Tale of the Raging Sea

Chapter 11

The next morning, we anxiously heard President FDR make his speech about Pearl Harbor. My heart felt heavy as FDR spoke of the ships that were torpedoed in the waters between Hawaii and California. The way he spoke gave me hope, it gave a new sense of courage, and most of all, a vengeful feeling. Even though I wanted justice, I wasn't happy when the President said:

"We will gain the inevitable triumphant, so help us God." Applause. "I ask, that the Congress declare, that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan, on Sunday December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire."

The soldiers around me clapped and hollered just like the cheering we heard come out of the radio.  Many shook hands and threw their caps in the air. There was a roar of happy soldiers coming from different directions. I clapped, but I didn't cheer. How could I?

America was now at war.

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Martial law was quickly establish on the island. No one could go anywhere without identifying themselves. There was a strict curfew, blackouts, and no one was allowed to leave the island without passing the Army that guarded the shoreline. Government buildings were turned into military offices. Everything was militarized, which made a lot of the islanders nervous. Money was controlled, residents were finger printed and handed identification cards. The Japanese and Japanese decendents on the island were all rallied up and taken away. I didn't know where they were being taken, but I knew it wasn't going to a pleasant trip for them. I later found out they were taken into a camp where they were held against their own will. The anger and sadness I felt for their people was too much to bear. I knew things had to be that way for the safety of America, but it also brought inescapable fear.

The Hawaii Territorial Guard, along with ROTC units from  local high school, were mobilized. A young Hawaiian boy, probably 14 or 15, came up to me. He wore a determined face that I used to wear when I first started out as a Shore Patrol, except his was full pride and anger. The way he spoke of Japanese was so vial. I wondered what sort of things they were feeding him in school. I only wished he came to sense sooner or later. I will never forget that boy and the words he said.

"Are you going to get the Japs?" He asked me.

"Sure..." I replied. I really didn't want to answer his questions.

"Make sure you pummel and destroy them all." He said, with a unforgiving tone. "I want to see them go down hard." He walked away, making sure his ROTC badge was showing.

A boy, a pre-teen, had so much hate as if he experienced Pearl Harbor.
I knew he no idea how heavy those words sounded or how malicious they were.

War was more dangerous and harmful than I thought.

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A few days later, on December 11th, 1941, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy declared war on the United States. Tension and paranoia was everywhere afterwards. German and Italian descendents were outcast and often bothered. They were put on a constant watch and were restricted to visit several parts the island. Everything went going downhill so fast, I didn't know how to react. Everyone seemed  to be okay that we were at war, but it was never okay for me. I seemed to be the only who didn't change even though impending doom was just in arms reach.

 Even  EURYDICE changed. The crew, all except for missing Ethan, were more determined. Pollux looked like he ready to take down the entire Japanese Empire. They wore angry faces as they bickered over a map of Europe, but not Jason. He was the only one who staring hard at the map with such ferocity, it frightened me. A few months ago, he refused to look at a map of Europe, but there he was staring it down. I cleared my throat and the bickering stopped. The men ran up to me and grabbed my arms, hauling me towards Jason. The forced me to sit in front of Jason and asked me what I thought about the plans they made. They were all talking at the same time that I couldn't understand a word they were saying.