Officers and guests applauded as they sat back down and some small talk began around the tables. The XO rose to place a call to the quarterdeck to provide the information and carry out one last part of his own instructions. After hanging up, he waited for a moment and the instrument rang again. He picked up the receiver, listened and said, “Yes, sir.” Then he turned to the Captain. “It’s for you,” he said holding out the receiver.
Captain Hammond excused himself a moment and went to the telephone. He placed the receiver to his ear and said, “Captain Hammond.”
“Did you like my surprise?” the President asked.
Hammond broke into a broad grin. “Mister President, you will have my vote and the vote of every family member for the next six generations,” he said. He could hear the President laughing on the other end.
“You more than deserve it, Roger. You personally helped get this country back on its feet. You helped me get a grip on things, and you didn’t fold on me when the crunches hit. I am personally grateful. Sorry I wasn’t here to see you off this morning.”
“That’s OK, sir. You are a busy man; besides, this more than makes up for that.”
“I guess, but I need to make up a little more. Your XO has arranged for me to say a little something to the crew, can you give him the high sign or something so we can do this?”
Hammond looked over at the XO. “He’s ready.”
Davis picked up another telephone and gave an order. A Bos’n’s call was heard on the 1MC, the ship’s general announcing system, and the President’s voice could be heard through both the phone and the announcing system.
“Officers and men of the Iowa, this is your President speaking. I am truly sorry that I cannot be with you tonight. Your new commanding officer, Captain Hammond, is a fine officer and in this case, a good friend. But I was not the one that selected him for this job, so you are not getting some kind of a political appointment. The CNO came to me with his name about a month ago. Quite frankly we could think of no one else so qualified for the job.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, our nation is at war with an enemy that is cold and ruthless in its methods. They mean to deprive us of our liberties and subjugate us to their will. This cannot happen. Your ship will help lead the way. As I mentioned in a speech there recently, everyone here has been astonished at the patriotism and drive the people of Vallejo have displayed to bring their ship online. On behalf of a grateful nation, I accept this gift. Although I would normally be there to do this personally, with the urgent situation at hand, I cannot do so. Instead I will simply ask the Captain and each of you to witness this.”
“Captain Hammond, as President of the United States, I hereby place the battleship Iowa in commission. God bless and God speed.”
A cheer rang up from throughout the giant ship as 1,500 voices rose as one to welcome the old ship back into the Navy she had served so well over the decades. The President could hear the shouts and cheers as the celebration began. “Captain, she’s all yours. Give me a call when you can,” he said.
“Thank you, Mister President. Thank you for everything,” he said. The line went dead.
Hammond rejoined the others and the meal was served. He actually enjoyed the camaraderie being displayed. It was something he had not experienced in many of the other ships he had been on. During the meal he spent much of his time talking to Mayor Crowell. She was middle aged and a widow. Her late husband had been killed in an industrial accident five years before. Mayor Crowell had devoted herself to politics and her community. Hammond liked her sense of humor and could tell she had a keen intellect. At least she didn’t just sit there and wait to be pampered.
Latham was another likable guy. Much like Hammond, he was all about ships and the people who work on them. The Iowa had been his brainchild and his pet project. He was the kind of a guy you met to have a beer with; friendly, honest, and someone you could count on. Hammond could see how they had worked together to bring a ship like this back.
As the dessert was being brought out, Hammond rapped lightly against his glass to get some attention. He stood up before his officers.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this has been a rather momentous evening,” he said with a grin. “I understand we are getting underway tomorrow to complete our systems and onload ammunition. I can tell you that this will be a hurried evolution. They need us out there. Right now the North Koreans have taken over half of South Korean soil and we are in danger of losing the peninsula. Although I had been left in the dark about this ship specifically, I do know we will be a part of a major surprise to our enemies. This ship is going to war, and we are taking the war to our enemies. We will continue the XO’s training efforts and I will add a few of my own. Within the next thirty days we will be going in harm’s way, and if it is left to me, this ship will lead the way.” There were some shouts and some applause. He continued, “Listening to the Bos’n all the way here, I get the feeling this is just about the best crew in existence.” There was laughter this time and he saw Patnaude sit back grinning. “Well, we’ll see. What I do know is I work hard and when the job’s done I play. We may even have some lighter times along the way. But the main thing is that we all do our jobs to the best of our abilities. If there is a problem, let’s talk about it and fix it. If there is a rough spot, polish it down. If someone can’t cut it, let’s get someone who can. We don’t have time to waste on slackness. We have a job to do.”
“Gentlemen, USS Iowa is going to war. So while we have the chance, I propose one toast,” he said picking up his tea glass. “To USS Iowa, fear God and Dreadnought.”
After the dinner Hammond was shown to his cabin and the XO bid the captain good night. Hammond looked around the cabin. It was more like a suite. A long dining table was fixed to one side and a sitting area was on the other. A desk sat in one corner. The bulkheads were covered in some sort of wood grained plastic making the room much warmer than the usual steel and paint. He turned the corner by the desk and entered a small bedroom. To his surprise, his belongings had been put away. Even his toothbrush had been placed in a receptacle in his bathroom. As he walked into the bathroom, or head as the Navy called it, he turned to see the tub. No other ship had a tub like it. It had been installed for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1943 when he took this very ship to Casablanca for a conference. Hammond even turned the faucet to see the water run.
Returning to his bedroom he quickly disrobed and crawled into bed. With a 5:30 wake up call, he would need his sleep. As he lay on the bed he thought about the history wrapped in the one ship he now commanded. It had been serving the last time the North Koreans had become aggressive. It was interesting that each time the nation had run into problems, these ships had been there. Now she was back again. Strange, but it was almost like he could feel something in the ship; something that made him feel welcome. It really was almost like the ship was alive. Hammond decided to wrap himself in that feeling and quickly fell asleep.
Under the cover of darkness the ships steamed south. The canal would be cleared for their passage in two nights. They would transit under the cover of darkness and time it so that no one would see them go in or out. By the time morning came, the ships would be well out to sea. As they transited, more ships joined them. They had started in Boston, picked up four in New York, two in Philadelphia, more were joining off Norfolk. A few more would join up off Mayport and the tip of Florida. In all, the group would be comprised of forty-seven ships.