Dear Mr. and Mrs. Dickson,
Words cannot express the sorrow I have for the loss of your son, William. It was my privilege not only to have him in my command but to talk with him on several occasions. He was a smart, insightful, and dedicated young man. Having spoken with his seniors, I understand he was one of the finest junior officers they had the pleasure to work with. We all miss his company.
One of the best ways to know someone is to know what they stood for and what they cherished. In William’s case, I know from personal experience he valued the simple things in life. He spoke to me of his camping and his outdoor experiences, his thrill of serving his country and his enjoyment of working with others. He often demonstrated his high moral character with his men and they responded positively to him. William was a natural leader who held the respect of both his superiors and his subordinates. But the most telling part of William was how he made the ultimate sacrifice.
Please understand that I share this with you because what William did fills me with great pride. William did more than simply serve his country. Many ordinary young men and women do that. He went above and beyond that model.
On the night of the 11th, he and his men were assigned the job of rescuing children from a school the North Koreans were using as a fortress. The North Koreans were using the children as human shields against our forces. He and his men infiltrated the school and were able to get every child out of the building and to safety, but not before his small group was discovered. The North Koreans opened fire on William, his men, and the children. During the assault, he was fired upon while trying to get the last child out of the building. William died while protecting that child. He was found with the young boy still wrapped in his arms, keeping him safe.
There is no greater measure of a man than something like this. His actions saved countless children and were in the highest honor and traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Armed Services. I have recommended him to receive the Navy Cross.
Enclosed is a photograph of the young boy William saved. His name is Jua Jing, an orphan since the beginning of the war. He is very much alive and well, living in Seoul. We are taking very good care of this young man.
Once again, you have my deepest sorrow at your loss. If I can be of assistance to you now or in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Claire Richardson
Major General, USMC
The North Carolina moved into Pusan Harbor and was eased to the pier behind the Iowa. Teams of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical engineers were waiting on the pier to inspect the ship and find any traces of the weapon that detonated near them. Contrary to what the ship’s team found, traces of the weapon were on parts of the superstructure. It was all gathered and cataloged as evidence of North Korean war crimes. After a day of being tested and swabbed, the North Carolina’s crew was finally allowed to have liberty in Pusan.
Early the next day Rear Admiral Hammond walked up the gangway of the North Carolina to six bells and “Iowa, Arriving.” He didn’t mind that they had forgotten he also commanded a task group. Captain Hustvedt was there to greet him.
“Good to have you aboard again, Admiral,” he said shaking hands.
“Thanks, Chris. I’m glad they finally decided to let you and your guys out of purgatory.”
“We were getting a little punchy. What brings you aboard?”
“Wanted to invite you to dinner. I thought you and your XO and a group I’m entertaining would go to a little restaurant in town. There’s some visitor coming in today from Washington and since I have to play host, I might as well have somebody there I know.”
“That’s damn nice of you, Roger. I think my XO might like to talk with yours anyway. Who are these people coming in?”
“Beats me. I got this cryptic message that said three people would show up. It didn’t say who or why, but I would venture to guess it will be some staffers of some kind. Let’s regale them with war stories,” Hammond said.
“Sounds fine to me. What time do we leave?”
“About 6:30 I think. They’re supposed to arrive around lunchtime.”
“No problem. Any new word on the North Koreans?”
“Not much from what I am getting. That Marine General has Pyongyang surrounded and the South Koreans will enter the city day after tomorrow. From what we are hearing the government is scattered to hell and back. That explosion you caused may have killed most of them. You know, you may have fixed it so there’s nobody to offer a surrender,” Hammond joked.
“Breaks my heart. I just hope I never have to go through something like that again. When I saw that thing go off, I thought I’d wet myself. Next time you have a gut feeling, you go see about it.”
Both men laughed amid the bustle of men doing their jobs around the quarterdeck.
“Okay, Chris. I’ll stop by in a vehicle about 6:30.”
“See you then, sir.”
The men shook hands again and Hammond was bonged off. He shivered a little as he left the ship. Clouds had filled the sky the day before and a cold wind was blowing. But that wouldn’t keep them from having a good time.
The 747 landed at the airport and disgorged its passengers. Hufham stood at the baggage area and waited holding up a sign that said “Ricks.” In a few minutes he saw a couple in their fifties walk through the doors. The look on the woman’s face told him it was the Ricks family. She looked like an older version of his friend.
Hufham walked up to the couple. “Mr. and Mrs. Ricks?”
Mr. Ricks brightened slightly. “You must be Paul Hufham. Good to finally meet you,” he said as they shook hands.
Mrs. Ricks reached up and gave the big man a hug. “Thank you for looking after our son,” she said.
Hufham blushed. “Glad to help, Ma’am. I have a vehicle over here for you,” he said taking their meager bags and leading them to a waiting Humvee outside. They all crawled in and Hufham started the vehicle and pulled out.
“I thought you might want to go see Dale before we go to the hotel. They moved him down to the hospital here yesterday,” he said.
“Is he awake yet?” his mother asked.
“Not yet. The doctor is concerned but not too much. He says it’s giving his body time to heal. Su Lynn is with him.”
“So we get to meet that Chink girl he decided to marry,” the father said disgustedly.
“David!” Mrs. Ricks called out in astonishment.
Hufham hit the brakes and pulled the Humvee to the side of the road. He turned to Mr. Ricks and gave him a look that would melt a glacier. He spoke calmly but forcefully. “Mr. Ricks, let me warn you. If I ever hear of you saying an unkind remark about Su Lynn or Dale’s choice for a wife, I will personally hunt you down, wherever you may be and make you wish you had never seen the light of day. Su Lynn is a wonderful girl. We rescued her as she fought desperately to keep from being raped by North Korean soldiers. She was beside us as we fought our way through enemy lines. When she could have left for the safety of the country, she chose to remain in Pusan and feed refugees like herself. And when Dale was hurt, she did everything she could to be by his side. She is still there, talking to him every day. Now I don’t know what you’re used to but in my book the woman is a prize, and Dale is the luckiest guy on earth to get her. So you put your racial bigotry in the deepest, darkest closet you can and keep it there,” he said before turning back around and pulling back into traffic.
After a few minutes, Mr. Ricks said, “Sorry.”
“You should be, David,” said Mrs. Ricks. “You say something like that again and Sergeant Hufham won’t be the only one you have to watch out for.” She angrily turned and began looking out the window at the countryside as they drove by.