The Iowa Sisters #1 Pacific Fire

Chapter 24

PEARL HARBOR HAWAII DECEMBER 24 1944 "MISSOURI"

After my shakedown cruises in the Chesapeake, I headed south for Panama. The journey through the canal was a tight squeeze to say the least. It made me feel fat and I lost some paint along the way but oh well. I was bound to have worse.

Entering the Pacific, I struggled against the urge to race full speed ahead to Hawaii. "Let me at 'em, let me at 'em." I growled. "Patience is a virtue, Missouri." Captain Callaghan said.

It wasn't a straight shot to Hawaii unfortunately. I had to make a brief stop in San Francisco. "It's a final fitting out so you can be a fleet flagship and host admirals." He said. "As if the carrier-loving Halsey would even think about making me his flagship." I muttered.

"Now, now none of that." He growled. "What, it's true!" I complained. "Be that as it may but I don't want any one of my ships to think badly of their superiors." He said. "The battleship has no superiors." I hissed.

"Try telling that to Enterprise." He replied. I gritted my teeth. "One of these days." I growled. He laughed. "Save your energy for the real enemy." He ordered. "Fine." I huffed.

A few days later, I weighed anchor and left for Hawaii, arriving there on Christmas Eve. Just as with Enterprise, people crowded the banks to see me. They cheered as I passed.

"Why are they doing that, I haven't done anything?" I asked. "They seem to think that Christmas has come a day early." Pennsylvania replied, meeting me in the middle of the channel. I raised my bow in salute. "At ease." She instructed. I dropped back down.

"Why would Christmas come early, I've done nothing?" I asked. She shrugged. "Your sisters certainly have. Plus, you're sort of a celebrity around here. After all, you were christened by the vice president's daughter." She replied.

I nodded. On January 29 1944, I was launched by Margret Truman, daughter of Vice President Harry S. Truman. The then junior senator from the state of Missouri had been my sponsor. I didn't realize at the time how this would affect me but more on that later.

Fixing a steady gaze on Pennsylvania, I couldn't help but notice how tired she looked. "You alright?" I asked. "Yeah, just a little tired. I ran here from Leyte in an effort to get away from Tennessee's victory rhymes." She replied.

I smiled. USS Tennessee was well known even in the Atlantic as an established poet. "It's just wrong what she does. A battleship should be fierce, not sweet." I said. "Tell me about it." She muttered. Her eyes flickered briefly over to the end of Ford Island. I sighed. "It wasn't your fault." I assured her.

"I know that, but that doesn't make it any easier." She replied. I nuzzled her. "Life's never easy." I murmured. She nodded. "Alright, go and dock. You leave in a week and I don't want you under provisioned." She said.

"Did Wisconsin beat me here?" I asked, catching on. "Yep, and I'm very sorry to say that she's determined to collect her bounty. She'll try to intercept you when you leave for Ulithi." She replied. I groaned. "First month's always the hardest, with ice cream or without ice cream." Pennsylvania said.

"That's not what worries me. What worries me is the slow pace I'll have to set when Wisconsin starts eating second helpings." I muttered. We both laughed. "Oh, go on you." She ordered. Dipping my head, I left to dock.

I was at the opposite end of Ford Island from the remains of Arizona. Utah was close by and I could see a stream of bubbles as she tried to say something to me. "What was that?" I asked, leaning forward, tipping my head down onto the surface.

"Could you give me a nudge, it's kind of hard to breathe through all this mud." She asked. "Sure thing." I replied and lowering my head down under the water's surface, I quickly located Utah and gave her a fierce shove. It was more than I'd expected and it sent her flying to the surface. She popped up gasping but she didn't remain there for long. She filled with water again and began to sink, it was all I could do to let her go down on more or less an even keel.