.

“Then, after learning I was pregnant, that’s when Ben, Carl, and I made that pact that Carl would take care of me and our baby if something happened to Ben.”

“You really wanted that?”

Diana smiled. “Carl would have always been my second choice in a man to marry.”

“I wanted more children, but Carl couldn’t father any,” she said. “Some injury in El Toro and a war wound that he doesn’t like to talk about,” she added.

“I know, Henry made a statement to that effect,” James said. “But that’s alright; I’m still blessed with a very handsome grandson,” she said.

James smiled over the compliment and had a vague idea of where the wounded area she referenced, but didn’t want to ask for more detail.

She flipped to the next page, and they saw a photo of Ben and Carl in their flight suits while they stood in front of a Marine Corsair on Engebi.

“This was taken the day Ben was shot down. Some Colonel mailed me the photo with his letter of condolences,” she said, followed by her eyes welling up. “I still remember the day Ben called when he got orders to the South Pacific. It was April fourteenth, and I cried all night, scared something would happen to him. But he assured me he would be back home.”

James saw Diana wipe away some tears. He placed his arm around her to show his love and support.

“I wished Ben got stationed stateside because then I would have had fifty-three-plus years of being by his side,” she said.

“I feel like I was cheated by not knowing him,” James said.

“Don’t get me wrong, Carl’s been a sweetheart to me, but a day doesn’t go by when I think of Ben,” Diana sadly recalled while sipping away some more tears. “Poor Ben never got to know his son,” she added.

Diana flipped to the next page and saw Carl and Diana’s wedding picture. A tear fell on the picture. “Carl would write me when he was in the South Pacific, and I rarely wrote him back. I felt so bad about that, but I was pregnant then,” Diana added.

“Henry said Ben could have received the Medal of Honor and could have been classified as an ace,” James told her.

“I miss him deeply,” she sadly stated while looking at the album.

James looked in deep thought as he watched Diana’s eyes well up while she closed the album.

“Can I borrow this album?”

Diana smiled while she handed the album to James. James finished drinking his coffee. He leaned over and gave Diana a kiss on her cheek.

“I better get home to Teri,” he said while he got up with the album. “Give her my love,” Diana said.

“I will,” James answered and left the living room.

Diana sat on the couch and thought about her days with Ben. Later that day, James sat on the couch and watched TV. By chance, the movie Flying Leathernecks was showing. All he could think about was his real grandfather while he watched the actors play Marines in the South Pacific.

Teri entered the living room sweaty from her three-mile jog. “Hey baby, how was visiting your grandmother?” she asked.

“It was nice. By the way, she sends her love,” he replied.

“I was thinking of visiting your mom later today,” he said.

She looked a little shocked, as this was the first time he’d ever been asked to go see her mom. “Why?”

“I’m really interested in what you told me about old man Bannister,” he replied.

Teri rolled her eyes about his interest, but she knew that he would never let it go once James had an idea. “I’ll call her after I shower,” she offered, then left the living room.

James continued to watch John Wayne while he was engaged in an air battle scene.

An hour later, the movie was over, and Teri entered the living room.

“I called Mom, and she would love for you to stop over later tonight. This might work out great, as I have some work I want to catch up on that’s due Monday morning. So you can drop me off at my office, do your chit-chat, and pick me up afterward,” she said.

“Thanks, baby,” James replied, then started to think of the questions to ask his mother-in-law.

Later that evening, James sat with Teri’s mother, Nancy.

She made them both a cup of green tea and walked to the kitchen table, where James waited.

“Carl did a great job at the air show,” she praised.

“Yeah, he did,” James replied, still disappointed he couldn’t perform. “Listen, the reason I came over is that the other day, Teri told me that you were a nurse for old man Lloyd Bannister,”

he asked, then sipped his green tea.

“Lloyd Bannister, I haven’t thought about that old man for a long time,” she replied, then sipped her tea.

“Teri also mentioned that while he was on his death bed, he told you something about building a time machine?” he asked and couldn’t wait to hear her answer.

Nancy thought for a few seconds. “Oh yeah, I remember hearing his stories,” she replied.

“He actually claimed he went back in time?” James asked curiously, like a little kid.

“He told stories of going back in time numerous times for a book on history he was writing,” she recalled, then sipped her tea. “But you have to remember, he was dying of brain cancer at the time, so I just thought his stories were entertaining and didn’t believe they were true,” she added.

“Wouldn’t it be cool if you could time travel?” he asked, then sipped his green tea.

“If it were possible, you sure could change the world. Tell people to get cancer treatments really early before it becomes terminal. You could save thousands of lives,” Nancy stated and smiled at that thought.

James thought about her comment and looked determined while sipping his tea.

Later that day, James picked Teri up at her office.

On the way home, James turned back down Memphis Avenue.

Teri looked surprised. “Why are we going back down this street?”

“I wanted to see if they started demolition on the Bannister house,” he said while he drove down the street.

He stopped along the street in front of the Bannister house. He looked and saw the big excavator was still parked in the front yard, and the house was untouched.

James smiled while he drove away.

Later that night, Teri and James lay in bed, and she continued to read her book, Girl Of My Dreams.

James turned on the TV and flipped through the channels.

The movie The Final Countdown played and showed the scene where they went through that strange ear-piercing storm that sent them back in time to 1941. He stopped there and started watching the movie while thoughts of time travel flooded his head.

Chapter 4

It was Monday morning, and Carl was still in Seattle attending the construction conference.

James sat in his office and drank his first cup of morning coffee while he looked at some financial data on his computer.

Ten minutes later, he glanced at the yellow post-it for the Bannister house. He pulled the Post-it off the monitor and threw it in the trash, then picked up his phone and punched in a phone number.

“Hello Sara, this is James from Eastman

n Construction. Listen, can you wait until next Monday to shut off the power to the Bannister house located on eighteen seventy-three Memphis?” he asked into the phone.

“Next Monday. Sure. That won’t be a problem,” Sara replied from his phone.

“Thank you,” James replied, then he disconnected their call and made another call.

“Hey Stan, listen, I can’t get the power turned off to the Bannister house until next week,” he stated.

“We planning on getting started within the next hour,” Stan replied from the phone.

“Listen, I would like you to delay that until next Monday,”

James said.

“Next Monday? That will cost you a week’s delay,” Stand said. “No problem. I’ll work out the details with Carl,” James replied.

“You got it. I’ll have to drive out there and tell the boys,”

Stan responded.

“I’ll take care of that,” James offered.

“Okay, boss,” Stan replied.

James hung up his phone and got up from his desk. He walked out of his office.

He walked down the office area, where everybody diligently worked on numerous construction projects.

He left the building.

Twenty minutes later, James drove his Mustang back down Memphis Avenue.

He stopped and parked his car along the street at the Bannister house behind a Ford pickup truck. He saw one man near the excavator with one man behind the controls.

James quickly exited his car and rushed down the front yard to the excavator just as the man started it up.

“Hey guys,” James called out while he rushed over to them.

The man near the excavator looked at James.

“I’m James Eastman of Eastman Construction.”

“Yes, sir, I’m Randy, the foreman,” he replied.

“I called Stan this morning, and we’re delaying this demolition until next Monday,” James told him.

Randy looked at the man inside the excavator. “Mel shut her down,” Randy yelled out at the excavator.

“Okay, Randy,” Mel yelled out from the excavator, then turned to shut it down.

Mel got out of the excavator and walked over to them.

“What’s up?” Mel asked.

“We’re being told to tear this place down next Monday,”

Randy said.

“Whatever, it all pays the same,” Mel said and was looking forward to a break.

Randy and Mel walked over to the pickup truck.

James watched while they got inside with Randy behind the wheel. He started it up, and they drove off.

James looked at the house and got really curious.

He walked down the front yard and went around the back.

He saw a stand-alone garage with a rusted-out 1940

Packard 8 Touring car by the sidewall.

James walked over to the Packard and checked it out. He had a vast rusted-out hole in the roof and a vast rusted-out hole in the rear quarter panel. It looked like it would fall apart during the next storm.

He walked to the garage, where the door was half-opened and about to fall apart. He got on his knees and peeked inside, where nothing but junk cluttered the garage, and no time machine was visible.

He got back on his feet and walked back to the front of the house.

He walked to the front door and went inside.

James entered the living room. It was filthy and dusty from not being cleaned in years, and the air was stale and smelly.

James looked around and saw old furniture, probably over fifty years old. There were no pictures of any family members on the walls. In fact, the walls were bare of pictures indicating any kind of family life. The walls were just old, faded white paint.

He walked through the living room and peeked inside the kitchen. There were old kitchen cabinets, probably installed in the 1920s. The refrigerator was an early 1950s model Frigidaire.

James walked down the hallway and peeked inside a den room.

James entered the den and saw three walls covered by floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with books. On one of the walls hung three college diplomas. One was for a Bachelor Science degree in Physics from MIT in 1924. The other was for a Master of Science in Physics from MIT in 1926. The third was for a Doctorate in Physics from MIT in 1929.

James walked over and checked out an old wooden desk that was probably over one hundred years old. Near the desk were a couch and chair. On top of the desk was an old wooden radio made in the 1930s.

James walked over to the nearest bookcase. He scanned the books and found they were engineering and physics topics.

He walked along with the bookcases and found a section where Lloyd had numerous books on time travel.

He grabbed one and opened it up.

Lloyd had numerous areas of the book underlined with a pencil.

He dropped the book on the floor.

While at the bookcase, he noticed numerous notebooks on the top shelf. He grabbed one of the notebooks and opened it.

The notebook was filled with notes on the ability to time travel.

He dropped the notebook to the floor.

He reached up and grabbed two more notebooks. He opened one, and it was nothing but more notes on time travel from his research. He dropped the notebook to the floor.

He opened up the other notebook and immediately saw a pencil sketch of Lloyd’s time machine.

“Wow! This is so cool!” James beamed.

He flipped through some more pages and saw a bunch of highly technical equations that went ten thousand feet over James’ head.

Then he looked at the back pages of the notebook and saw that 1864 was checked off, 1881 was checked off, 1775 was checked off, and he saw 1818 was checked off.

“I believe he did it!” James cried out, all excited. He dropped the notebook to the floor and thought for a second.

“There has to be only one place where he could store a time machine,” James said confidently.

He walked out of the den.

He walked down the hallway back to the kitchen.

He went inside the kitchen and looked around. He saw a door at the other end. He walked over to it and opened the door. It squeaked open, and he saw some stairs that led down to the dark basement.

He flipped the light switch at the top of the stairs. The lights were working!

The stairs creaked while James cautiously walked down them in case they were rotten.

He stood at the bottom of the stairs and looked around the room. It was dusty and full of spider webs and junk scattered everywhere.

He saw the basement had three concrete block walls and a plaster wall at the far end.

Then, he saw something covered by a large tarp against one of the concrete walls. He smiled as he knew he found Lloyd’s time machine.

He walked over and peeked underneath the tarp. A huge disappointment when he saw a pile of junk.

James walked back, disappointed, to the stairs.

He walked up three steps and then stopped as something piqued his curiosity. He glanced at the plaster wall at the other end of the basement. A sledgehammer amongst some nearby junk was seen.

James walked down the stairs and over to the sledgehammer.

He picked up the sledgehammer, walked over to the plaster wall, and gave it a good whack. He repeatedly whacked the wall with the sledgehammer, creating a big hole. He removed a small flashlight from his pocket and peeked inside the hole.

Inside the hole, his flashlight illuminated a strange silver machine with windows and a door. This machine resembled a 1950s spaceship.

He crawled into the hole.

Inside this room, he walked over to the machine and checked it out with the flashlight. He grabbed a handle on the door, and it opened up with a wish.

James peeked inside the machine with the flashlight and saw a seat, a console with gauges, switches, knobs, and buttons, and saw the “August 10, 1978” dialed on a counter. He closed the door with a smile.

“He wasn’t a kook,” James said while he walked around and illuminated the time machine with his flashlight.

He walked to the rear of the machine and saw an electrical cord and an electrical outlet were within reach.

James walked over and crawled through the hole.

James left the house and rushed down the front yard to his Mustang. He gave the house another look while he got inside his car.

All the way back to the office, he could only think about that time machine he found in the Bannister basement.

While James walked back down through the office area, he eyed that poster for their office Halloween party. His eyes lit up with a great idea at the sight of the poster.

He turned around and rushed back out of the office area.

James drove to his grandmother’s house.

He knocked on her front door, and she opened up a few seconds later.

“James, what a lovely surprise!” she said when she looked at him.

“Grandma, do you still have Grandpa Carl’s old Marine uniform and stuff? I remember you showing them to me when I was a kid,” James excitedly asked.

“Why yes, I will never get rid of his memories,” she said while she let him inside her home.

“Why do you want to see them?” she asked while she closed the front door.

“We’re having a Halloween party at work, and I thought I would go dressed as a World War Two Marine,” he told her.

She smiled and liked the idea while she walked him through the living room.

“I don’t see why not, but his uniform might need some cleaning,” she stated.

“I’ll take care of that,” he replied.

“Go ahead. I’ll wait here,” she said, then sat on the couch.

James walked through the house and went to the door that led upstairs to the attic.

He went upstairs, looked around the attic, and saw numerous boxes and wooden chests.

Seeing this attic again brought back many memories of when he would explore up here as a kid, looking for hidden treasures.

He walked over and stopped at an old wooden chest. He knelt down and opened it.

Inside the chest was a folded WWII Marine 1st Lieutenant’s service uniform with aviator’s wings and cap. James removed it, and he also removed an old leather case. He opened the case

where there were numerous military papers for Ben, Carl, and Carl’s military ID card. James looked through the papers and scanned through them. Then he saw a case.

He opened it up and saw a purple heart.

He closed the case and closed the chest. “Perfect!” James beamed while he scanned through the numerous military papers.

He then disrobed and got dressed in his grandfather’s uniform.

The old Marine uniform was a perfect fit for James.

James grabbed Carl’s military ID card and shoved it in his pants pocket. He picked up the military papers and the rest of his clothes and left the attic.

James walked into the living room after dropping his clothes off in the downstairs bathroom.

Diana waited on the couch when James entered. She noticed him in Carl’s uniform and chuckled.

“I remember you wearing that when you were a kid, and the sleeves dragged on the floor. But it fits you perfectly now,”

she said.

“I’ll look good for our Halloween party,” he proudly replied while he modeled.

“You remind me so much of Ben,” she said. James looked proud and felt like a Marine.

He left and got dressed in his regular clothes.

On the way back to his office, he stopped at a bookstore and purchased a couple of books on World War II and the Marines.

When he returned to his office, he started reading the book about the Marines.

After he finished with the book on Marines, James read through Ben and Carl’s old military papers.

After work, he drove over and picked up Teri at her office.

It was a quiet ride home as he had much on his mind.

Later that evening, while Teri made a dinner salad, James went out to his Mustang. He removed Carl’s uniform from the trunk.

He quietly went inside their bedroom and got dressed in the uniform. He grabbed his trumpet and left the room.

He walked down the hallway and stopped when he got to the kitchen.

Teri was now checking on the spaghetti noodles she had on the stove.

Then James marched into the kitchen and played the trumpet introduction to Glenn Miller’s In the Mood song. He marched up to Teri, playing that song.

Teri turned around and saw James in the Marine uniform and his trumpet blaring that song. She rolled her eyes, thinking he acted childishly.

He stopped playing the trumpet and saluted. “Lieutenant Eastman at your service, ma’am,” he said politely like a Marine.

“Are you going nuts on me?” she asked.

“No, ma’am, it’s my costume for our office Halloween party,” he barked like a Marine.

James reached into his pocket and removed Carl’s military ID card and paperwork. He laid the papers on the counter. “I was wondering if you could make me some copies of these that look real?”

Teri picked up the ID card and the papers and then looked them over. “Wouldn’t that be illegal?”

“No. I’m going to tell everybody I stepped out of time.

I’ll destroy them immediately after the party,” he said. Then he thought for a second, and his eyes lit up with another suggestion. “Put down my address as eighteen seventy-three Memphis Avenue,” James added.

“Okay, if you must play, little boy,” she rolled her eyes.

James thought for a few seconds. “Give me the name, Trevor Walker,” he told her.

“Why Trevor Walker?”

“I need a different name if I stepped out of a time machine. And I will also need the same dates as what’s on Granddad’s ID and papers,” he said.

James removed an old picture from his pocket. “You can use this picture for the ID card, and if possible, can you have it done by tomorrow?” he asked with a loving smile.

“Why so soon?” she asked.

“I know how you get busy and will forget,” he said, then kissed her cheek to butter her up.

“Okay,” Teri said, then looked at the uniform. “You better take the uniform to the cleaners,” she said.

Teri took the ID card and paperwork out of the kitchen.

James looked at his trumpet with a smirk. He continued to play In the Mood while he marched out of the kitchen.

Chapter 5

Later that night, James was in bed and read one of the World War two books he bought earlier. By his side was Diana’s family album.

Teri entered wearing her nightgown with her Girl Of My Dreams book in hand.

She got in bed and eyed the photo album and the book in James’ hand.

“Why the sudden interest in your real grandfather and World War two?” she said while she slipped under the covers.

“I don’t know. That old man at the airshow sparked my interest,” James said while he picked up Carl’s military papers and scanned them.

“He seemed like a nice old man,” she replied.

“He said all the men respected my Grandfather Ben.”

“It’s too bad we never got to know him,” Teri said.

“It appears that since he was shot down, that derailed his chances of getting the Medal of Honor and being classified as an ace pilot,” James told her.

“That’s a shame,” Teri responded while reading her book.

James opened Diana’s family album and looked at the picture of Carl and Ben by the Corsair in the South Pacific.

James flipped through some pages of this World War II book and found a picture of Engebi.

“That airstrip Grandpa Ben and Carl were stationed at didn’t look like paradise,” he said, then leaned over and showed Teri the picture.

She looked at the picture. “War wasn’t supposed to be paradise. War was supposed to be hell,” she commented, then returned to her book.

James looked back at the picture of Ben and Carl in front of the Corsair on Engebi, and he seemed determined.

It was Tuesday morning, and James was back at

work. He had tons of stuff to complete before Carl returned home, but he was too busy reading his World War II books.

His phone on his desk rang. “James Eastman,” he answered while he read a page.

“James, it’s me, Grandpa,” Carl said from the phone.

“How’s the conference going?” James asked, then flipped the page of his book.

“It’s going good. I was wondering if they started tearing down the Bannister house?” Carl asked.

James thought for a few seconds to come up with a viable excuse. “No, they’re having some equipment problems and should get started in a couple of days,” James lied.

“A couple of days. I guess I can live with that,” Carl replied.

“I’ll stay on top of it,” James promised.

“Sounds good,” Carl replied, then there was a moment of silence. “Oh yeah, your grandmother told me you came over, and she showed you some pictures of Ben, and then you borrowed my old uniform. Why?” Carl asked, a little bothered.

“I thought I would wear it to our office Halloween party since Henry got me curious about him,” James replied.

“Okay. Now, don’t forget to keep an eye on the Bannister demolition. We need to move on that apartment building,” Carl ordered.

“I will,” James replied, then hung up the phone.

He returned to reading his books and jotted down some notes while scanning Carl’s military papers.

He opened up his book on the United States Marines Corps and looked at some pages about El Toro.

Later that day, James left his office and got in his Mustang.

He drove to Teri’s office, parked, and went inside her shop.

James saw Teri while she worked at her computer.

“Ready to go home?” James asked while he walked up to her and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

“Give me a few minutes,” she replied while finishing the graphic design for an attorney’s office website. “Oh, that envelope on my desk is for you,” she added.

James walked over and picked up the envelope. He opened it up and removed a military ID card for a 1st Lieutenant Trevor Walker with a black and white photo of James.

The ID card stated he was born on June 28, 1919. It looked real, and that made him very happy.

Then he removed the remaining items and saw orders to El Toro for 1st Lieutenant Trevor Walker.

“Great job, baby! They look real!” James beamed.

He walked over and kissed her while she turned off her computer.

“You’re the best!” he said while he offered his hand to assist her out of her chair.

“I know,” she said with a smile while she got up from her chair.

James felt his plan was falling into place while he walked Teri to the door, and they left her office.

It was a quiet ride home as James repeatedly ran his plan through his mind. Teri closed her eyes and enjoyed the quiet as she had a busy day working on her computer.

After dinner, Teri wanted to soak in the tub for a little while.

James entered his bedroom and removed all the insignia from Ben’s uniform. He shoved them in his pants pocket.

He left the bedroom with the uniform, cap, and envelope.

He walked to the bathroom, where Teri soaked in the tub, and continued to read her book.

“I’m taking the uniform to the cleaners, and then I’m going to stop by the hangar for a few seconds. I’ll be right back,”

James said.

“Okay,” Teri said from the tub.

James left the house with the uniform, cap, and envelope.

After dropping the uniform off at the 1-Hour cleaners, he drove to the Santa Barbara airport hangar. He went into the hangar and looked at the Corsair.

“It was May eleventh, nineteen forty-one, and we were sent on a mission to escort some B twenty-fives,” Henry’s voice replayed in James’ head while he walked around the Corsair.

James climbed up inside the plane and sat down in the front seat. He looked the console over and ran the flight procedures through his mind.

He reached down and grabbed the checklist.

He studied and tried to memorize the checklist. He spent the next ten minutes and ran through the checklist in a pretend mode that he was flying.

He grabbed the checklist, got out, climbed the plane, and left the hangar.

Later that night, James and Teri relaxed in bed. She read her Girl Of My Dreams book while James stared at the ceiling.

“Should I go to this?” James pondered silently. “Am I nuts?”

James tossed and turned all night while he tried to sleep.

It was Wednesday morning, and James reported to his office. He sipped on his morning coffee at his desk while he looked at his fake USMC Marine ID card that Teri made for him. Then, he looked at these fraudulent orders for El Toro.

He placed them back in the envelope and dropped it in his desk drawer. He got up and walked over to the window with his cup of coffee.

While staring out the window, he wondered if he should continue his plan.

No. He thought to himself, then walked back to his desk.

Fifteen minutes passed, and James couldn’t stop thinking about Ben. He opened his desk drawer and removed the items, including the checklist for the Corsair.

James then opened up a Word file and looked at the checklist. He started typing the checklist into the Word file to help him become proficient with the Corsair.

An hour later, he printed out the checklist and reviewed it.

“Perfect!” he beamed to himself while he folded it and shoved it in his pants pocket.

He got up and walked to his desk. Then his cell phone rang from his belt. He looked at the viewfinder and saw Teri was the caller. “Hey, honey,” he answered.

“Listen, can you leave work early and pick me up at two-thirty?” Teri asked from his cell phone.

“Sure,” he replied.

“Good, I have an appointment with Gail for my hair, and she said she can squeeze you in also,” Teri said.

“Okay, I’ll be there,” he said, then disconnected his call.

He rushed out of his office before he changed his mind.

James rushed through the office area.

He walked by Carl’s office, where Mindy worked at her desk. “I’m going out to run some errands,” he told Mindy while he rushed away.

She looked up from her work and couldn’t care less.

Five minutes later, her desk phone rang. “Eastman Construction, how may I help you,” she answered.

“Mindy, this is Carl. I tried calling James’s office, and he didn’t answer,” he said from her phone.

“James just stepped out to run some errands,” she told him.

“Oh, okay, leave him a message. T ell him that I called Stan from the demolition company, and they agreed to start tearing down the Bannister house later this afternoon,” Carl told her over the phone.

“Got it,” Mindy said while she wrote down his instructions.

“I’ll call to get the power turned off,” Carl added. “I’ll leave the message on his desk,” Mindy said.

“Thanks. And I should be back in the office tomorrow,”

Carl replied.

“Have a safe flight home,” she said, then hung up. She got up from her desk and walked down to James’ office.

James picked up his uniform from the cleaners, and it looked great.

Then, he drove to a coin shop and purchased cash from the 1930s and 1940s. He hoped this was enough to achieve his

objective with Bud Sewickley. But then he also had 300 dollars of present-day money and figured he would have been long gone by the time Bud discovered it.

He drove to Memphis Avenue and parked his car in front of the Bannister house. He removed Ben’s insignia from his glove box and placed them on the uniform. He grabbed the uniform, cap, and envelope. He removed his wallet and put it in the glove box.

He got out of his car and made sure it was locked.

With all the items, he rushed across the front yard to the front door.

He entered the house, rushed through the living room, and entered the kitchen. He opened the basement door and went down the stairs to the basement.

James quickly undressed at the bottom of the stairs and dressed in the uniform. He opened the envelope, removed the ID card, and shoved it into his shirt pocket.

He removed his orders and shoved them in his other shirt pocket.

He removed his Corsair checklist and shoved it in his shirt pocket with his ID card.

He removed that small flashlight from his pants pocket.

He left his clothes in a pile at the base of the stairs and grabbed his hat. He ran to the hole in the drywall, and turned on the flashlight.

He went through the hole and entered the small room.

He plugged the electrical cord of the time machine into the wall outlet.

He rushed to the time machine’s door, opened it, and went inside.

He sat down in the seat and illuminated the console with his flashlight.

He presses the “Power” button. The console lit up. On the counter, James dialed in “April 12, 1944, 7:00 a.m.,” and nothing happened. James pressed some buttons, and nothing happened.

James looked around the console and saw an ignition without a key.

James thought for a second, and then his eyes widened with an idea.

He rushed out of the time machine, through the hole, over to the stairs.

He ran out of the kitchen and down the hallway to the den.

The floor creaked while he ran into the den.

He ran to one of the bookcases where all the time travel books were kept.

He removed a time travel book, scanned through the pages, and found nothing. He dropped the book to the floor.

He removed another book, scanned through the pages, and found nothing. He dropped the book to the floor.

He removed another book and scanned through the pages.

Then he saw something of interest and went back to a page.

Written in pencil at the top of the page was “1-9-16- 20-25.”

“Must be the combination to a safe,” James said. Then he looked around the room and didn’t find a safe.

James looked curious at the shelf. He slid the rest of the books off the shelf, dropping them to the floor. He was nothing of interest on that shelf.

He then slid all the books on the shelf below, dropping them to the floor.

A safe built in the wall was found.

He dialed in the numbers from the book, and the safe opened. James peeked inside the safe and saw a small old leather attaché. He removed the attaché and opened it up, and inside, he saw a folded piece of paper.

He opened the paper and saw handwritten instructions for operating the time machine. He shoved the paper in his pants pocket.

He reached back into the attaché and removed four bundles of cash. The first bundle was marked with the years

“1850 – 1870.” The second bundle was marked with the years

“1880 – 1900.” The third bundle was marked with the years

“1900 – 1920, and the fourth bundle was marked with the years

“1930 – 1940.”

“This will ensure my plan will work,” James said while he kissed the bundle. He shoved the bundle marked with the years

“1930 – 1940” in his pants pocket. He dropped the other bundles on the floor and figured he would come back for them later. He reached back into the attaché and removed numerous pictures. One was of Lloyd, twenty-five years old, in a Civil War battle at Gettysburg. There was another picture of Lloyd, thirty years old, standing in Tombstone in 1881. James looked and swore Wyatt Earp stood in the background twenty feet behind Lloyd. He scanned through the other pictures that showed Lloyd at different ages and different periods he time traveled.

He reached into the attaché and removed a “What Really Happened in History by Lloyd Bannister” manuscript. He flipped through some of the six hundred-page manuscript and realized why Lloyd built the time machine.

He returned to the attaché and removed two keys on a key chain. He smiled, removed one of the keys, and shoved it in his pants pocket. He dropped the other key back into the attaché.

He dropped the manuscript and attaché to the floor and ran out of the den.

He ran down the hallway to the kitchen. Then, ran down the stairs to the basement.

He ran to the hole and went inside the small room. He ran to the time machine, got inside, and shut the door.

The console was still illuminated. James removed the instructions from his pocket along with the key.

He read the instructions and turned knobs, pushed buttons, and flipped switches. He stuck the key into the ignition and turned the key.

He heard a whine, and the machine shook a little. He tucked the time machine instructions under the seat. The whining got louder, and the machine shook a little more violently. This spinning sensation filled his entire body.

Then, beautiful psychedelic colors illuminated the windows.

James loved the sight, but then he got a strange sensation. He experienced extreme pain throughout his body, arched his body,

screamed, and passed out. The psychedelic lights dissipated, and the shaking stopped.

Chapter 6

Lloyd’s basement looked clean without a piece of junk, and the wall was missing.

The time machine sat in the middle of the basement, and James was slumped over the console.

Inside the machine, James stirred and became alert. He looked a little dazed and confused. Then looked at the console of the time machine, and he remembered his plan. He looked out the window and noticed the basement was clean. He smiled while he turned off the power to the machine.

“I did it. I traveled back in time!” he called out, all excited.

He removed the key and shoved it in his pants pocket.

James opened the door and got out of the machine. He heard the floor squeak above the stairs while he walked over to the stairs. He knew someone was in the house. “Probably Lloyd Bannister,” he whispered and got nervous.

He heard someone that coughed upstairs.

James looked around, and there weren’t any exit doors, and he felt trapped.

James quietly walked up the stairs, ever so cautious not to make a sound.

He made it to the top of the stairs without being detected.

He ever so quietly opened up the door and peeked into the kitchen.

Lloyd Bannister, who was forty years old and never combed his hair, sat at the kitchen table and drank his morning coffee while he ate some scrambled eggs.

“Crap!” James whispered, seeing Lloyd at the table. He pondered if he should return to 1995 and try another day again.

But luck was on his side when Lloyd got up and left the kitchen.

James quietly stepped into the kitchen.

He tiptoed into the kitchen and peeked into the hallway.

The coast was clear as he saw Lloyd step into the bathroom and pull down his pants.

James tiptoed out of the kitchen and across the hallway.

He stepped into the living room. The floor squeaked, and James froze in position.

“Who the hell is in my house?” Lloyd yelled from the bathroom.

James bolted through the living room and heard the toilet flush.

He got to the front door, opened it, and ran outside. The front door slammed behind him.

James ran through Lloyd’s front yard and noticed the grass looked greener and had a beautiful landscape, and his house was freshly painted.

James ran down the street.

Lloyd rushed out of his front door. He looked down his front yard and didn’t see anybody. But he had this strong gut feeling someone was snooping around his home. He went back inside his house.

Lloyd rushed through the living room and into the kitchen.

He rushed down the stairs to the basement.

He looked at this time machine and rushed over to the time machine. He felt the machine, and it was warm to the touch.

He rushed back to the stairs.

James walked down the street. He looked in awe at how beautiful the homes on this street looked back in 1944. They were all freshly painted, and the yards were landscaped. He saw the 1930s and 1940s Fords and Chevys parked in the driveways of the homes.

James did a victory dance down the street. “I did it! I did it!” James called out while continuing his victory dance down the street.

A boy around eight years old rode his Western Flyer bike down the street. He saw James while he danced down the street.

James saw the boy and stopped dancing. He saluted the boy, who gave James a little wave.

James ran off down the street.

Later that day, James walked through the streets of Santa Barbara and eventually walked to the train station. He walked to the ticket window where a male clerk waited.

“I need a ticket to Irvine,” James said.

“That will be seven dollars,” the clerk replied.

James reached into his wallet and removed a 1936 ten-dollar bill he had bought at the coin shop. He handed it to the clerk.

The clerk handed him a ticket with change. “Train leaves in one hour.”

James took the ticket and wandered around the station. He found a gift shop and wandered inside.

He saw a magazine rack and picked up the April 1944 issue of Calling All Girls with Shirley Temple on the cover. He scanned through the magazine.

He placed it back, then picked up the April 4, 1944 issue of Look magazine, which had a blonde-haired mother holding a baby on the cover. He scanned through some of the pages and then placed it back.

He walked over and looked at the candy rack. He picked up a pack of Beeman’s chewing gum.

James walked over to the cashier and paid her a nickel for the gum.

He chewed a piece while walking around and checking out the train station.

Then he thought of how Grandfather Ben and Carl left this station a little while back to venture into the Marines.

Then, it was time to board his train.

He sat in the passenger car on the train and still couldn’t believe he was back in 1944, let alone that he would attempt to change history.

The train moved down the tracks.

James sat and stared out the window while he watched the train move down the tracks. He enjoyed seeing 1944 California.

Then he removed the Corsair checklist from his pocket and studied it, as he wanted to make sure he sounded like a pilot.

Later that day, the train pulled into the Irvine train station.

James got off the train, and when he walked out of the station.

He stopped scanning the area. Then he saw the El Toro Marine Air Station across the tracks.

He walked away from the station.

James walked around the streets in the direction of El Toro. He knew he was getting closer by the Marine Corps vehicle traffic increase. He got nervous the closer he got to the base. He saw Harry’s Diner and decided to get some food and drum up some courage to enter the base.

James entered the diner and ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and vanilla malt. He sat at a booth and munched on his burger.

Also inside the diner were other Marine privates enjoying a pass from the base.

When James saw the other Marines, he started to get extremely nervous and wondered if he could pull this off.

He finished his meal and paid the cashier.

He left the diner.

James stood outside the diner and stared at the entrance to El Toro down the street.

He decided to take the plunge. He walked off toward the main gate.

A few minutes later, James stood near the main gate to the El Toro Marine Base.

“Okay, from now on, I’m Trevor Walker. I’m Trevor Walker,” James quietly said to himself.

He took a couple of deep breaths and walked to the front gate and the guard shack.

“I’m Trevor Walker,” he repeated inside his head numerous times while walking that long, nervous trip to the front gate.

A Marine Sergeant guard stepped out of the shack.

Trevor removed his military ID card and his fake orders.

He handed his ID and orders to the guard.

It seemed like an eternity while the guard studied Trevor’s items.

“Your paperwork looks in order, Lieutenant Walker,” the Sergeant said, and then he handed Trevor his ID and papers.

The Sergeant saluted Trevor.

Trevor saluted back and walked into the base. He shoved his ID and orders in his shirt pocket with a grin that he pulled off. “Stop, sir,” the Sergeant called out.

Trevor stopped and got nervous when he turned around.

The guard looked at Trevor. “Where’s your gear?”

Trevor shook a little while he thought for an answer.

“Some thug stole it off the train on the way to Irvine,” Trevor replied.

The guard looked seriously at Trevor. “ Gunnery Sergeant Sewickley over in personnel can get you some new gear,” the Sergeant snapped back.

The guard saluted, and Trevor saluted back.

Trevor grinned while he walked away into the base and was now Trevor Walker.

Two Corsairs flew in formation over the base and caught Trevor’s attention. He watched them while he turned down another street.

After walking for twenty minutes, Trevor finally found the personnel office and went inside.

Inside the personnel office, Trevor walked through an open office area full of Marine privates busy with administrative duties at their desks. Phones rang, and the click-clack music of manual typewriters filled the air.

Can’t run a war without paper. Trevor thought to himself while he looked at the privates while they typed.

Trevor walked past a desk where a young pimply-faced private typed a letter. He glanced up at Trevor and knew he was lost. “May I help you, sir?” the private asked Trevor.

“Yes, private. I’m looking for Gunny Sergeant Sewickley,”

Trevor said while he stopped at the private’s desk.

“Head down this aisle and turn to your right. He’ll be close to Colonel Burns’s office,” the private instructed.

Trevor followed the private’s instructions and found his desk outside Lieutenant Colonel (LtCol) Jesse Burns’ office.

LtCol Burns was the personnel officer for the base.

Trevor walked over to the desk of Gunny Sergeant (GySgt) Bud Sewickley. He was thirty years old and was indeed a shady-looking character. Bud typed with two fingers and had a cigarette that dangled out of his mouth, a common sight with Bud. Trevor smiled when he saw the “April 12, 1944” calendar on Sewickley’s desk near an ashtray filled with a stack of cigarette butts.

“Sergeant Sewickley,” Trevor said.

Sewickley continued to type, then one of his fingers slipped between two keys. He cringed in pain and then looked up at Trevor.

“Yes, sir,” Sewickley replied while sucking on his hurt finger to ease the pain.

“I’m Lieutenant Walker. My gear was stolen off the train on the way down to Irvine. The Sergeant at the gate told me to see you.”

“Orders,” Sewickley said while he stuck out his hand and took a drag off the cigarette that dangled from his lips.

Trevor removed his orders from his shirt pocket and handed it to Sewickley.

Sewickley read his orders, then looked up at Trevor, who got a little nervous.

“Report to Sergeant Willoughby over in supply. Your barracks is over in building twelve forty-nine. You’ll wait there for your assignment,” Sewickley said, then placed Trevor’s orders on a pile of others.

Trevor looked curious. “Ah, Sergeant, can you tell me if Lieutenant Ben Grayson is on base now?”

“Wait, sir,” Sewickley said while he looked through that pile of papers.

“Lieutenant Grayson is on leave and is scheduled to arrive tomorrow morning,” Sewickley replied, then took one final drag off his cigarette then placed it on top of the pile of butts.

“And Lieutenant Carl Eastman?”

Sewickley looked bothered but knew officers could be a pain in his butt. He looked through those papers again. “On the base in your barracks.”

“Thank you, Sergeant,” Trevor replied. “Oh, where’s supply? I’m unfamiliar with this base,” he added.

“Turn left outside personnel, and it’s two streets over,”

Sewickley replied.

“Thank you, Sergeant,” Trevor replied, then walked away with a smile.

Sewickley returned back to his two-finger typing.

Trevor walked out of the personnel office and followed Sewickley’s orders.

He found the supply building and walked out twenty minutes later with a seabag, a set of fatigues, a flight uniform helmet, and other uniforms.

He followed the instructions of the supply Sergeant and walked down the streets of El Toro for his barracks.

Chapter 7

Later that day, Trevor found building 1249 and entered with his sea bag, full of new uniforms for his journey, slung over his shoulder.

He looked around the barracks and saw numerous other Marine officers. Some of the officers slept in their bunks, some of the officers read letters or books, and other officers played poker.

Trevor also saw that each bunk had a stand-up locker.

Trevor walked down the aisle, picked out an empty bunk, and dropped his new seabag.

“Hello, I’m Henry Foley,” Henry said from behind Trevor.

Trevor turned around and saw Henry Foley, who was now a twenty-two-year-old 2nd Lieutenant looking young and full of life with a head full of black hair.

Henry walked over to Trevor.

“No limp. No cane,” Trevor thought while he stared in disbelief at a younger Henry.

Trevor shook Henry’s hand. “I’m Trevor Walker.”

“Welcome to El Toro, and it’s a pleasure to meet you, Trevor,” Henry said, then looked at Trevor’s uniform and saw his wings. “Ah, you’re a pilot also,” Henry added.

“Yes, I am,” Trevor replied.

“Good, maybe we’ll be stationed in the same squadron after here,” Henry added, then he walked over and lay on his bunk.

Trevor looked a little nervous while he lay on his cot. He stared at the ceiling while he waited.

A few minutes passed, and he dozed off as time-traveling exhausted him.

It was 5:00 p.m. The barracks were quiet, and Trevor was the only one inside, still napping on his bunk.

Henry entered the building and walked down the row of cots. He saw Trevor asleep in his bunk.

He walked up and shook Trevor.

Trevor woke up in a daze and sat up. For a split second, Trevor thought he had a dream and was back home in 1995

Santa Barbara. Then he saw young Henry and realized he was still in 1944.

“Hey Trevor, let’s get some food before they close down the chow hall,” Henry said.

Trevor’s stomach growled.

“I thought you might be hungry,” Henry said lightly.

Trevor got off his bunk and followed Henry out of the barracks.

Trevor and Henry walked down the streets of El Toro.

“Where are you from, Trevor?” Henry asked.

This caught Trevor off guard, as he didn’t think about that detail. He thought for a few seconds for a viable answer.

“Spokane, Washington,” he lied, recalling Carl’s conference.

“Ah, I’m from Phoenix,” Henry replied. “You married? I’m not.” “Yes, her name is Teri,” Trevor replied.

“Kids?”

“Not yet.”

“I see,” Henry said while they walked to the mess hall entrance.

They went inside.

After they went through the chow line, they walked through the dining areas with trays of fried chicken, corn, mashed potatoes, and a dinner roll with a glass of milk.

“Follow me,” Henry told Trevor when he saw several officers sitting at a long table.

They walked over to the table where there were five other officers; half were 1st Lieutenants, and the other half were 2nd Lieutenants.

“Hey guys, this is Trevor Walker. He arrived a few hours ago,” Henry said to the officers.

“Oh yeah. The guy sleeping, I’m Bill Jetty.”

“I’m George Redgrave.”

“I’m Harry Santis.”

“I’m Stuart Barkin.”

“And I’m Carl Eastman.”

Trevor looked in shock at the sight of Grandpa Carl, as he looked so young.

Carl was only twenty-three years old, and for some reason, Trevor found it challenging to think of his grandfather as a viral young man with a head full of black hair. Trevor was speechless.

He sat down in the empty next to Carl.

“Harry is also from Spokane, Trevor,” Henry told him.

Trevor almost choked while he placed a mouthful of corn in his mouth. “ Crap!” he thought, getting nervous.

“Where in Spokane do you live? I live off North Washington,” Harry asked.

“Ah,” Trevor stuttered, caught off guard.

“I live a few streets over,” Trevor said, then drank milk.

“You live on North Stevens?” Harry asked.

Trevor felt like he was caught when he stared at Harry. “Ah yeah. North Stevens,” he replied, then started eating his chicken.

“I’m surprised we never met before,” Harry said.

“Well, I moved there from Seattle after graduating high school. I only lived in Spokane for four months before I left for the Marines,” Trevor replied, silently praying Harry would buy his lie.

“I understand,” Harry said and believed his story.

Trevor sighed with relief when he said, then bit into a drumstick.

“Anyway, Carl, if my daddy was rich like your daddy, I’ll pay Sewickley for prime stateside duty. We heard he’ll do just about anything for a few bucks,” Harry said.

All the other guys at the table nodded in agreement.

Trevor looked at Carl and remembered the day when he had to attend Great Grandpa Ernie’s funeral. Trevor was only

six years old, and he wasn’t born when his real Great Grandpa Jack passed away.

“Daddy insisted I experience war. He said it would make a man out of me,” Carl told Henry.

Trevor smiled as he knew the story Henry told him so many years in the future was true about Sewickley.

After chow, Trevor went back to the barracks to relax. He didn’t want to spend too much time around the base to avoid bringing too much attention upon him, so he decided to lay low.

Later that night, Trevor was in his bunk, and Stuart, Harry, and Henry were the only officers inside.

Henry walked up to Trevor’s bunk. “We’re going to the officers club. Want to tag along?”

“Not tonight. I’m exhausted from traveling all day on the train,” Trevor replied.

“Okay,” Henry said.

Stuart and Harry soon greeted him, and they all left the barracks.

Trevor was alone in the barracks.

An hour passed, and Trevor got out of his bunk and left the barracks.

It took him fifteen minutes, but he finally found the NCO

Club. He hung around twenty feet from the front entrance to the club.

An hour later, Sewickley exited the NCO club with a cigarette that dangled from his mouth.

He staggered away, drunk.

“Sergeant Sewickley,” Trevor called out while he rushed over to Sewickley.

Sewickley turned around and saw Trevor. He saluted.

Trevor saluted back. “Ah, Sergeant, can we talk in private,”

Trevor said while removing a wad full of cash from his pants pocket.

Sewickley’s eyes lit up when he saw an opportunity being presented. He dropped his cigarette on the ground and smashed it with his shoe.

“Sure thing, Lieutenant. Step in my office,” he replied, then escorted Trevor between the NCO club and another building.

“Now, how may I be of service?” Sewickley asked with a greedy grin glancing at the money in Trevor’s hand.

“Lieutenants Ben Grayson and Carl Eastman. You must ensure they get orders for a cushy flight instructor’s duty in the States. I’m thinking Pensacola, Florida,” Trevor offered and showed Sewickley two hundred dollars.

Sewickley looked at the cash. He thought about Trevor’s offer for a few seconds. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but stateside orders cost more. There are more channels I have to work with since there’s a war going on,” he said.

Trevor thought about his counteroffer for a few seconds.

Then he removed an additional two hundred dollars from his pocket and showed it to Sewickley.

Sewickley’s eyes widened with joy. “You bring joy to my family’s heart,” Sewickley said, then snatched the cash from Trevor’s hand.

“If you don’t do this, I’ll make sure you spend time in prison,” Trevor threatened.

“You can trust me.”

Sewickley and Trevor went their separate ways. Trevor clicked his heels while he walked away, as his plan was becoming successful.

He returned to the barracks and slept like a baby, knowing Ben and Carl would remain stateside during the war. But he would miss having Carl as a grandfather, but deep down in his heart, he wanted Ben to have his chance.

The next morning, April 13, 1944, Trevor woke up excited.

After he ate some chow with Henry, Trevor returned to his bunk and waited.

Ten minutes later, one of the officers in the barracks got his orders for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. He watched while the other officers said their goodbyes.

Twenty minutes passed, and the door to the barracks opened.

Trevor looked, and then his eyes widened with a smile.

Ben Grayson entered the barracks in his 1st Lieutenant uniform. He walked down the aisles between the bunks with a seabag in hand.

Trevor watched Ben in awe, as he couldn’t believe he was seeing his real grandfather. It felt weird for Trevor to see Ben alive and in the flesh, as all he had seen were photographs of Ben. Then it dawned on him. I’m older than Grandpa Ben and Carl. Trevor said to himself.

Ben walked over to an empty bunk next to Carl’s bunk and dropped his seabag on it.

Trevor watched while Ben removed his uniform from his seabag and hung them in his locker.

Trevor got up and walked over. He stopped five feet from Ben and stared at him in admiration.

Ben sensed someone was behind him and turned around.

He saw Trevor and gave him a warm smile. Then, a strange feeling overcame Ben that he knew Trevor.

“Hi. I’m Ben Grayson,” he said and stuck out his hand.

Trevor looked nervous and stared at Ben in disbelief that his grandfather was standing before him.

Ben looked at Trevor for a response.

“Ah, I’m Trevor Walker,” he stuttered a little.

The door to the barracks opened and closed.

“Ben. It’s about time you arrived,” Carl called from the door.

Ben and Trevor looked and saw Carl walk down the aisle.

“Hey, Carl, I decided to spend extra time with Diana,” Ben replied.

“How’s she taking all this?” Carl asked.

“As to be expected,” Ben said, then hung up his flight suit in his locker.

Ben looked at Trevor. “Carl, this is Trevor Walker. Trevor, meet Carl Eastman,” Ben said

“I met him during chow last night,” Carl said with little interest.

Trevor could sense Carl didn’t show an interest, which hurt his feelings.

Carl walked over to his locker, removed some cash, and shoved it in his pocket.

“Ben, I have to go take care of some business. I’ll catch up with you later,” Carl said.

Ben and Trevor watched while Carl rushed out of the barracks.

“What’s his rush?” Trevor asked.

“Who knows,” Ben replied, then looked at Trevor. “Why don’t we walk around so I can get familiar with the base,” Ben offered.

“I would like that,” Trevor replied.

They walked out of the barracks.

The base was busy with vehicles driving around and other Marines doing business while Trevor and Ben walked.

“Where are you from?” Ben asked.

“Spokane. Where you from?” he asked playing dumb.

“I’m from Santa Barbara. I thought you might be from up around there,” Ben replied.

A pair of Corsairs flew overhead. “Why do you say that?”

“I have this weird feeling. A feeling that I know you,” Ben replied.

Trevor smiled and felt warm inside. “Who knows, maybe we met from a previous life. Some people believe in that type of stuff,” he said.

“That could happen.”

Another pair of Corsair’s flew overhead.

“I take it you and Carl know each other?” Trevor asked, playing dumb again.

“We’ve been best friends since grade school. Our fathers are business partners and own a construction company.” Ben replied.

“That’s nice,” Trevor replied.

“Carl’s father wants me to take over the business when our father’s retire. That will probably upset Carl. So I’ll have to make him an equal partner,” Ben stated.

“That’s interesting,” Trevor said.

“So Trevor, are you married?”

“Yes. My wife’s name is Teri.”

Ben removed his wallet and showed Trevor a picture of Diana and him in Pensacola. “My wife’s name is Diana, and she’s my childhood sweetheart.”

“She’s beautiful,” Trevor said.

Ben placed his wallet back in his pants. “Thanks. Do you have a picture of Teri?”

Trevor reached for his wallet and then stopped. “No. I had my seabag stolen on the train from Spokane. My wallet was inside.”

“That’s a shame. Here you are fighting the war so creeps like that can have their freedom. That pisses me off.”

“Do you have a kid?” Trevor asked.

Ben got a huge smile. “Diana is expecting our first child.”

“Must be rough not being with her,” James replied.

A C47 took off from one of the runways in the background while they walked close to the flightline.

“You don’t know how rough. But I wanted to ensure my kid’s safety from the Japanese,” Ben said.

Trevor and Ben walked to the airfield.

“Ben,” Carl called out from behind them.

They turned around and saw Carl while he ran up to them.

“I’ve been looking all over for you. Some of the guys said they saw you walking toward the flightline,” Carl called out.

“Finished with your business?”

“All taken care of. By the way, I chatted with Gunnery Sergeant Sewickley; we should be getting our orders tomorrow,”

Carl told Ben.

Trevor looked happy while they all walked to the airfield.

Chapter 8

It was April 14th, and Trevor, Ben, Henry, and Carl waited along with Peter Adams near Sewickley’s desk first thing in the morning. They waited for their orders, and Trevor looked happy knowing he completed his mission.

Sewickley walked out of LtCol Burn’s office with some papers in hand.

He walked up to the waiting officers.

He looked at the first set of orders. “Lieutenant Adams,”

he called out.

Peter Adams walked up to Sewickley, who handed him the orders.

Peter looked at them and looked a little nervous. It was for Engebi in the South Pacific.

Peter walked away and headed to the exit.

Sewickley looked at another set of orders. “Lieutenant Foley.”

Henry Foley walked up to Sewickley, who handed him the orders.

Henry walked back to Trevor, Ben, and Carl. “Where you going?” Ben asked.

“Engebi,” Henry replied, looking nervous about seeing action in the South Pacific.

Henry walked away and headed to the exit.

Sewickley looked at another set of orders. “Lieutenant Eastman.”

Carl walked up to Sewickley, who handed him the orders.

Carl looked at them and waited for Sewickley to hand out more orders.

Sewickley looked at the last set of orders in his hand.

“Lieutenant Grayson.”

Ben walked up to Sewickley, who handed him the orders.

Sewickley walked back to his desk and sat down.

Trevor smiled while Carl and Ben read their orders, as he knew he completed his objective.

“Where you going, Carl?” Ben asked while he looked at his orders.

“Engebi. And you?”

Trevor felt this sudden sour feeling when he heard Carl’s response.

Carl looked hopeful while he waited for Ben to respond.

“I’m going to the same place,” Ben replied.

“The Harassing Devils!” Carl proudly called out, not afraid of seeing action in the South Pacific.

Carl patted Ben’s shoulder, extremely happy they would be together. “We can take care of each other.”

“You know it,” Ben replied, then he looked at Trevor, who looked like he would cry.

“Trevor, it looks like your orders didn’t come through yet.

Good luck, my friend,” Ben said, then patted Trevor’s shoulder.

“I need to call Diana and tell her where we’re going,” Ben told Carl.

Carl smiled as he completed his objective. “I want to say hello to her.”

“See you later,” Ben told Trevor.

“Yeah,” Trevor replied, but he looked like he wanted to cry.

Ben and Carl walked away and headed to the exit. Trevor stared at Sewickley while he sat at his desk. Trevor wanted to kick the crap out of another human being for the first time in his life.

Sewickley returned to his two-finger typing, ignoring Trevor’s glares.

Trevor knew he was between a rock and a hard place. He couldn’t report Sewickley to LtCol Burns because Trevor doesn’t exist.

He moped away, depressed, and headed to the exit.

Outside the personnel building, Ben and Carl walked down the street.

“I was kinda hoping Trevor would be stationed at Engebi.

I really like him,” Ben told Carl while they walked down the street.

Carl rolled his eyes, as he didn’t have the same feelings for Trevor.

Later that day, Trevor stewed while he ate dinner alone in the chow hall. Ben and Carl were off calling Diana to tell her about their next assignment.

Later that evening, Trevor lay on his bunk, stared at the ceiling, and fumed about being ripped off by Sewickley.

Most of the officers in the barracks, including Ben and Carl, were dressed in fatigue pants and tee shirts. Some officers removed baseball gloves, bats, and baseballs from their lockers.

“Hey Trevor, we’re heading out for a quick baseball game.

Want to join us?” Ben offered while he walked up to Trevor’s bunk.

Trevor looked at Ben. “No, thanks. I’m going to hang out here for the night.”

“Okay,” Ben replied, then walked away with Carl, who waited twenty feet away.

Trevor lay in bed for another thirty minutes, then got up and left the barracks.

Trevor walked around the streets of the base. He came upon a recreational field with two baseball fields and several picnic areas. He saw Ben, Carl, and sixteen other Marines while they played baseball.

He decided to walk over and watch so he could kill some time. Ben and Carl’s team was in the outfield. Ben was in left field, and Carl was the pitcher.

The batter was at the plate, ready to whack the ball. Carl did his wind-up and threw his best fastball, which wasn’t that fast. The batter smacked the ball into left field. It started to look like a home run until Ben ran over at lightning speed and caught it.

“Two outs!” the officer who played umpire yelled from behind the plate.

The next batter was pilot Kent Boyer. He stepped up to the plate. Carl did his wind-up and tried to throw a curveball.

Kent smacked the ball, and it zoomed at Carl and whacked him in square in his groin. Carl’s eyes crossed and bucked over in pain.

He lay on the pitcher’s mound. “Ahh!” he screamed out in pain. Everybody ran over to Carl.

They looked down at Carl, who got into the fetal position.

“Ahh!” he screamed out in pain again, staying buckled over.

Ben ran up, pushed through the crowd, and knelt by Carl’s side. “You okay, buddy?” he asked, extremely worried. “My balls!” Carl screamed in extreme pain. Everybody knew what that meant, and some cupped their groins with sympathy pains while a couple of guys chuckled.

Kent felt terrible for his friend.

Ben stood Carl up on his feet and walked him around. “Is there anything I can do?” Trevor asked Ben while he walked Carl away. Carl glanced at Trevor. “Leave me alone,” Carl said in pain.

Ben continued to walk Carl around to ease the pain.

The rest of the guys took a break and relaxed on the field.

Trevor walked away, then looked back and wondered if this injury caused Carl to never father a child.

Trevor walked over to the NCO club. He waited thirty feet by the front entrance and watched while numerous enlisted Marines entered and exited the club.

Then, fifteen minutes later, Sewickley walked over to the club entrance with a spring in his step as he just had tons of extra cash to spend on booze.

Trevor rushed over to him. He quickly grabbed Sewickley by his collar and rushed him between two buildings.

Sewickley looked startled while Trevor slammed him up against the wall of the NCO Club building. He then got in Sewickley’s face and was furious.

“You bastard! You didn’t give Grayson and Eastman the assignment that I paid you all that cash,” Trevor said a little too loud. Sewickley cringed and looked nervous. “Be quiet,” he said, then looked around to ensure nobody heard about his shady dealings. “Hey, I’m sorry, but Lieutenant Eastman paid me five hundred dollars to have them both stationed at Engebi.”

“He what?” Trevor replied, wondering if he had heard him correctly.

“He paid me five hundred dollars to get them both stationed at Engebi. I’m a businessman, so I always go with the highest price.”

Trevor released Sewickley and looked baffled. “Why did Grandpa do that?”

Sewickley looked a little confused with Trevor’s comment.

“Did you say, Grandpa?”

Trevor ignored his question and quickly grabbed and slammed Sewickley harder against the building.

“Listen, slim ball. You get those orders changed to what I wanted.”

“I can’t. It’s too late,” Sewickley replied, a little startled that an officer was getting violent with him.

“I want my money back,” Trevor demanded.

“I’m sorry. I don’t give refunds,” Sewickley replied.

Trevor knew he couldn’t complain, throwing Sewickley to the ground and storming off.

Sewickley stood up and brushed the dirt off his uniform.

He watched Trevor while storming away. He shrugged it off and couldn’t care less while he walked into the club entrance for a night of hard drinking.

Later that night, Trevor moped to the guard gate. He felt like a colossal failure and decided to go home.

“I screwed this whole thing up,” Trevor said. “But at least I met my grandfather,” he added.

Trevor walked past the guard shack and walked out of the base. The door of the guard shack and a Staff Sergeant stepped outside.

“Sir, I need to see your pass,” the Staff Sergeant called to Trevor.

Trevor stopped and turned around.” A pass?” Trevor asked, a little confused.

“You can’t leave base without a pass, sir,” the Staff Sergeant replied.

Trevor shrugged him off, knowing he wasn’t in the military.

He turned around and walked away.

“Sir, if you don’t stop, I’ll arrest you for going AWOL,” the Staff Sergeant yelled out and removed his 45-Colt pistol from his holster.

Trevor stopped, turned around, and saw the pistol in the guard’s hand.

Then another guard, a Sergeant, stepped out of the shack and stood by his partner to show strength in numbers.

Trevor realized he could get shot and walked back into the base. “I’m sorry, Sergeant,” Trevor said while he walked past the guards and reentered the base.

The two guards watched Trevor while he moped further into the base.

They felt he wasn’t a threat to leaving, so they went back inside their guard shack.

Trevor walked the streets of El Toro for hours and pondered his situation.

Later that night, Trevor paced outside the NCO Club in deep thought while he pondered his situation. He watched while numerous enlisted Marines left and entered the club.

Then Sewickley finally staggered out of the club with another cigarette that dangled out of his mouth.

Trevor rushed up to Sewickley.

Sewickley stepped away, fearful Trevor might punch him in the nose.

“Can you get me orders to Engebi in the same squadron as Ben Grayson?”

Sewickley thought about what he said and realized he wouldn’t be punched. “It’s going to cost you extra.”

Trevor looked irritated and knew Sewickley had the upper hand. “Okay, how much?”

“Two hundred smackers,” Sewickley said while he took a drag on his cigarette.

Trevor thought for a second. He knew he would have difficulty getting home, so he reached into his pocket and handed Sewickley two hundred dollars.

“Now listen, you scum bag. This is a matter of life and death. So you better not screw me over on this one,” Trevor threatened with clenched fists.

“I won’t. Promise!” Sewickley said, looked sincere.

“Okay,” Trevor said, then walked away.

“Those pilots sure are a whacky bunch,” Sewickley said, then staggered away.

Trevor got back to the barracks, where most of them were sleeping. He noticed Ben and Carl were asleep, so he got in his bunk and closed his eyes.

It was April 15th and a quiet California morning.

A C47 Army plane was parked on the flightline with its engines running.

Trevor stood one hundred feet from the plane and watched while numerous Marines walked over to the waiting plane with their seabags slung over their shoulders.

Trevor saw Ben and Carl with those Marines who waited at the C47.

Ben saw Trevor and rushed over to him.

Carl walked over with a limp from his still groin hurting from last night’s ball game. He stopped five feet from Trevor and showed no interest in saying goodbye.

“Hey, buddy,” Ben said while holding his hand. Trevor shook Ben’s hand.

“I was really hoping we could be stationed together,” Ben told Trevor.

Carl rolled his eyes and still didn’t share the same feeling for Trevor.

“Listen, Trevor, I don’t know if we’ll see each other again during this war, but after it, come to Santa Barbara and look me up,” Ben offered.

Carl limped up to Ben. “We have to go, Ben,” Carl said with a pat on Ben’s shoulder.

“Take care, Trevor,” Ben said with a pat on Trevor’s shoulder.

Carl pulled on Ben’s arm to break him away from Trevor.

Trevor’s feelings were hurt that Carl didn’t like him, and he saw a side of Carl he never knew existed.

He watched while Ben and Carl walked to the plane and got inside.

The door to the C47 closed.

The engines of the C47 revved up, and it taxied down the flight line.

Trevor walked away while the C47 taxied down the flightline to the runway.

Ten minutes later, Trevor returned to the barracks and watched while the C47 flew over the base.

“Sorry, Grandma, I tried and failed you,” he said while he watched the C47 fly out of sight.

Trevor sensed someone was behind him. He turned around and saw Sewickley, who rushed up behind him.

“I can get you stationed at Engebi, but my brother wants an extra hundred dollars.”

Trevor looked upset with his request for additional money.

“An extra hundred dollars? Why?”

“My other brother at the Pentagon said there’s a little problem with your orders for El Toro. If you catch my drift?”

Sewickley said, then gave Trevor a look that he was onto his fake orders.

“Now, I really don’t care who you really are, but if you want to risk your ass by being shot at by those Japs, well, it’s none of my concern.”

Trevor knew he was between a rock and a hard place again, so he reached into his pocket and removed more cash. He handed Sewickley one hundred dollars. “I really need these orders!” Trevor pleaded.

“Don’t worry. I can have them for you tomorrow,”

Sewickley replied with the sweetest smile he could muster.

Trevor walked away and headed back to his barracks.

Sewickley walked away in another direction with a massive grin as he had just pocketed an easy one thousand and two hundred smackers during the last two days. “We’ll have the biggest car dealership in Philly,” Sewickley said with a spring in his step while he walked down the street.

Chapter 9

Trevor spent the entire weekend milling about El Toro and pondered his next move. He wondered if he should try sneaking out of the base to run back to 1995 and risk getting arrested for going AWOL.

Then he wondered if he should risk the chance that Sewickley doesn’t pull through and he gets stationed somewhere else. Then he wondered if he should risk the chance that Sewickley pulls through with orders to Engebi.

He opted to take a chance on Sewickley getting orders to Engebi

Trevor walked back to his barracks.

It was Monday morning, April 17th, 1944. It was a beehive of activity in the personnel office with typing and answering the phones.

Sewickley did his usual two fingers typing at his desk with another cigarette that dangled from his lips.

Trevor walked up to Sewickley’s desk.

“Did my orders come through?”

LtCol Burns heard Trevor from his desk and looked curiously at him.

“Not yet. But don’t worry. I promise you’ll get them,”

Sewickley said while he stopped typing and looked up from his typewriter.

Trevor walked away, disappointed.

Trevor moped around the base all day, and then, he tossed and turned in his bunk that night.

The sun rose, and it started another day at El Toro.

After breakfast at the chow hall, Trevor made a beeline to the personnel office.

Sewickley was already on his third cup of coffee and a third cigarette while scanning a pile of papers.

Trevor rushed up to his desk. “Did my orders come in yet?” Sewickley got up from his desk and rushed over to Trevor.

He looked to make sure the coast was clear. “My Pentagon contact is working it as we speak.”

Trevor looked concerned with Sewickley’s response, thinking he was being screwed again.

“What’s your name, Lieutenant?” LtCol Burns said while he walked up behind Trevor.

Trevor looked concerned when he turned around and saw LtCol Burns.

“Trevor Walker, sir.”

“What’s your status?’ LtCol Burns asked sternly.

“Still waiting for my orders, sir.”

Burns looked at Trevor, making him nervous, thinking he was caught.

“Send him over to Colonel Francis for some flight training.

We can’t have our pilots sitting around getting rusty,” LtCol Burns ordered.

“Yes, sir,” Sewickley snapped back.

LtCol Burns walked away.

Trevor sighed a sigh of relief.

Sewickley returned to this desk, picked up his phone, and dialed a phone number.

“Colonel Francis, Gunny Sergeant Sewickley over in personnel. Listen, Colonel Burns has a pilot here, a Lieutenant Walker, that he wants you to use for some flight training,”

Sewickley said into the phone.

“What’s his story?” Colonel Francis asked from the phone.

“He’s waiting on orders, and the Colonel didn’t want him becoming rusty,” Sewickley added.

“What plane is he checked out in?” Colonel Francis asked from the phone.

“What plane are you checked out in?” Sewickley asked Trevor.

“Corsair,” Trevor replied and got nervous, as he wasn’t expecting to be flying.

“Send him over. I’ll ensure he doesn’t get rusty,” Colonel Francis replied.

“Yes sir,” Sewickley replied, then hung up. “Go see Colonel Francis at the flightline. You can’t miss his office near hangar three,” said Sewickley.

“Will you please work my orders?” Trevor pleaded.

“Yes, sir. Consider it done, and I promise it this time,”

Sewickley replied, then sat down at his desk.

Trevor walked away and headed over to the exit.

Trevor rushed to his barracks, quickly changing into his flight suit. He removed his Corsair checklist from his uniform pocket and exited the barracks.

While Trevor walked down the streets of El Toro, he studied his Corsair checklist so he wouldn’t look like an idiot.

“Don’t screw this up!” Trevor quietly prayed while reading his checklist and walked toward the flight.

Ten minutes later, Trevor entered Colonel Francis’ office.

“Lieutenant Walker is reporting as ordered,” Trevor said, standing at attention and saluting. He remembered this from some of the war movies he watched on TV.

“At ease, Lieutenant. “So I hear you’re a Corsair pilot?” the Colonel asked Trevor, who stood at ease.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good, report to Major O’Brien over at hangar two. He’s doing a training flight today.”

Trevor snapped to attention and saluted the Colonel, who saluted back.

Trevor did an about-face and left the office.

Colonel Francis picked up his phone and called Major O’Brien to inform him Trevor was on his way for flight training.

Trevor walked to hangar two and saw four Corsairs on the flightline.

Trevor walked up to the planes where pilots Kent Boyer and Chuck Madison, both 1st Lieutenants, were performing their preflight inspections on two of the four Corsairs.

Trevor walked up to one of the Corsairs and looked it over.

Major William O’Brien walked up to Trevor from the hangar. “Are you Lieutenant Walker?” he asked Trevor.

“Yes, sir,” Trevor replied and followed up with a salute.

O’Brien saluted back.

“You can fly that Corsair, and today, we’ll be practicing some formation flying,” O’Brien said, then pointed over at Trevor’s plane.

“Gentlemen,” O’Brien called out to the other pilots.

Kent and Chuck stopped their inspections and looked at O’Brien.”

“Lieutenant Walker will be flying with us today,” O’Brien called out to them.

The pilots waved, indicating they were good with Trevor.

“Okay, perform your preflight, and we’ll get airborne,”

O’Brien said.

Trevor started his preflight inspection and was glad Grandpa Carl let him perform this task numerous times.

Ten minutes later, all the Corsairs were ready to fly.

“Okay, gentleman, we’ll be practicing formation flying. I’ll be the flight leader,” O’Brien told the three pilots.

They all acknowledged and climbed up their fuselages and got inside their planes.

Inside his Corsair, Trevor removed his checklist from his shirt pocket.

Trevor configured the fuel selector and opened the cowl flaps.

He configured the propeller, carburetor air, supercharger, throttle, battery and instrument switches, the electric auxiliary fuel pump, and the electric primer switch.

He placed the mixture to rich, turned off the auxiliary fuel pump, and turned the ignition and starter switches. The engine of his Corsair started.

He looked proud while he watched the other three Corsairs start. Then Trevor looked through his checklist. “How the hell do I do formation flying?” he thought to himself, concerned, as he had never been instructed on that technique.

“Okay, gentlemen, let’s go,” O’Brien said across the radio net. The four Corsairs taxied to one of the runways after receiving the proper clearance from the control tower.

The four Corsairs taxied over to runways 16L and 16R, waiting for their turn to take off.

“Okay, Walker and I will use sixteen left while Boyer and Madison can use sixteen right,” O’Brien instructed them from the radio net.

O’Brien lined his Corsair up on the centerline of runway 16 left while Boyer lined up his Corsair on the centerline of runway 16 right.

O’Brien and Boyer gave their planes full throttle and rolled down the runway.

Trevor and Madison both lined up their Corsairs on their assigned runways. They waited a few seconds, then gave their Corsairs full throttle and rolled down the runway.

O’Brien and Boyer’s Corsairs took off and flew toward the ocean.

Trevor and Madison’s Corsairs took off and flew toward the ocean.

“Okay, let’s climb to six thousand five hundred feet and level off,” O’Brien said from the radio net.

All four Corsairs ascended into the sky.

At 6,500 feet over the Pacific Ocean, the four Corsairs leveled out.

Trevor was doing great so far, and he felt at ease.

“Okay, gentleman. Let’s get into a close echelon formation,” O’Brien ordered from the radio net.

Trevor looked very nervous and didn’t know how to fly in a close echelon formation.

The other Corsairs got in close echelon formation to the left of O’Brien’s Corsair.

Trevor’s Corsair stayed way behind the other planes.

Inside his Corsair, Trevor looked nervous the second he saw the other Corsairs in formation.

“Where the hell are you, Walker?” O’Brien yelled from the radio net.

“I’m on my way, sir,” Trevor replied into the radio net.

“Get your butt in gear,” O’Brien yelled with a tone that indicated he loathed a pilot slacking off like what Trevor was doing at this moment.

Trevor flew his Corsair closer to the other two planes.

He got in close echelon formation to O’Brien’s right- wing.

Trevor’s Corsair got closer to O’Brien’s Corsair. Trevor’s Corsair got closer to O’Brien’s Corsair.

Trevor looked nervous while he got closer to O’Brien’s Corsair.

“Watch it, Walker!” O’Brien screamed from the radio net.

Trevor’s eyes widened with fear when he saw he was about six inches from the tip of O’Brien’s wing.

He quickly made a steep banked turn to the right and flew away. “Where the hell did you learn formation flying, Walker?” O’Brien yelled from the radio net.

“Sorry, sir. I can do better,” Trevor replied into the radio net. “I know you will!” O’Brien yelled back.

Trevor looked determined while he stayed about 100 feet from the other planes. He flew his Corsair into a barrel roll.

He came out of the roll and then flew to O’Brien’s Corsair.

He immediately flew into formation with the other planes.

Five minutes later, Trevor flew perfectly close echelon formation with O’Brien and the other Corsairs. He felt proud of himself and felt like a real Marine pilot.

Hours later, the four Corsairs took turns while they landed on runways 16, right, and left.

They taxied back to the hangar and shut off their engines.

O’Brien, Trevor, and the other pilots climbed down their planes and walked away.

They walked over to the hangar.

“Walker, you got off to a rocky start. But you pulled through like a champ,” O’Brien told him. “Come back tomorrow for more training,” he added.

“Yes, sir,” Trevor replied.

O’Brien and the other pilots walked off to the hangar while Trevor walked in another direction.

Sewickley ran up to Trevor with a piece of paper and handed it to him. “My brother at the Pentagon pulled a miracle.

Your orders came through,” Sewickley said, out of breath and started to cough.

Trevor read his orders and hollered for joy. He jumped up and down, then ran away.

“Like I said, those pilots are whacky,” Sewickley said while he watched Trevor run away.

Sewickley removed a cigarette from his pack, lit it, and took a drag while he walked away.

A Corsair flew overhead while Trevor ran down one of the base streets. He stopped and glanced at the plane and had a gut feeling he would succeed with his mission.

He ran down the street toward his barracks.

Then he stopped and looked back at the Corsair. He forgot about the fact that the Japanese would be trying to shoot him down, and then he got really nervous.

He walked down the street and looked concerned.

Chapter 10

Later that night, Trevor tossed and turned in bed. He couldn’t sleep since all he could think about was going into combat scared he didn’t have the guts to endure it.

“Why did I do this?” Trevor thought to himself while he turned on his back and stared at the ceiling. Then, thoughts of him dying and Teri never knowing what happened to him haunted him.

He jumped out of his bunk and put on his shoes. He rushed out of the barracks.

The base was quiet while Trevor walked around to think about his next move.

He walked by an isolated section of the perimeter fence.

He looked the fence over and didn’t see any barbed wire.

He rushed over to the fence and stared at it for five minutes, debating his move.

He didn’t hear the Jeep that drove up behind him.

He rushed over and climbed halfway up the fence when someone whacked Trevor’s back with a nightstick. Trevor dropped to the ground in pain.

He looked up and saw two Military Police (MP) Sergeants, Rick Call and Steve Wright, standing over him.

“What are you doing, Lieutenant?” Rick asked.

“Ah, I, ah,” Trevor stuttered.

“I know what he was trying to do. He was trying to sneak out. Go AWOL,” Steve replied.

“Up on your feet,” Rick ordered.

Trevor stood up. Rick and Steve each grabbed an arm and walked Trevor to their Jeep. They put him in the back and got inside.

They drove off to the MP office.

While they drove through the streets of El Toro, Trevor knew he screwed up and would spend the rest of his life in

military jail. He could kick himself in his butt for going back in time. Ten minutes later, the two MPs had Trevor before their boss, Captain George Garrison.

“So you were trying to go AWOL?” Captain Garrison asked Trevor, who shook in his shoes.

Trevor thought for a few seconds for a viable excuse. “No, I was trying to sneak out to visit my girl in town. I have orders for the South Pacific and wanted to see her again,” Trevor lied.

“Let me see your orders,” Garrison ordered, holding his hand.

Trevor removed his orders from his shirt pocket and handed them to the Captain.

Garrison looked over Trevor’s orders. He returned them to Trevor, who shoved them in his pants pocket and silently prayed he wasn’t going to jail.

Garrison looked at Trevor, which made him shake in fear.

“We need pilots to replace the ones we’re losing. So I’m not going to place you in the brig. But I’m going to have my men make sure you get on that plane tomorrow morning so you can get to your assignment,” Garrison replied.

Trevor felt relieved and stopped shaking.

“Place him in a cell, then tomorrow morning, escort the Lieutenant to his barracks so he can get his stuff. Then make sure he gets on the plane to San Diego in the morning,”

Garrison ordered the MPs.

“Yes, sir,” Rick replied.

The two MPs grabbed one of Trevor’s arms and walked him out of Garrison’s office.

Ten minutes later, Trevor was placed in a small jail cell, and Rick slammed the door shut.

He lay on the bunk, stared at the ceiling, and swore he would never try that again.

It was April 18th and 5:30 the next morning, and Trevor was sound asleep. Then his cell door opened, and Jason, one of the day shift MPs, banged the cell bars with his nightstick.

Trevor jumped up, scared from his bunk.

Jason chuckled, as he loved doing that to the jailbirds.

“Rise and shine. It’s time to be on your way,” Jason told Jason.

Trevor got up and walked out of the cell with Jason.

After a shower and chow, Jason escorted Trevor back to his barracks.

Jason escorted Trevor out of the barracks after gathering the rest of his uniforms and shoving them into his seabag.

At the flightline, Jason drove Trevor up to a waiting C47

bound for San Diego.

Jason walked Trevor up to the open door at the plane’s rear.

“You won’t be so lucky once you get to the South Pacific.

They shoot deserters,” Jason warned Trevor.

“Understand,” Trevor replied, then walked to the plane.

Five other Marines with sea bags walked to the C47 and entered with Trevor.

Trevor flew in the C47 to San Diego, boarding a Naval ship and sailing to Hawaii.

Then, from Hawaii, he sailed to Guam on another Naval ship. During this long trip, Trevor prayed that he wouldn’t be killed, as Teri would spend the rest of her life never knowing why he didn’t return home from work. He didn’t want her to marry another man.

A week passed, and it was May 7th. Trevor sat inside a Navy PBY Catalina plane while it flew to Engebi.

Meanwhile, 250 miles from Engebi, a squadron of B-25s flew over the ocean at 25,000 ft.

Below them, a Corsair flew at 18,000 feet above the ocean.

Then, a Japanese Zero plane flew after the Corsair.

The Zero fired its machine guns at the Corsair.

The Corsair made evasive maneuvers and gained speed on the Zero.

The Corsair quickly flew into a loop, and this was Ben’s plane. Inside Ben’s plane, he had that Santa Monica pier picture of Ben, Diana, Carl, and Sandy wedged between instruments on his console.

Ben flew out of the loop and saw the Zero before him.

Ben raced his Corsair closer to the Zero, and then when he had the plane in his gun sights, he fired his machine guns.

Ben saw smoke pour out of the Zero’s engine. “Yeah!” he cried in joy that he got another Zero.

He watched while the Zero diving to the ocean, and crashing into the water.

“Got me another one, Fireball Eleven,” Ben said into the radio net.

Ben banked his Corsair and flew off.

“Show off, Fireball Ten,” Carl said from the radio net.

“I’m hit! I’m hit!” Peter Adams screamed in a panic out from the radio net.

Ben looked out his canopy and saw a Corsair with its engine on fire dive into the ocean. It exploded when it slammed into the water.

“Ben looked saddened while he flew away.

Inside Carl’s Corsair, he had his copy of the Santa Monica pier picture wedged between some instruments on his console.

Carl looked out his window as he flew and saw the crashed Corsair in the ocean. “Was that Fireball Five?” he said into the radio net.

“Yeah,” Ben sadly replied from Carl’s radio net.

Carl looked out his window and saw the Zero that shot down Peter race 800 feet below him.

“Looks like the Zero that got Peter is getting away,” Carl said into the radio net.

“Not if I can help it,” Ben called out from the radio, determined to get even for Peter’s death.

Carl looked out his window and saw Ben’s Corsair below while it raced after the Zero.

Carl dove after Ben’s Corsair.

From Ben’s cockpit, he saw the Zero ahead about 50 feet.

He flew closer to the Zero and fired his machine guns the second he had the plane in his sights.

The Zero made an evasive maneuver as Ben’s bullets missed his plane.

Ben maneuvered to keep up with the Zero and fired his machine guns.

The Zero made another evasive maneuver.

Ben maneuvered and kept up with the Zero, and then when he had the plane in his sights, he fired his machine guns.

The Zero dove toward the ocean to get away from Ben.

Ben dove after the Zero and fired his machine guns.

The Zero was hit and exploded 500 feet above the ocean.

“This is Fireball Four; I’m hit!” pilot Sam Davison panicked from the radio net.

Ben looked around and saw Sam’s Corsair 50 feet below him, still flying.

“Fireball Four, this is Fireball One. Can you continue with the mission?” Major Jack Hall, the squadron leader, called out from the radio net.

“Yeah,” Sam replied.

Ben smiled while he ascended his Corsair.

Inside Carl’s Corsair, he raced up and got 30 feet behind Ben’s Corsair. He had Ben’s vertical stabilizer in his gun sights.

“Fireball Ten looks like you have Fireball Eleven on your tail protecting you,” Captain Hall called out from the radio net.

“That’s what our best friends are for,” Ben called from the radio net.

Carl banked his Corsair and raced up to fly along the right side of Ben’s Corsair.

Ben looked at Carl from his cockpit. He saluted Carl, who saluted back.

Then, another Corsair raced up and flew alongside Ben’s left side.

Ben looked and saw Henry Foley flying along his left side.

He saluted Henry, who saluted back from his plane. The Corsairs all flew back to the numerous B-25 bombers while they flew to an island down below.

The B-25 bombers flew over the island and dropped bombs on a new Japanese base, and numerous explosions followed.

Chapter 11

Engebi was not paradise, as one would believe since it's in the South Pacific. It has a dirt runway running along the entire length of the island.

Marine personnel worked and lived in Quonset huts and tents alongside one side of the flightline.

But it was their home away from home to many Marines risking their lives to keep their loved ones free back in America.

A Navy PBY plane landed on the runway of Engebi.

It taxied near other Corsairs, stopped, and turned its engines off.

The door opened, and Trevor walked with his seabag in hand. First Lieutenants Mike Booth, Larry Moore, Greg Pitt, and Major Fred Harvey walked out of the PBY behind Trevor.

Lance Corporal Tim Bronson, a pimply-faced nineteen-year-old administrative assistant to Colonel Frank Weaver, the Commander of Engebi, walked up to the four officers. He immediately saluted the officers, who all saluted back.

"If you'll follow me, Colonel Weaver would like to say a few words before you get settled into your units," Bronson told them.

Trevor and the other officers followed Bronson to the tents and huts area.

They walked through the maze of tents.

They eventually reached a hut with a "Colonel Weaver" sign made of scrap wood with hand-painted letters that hugged above the hut.

They went inside Colonel Weaver's hut.

Behind a desk sat Colonel Frank Weaver, a forty-five-year-old Marine who had devoted the past twenty years to the Marine Corps.

"Sir, our new replacements arrived," Bronson said.

"Very good corporal," Weaver replied, looking the new men over.

The corporal waited for further instructions.

"Which one of you is Lieutenant Walker?" Weaver asked with a serious tone.

"I am, sir," Trevor replied with a little hesitation.

"I hope I'm not going to have the same problem as what El Toro had?" Weaver asked, giving Trevor a serious glare.

"No, sir. You won't have any problems with me. I promise," Trevor replied.

"Good. I would hate to have you shot, then I'll have to write a letter to your momma telling her you died," Weaver replied. "And lie for the reason."

"I understand, sir," Trevor replied.

"Let's see," Weaver said while he picked up a piece of paper. "Let's have Harvey and Walker with the Raiders and Moore, Booth, and Pitt with the Fireballs," Weaver ordered.

"Yes, sir," Bronson replied.

Trevor looked curious. "Ah, sir, if possible could you place me with Lieutenant Grayson? We knew each other in El Toro,"

Trevor asked, crossing his fingers behind his back.

"You want to be with Grayson?" Weaver asked.

"Yes, sir, very much. He's a good friend of mine," Trevor replied.

Weaver thought for a few seconds. "Okay, stick Walker with the Fireballs, and Booth can go with the Raiders," Weaver ordered.

"One more question, sir, would Lieutenant Eastman also be assigned to the Fireballs?" Trevor asked.

"He is," Weaver replied, starting to get a little annoyed.

"Thank you, sir," Trevor replied.

"We have a war and don't have time to chit-chat. Get these men out of here," Weaver ordered.

"Yes, sir," Bronson snapped back.

Trevor and the other officers saluted Weaver, who saluted back. "Welcome to Engebi," Weaver added.

Bronson walked Trevor and the other officers out of Weaver's tent.

After Bronson walked Booth and Harvey off to the Raiders' tent, he walked Trevor, Pitt, and Moore over to another

"Humble Abode" tent hand-painted on a piece of scrap wood hanging above the tent flap.

Bronson walked them inside the Humble Abode.

"You can pick any empty bunk. The Fireballs are under the leadership of Major Jack Hall," Bronson told them.

"Can you tell me where I can find Lieutenant Ben Grayson?" Trevor asked the Bronson.

"He should be coming back from a mission within the hour," Bronson replied, then walked out of the tent.

Trevor, Pitt, and Moore walked over and set their seabags on an empty bunk, which was now their new home.

After Trevor removed his uniforms and flight suit from his seabag, he hung them up in the locker by his bunk. Then, he removed a calendar he had bought while in Hawaii. He placed that calendar on the inside door of his locker.

He tucked his seabag under the bunk and then looked around. He wondered which bunks were Ben and Carl's.

I wonder if Carl will be friendly? Trevor thought to himself.

Trevor walked out of the tent.

He walked away from the Humble Abode and looked the base over.

Fifteen minutes later, Trevor walked to the dirt flight and runway and watched the activities. He looked in awe at the base, knowing he was witnessing history in the making, and couldn't believe he saw World War II in action.

Trevor walked amongst the Corsairs and eyed the runway.

Then he watched while many bare-chested enlisted Marines mechanics on a couple of Corsairs.

The PBY Catalina Navy plane that brought Trevor to this island took off from the runway.

Trevor saw a B-25 on the final approach to the dirt runway.

He watched while it landed, then taxied over an area and parked.

The pilots shut down their engines.

He watched while another B-25 turned on final approach for the runway.

Trevor saw a Corsair that turned on final approach for the runway. Trevor's heart raced, thinking it could be Ben.

He watched while the Corsair landed, taxied to another area, and parked. The pilot shut down the Corsair's engine.

Trevor walked closer to the Corsair.

Inside that Corsair, Major Hall slid back the canopy and removed his flight helmet.

Trevor saw another Corsair that turned onto the final approach for the runway. He watched while the Corsair landed, then taxied to another area and parked. The engine of the Corsair shut down, and then the pilot slid the canopy back.

Trevor's heart raced when he saw it was Ben after he removed his flight helmet from the plane.

Trevor ran over to Ben's Corsair, which had six Japanese flags painted on his fuselage.

Ben climbed down the fuselage of his plane.

"Ben!" Trevor yelled out while running over to the Corsair.

Another Corsair was on final approach for the runway.

Ben heard his name being called out and looked for the source. He saw Trevor, and his eyes lit up. "Trevor! You got stationed here!" Ben yelled back.

He ran over to Trevor, and they immediately shook hands.

"It's good to see you, buddy," Ben said with a huge smile.

That Corsair finally landed, then taxied over to the area and parked. The pilot was Carl, and he shut down the Corsair's engine. Carl slid the canopy back, and then he removed his flight helmet. He climbed down the plane where one Japanese flag was painted on the fuselage.

Carl stood by his plane and noticed Ben chatting with Trevor. "What the hell is he doing here? That guy concerns me," he said while rushing over to Ben and Trevor.

Another Corsair landed on the runway.

"Carl, look who just arrived, it's Trevor!" Ben beamed.

Carl gave Trevor a fake smile, and Ben noticed. "Yeah, how about that," Carl said under his breath.

The Corsair that landed taxied over to the other planes and parked. The pilot was Henry Foley, who shut off the Corsair's engine. Henry slid his canopy back and removed his flight helmet. He climbed out of his plane and looked around the area. "Well, Trevor, we're glad to have you. Which squadron did Weaver assign you?" Ben asked.

Another Corsair made its final approach to the runway, and it was all over the place.

"Fireballs," Trevor replied.

"Fireballs! That's our squadron," Ben excitedly replied.

The Corsair bounced hard on the runway and finally landed.

"I know. I asked Colonel Weaver if I could be stationed with my friends," Trevor said.

Carl didn't look thrilled with Trevor's response, and Ben noticed.

The Corsair did a poor job when it taxied to the other planes. Then it stopped, and the engine turned off in the middle of the flightline.

Henry ran up to Ben, Carl, and Trevor.

He smiled the second he saw Trevor. "Well, look who arrived here," Henry shouted excitedly.

"Hey, Henry," Trevor said when he saw him and shook his hand.

"What's his problem?" one of the mechanics said out loud near Ben.

Ben, Henry, Carl, and Trevor looked and saw Sam Davidson when he fell while climbing down his Corsair. He slammed to the ground and lay there motionless.

Everybody feared the worst had happened, and they ran over to Sam.

Ben, Henry, and Carl ran over to Sam.

Then Trevor ran after them.

Ben ran over and knelt by Sam's side and saw bloody holes in Sam's chest. Carl and Henry watched while Sam lay in the dirt.

"I'm not going to make it, Ben," Sam quietly said in extreme pain.

Ben touched Sam's shoulder just as Trevor ran over to them.

The mechanic ran up and stood behind Ben.

"Of course you will, Sam," Ben replied with a comforting smile.

"I'm cold, Ben. Really cold," Sam said softly while his body shook. Then he exhaled and gave Ben a lifeless, blank stare.

His body went limp the second he died.

Ben felt his neck for a pulse and then looked sad.

"What a brave man. He flew that mission all shot up," Ben said, then closed Sam's eyes and stood up.

Another Corsair landed on the runway.

"We better head to our debriefing," Ben told Carl and Henry.

"We'll see you later, Trevor," Ben said, and then he walked away with Carl and Henry.

Trevor looked down at Sam's dead body while other Marines rushed over.

Trevor walked away and worried while he looked at Ben up ahead. He knew that Ben would be dead, just like Sam, if he didn't intervene. He was now determined to make sure that didn't happen.

He walked away toward the tents.

Trevor walked past the "Pilot Debriefing" tent and saw Ben, Henry, Carl, and the other pilots inside.

Trevor walked away and headed toward the tents.

An hour later, Trevor relaxed on his bunk in the Humble Abode.

Then Ben, Carl, and some other pilots entered the Humble Abode.

"Trevor, we're going to get some chow. Want to join us?"

Ben asked.

"Sure," Trevor jumped up.

"I'll join you," Henry said while he got up from his bunk.

"I'm going to get some sleep. I'll catch up with you later,"

Carl is not interested.

Ben, Henry, and Trevor walked out of the tent.

An hour later, Ben and Henry walked Trevor to a tent where a scrap piece of wood with "Stress Reliever" hand-painted hung above the tent flap.

"This place helps us cope with the war," Ben told Trevor while they went inside.

"We spend much of our free time here," Henry added.

Inside the Stress Reliever, Trevor looked around and saw a small stage at one end with chairs, music stands, and a microphone. Tables and chairs were in the middle, and a bar was at the other end of the tent.

The place was full of officers and enlisted men.

A Staff Sergeant worked as a bartender every evening since it gave him something to do to kill time.

Ben and Trevor walked up to the bar.

"Three beers," Ben said.

"I'll pay for this round," Trevor said, reaching into his pocket and removing some cash.

Ben grabbed Trevor's hand and shoved it back into his pocket.

"No, it's on me, buddy," Ben insisted.

Trevor looked at Ben and thought how cool it was that this would be the first beer his grandfather bought him. He remembered when Carl bought him his first beer. He wondered if Carl would buy him a beer while he was here.

The bartender placed three beers on the bar, and Ben paid him. They walked over and sat down at the only open table.

Major Hall walked up to their table with a beer in hand and saw Trevor. "Is this our new pilot?" he asked, then sipped his beer. "Trevor Walker, sir," he replied.

"Welcome. I'm Jack Hall, squadron leader. Ben, I want you to show Trevor around. He's going on tomorrow's mission,"

Hall ordered.

"Yes, sir."

Trevor looked nervous about seeing action while he took a drink of his beer.

Hall sipped his beer and then walked away.

Carl walked up to the table. He frowned when he saw Ben with Trevor.

"Hey, sleepyhead," Ben said.

"That mission exhausted me," Carl said, then sat down."

Then I wanted to get a letter off to Diana," he added.

"Can I have everybody's attention?" Captain Ted Robinson, the base doctor, called out from the microphone on the state.

Everybody in the tent got quiet and looked at the stage where Ted stood with five other Marines. One had a trombone, one had a clarinet, one had a saxophone, and one had an acoustic guitar. A stand-up bass was off to the side by a drum set. Ted walked up to a trumpet on a stand by the microphone.

"Peter Adams would play taps in honor of the pilots shot down. But it saddens me to say this won't happen," Ted said while he held up the trumpet. "As we lost Peter today to the depths of the Pacific Ocean. So, is there anybody who can play this marvelous instrument?"

"Don't forget Sam Davidson," one of the Marines yelled.

"Ah, yes. Poor Sam. So, would anybody like to play taps for our two fallen friends?" Ted asked again.

There was silence in the tent as nobody responded.

Trevor needed to belong to this group, so he stood up. “I can," he addressed Ted.

"Come up here," Ted called out.

All eyes were on Trevor while he walked up to the stage.

Ted handed Trevor Peter's trumpet and then looked at Trevor. "I don't believe I've met you before," he said.

"I'm Trevor Walker," he said into the microphone.

"Well, thank you, Trevor," Peter said.

Then Trevor immediately played taps, and it sounded beautiful. All eyes were closed while some prayed. And a few Marines had tears in their eyes.

Trevor finished taps and handed Ted the trumpet. Ted looked impressed with Trevor's trumpet-playing ability.

"I think Trevor should be our new trumpet player. What do you think?" he addressed everybody.

Everybody, including the Marines on stage, clapped their approval.

"Then it's settled," Ted said while he handed Trevor the trumpet. "Let's play Moonlight Serenade," Ted told the band members.

Trevor and the other band members sat down in the chairs.

The band members got their sheet music ready on their stands.

Ted got the position up bass ready. "One, two, three, four,"

Ted said to the band members.

The band started playing Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade song to a saddened audience.

Ben was impressed as he watched Trevor play. "You know Carl, there's something about Trevor. Something I can't place my finger on, but I have this strange feeling I've known him all my life," Ben told him.

Carl looked bothered. "I don't know. There's something about him, all right. Something I don't like."

"What's not to like?" Ben replied.

"Yeah. I like him and have this feeling I've met him before," Henry added.

Carl looked at Trevor while he played. "It's like he doesn't belong here," Carl said while watching the band play.

Later that night on Engebi, the waves were heard crashing on the shoreline. It was hard to believe there was a war in the ocean.

Trevor played for an hour with the band in the Stress Reliever.

After the band quit playing, Ben offered to show Trevor around the base.

Carl didn't want to tag along, as his excuse was that he wanted to hit the bunk and get some sleep.

Henry was also exhausted, so he went to bed and got some sleep.

Ben and Trevor walked down the flightline by the Corsairs.

"You are great with the trumpet. Where did you learn to play?" Ben asked.

Trevor liked his compliment. "Grandpa Carl paid for lessons when I was ten years old. Then, I played in the marching band in high school. Then, in college, I played in a few jazz bands," Trevor replied.

"Grandpa Carl?" Ben chuckled. "What a coincidence you have a grandfather named Carl."

Trevor cringed, thinking he screwed up by mentioning Carl's name as his grandfather.

Ben looked at the Corsairs. "We use Fireball for our radio call signs. Major Hall is Fireball One. I'm Fireball Ten. Carl's Fireball Eleven, Henry's Fireball Twelve, and you're Fireball Fourteen. You'll learn the rest of the pilots soon enough," Ben told him.

"Who is Fireball Thirteen?" Trevor asked.

"We don't use that number. It's bad luck," Ben replied.

"Ah, understand," Trevor responded.

Ben walked Trevor up to another Corsair.

"Is this my bird?" Trevor asked.

"Yep."

Trevor walked up to it and checked it out.

"We better get some rest. We have a stressful day tomorrow," Ben told him.

They walked away and headed toward the tents.m.

A little while later, Ben and Trevor entered the Humble Abode.

Ben and Trevor walked down the aisle to their bunks.

"Hey Trevor, you were great with the trumpet tonight,"

Henry called out from his bunk while Trevor got to this bunk.

"Wasn't he great with the trumpet guys?" Henry asked the other officers in the tent.

"Yeah," one officer called out from his bunk.

The other officers all agreed.

Carl watched from his cot. "You were great with the trumpet," Carl quietly mimicked Henry, then rolled over and closed his eyes.

Trevor walked over to his locker. He used the pen he bought in Hawaii and marked through May 7th on a calendar, then counted down the days to May 11th.

He looked worried while he undressed down to his tee-shirt and boxer shorts. He eyed Ben while he stripped down his tee shirt and boxers and got in his bunk.

Trevor tucked the time machine key under his pillow and climbed under the covers in his bunk.

It didn't take long until the whole tent was sound asleep.

Chapter 12

The sun rose for another beautiful sunny day in the war.

Trevor was the only one still sound asleep in the Humble Abode.

Ben walked over and shook him. “Time to get up,” he said.

Trevor woke up and saw Ben standing by his bed in his flight suit.

“Get dressed. We’re getting some chow after you brush your teeth,” Ben told him.

That reminded Trevor of the days when he would sleep over at Carl’s house, and he would tell him to brush his teeth after he woke up.

Trevor got out of his bunk and walked over to his locker.

He grabbed his flight suit out of his locker and got dressed.

He removed the time machine key from under his pillow and shoved it in the leg pocket of his flight suit. He removed his Corsair checklist from his locker and shoved it into his flight suit pocket. Trevor removed some toothpaste and a toothbrush he bought in El Toro.

Trevor walked out of Humble Abode with Ben.

After Ben showed him where the latrine tent was located, and he brushed his teeth and peed, they walked over to the chow tent.

After eating powdered eggs, toast, and coffee, Ben and Trevor walked to the briefing tent.

Then, after their briefing for their mission, Ben, Carl, Trevor, Henry, and the other pilots walked to the planes. But Ben and Trevor stopped at the supply tent to get Trevor a pistol and holster.

At the flightline, many bare-chested enlisted Marines prepared the Corsairs for flight.

Ben, Trevor, Henry, Carl, and other pilots, including Hall, walked up to the Corsairs.

All the pilots walked up to their Corsairs, including Trevor.

They all climbed up and got inside their planes.

After he got inside his plane, Trevor looked around the cockpit. He looked over and glanced at Ben while he reached inside his Corsair.

“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” he said quietly, then placed his flight helmet on his head.

As did the other planes, Trevor went through his checklist and started his Corsair.

One by one, the Corsairs taxied to the end of the runway.

Trevor was the last plane to taxi.

A Corsair took off, and it was Hall.

A Corsair took off, and it was Ben.

Another Corsair took off, and it was Carl.

Another Corsair took off, and it was Henry.

Another Corsair took off, and it was Kurt Poole.

Another Corsair took off, and it was Dave Brooke.

Then Trevor was the last Corsair to take off.

Later that morning, the six Corsairs flew in formation over the ocean that looked so peaceful at around 20,000 feet.

Trevor was nervous, so he lagged behind the other planes.

Seven Japanese Zeros flew below the Corsairs at 15,000

feet. From his Corsair, Trevor looked out his window and loved the view of the peaceful ocean.

“Okay, Fireballs, time to earn our pay,” Hall called out from the radio net.

Trevor looked ahead and saw the ten Zeroes below at 15,000 feet. He swallowed hard as he was scared to death to engage in battle.

The formation dove after the Zero’s while Trevor stayed behind at 20,000 feet.

It wasn’t too long before it looked like a swarm of bees with Corsairs chasing after Zeros.

On the console of Ben’s plane, he had that Santa Monica picture wedged between some of the instruments.

Ben had a Zero in his gun sights, and he fired his machine guns.

The Zero was hit, flames shot out of its engine compartment, and it dove into the ocean.

Ben smiled as he watched Zero spin out of control and crash into the ocean.

Ben looked ahead and saw another Corsair after a Zero at his two o’clock position. He saw smoke pour from the Zero’s engine, and it tumbled down to the ocean.

“Got me another one,” Henry called out, all excited from the radio net.

Trevor watched the Corsair and Zero dogfights down below from inside his plane.

Ben had another Zero in his gun sights while he made a banking turn to the right. He immediately fired his machine guns at the Zero, which made an evasive turn to the left.

After the Zero, Ben banked his Corsair to the left and fired his machine guns.

Ben’s bullets hit the plane, and he watched the Zero spin uncontrollably to the ocean.

He looked around and spotted a Zero racing after Carl’s Corsair.

“Fireball Eleven, you have a Jap coming after you,” Dave yelled out from the radio net.

Ben watched while Carl made evasive maneuvers, and the Zero was hot on his tail.

“Fireball Ten, Zero at your five o’clock position,” Dave yelled from the radio net.

Ben made evasive maneuvers to get away from that threatening airplane.

“Fireball Eleven, you still have a Zero on your tail,” Henry called out from the radio net.

From up above, Trevor watched while the Zeros were chasing after all the Corsairs.

Carl had his Santa Monica picture wedged between some instruments from inside his cockpit. He frantically looked all around the area. “Fireball Fourteen, can you help? I can’t shake this Jap off my tail,” Carl cried out to Trevor into the radio net.

Trevor looked scared to death while watching the dogfights down below.

“Fireball Fourteen, where the hell are you?” Carl yelled out from the radio net.

“He’s hiding above us,” Kurt called out from the radio net

“Join the party, Fireball Fourteen. That’s an order,” Hall yelled from the radio net.

“I need help!” Carl cried out from the radio net in a panic.

“I can’t; I now have a Jap to deal with,” Henry replied from the radio net.

“Me too,” said Dave from the radio net.

“I’m busy at the moment,” said Kurt from the radio net.

“I’m in hot pursuit of a Jap. Can’t help,” Hall called out from the radio net.

“I can help,” Ben called out from the radio net.

“Ben to the rescue again,” Henry called out from the radio net. Trevor saw a Zero race after Ben’s Corsair. “Fireball Ten, you have a Jap at your five o’clock position,” Trevor cried out in a panic into the radio net.

Trevor watched while Ben performed numerous evasive maneuvers.

Trevor watched while another Hall shot down a Zero.

Then it exploded into a fireball and tumbled to the ocean.

“I can help, Fireball Eleven,” Hall called out from his radio.

Trevor looked out the other side of his canopy and saw Hall’s Corsair race after the Zero that chased after Carl’s plane.

Trevor watched while Hall’s Corsair shot down the Zero chasing after Carl’s plane.

“Thanks, Fireball One. At least someone has some balls,”

Carl called out from the radio net.

Trevor looked ashamed of himself and saw another Zero race after Hall’s Corsair.

“Fireball One, you have a Zero coming after you,” Trevor called into the radio net.

“So what, Fireball Fourteen, you’re ball-less,” Carl said with a spiteful tone from the radio net.

Thought for a second, Trevor started to look brave. Then he looked around his console to figure out how to fire his weapons. He tried to recall how he did it from his video game, and he soon remembered.

He dove his Corsair after the Zero, chasing after Hall, who made numerous evasive maneuvers.

From inside his plane, Hall heard the sounds of bullets penetrating his Corsair. He quickly looked at the console instruments, and everything appeared in proper working order.

Trevor dove after the Zero that fired at Hall’s plane. He soon had the Zero in his gun sights and fired his machine guns.

Trevor’s bullets hit Zero, and smoke poured out of the plane, where it spun out of control to the ocean.

“I got him, Fireball One,” Trevor called out into the radio net, proud of himself.

“Thanks, Fireball Fourteen. It’s about time you played ball,” Hall replied from the radio net.

“Way to go, Fireball Fourteen,” Ben said from the radio net. “Anybody still fighting a Zero?” Hall asked from the radio net. “The last one ran away,” Carl called out from the radio net.

“We’re free and clear,” Ben added from the radio net.

“Good, then let’s finish our mission. Our target is ahead,”

Hall told everybody from the radio net.

They flew for fifteen minutes and came upon a lone island.

Ben dove his Corsair to the island; below were numerous fuel storage tanks, tents, an airstrip, and countless Japanese soldiers.

The other Corsairs followed Ben’s plane. Ben fired his rockets at the Japanese base.

The other Corsairs all fired their rockets at the base. A fuel storage tank exploded into a huge fireball. Two Corsairs flew away toward the ocean.

Japanese soldiers scrambled for cover once they saw the Corsairs.

Another fuel storage tank exploded.

Two more Corsairs flew away toward the ocean. Another fuel storage tank exploded into a huge fireball. A Corsair flew away toward the ocean.

There were more explosions from the Corsair rockets while they hit targets.

The remaining Corsairs flew away to the ocean.

The island was a fiery inferno after the Corsairs flew away.

The Fireballs climbed up to 20,000 feet and flew in formation while they headed home.

While the Corsairs flew home, Trevor felt terrible for acting as he did during most of the mission.

Thirty minutes later, all seven Corsairs landed back at Engebi. They parked their planes and shut off their engines.

The pilots all got out and climbed down their aircraft.

Trevor walked away from his plane and still felt ashamed.

Trevor hung his head low when Ben ran up to him. “I’m so sorry about freezing like that. I’m so ashamed of myself,”

Trevor said.

“It happens,” Ben replied in a comforting tone.

“Coward!” Carl cried out while he lunged at Trevor with fire in his eyes.

Trevor’s eyes were as big as baseballs when he saw lunging at him.

Carl tackled him, and they tumbled in the dirt. Carl pinned Trevor down and punched him twice in the face. “You almost got me killed by hiding up in the sky,” Carl yelled and punched him again.

Trevor was in shock and accepted the punches from his step-grandfather.

The other pilots watched the Marines fight like school kids.

Ben dove on Carl and knocked him off Trevor.

Carl jumped up to attack Trevor again, but Ben tackled Carl, and they tumbled into the dirt.

Carl sprang up and tried to go after Trevor again, but Ben tackled him and pinned him to the dirt.

“Enough, Carl!” Ben yelled in Carl’s face.

“But he froze and almost got me killed.”

“I remember your first time,” Ben yelled back at Carl.

Carl thought for a few seconds, then recalled that moment, and he calmed down.

“And how you pissed inside your flight suit?” Ben said.

Carl looked embarrassed over Ben, reminding everybody of that moment.

Then it hit Trevor what Henry tried to tell him back in 1995, and he fought to hide his smile.

“Give Trevor some slack,” Ben demanded, then got off Carl and assisted him off the dirt.

Hall walked up as he saw the whole event from his plane.

“What the hell is going on?” Hall yelled at the troops.

“Nothing, sir, just a little misunderstanding between Carl and Trevor,” Ben replied.

Hall looked at Trevor, who hung his head in shame.

“Shake hands, Walker and Eastman,” Hall ordered.

Carl walked over and extended his hand. Trevor shook it.

“Don’t worry, Walker; they all froze during their first mission. You’ll do better the next time,” Hall said. “Let’s get to the debrief,” Hall told everybody, and then he walked away.

The other Marines walked away and followed Hall while he headed to the tents.

Ben placed an arm around Carl and Trevor while they all walked away.

Chapter 13

Later that day, they finished their pilots’ debriefing with Colonel Weaver. Everybody forgot about Trevor freezing up during the battle.

Ben ate chow with Trevor, while Carl decided to eat chow with Henry. Ben was disappointed with his best friend’s behavior toward Trevor.

They relaxed in their tents for a couple of hours.

Inside the Humble Abode, Bronson entered with a handful of letters.

He walked by Henry’s bunk and dropped off a letter. He walked by Kurt’s bunk and dropped off a letter. He walked by Dave’s bunk and dropped off a letter. He walked by Carl’s bunk and dropped off a letter. They quickly snatched up their letters and quickly opened them. Smiles grew on their faces when they read news from their loved ones back at home. It was these letters that kept them going, and for a brief moment, they forgot they could die any day.

Bronson gave Ben the last letter and then walked back out of the tent.

Ben noticed Trevor didn’t get a letter. “No letters from home, Trevor?” Ben asked.

“Not today.”

“I thought maybe your wife would write,” Ben asked.

“What’s her name again?” he asked.

“Teri,” Trevor said.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll be getting tons of letters soon,” Ben said, then he opened his letter from Diana.

Carl watched while Ben read his letter and looked jealous she didn’t write to him.

Ben got a huge grin on his face. “Diana’s ready to deliver any day now.”

“Did she ask about me?” Carl asked anxiously.

Ben reread the letter. “No. Just stuff about her pregnancy and how her mom came over to help.”

Carl’s hurt that Diana didn’t ask about him.

“Why won’t she answer my letters? I thought we were friends?”

“She’s busy being pregnant, I guess,” Ben replied while he read his letter again. “Who wrote you?” Ben asked Carl.

“Mom,” Carl said while he opened up and read the letter.

Trevor heard all their talk from his cot and felt sorry for Carl. Trevor got up from his bunk and walked to the aisle.

Ben saw Trevor while he walked to the flap of the tent.

“I’ll see you later, Trevor,” Ben called out to Trevor.

“Okay,” Trevor replied, then left.

Ben got up and grabbed some paper and a pen from his locker, then got back on his bunk. He started writing another letter to Diana.

“Tell her that I send my love,” Carl called out as he had a hunch he was writing her.

Ben smiled in return to signal he would mention that to Diana.

“Are you going to tell her about Trevor?” Carl asked.

“Of course,” Ben replied with a smile.

Carl got up from his bunk and walked to the flap of the tent since Ben’s liking for Trevor was pissing him off, and he needed to walk off some steam.

Trevor walked around the base and thought about how time would drag on until that terrible day arrived.

Then Trevor worried about the possibility that he might not survive until that day. After all, the Japanese would try to make him depart this Earth.

Then, while Trevor walked around the base, Carl stalked him. While Carl watched Trevor, he had mean thoughts of beating him up, but he knew that would get him thrown in the brig. Carl quit stalking Trevor, walked away, and returned to the Humble Abode.

Later that evening, Ted and the other five band members set up their instruments along with Trevor.

A few Marines drank at tables and the bar.

Ted, Trevor, and the rest of the band got in position. The band started playing Duke Ellington’s Take The A Train song.

Ben and Carl entered the tent.

Ben saw Trevor on the stage with the band while they headed to the bar.

Henry, Dave, and Kurt entered the tent and walked to the bar. From the stage, Trevor kept an eye on Ben and Carl while they were at the bar.

While Ben waited for his beer, he saw Trevor on stage with the band. He smiled the second he saw Trevor and gave him a little wave.

Ben and Carl got their beers from the bartender, walked over, and sat at an empty table.

The band finished the Take the A Train song.

Trevor walked up to Ted and whispered in his ear.

Ted nodded, then said something to the band members, and they all nodded in agreement.

Trevor walked up to the microphone. “For our next song, we would like to play In The Mood for my friend, Ben Grayson,” Trevor told everybody.

Ben looked impressed while Trevor sat back down.

Carl got pissed when he eyed Trevor.

The bank started playing Glenn Miller’s In the Mood song.

Ben hummed along with the band, and Carl got irritated.

“Remember that night in Santa Monica and how we danced to that song at the Boogie Woogie Dance Club?” Ben asked Carl. “I do,” he said with a smile because Ben let him dance with Diana to Moonlight Serenade that night.

Henry walked up and sat down at their table. He looked at the band. “They sound great tonight,” Henry said.

Ben nodded in agreement while he hummed along with the song, as that was his favorite tune.

Then, after the song, Ben gave a little wave to Trevor, who waved back.

“I’m going to the Humble Abode and finish my letter to Diana,” Ben said. “Goodnight, everybody,” he added, and then he got up.

“Goodnight,” Carl yawned.

“Goodnight,” Henry yawned.

Ben walked over to the tent flap and went outside. From the stage, Trevor looked disappointed. Ben left for the evening.

An hour later, the band stopped playing, and only a few Marines remained in the tent.

The band members got up and put away their instruments.

Trevor placed his trumpet in his case and walked away.

He got to the tent flap and saw Carl drunk at the bar.

He stepped outside but decided to stay, so he returned to the tent.

“I should have married her! Not Ben! Me!” Carl cried out while slumped over at the bar.

Trevor glanced over at Carl and walked over to the bar.

While walking up behind him, he saw Carl looking at the Santa Monica picture.

“She should be with me!” Carl slurred out while staring at the picture.

Trevor stood next to Carl, who looked up at him.

“It’s you,” Carl said, then took another drink of his beer.

“Ben’s new friend,” Carl added with a sarcastic tone.

“What’s wrong, Carl?” Trevor asked.

Carl swayed while he looked up at Trevor. “Diana should have married me. Not Ben. I’m her soul mate. Not Ben. And she won’t even write me a letter,” Carl slurred.

Carl swayed forward then backward, fell off his barstool, and slammed on the floor. The picture fell out of Carl’s hand and floated to the floor.

Trevor picked Carl up and got him to his feet. He reached down, picked up the photo off the floor, and shoved it in Carl’s shirt pocket.

He walked Carl to the tent flap.

Trevor walked Carl, who had rubber legs, back to the Humble Abode.

Then, just as Trevor opened up the tent flap of the Humble Abode, Carl’s eyes widened, and he vomited all over Trevor’s shirt.

Trevor looked down at his shirt. “I guess that’s payback from when I was a baby.”

Trevor walked Carl into the tent.

Inside the Humble Abode, most of the officers were asleep. Ben sat on his bunk and finished his letter to Diana. He glanced over and saw Trevor walk an obviously drunk Carl down the aisle. He noticed the vomit all over Trevor’s shirt.

Ben put his letter down and got off his bunk.

He walked over and looked at Carl, then shook his head in disapproval.

“He’s drunk again,” Ben said just as Trevor plopped Carl on his bunk, and he lay face down and then fell fast asleep.

“He was complaining he should have married Diana,”

Trevor told him.

Ben frowned. “He gets that way once in a while.”

Ben glanced at the vomit on Trevor’s shirt. “I’ve been in your shoes before,” he said with a chuckle.

Trevor looked concerned about Carl asleep on his bunk.

Ben walked over and got back in his bunk.

Trevor walked over to his locker and removed his shirt. He glanced over at Ben, who lay in his cot and finished his letter to Diana.

Trevor walked away in his pants and tee shirt to the tent flap. Ben glanced at Trevor while he left the tent, and he got concerned.

It was a beautiful night, and the sky was filled with twinkling stars. The sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline also filled the air.

Trevor walked up to his Corsair and around it while he looked it over. He climbed up the fuselage, entered the cockpit, and sat in his seat.

Trevor looked around the console. He looked at the instruments and then gazed up at the stars.

“Lord, I don’t know if I can do this,” he said while he looked up at the stars and looked worried. “I got in way over my head. What the hell was I thinking? What if I get killed?

I’ll never see Teri again,” he added.

“We’re all scared,” Ben said while he crouched down on the wing by Trevor.

Trevor jumped up, startled, when he saw Ben outside on his wing.

“A day doesn’t go by when I’m scared of never seeing Diana or my baby. But I remind myself that we’re here to ensure our loved ones will live in a free world,” Ben told Trevor in a fatherly tone.

Trevor looked at Ben, knowing he couldn’t tell him exactly what he was worried about, but played along. “War isn’t as glorious as what the movies make it out to be,” Trevor said.

“I know, Trevor,” Ben replied while he placed a comforting hand on Trevor’s shoulder.

“Come, let’s get some sleep,” Ben said.

Ben stood up and got out of the cockpit.

Trevor climbed down the fuselage and waited for Ben while he jumped off the wing.

Trevor and Ben walked away from his Corsair.

“We have a baseball game tomorrow. I would love it if you were on my team?” Ben asked.

Trevor looked a little unsure about playing baseball. “I’m not very good.”

“Don’t worry. It’s just for fun and another good way to relieve stress, and take our minds off the war,” Ben replied.

“As long as I don’t have to pitch. I remember what happened to Carl back in El Toro,” Trevor said jokingly.

Ben chuckled. “No pitching. I promise.”

They walked away back to the Humble Abode.

They went inside the Humble Abode and saw Carl asleep on his bunk.

They hit their bunks and were soon fast asleep.

Trevor tossed and turned while he had a nightmare.

In his nightmare, Trevor flew with seven other Corsairs over the Pacific Ocean.

He saw a Zero that attacked Ben’s plane.

Trevor raced his Corsair after the Zero.

Ben’s plane made evasive maneuvers to escape the Zero but failed.

The Zero fired at Ben’s Corsair and shot up the tail section.

Trevor had the Zero in his gun sights. In a split second, he pressed his trigger, and the Zero made an evasive maneuver and banked away.

Trevor fired his machine guns, thinking he still had the Zero in his gun sights.

Trevor watched while Ben’s Corsair exploded, and then his eyes widened in horror when he realized he had shot down and killed his grandfather.

“No!” Trevor cried out from his nightmare. Then he sprang up from his bunk, looked around dazed, and got confused. It dawned on Trevor that he was back in 1944, and Ben was still alive.

Everybody in the Humble Abode tent jumped up from their bunks. Some thought there was an air raid, and they hit the ground and covered the back of their heads.

Ben noticed it was Trevor who cried out.

He got up and ran over to Trevor’s bunk. “Hey buddy, you okay?” Ben asked, concerned, as he had seen a guy crack up over this war the second day he arrived here.

Trevor looked at Ben and then saw that Carl sat up in his bunk and just stared at Trevor.

Trevor looked at Ben and could see the concern in his eyes.

Then Trevor looked back at Carl, who lay back on his bed and couldn’t care less.

“I had a nightmare,” Trevor told Ben.

Ben gave Trevor a comforting smile. “Don’t worry, we all get them occasionally,” Ben said.

“What a baby,” Carl replied from his bunk sarcastically.

Trevor looked back at Carl and remembered when he spent the weekend at his grandparents’ house and had a dream of monsters.

Carl rushed to his bedside and told him the monsters wouldn’t get him, as Carl was there to protect him. But now Carl hates Trevor, which hurts his feelings.

“Get some rest. We have the ball game tomorrow,” Ben said, then patted Trevor on his shoulder.

Ben got up, returned to their bunk, and went back to sleep.

Trevor lay on his back and stared at the ceiling.

An hour later, everybody was asleep except for Trevor, who still stared at the ceiling and thought about the situation he created.

Then Ben got out of his bunk and stumbled half-asleep to the door. He had to pee, so he went to the latrine tent.

Then, a few minutes after Ben left the tent, Carl quietly got out of his bunk and tiptoed to Ben’s locker.

He rummaged through his locker and found his writing pad. He turned on a flashlight and shielded it from everybody while quickly reading Ben’s letter to Diana. He got pissed, as there was no mention of Carl but a paragraph about Trevor. He turned off the flashlight and returned the writing pad to Ben’s locker.

Carl quietly tipped toed back to his bunk and went back to sleep.

“What a bastard! If only Diana knew,” Trevor thought to himself as he saw Carl read Ben’s letter. He wanted to get up and give Carl a piece of his mind but decided he didn’t want to create additional friction.

A few minutes later, Ben entered the tent and returned to his bunk. He lay down and went back to sleep.

Trevor finally fell asleep twenty minutes later.

Chapter 14

It was May 9th, and the sun rose again in the South Pacific for another beautiful day.

Everybody started waking up in the Humble Abode.

Trevor woke up and saw Ben, Carl, and Henry getting out of bed.

“Good morning,” Ben called out from his bunk to Trevor.

“Good morning,” Trevor replied, then he looked at Carl, who looked horrible while he got out of his bunk.

“Good morning, Carl. How are you feeling this morning?”

Trevor called out.

“Terrible,” Carl replied, moping down the aisle to the door with a splitting headache.

Trevor looked at the vomit-stained shirt in his locker.

“Ben, is there a laundry on base?” Trevor asked while he held up his shirt.

Ben chuckled. “I’ll show you after chow,” Ben replied.

“I’m ready to eat,” Henry said while he walked up to Trevor’s bunk.

“Let’s go,” Ben said while he walked up to Trevor’s bunk.

“What about Carl?” Trevor asked.

“Ah, he normally doesn’t eat breakfast after a heavy night of boozing,” Ben replied.

They walked down the aisle and headed to the tent flap.

After some more powdered eggs, toast, and coffee, Ben and Henry took Trevor to the laundry tent, where he dropped off his shirt.