“Mister President, I…”
“Roger, you’ve known me a while now. Let me be a regular guy once in a while. Isn’t that right, Jim?”
“Damn right,” said Butler.
Hammond chuckled. “OK, Steve. I was about to say you’re welcome to walk around anytime you want. The guys on this ship are okay. They’d love having you drop by.”
Now it was O’Bannon’s time to laugh. “I can see it now. Dear Mom, guess who dropped by my toilet today.” They all sat back and laughed. “Well, maybe a little later. You been doing okay?”
“Perfect. I still can’t thank you enough for putting me in charge of this ship. It’s been the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Hammond said.
“Well, you deserved it. And by the way things have turned out, I’d say you’ve more than justified the job. I mean jeez, taking on four or five missiles? Jim almost soiled himself when he heard about it.”
“Don’t give away my secrets, Boss,” Butler joked.
“You saying I shouldn’t have?”
“No, it’s just that you have more balls than I have,” the President said. Then he sat up a quickly. “Oh. I almost forgot. I need to speak to your crew. Is that okay?”
Hammond was a little surprised, but the Boss had a habit of making quick decisions. “OK. You want to do this from the quarterdeck or the bridge?” he asked, looking at the agent standing by the outside door.
“The bridge might be a little more secure.”
The President jumped up. “The bridge it is then. Shall we go?”
Hammond called the quarterdeck and had everyone come inside the skin of the ship so that the President’s speech would not be heard across the docks.
Leading the way up the ladders, the men came out through the navigator’s station and onto the bridge. O’Bannon gasped in amazement at the seventeen-inch thick doors leading into the conning station. He paused beside the 1MC as the Captain flipped the switches and handed the President the microphone.
“Crew of the Iowa, this is the President. I want to thank all of you for letting me stay aboard your ship while here in Tokyo. I have wanted the chance to come aboard since before the ship was commissioned. You guys have done an amazing job here in Korea and everyone in the nation is waiting for you guys to get home. So before that happens, I wanted to give you my personal thanks for all you’ve done. I know there are some Iowa veterans aboard. You guys volunteered to return to your ship and serve on her again. That impresses the hell out of me. People once told me that to do what you do required youth. You proved them wrong. It requires dedication and courage. I also understand the young guys here are learning a few things from you guys. Well, learn everything you can. These kinds of veterans come only once in a while.”
“Well, I’m here to tell you that you will eventually be going home, but I wanted to ask you if I could add one more task before you do. I hope this is not asking too much. If it is, let me know when I walk around the ship and I’ll change my mind. You see, I do want you to go home, after you sail around the world.”
From somewhere in the background the President heard a “Yess!” from some member of the crew.
“This conflict has shown the world a great many things, including what a bunch of seventy year old ships can do when handled well. The world thought the battleship’s time had passed them by. You proved them wrong.”
“Now let’s do something done over 100 years ago. A President named Roosevelt sent the American fleet around the world to show people what we were made of. Being the ‘big stick’ and, after seeing what you guys have done, I want to do that again. So immediately after this event, Iowa will take me to Korea. Then you and the rest of the battleships shall visit a number of ports. The list includes stops in China, the Philippines, Fiji and Tonga, New Zealand and Australia, Pakistan, Oman, Egypt, Italy, Spain, France, Germany and Russia. From there you are scheduled to go to Sweden, Denmark, and England. Then we will start dropping off ships along the East Coast as you head home.”
“If that’s OK, it should take six months. But I will sweeten the deal. Each of you can invite your family to one of the ports to join you there. I will authorize their passage on a MAC flight. You will need to have the hotel rooms, but the rest is on us. I suggest you choose one of the more exotic ports and one where you will be staying a few days.”
“That’s the deal guys. Let your officers know what you think and we will make that happen. Once again, I appreciate what you have done and I hope this is a way of rewarding you for that. Have a great evening and I hope to see you around the ship soon.”
“Jeez, Boss. That’s an expensive trip,” Hammond said.
“You bet your ass, but I want to send a few messages. This voyage will thank a lot of people and gives warning to a few others. My thing is for you not to worry about that. Just go have a good time and leave the diplomacy to us. You in?” the President asked.
“I’m in.”
“Good, since you will command the Division. Sorry about the double duty, but that didn’t slow you down before. When you get home, you will get something else. Until then you can stay on this ship and get used to something the size of a task force.”
“I can handle that,” Hammond said.
“Good. Then let’s take a short walk around and see what your crew thinks,” O’Bannon said.
They had just gone through the door when applause broke out in the passageway. Officers and men were lined up along the bulkhead clapping their hands and cheering the President’s decision. He made his way along the passageway and shook the men’s hands. Going farther into the ship more sailors stopped and thanked the President. In the mess decks he was almost overcome. The Secret Service agents finally just let the guys walk up and pat the man on the back. Everyone wanted to go.
Later on, as the President lay in the hot water of the Roosevelt tub, he reflected on the time he had known Hammond. At every turn he impressed the President. It was even shown through the actions and conduct of his crew. These guys would be the perfect ambassadors on the trip. O’Bannon took a deep breath and let the warmth soak into his body. The ceremony day after tomorrow would cap things off.
After a great Thanksgiving meal prepared by the White House chef and his assistants, the crew formed up on the fantail of the ship looking forward toward the raised guns of turret three. A platform was erected beneath the guns and covered with carpet. The media pool was lined up behind a number of seats that were filled by a variety of sailors and other military men. On one side, the Joint Chiefs of Staff sat stiffly in their dress uniforms. Just before lunch, a group had been assisted up the brow by several Army personnel. One young man in a wheel chair was brought aboard and ushered into the President’s cabin for the meal. As everyone gathered, the young man was wheeled along the main deck to take his place with the other men.
At precisely 3 pm, the President and several other dignitaries walked aft down the port side and took their seats on the dais. The company stood when they arrived and were seated again as they sat. General Black, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, opened the ceremony.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are here today to honor the heroic efforts of a number of men and women in our armed forces. During this recent conflict there were thousands of instances of individual bravery among our service men and women; however, some stood out above the others. It is our distinct honor and privilege to present these awards on behalf of a grateful nation,” Black said solemnly.
“Will the following personnel please stand and come forward.”
Black began calling out the names of a number of men and women who were receiving the Navy Achievement Medal. One of the citations was read aloud as a representative of all the recipients. Then the President pinned the awards on the breast of each recipient.