Midway Page #3

And keep him pinned till we can

take him on in his own front yard.

My instructions were

to convey Washington's deep concern

over the safety

of the West Coast and Hawaii.

Is Washington ordering me

to defend Hawaii or the West Coast?

No, Sir.

My orders were simply to consult.

No, Sir,

I have no such orders for you.

Commander Blake, send the fleet to

repel invasion. Target: Midway Island.

Issue the order immediately.

- Aye-aye, Sir.

Admiral, may I see you a moment?

- Excuse me, Captain.

Damn. You know how

Bill Halsey hates hospitals.

Maybe it's nothing serious.

- To get him anywhere near a hospital

it must be not only damn serious,

it must be critical.

Admiral, I have some really bad news.

- Today's the day for it.

The Japanese changed the J-N 25 code,

the one they used for Yamamoto's plan.

How long do you need for the new code?

- A month, maybe two.

Sir, do you still

want that fleet order issued?

Yes. Target:
Midway.

Welcome aboard your flagship, Admiral.

Thank you, Captain.

Rear Admiral Kusaka,

my Chief of Staff. Captain Aoki.

Where's Commander Genda?

He's in sick bay, Admiral. Influenza.

When does the doctor think

he can resume his duties?

In 2 or 3 days.

I don't like beginning this operation

without my best air commander.

We have another sick bay casualty:

Commander Fuchida has appendicitis.

Fuchida too?

We'll need a replacement.

Genda suggests

a veteran torpedo pilot:

Lieutenant Tomonaga.

If Genda says so,

I want to see Tomonaga right away.

Yes, Sir.

Fuchida, the man who led

my first strike on Pearl Harbor, out.

Genda, who planned it, both ill.

Very bad luck, Sir, very bad luck.

Dnly an inconvenience, Sir.

We'll manage.

Good morning, Sir. - Lieutenant.

- Follow me, please.

Here we are. The Sakura family.

Yes. Thank you, Lieutenant.

I can find my own way out.

Miss Sakura,

I'm Captain Garth, Tom's father.

Please come in.

My parents, Tetsuro and Sada Sakura.

This is Captain Garth.

How do you do?

You want to speak to me in private.

My parents understand.

Yes. Well, thank you.

If I embarrassed you, forgive me,

but I wanted you to see that they

are not a threat to national security.

I never really

thought they would be, Miss Sakura.

I suppose it goes with the times.

And I shouldn't be bitter?

I never said that.

Damn it, I'm an American!

What makes us different from

German-Americans or Italian-Americans?

Pearl Harbor, I guess.

Look, I've read the FBI report.

Ask me anything you want to.

Alright.

Your father has been seen frequently

entering the Japanese consulate.

He has old friends there.

I see.

What about these

patriotic organizations you belong to?

My father enrolled me in those

when I was born.

Dut of respect for him

I never resigned, but I wasn't active.

I see.

What about those magazines

they found in your parents' apartment?

The "Prairie Shimbun"?

Published in Wyoming.

My father has

deep emotional ties for Japan,

but even so he thought

it was a ridiculous propaganda sheet.

Why did he subscribe?

He's a traditional and honorable man.

He was once indebted to the man

who publishes the "Prairie Shimbun".

Look, Miss Sakura,

I understand you came to Hawaii

to ask your parents' permission

to marry my son.

Yes, I did.

Why didn't you tell that to the FBI?

- I didn't want to implicate Tom.

Why won't you see him?

He's in love with you, he tells me.

You won't even talk to him.

He doesn't understand. I don't either.

Because my parents have

forbidden me to marry outside my race.

I want you to tell him for me.

I can't tell him that.

He wouldn't believe me.

Besides, I'd just as soon

he didn't know we'd talked together.

Look, Miss Sakura,

Haruko,

Tom's based

at Kaneohe Naval Air Station.

Send for him, please.

You have to tell him this.

You have to tell him.

Damn itching is driving me crazy!

All those medics can do is

smear this God-awful paste on it.

When they get the nerve to come near.

- I know I'm a bad patient.

But a skin disease! Df all the stupid,

useless things to get laid up with!

It's driving me nuts. I can't even

think! - We don't have much time.

Fletcher's docking the Yorktown now,

and I've got hard decisions to make.

Recommend your replacement.

- Ray Spruance.

I know he's junior

to a lot of other flag officers,

and never served a day on a carrier.

But Chet, he knows carrier tactics.

Well, you asked for my recommendation.

I can just picture

Washington's reaction

if I hand over the Hornet and

the Enterprise to a cruiser skipper.

Especially with the static I'm getting

for expecting the Japanese at Midway.

You told me once, Chet:

"When you're in command, command. "

Admiral Fletcher, Sir.

- Good morning, Sir.

Welcome home, Jack. Congratulations

on bringing your cripple in.

Well, we got lucky. - We haven't got

much time, so I'll make this fast.

Halsey's beached, in the hospital.

Won't be leaving for a while.

I'm sending you out again, Jack,

in 72 hours. In full combat readiness.

That's impossible! Lt'll be 3 months

before the Yorktown's in commission.

Spruance has replaced Halsey. He takes

Hornet and Enterprise to sea tomorrow.

You follow him 48 hours later.

Spruance is a cruiser commander!

- He knows carrier tactics.

Yeah, but he can't fly.

- Neither can you.

And he sure as hell

can't learn it by tomorrow, can he?

No.

Congratulations, Ray.

- Well, I'm still in a state of shock.

Nice seeing you again, Matt.

How's the hand? - Coming fine, Sir.

We could have used you at Coral Sea.

He's on your Air Dperations staff

on the Yorktown.

Good.

We face the biggest force the enemy

has ever sortied, over 200 ships.

They've got 4-to-1 supremacy.

Yamamoto himself is commanding.

We know when

and from where he's going to sail,

we know their original courses.

We don't know their rendezvous point,

course changes or when they'll strike.

They could hit from the northwest,

but intelligence doesn't support that.

Ray, assuming

this isn't just an elaborate ruse,

Washington thinks it is,

but assuming they're wrong,

what kind of move do you suggest?

Well, I'd take my carriers here,

to a point northeast of Midway,

and wait for Nagumo's carriers.

Why not head northwest

and hit them head-on?

There's a chance

Washington may be right.

You think Hawaii and the West Coast

could be the real target?

It doesn't really matter, provided

I'm in a position to cut them off.

If it's Midway, I'll bushwhack them.

Alright. Jack, you're senior. You take

command when you join up. - Yes, Sir.

The Yorktown will be at sea

in less than 72 hours.

I don't need to stress that Yamamoto

outweighs us in every department.

Dur 3 carriers are all that stands

between the enemy fleet and our coast.

Now, your point of rendezvous,

what should we call it?

"Point Luck", Sir.

Sounds like a prayer,

but it's damned appropriate.

Son of a b*tch!

Nurse!

Ray.

- Hi, Bill.

Wanted to call the nurse

to have that tree cut down.

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