Tara Across Time--NaNoWriMo

Chapter Nine

It was early May of 1942 when the United States Aircraft Carrier Yorktown near the island of Tulagi in the Coral Sea was rocked as its anti-aircraft guns roared. Their Tracer bullets filled the skies as Japanese Zero fighters sought to dive bomb its flight deck. The Japanese fleet was pounding American naval ships without mercy.

Somehow Tara found herself in a dusty, olive drab navy uniform and grey American steel helmet in the middle of America's first naval battle of World War Two in the South Pacific. The Japanese battle fleet was superior to the desperate, makeshift  American forces, which had been devastated by the Japanese surprise air attack on their ships anchored in Pearl Harbor on the  Hawaiian Island of  Oahu five months earlier.

The Japanese had in the early months of 1942 had been successful in extending their empire far south of the Dutch East Indies (later Indonesia), taking British Malaya, which  then included their naval base at Singapore, the British Colony of Hong Kong,  and the Philippines.

Now the Japanese were threatening to invade Australia. 

The unprepared Americans and Aussies were scrambling all the forces they could muster  to stop their expansion at the Coral Sea.

A bomb knocked Tara's helmet off as she was helping a wounded sailor from the flight deck just as a navy ensign was passing.

"A woman member of the press Corps is aboard an aircraft carrier?"

Tara then noticed her name tag and an Associated Press patch on her the shoulder of her uniform. She decided to play along.

"It took a lot of doing. I'm a friend of Ernie, that is Ernie Pyle."

"Well, he's in North Africa with the Army, but that doesn't explain you. I am taking you to Admiral Nimitz.  I bet he doesn't know anything about this. It's tough enough to accommodate correspondents and special service entertainers when they're men."

"The AP likes a woman's perspective, and not just that of a nurse," Tara said. "It's more important that I help with these sailors who are wounded. May I interview you later, Ensign?"

Tara spent the next few hours comforting dying sailors, holding their hands. Now and then she pretended to be girlfriend to a man so badly wounded that he found comfort in calling her by the name of some girl back in America somewhere. After a few hours with fires under control, the ensign had Tara standing before Admiral Chester Nimitz of the United States Navy.

"I've had good relations with the press. How did they send me a woman to cover a battle?"

"A decisive battle, Admiral!" Tara said.

"How is it decisive if we have suffered huge loses, but I cannot allow you to print specific casualties or naval craft numbers gone down in  Davey Jones Locker."

"The Japanese sank the Lexington, Admiral,  but for all the damage to the Yorktown,  it will be ready to meet their fleet at Midway, Admiral."

Then Tara regretted telling how much she knew of the history of World War Two.  No one within the American Navy at that time  suspected that the Japanese were planning to attack the American forces occupying the Island of Midway. 

If Admiral Nimitz remembered what Tara had said after his Military Intelligence Network deciphered the Japanese secret communications code and learned of their attack plans, Tara would be in trouble.  American code breakers had been successfully reading some of the Japanese secret radio traffic. They only understood a few words within each message, but they were getting better. That's the last thing they wanted anyone else to know.

The following April in 1943, American code breakers would learn that Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was flying to the Japanese-held Island of Bouganville.  They immediately made plans for their fighter planes to Intercept him. If the knowledge got out that they were in effect looking over their enemies' shoulders for information,  the Japanese would change their code. Americans would have to begin again.

The Americans killed the Japanese Admiral that day.  In order to make their attack look like a random encounter, they flew fighter planes over the same area following their successful attack. Further, it was imperative that the Americans never allow news agencies to report that they had known the Admiral was flying that day.

Tara said nothing more, but luck was not on her side.

Each day young sailors would fall in love with her, and she somehow managed to avoid having sex with them. A large aircraft carrier afforded some surprising hide aways. Young sailors knew them all.

Word came for Tara to report to Admiral Chester Nimitz, who was waiting for her in his state room. He was not alone, and Tara knew this was not a social call.  There was another man in the room.

"Tara, meet Commander Joseph "Joe" Rochefort,  head of Station Hypo, which has been working on discovering Japanese plans since the war began.  He is interested in learning how a lady from The Associated Press without his sophisticated naval intelligence network discovered Japanese battle plans before he did."

Admiral Nimitz leaned forward. "Somehow, young lady, during the chaos of battle you said the Japanese sank the Aircraft Carrier Lexington before our radio operator even  received the official message. How?" 

"You'll never believe me, I suppose," Tara said. "For me it's history."

"You're right, Tara, or whatever the Japanese call you," Joe said.

"Admiral." Tara looked at Admiral Nimitz. "I didn't intend to reveal your future. Is it enough to say that America and our allies defeat both Germany and Japan, but an even more dangerous worldwide struggle follows?"

Joe looked at the Admiral and back to Tara. "We have to treat you as a source of military intelligence in spite of the fact we see no malice in you."

"Then allow me to share what I know, gentlemen."

Tara looked at Commander Rochefort. "Your team suspected the Japanese were going to attack Midway Island. So you just came up with the brilliant idea to send a radio message that you're desperate for fresh water because your desalination unit has failed at Midway. "

"How did you?" The Commander stopped. "Go on, Tara."

"You suspect the Japanese have a certain code word in its radio messages for Midway Island. Therefore, when the Japanese Intercept the message about their water problems, they relay the information to their higher command. That's how you learned their fleet is planning to attack Midway."

"We defeat the Japanese?"

"You have losses. But from June on America is on the offensive," Tara said.

"So so you know when the war will be over?" Admiral Nimitz said.

"Yes, on September 2, 1945, General MacArthur will conduct the surrender ceremony where you and General Wainwright will also be attending."

"So," Joe said, "Wainwright is still alive?"

"Yes, although he will lose weight during captivity under the Japanese," Tara said.

Weeks passed, and the US Navy defeated the larger Japanese task force at Midway between June 4-7, 1942.  Tara was also correct to predict the losses of men and ships on both sides.

Admiral Nimitz arranged another meeting with Joe and Tara. Commander Rochefort looked at Admiral Nimitz and back to Tara. 

"We have no choice but to isolate you, Tara ,until the end of the war. We cannot have you telling about the Normandy Invasion against the Germans in France or telling someone about The Manhattan Project and the Atomic Bomb."

"I promise to keep quiet about what I know, Tara said.

"We can't risk letting you go free.  'Loose lips sink ship,' " Tara. We have to send you to a secret Island where all of our security risks are kept. You'll have use of a radio and movies, but no mail in and out. Everyone who brings supplies will be forbidden to speak to you."

Commander Rochefort and Admiral Nimitz left the room. When they returned,  Tara was gone.

"Can you explain how a young woman could get out a maximum security brig, Commander?" Admiral Nimitz said.

"Admiral, I wouldn't be surprised about anything about that young woman."

He handed the Admiral a faded Civil War photo. Next to Abraham stood Tara.