Chapter 1 Nominated for 2006 Golden Clit Award.

Jack

My name is Jack Holiday. I was born in Lawrence, Kansas on January 10, 1910. I was the son of a prominent farmer in these regions. I had two older brothers and one sister younger than me. On my seventeenth birthday, I left a note to my family saying that I loved them and I had to try doing something else with my life other than farming. It wasn't in my blood. So I stole a ride in a boxcar to Kansas City where up I joined the United States Navy. It sounded very appealing to me to be aboard a ship and see the world. I was sent to San Diego for my basic training then ordered to China to live the next five years on the Gunboat SS Eugene.

I never drank and never smoked. Well, I did drink once and got so sick for two days that I felt it wasn't worth it so I swore off all forms of alcohol. It was during this time that the Nationalist Chinese under Chaing-Kai-Shek were attempting to takeover all of China. They were not all that friendly toward us Americans. In one of our skirmishes I took a bullet in my right thigh and was operated on to have it removed. I returned to duty three days later. Our medical officer objected to this and after a discussion with the Captain I was given light duty just guarding the ship's bow sitting on a wooden bench with a rifle in my lap. I was awarded the Purple Heart for my injury.

I didn't go ashore that much. When I did it was to get myself some fresh fruit since the Eugene didn't have that much. I lived on citrus products for a day or two. I even bought a pair of comfortable slippers to wear around when I was off duty. I loved to barter getting the guys with push carts to go lower though I could afford what they were asking. Most of the other guys who went ashore hit the American run bars and had fun with the tiny but cute Chinese prostitutes. Some of them came down with venereal diseases and had to go through painful cures. Penicillin hadn't been discovered yet so those cures were agony and primitive. I felt it better to use my hand than take a chance of catching some of what my shipmates endured.

In 1934 I was transferred back to San Diego where I took my basic training. I was a Petty Officer 3rd class at the time and given the job of managing our stores depot. I set about to get all supplies in order and properly warehoused. I had signs made to where every item was and simplified in finding it. I found it a mess and it took months for me and my crew to get everything in order. I categorized everything putting them in their proper place then tagging each item I seldom went off base on liberty because I found very little of interest to me. On one of my rare trips, that's when I met Lia Lee. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. The week before I noticed a sign on our company's bulletin board.

Church Picnic July 4th
Johnson Avenue Baptist Church
Service men welcome

I set about how to find this church and it wasn't until I asked a lieutenant jg that he told me where to find it. So when the 4th came about, I dressed in my best whites and set off for some good food. That's when I saw her. She was helping on the long tables setting things up for serving. She was with two girl friends Marie and Sheila. But my eyes were only on her. Sure I'd seen other women before, but this one was love at first sight. I stood in line staring at her. She looked my way and our eyes made contact. She gazed at me for a moment then returned to work. I smiled at her when standing in front just drinking in her beauty. She had long curly brown hair, brown eyes, the prettiest face and a slim shape hidden by a light dress that went down to midcalf. She smiled warmly back at me as she dished up some fruit salad on my plate. I stood in awe of her. I was given a shove by an older man to keep the line moving and away I went on to fill my plate.

I was sitting at a picnic table with two elderly people when she sat across from me. I was surprised that she didn't sit with her friends.

"Hi," she smiled, daintily placing a napkin in her lap.

Hi," I stumbled in return.

"My name is Lia, what's yours?"

"Jack... Jack Holiday."

"Are you from around here?" she took a nibble from a piece of cantalope.

"I'm at the base, I'm in charge of supplies."

"How old are you, Jack."

"I'm twenty-five, you?"

"Nineteen. Are you married?"

"No, not yet anyway. Been single all my life."

"Well you must have a girl friend."

"Yes I do. It's you." I cringed thinking I over reached the bounds of decency. But you have to realize that no one had an effect on me like she did.

She beamed warmly and took another little bite. "I'm happy to hear that." Was I hearing right? Lia's attitude was one of commanding respect. I wondered if it might be love at first sight for her too.

"Am I being too forward?" I asked.

"Yes, you are. But I like it," she took another bite of her fruit salad. I felt a stirring in my stomach. No girl had given me butterflies or even a loss of appetite before. But she most certainly did. This was no floozy saying that, she was a perfect lady.

"You like men who are forward?"

"No I don't," she wiped her mouth with her napkin then laid it on her lap again. "Usually I get disturbed by it, however for some reason it sounds nice coming from you."

"Ummmm... do you have a boyfriend?"

"Yes, you." Her smile lit up the world around us. I could only grin not having any words to say. I was really tongue-tied for a while. We chatted about her just finishing high school the previous summer and her job at a local Five & Ten Store. She worked the register and helped customers find what they were looking for. She asked where I came from, what I did on base, and what I thought of San Diego. She asked me to church on Sunday and I readily accepted. When we were done eating, we cleaned up our spot then sat under a large tree in the shade, talking. Nothing she said was boring to me. Her sweet soprano voice sounded like music to my ears. Lia could read the San Diego telephone book to me and I'd be very excited.

The day flew by. Many times in stores, the hours dragged. There was so little to do unless we received supplies and put them in their place. Or if a group of new recruits came by, we would issue what they needed. Time went by a little faster. But today, with Lia at my side, the afternoon was over before I knew it. I helped her clean up, place the leftovers in containers and pack them away in the trunk of a car. She introduced me to her friends and then her parents. Everyone was so nice to me how would I not want to see her on Sunday?

I went to Sunday School and attended the service. I sat by her as we shared the hymnal.

Our fingers touched as we sang. During the service she had moved her arm by mine and it was all I could to concentrate on what the preacher said. After it was over I was invited back to their house for Sunday dinner. Then we sat on the porch swing just talking. I felt bold enough to take her hand and we locked our pinkies.

Lia worked five days a week at the Five & Ten. She had Wednesdays off. The store was closed on Sundays. I met her every Saturday and bought her lunch. Usually a burger and a coke from the fountain. One day when we were alone for a few moments, she kissed me on the lips. It sent shockwaves through every part of me. We had been seeing each other at church and most Saturdays. I waited until the store closed then asked her to a movie.

She said that she wasn't allowed to see movies but she'd go nonetheless. We sat in the darkened theatre watching a Clark Gable film holding hands.

During that time I had inpressed an admiral who was inspecting the base plus how organized I made my place of work. He kept on saying outloud, "Outstanding" as he and the others with him carefully toured the facilities. I showed him my record keeping where anyone who replaced me could just look in the binder and find what he was looking for. He recommended me for a promotion which I received two weeks later. I was elevated to Petty Officer 2nd Class. Nine extra dollars a month in my pay. I put it all in a savings account.

After seeing Lia for eight months, I asked her to marry me. She said "Yes" and went in to tell her parents. Her father was pleased. We had long chats about many things that men were interested in and I did sacrifice a day with Lia to go to a college football game with him. Her mother was not so delighted. She didn't see any future with Lia being wed to a sailor. It was as if she didn't like me, she did. Sailors had reputations of having girls in every port. After a month she got tired of talking Lia out of marrying me and relented to the inevitable.

We were married at the Johnson Avenue Baptist Church on July 4th, 1936 exactly one year since we met. She was the most beautiful bride I'd ever seen. Her wide brimmed hat with the veil hanging just below her mouth. She seldom wore much makeup but that day Lia wore bright red lipstick. When we were pronounced man and wife, I lifted the veil and we kissed. There was a reception in the basement afterwards with sandwiches, cake and several types of drinks like coffee, tea and punch.

I had taken two weeks leave and our honeymoon was in Coronado just a ferry's ride across the bay to a luxurious hotel. The Lee's paid for three days in the bridal suite. Since neither of us had sex before, there were lots of fumblings at first. By the last day we were getting better at it. We couldn't get enough from each other. We slept in the nude cuddling. I loved her very much. She was my whole life.

Within a year she was pregnant. Morning sickness was awful to her. We rented a little flat not far from her parents place or the church. I gave her as much attention as I could and her mother was always there for us. I still ran stores like a marine drill instructor. I was not satisfied until every single item was in it's place and properly tagged. Things weren't going to good in Europe with Hitler demanding and receiving lands without firing a shot.

I read with interest the news accounts of what was happening with Japan causing a ruckus in China and Mongolia. People were talking about war but most of them wanted to stay out of it. We had troubles enough here at home.

Lia gave birth to a boy on January 11th, 1938. One day past my birthday. But we decided that we'd celebrate them both on the 11th. He was healthy and strong. We named him Frank after her father. This pleased her side of the family to no end. We called him Little Frankie but that would probably change by the time he started school. Things in America were getting better. We were still in the Depression, but more people had jobs now and the poverty level was dropping. A year later I was promoted to Petty Officer First Class and another bump in pay. Lia was pregnant with our second child. We hope for a little girl.

Then we received word that the Department of the Navy was moving our fleet from San Diego to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. I received my transfer papers a week later. I inquired if my family could join me and given my rank, permission was granted. Lia and Frankie would live with my parents until she could follow me in three months aboard an ocean liner. I was put on the Carrier Yorktown and headed for my new duty station. Once in Hawaii, I started looking for a home off base since only the higher brass got housing in Pearl Harbor. I found a house just off of Bellows Air Force Base and found we could live in relative comfort on my pay. Things were a little more expensive than back in the States but Lia was a fantastic gardener and could grow some fruits and vegetables in the backyard. I lived there alone until she joined me with Frankie holding her hand and that beautiful swelling in her belly. She was still the most beautiful woman in the world.

We setup housekeeping right away. She brought a bed and some furniture with her and when it was delivered we got everything in order the way she wanted. Little Frankie would sleep in my bed while the twin sized would be our own. She brought along the crib for our new addition. We had relations the first several nights after Frankie went to bed.

She would straddle me and slide me into her. Surprisingly she got better orgasms than before while she sent me over the edge every time. Then she'd go to sleep on her left side with a small pillow under her torso while I slept naked cuddling her. Many times during the night she had to get up to pee then came back, kissed me on the forehead and resumed her same position. I felt the kiss but not enough to waken. I loved everyone she gave me.

Life in Hawaii was good. I worked the stores on the Yorktown and often we put to sea for a few days. I was allowed to stay back when it was time when Lia was due. She went into labor one morning. Driving Lia to the hospital her water broke right in the car. When I got her into the base hospital, it was only moments after she was taken in when she gave birth to our daughter, Nancy. Named after her mother. Mrs. Lee sent gifts to us all the time because she was thrilled having her granddaughter named after her. Nancy was born on January 1st, 1941. Three months later the Lees visited us for three weeks. Her mother had glowing remarks how beautiful the children were and how cozy our little house was. She helped Lia with the kids while Frank took me golfing. I took my annual thirty days leave from the year before to stay with my family. I borrowed two cots from my ship for them to sleep on. We offered our bed but they refused. Lia found good therapy working the garden while I was away to sea and had grown some nice things. There was a pineapple plantation right across the road from us and the owner said we could have as much as we wanted. We soon got tired of the fruit seldom touching again. I saw his wisdom. Put a person in a candy store and tell them they can have all they want. After a few days, they didn't want any because it made them sick from eating too much. We avoided pineapples for months.

The phone rang and I answered it. It was an officer to the Yorktown telling me there was a flash message from Washington, D.C. We were ordered to sea right away. I drove like mad and made it on board. Within the hour we put out to sea with no lights. We were just a large shadow on the waters. A few of the sailors brought their radios topside to listen to the battle of the bands. Some even danced with each other though spread a distance. We zig zagged with the other carriers, cruisers and destroyers ending up near the island of Hilo on Sunday.

That was the day the Japanese struck. Admiral Halsey was all for going to meet the attack but was ordered to stay where he was. It was late afternoon when we set sail back to Pearl and Tuesday morning when we arrived the place was a mess. Many ships had been sunk.

Mostly battleships. I also learned that my wife and kids were killed by a Zero strafing our home with machinegun fire.

I spent the rest of the month in shock over my beautiful wife and kids. Lia was everything to me. Plus Frankie and Nancy. Neither who ever got the chance to see life other than a few years and Nancy, eleven months. I wept every night when lights were out. I couldn't live without them. Then shock gave way to anger. No hatred. Hatred toward the Japs who ruined my peaceful life. I was one who didn't have a loathing toward anyone of another race but now I hated the Japs.

We got orders to put to sea about a month after I buried my precious wife and kids. I spent many nights standing on the stern of the Yorktown. Sometimes even tempted to jump overboard and end it all. But something inside me told me not to. Little did I know at the time that we knew where the Japanese were going to attack next and we were headed there to stop them. And stop them we did. The Battle of the Coral Sea ended in a stalemate but the enemy was foiled in their plans. The Yorktown took several hits from the big guns of the Japanese navy and we were towed back to Pearl Harbor for several months to be repaired.

As soon as we arrived, Admiral Nimitz came aboard telling us we had seventy-two hours to get ready to put to sea again. We would have laughed but doing that would show him disrespect or even a court martial. Stores hadn't been hit so I manned it as the crew and civilian contractors came aboard to do the impossible. Make the Yorktown seaworthy in three days. There wasn't hardly any place that one could move about. It was like an army of ants swarming over a large bug trying to kill it. I slept very little but stayed at my post all the time. A buddy would bring food up to me from the galley because I did him a favor a while back. He had ruined one of his uniforms and didn't have the money to pay for a new one. No one was looking so I gave him one telling him to pay me, or rather the ship, next payday. That saved his bacon for inspections and he never forgotten it. I stunk so bad after the second day I asked permission of the Officer of the Day to lower myself into the water to bathe. He granted it to me and after fifteen minutes, I was clean again.

Amazingly they managed to get the job done and we put to sea to join up with the Hornet and Enterprise to meet the enemy for the Battle of Midway.

Admiral Halsey had taken sick so all the strategy and tactics fell upon Admiral Raymond Spruance. He never commanded a carrier before but he knew as much as anyone in the United States Navy about sea warfare. In just three days the tide of the war turned to our side. After losing many aircraft to the enemy, we sent in dive bombers to sink four of the cream of the Japanese Carriers. The Kaga was hit, then the Hiryu, then the Soryu, and lastly the Akagi. Not only did the enemy carriers sink but the majority of Japan's finest pilots were lost when their planes ran out of fuel and had to ditch in the ocean. There were very few survivors. Spruance had paid them back in spades.

The sad thing that happened was a Japanese sub pumped four fish into the Yorktown. It couldn't stand another devastating hit so soon after being repaired. We were told to abandon ship. I heard some cries of help below so I ran down and found many men hurt and managed to bring six of them up to the flight deck but the fires prevented me from going back again. I sustained burns on my arms, torso, and back. My face was burned too but not that badly. I was carried with the others to the Hornet burns unit. As soon as we arrived back in Pearl, I was sent to a military hospital in Honolulu. I spent over six months recovering. The pain was excruciating. When I was able, I was presented with another Purple Heart and the Congressional Medal of Honor for bravery above and beyond the call of duty. Admiral Nimitz pinned it on me and shook my hand. I had tears running down my face as I told him, "I would rather have those guys live than presented with this." He nodded his understanding and moved on to present other awards.

Despite my pleas, I was given an honorable discharge. My arms were not as good as they used to be. So I was transferred stateside. I managed to get a few hours to visit the graves of Lia, Frankie, and Nancy. I wept again. I left them for good on a Sunday as a ship carried me back home. I visited the Lees and was invited for dinner. I thanked them for Lia and how she made my life happy in the time we spent together. Her mother sobbed as I left for my new posting in Washington, D.C.

I arrived at a building that housed a little area called Magic. It was top secret not to be mentioned by anyone. The commander was Colonel Rufus Bratton and I was in charge of security. He told me that in no uncertain terms that was I to enter any of the rooms without exception. He saw my file that I had won the Medal of Honor and that impressed him. I was told to be friendly with the workers but never ask what they were doing. I agreed with him and promised not to meddle in any of their affairs. For the record, I was given an FBI clearance and credentials but never to report to J. Edgar Hoover or anyone else within the agency. If I ever got into trouble over my credentials I was always to refer back to him. He would clear up any misunderstanding. I acknowledged my orders. Bratton had found a small two room apartment for me that was within walking distance of the building. He also said that since I was head of security I was to check the backgrounds of all security people under my command. All the others plus myself had been already covered.

I was technically in the Navy as Chief Petty Officer and was told to wear my new uniform. I took my new job very seriously. Within days I was at my desk checking all reports of any possible leaks which all turned out to be nothing. I personally checked all people coming and going. I searched their briefcases and if I had any suspicions I would search the men and we had a female who was a WAVE check the women. Helen and I got along nicely.

She was young and very pretty with her short dark hair and blue eyes. I was thirty-two at the time almost thirty-three and she was a young looking twenty year old. Her whole job was to search females that worked in those rooms and report to me what she found. In all the years we worked there, not once was there a security breach. But we kept on our toes. She had never married and had no male interested in her at that time which was odd because she was so pretty. She had a multitude of romance novels that kept her busy during the day while I worked on crossword puzzles.

"Attention," I heard an order issued. Helen and I snapped to attention. She dropped her book while I scooped my crossword puzzle into the top drawer of my desk. A swarm of civilians accompanied by Colonel Bratton entered. I was introduced to a Senator Truman. I didn't recall his first name. He asked me several questions then spotted my ribbon indicating I was the recipient of the Medal of Honor. His tone softened and he told me he respected me. Asked for the details and I gave them to him.

"The Yorktown was a hell of a good ship," he said with a tear rolling from his thick glasses down his cheek. "I knew many men on board there."