THE ENDING
The winds had shifted out of the south, heralding a Kona storm blowing in. Clouds brewed on the horizon, black and ominous, and the ocean kicked up small whitecaps in Pearl Harbor. Daisy, Fluff, Lei and Betty all stood near the dock, arm in arm. Waiting.
Celebrations had been going in earnest for days, now that the war was officially over and surrender documents had been signed aboard the USS Missouri. People were calling it V-J Day—Victory over Japan. Parades and marching bands filled the streets of Honolulu, and Daisy and the girls participated proudly. Lord knew it had taken longer than anyone expected, with years of suffering and brutality, but better late than never. Over four hundred thousand American lives lost and upward of sixty million total. Those numbers were nothing to be proud of. But the relief was palpable. You could taste it in the air.
News had also come of the official disbanding of the WARD organization, since more military personnel would now be available to staff the radar installations and command centers around the islands. Operation Magic Carpet was newly underway, with carriers transporting men home who had been scattered around the Pacific and Southeast Asia. General Danielson, who had been transferred to California, sent a handwritten note to Lei—who was now chief supervisor—when he heard.
In my time, I’ve seen my share of fighter controls. I’m in charge of a handful right now, but you ladies in Honolulu should know that the one at Lizard, manned by the WARD, is in my opinion the best. The war might be over now, thank God for that, but you ladies should take pride in the fact that you were running the best Air Raid Defense system in the world. Hands down. When the threat was greatest, you rose to the occasion. Best wishes to all the girls remaining.
Yours truly,
General Danielson
For Daisy, it was bittersweet. As difficult as the war had been, these women had become family. They had held each other up through thick and thin. Heartbreak, apprehension, loneliness, you name it. But all things had to end. It was a rule of nature, a cycle of life.
Fluff, the eternal optimist, had said, “An ending is really just the beginning of something else, and the possibilities are endless. Think of it like that. Plus, it’s not like we won’t be seeing each other. I’ll be on your couch every chance I can get.”
For Lei, Fluff and Daisy, that might be true, but who knew where Betty would end up, and so many of the other military wives who were now like sisters. Daisy put it out of her mind. Any time now, the USS Rescue was set to arrive, and Betty had received a telegraph that Chuck would be aboard, sailing from Yokohama, where the POWs were being cared for and processed. Over three years in a prison camp and now he was free. The girls had been anxiously reading the papers, seeing photographs of overjoyed GIs getting their first glimpse at freedom, or a war prisoner savoring his first cup of coffee. Those were the lucky ones, if you could call them that. Bone-thin and gaunt, nevertheless they had endured.
Today, Betty was jittery and teary-eyed, and Daisy felt the same. Information had been scarce. All they knew was that Chuck and his fellow prisoners had walked and hitchhiked over five hundred miles from a camp near a place called Kobe. Betty had become preoccupied that he would not survive the crossing home.
“He didn’t walk five hundred miles to die on a hospital ship. He’ll make it back to you, Betty, I know he will,” Fluff had assured her.
Daisy hoped she was right.
The women pressed up against the fence like caged animals for over an hour, waiting for the sound of a ship’s horn. A crowd had gathered. Men, women and children milled about, some of them WARDs, some servicemen and others family. Anticipation clung to them, despite the brisk winds. A few minutes later, a loud blast came from the entrance of the bay. They all jumped.
“It has to be them!”
Sure enough, a white ship emerged, cutting through the chop. She had a long blue stripe across her hull, with red crosses adorning the smokestack and other parts of her massive body. There was absolutely no mistaking her mission. As she drew closer, you could see men on the decks waving madly.
Betty pinched her lips. “I do believe she’s the most beautiful ship I’ve ever laid eyes on.”
Daisy could hardly see through her tears, and knew the moment would be inked into her memory forever. “What a blessing.”
“It’s a miracle, is what it is,” said Lei.
Pretty soon, the crowd began cheering and hollering and throwing flowers and confetti. Kids jumped and twirled. Women hugged. It took a while for the ship to tie off and ramps to come down. And once the men began disembarking, the girls made their way to the front of the line to get a good look. These were not the pilots and soldiers Daisy was used to seeing. They were so weary looking, and half the size of regular men. The first one off the ramp bent down and kissed the earth. Several others did the same.
Betty was hopping and biting her lip, and then she saw him. “There he is!”
Chuck didn’t kiss the ground, but when he saw Betty, he fell into her arms and buried his face in her neck for a solid minute or two. Daisy had never seen two people pressed so close together, and soaking each other in. This was the kind of love that could sustain a person for years on end. There was not a dry eye in the whole shipyard.