A Whole New World

Chapter 16: Battle at Sea Part 1

3rd Person POV

Aboard the USS Yorktown

"John wake up!"

The pilot whom the voice was yelling at jerked away smacking his head on top of the bunk, "Ow!" the pilot exclaimed rubbing his head. Clearing his foggy vision, the pilot looked to see his friend and back seat gunner, "What Iris?" the pilot asked.

"Wake up that's what, we have to do a training flight in 10 minutes, get up" Mason said, and the pilot instantly remembered and scurried out of the bed. Mason looked at his pilot and sighed with a smile.

The pilot's name was John Hershel, born and raised in the lands of Oregon. Since John was a young boy, he was always a bit of a daredevil, he loved the outdoors and loved trying dangerous things like rock climbing with no rope, kayaking with no life jacket, and more. He had moss green eyes, bark brown hair, and a light mustache on his upper lip.

His gunner's names were Iris Brown he was born and raised in the plains of Tennessee, he was an African American who wanted to become a pilot but because of his skin color he was denied two times before they caved in and allowed him. Completing basic training with John, Iris was about to be given a sanitation job, but John saved him and got him a position as a gunner. He had brown eyes, a bald head, and a shaved beard around his face.

John strapped on his flight gear and grabbed his flight cap, the two airmen walked through the halls of the carrier and found themselves walking into the carrier's hangar. Looking over his shoulder, John noticed Iris was fiddling with his hands clearly nervous since this would've been his first flight and Johns but he's a daredevil, so it didn't faze him.

"It'll be okay Iris; you have me as your captain today" John said smugly, "You as my pilot, I feel so safe" Iris said sarcastically causing the two to laugh. Reaching their SBD Dauntless sitting among the rest of the planes. They along with some crew members helped push the plane onto the elevator going up, "Did you name her?" Iris asked John, "I did actually, her names 'I see you Bitch' and that's no joke" he said chuckling, while Iris just shook his head.

Once the elevator reached the top of the deck, they pushed the plane in place and waited for the the squad leader. John sat himself in the cockpit and Iris in the back with the radio gear and machine gun, "Hey John who's our leader?" Iris asked bored, "His name is Richard Halsey Best, I hear he's good and a good squadron leader".

Just then the elevator went down and two minutes later the elevator came back up and their leader's plane came up. Alongside the plane was Richard Best and his backseat gunner James Francis Murray, the two boarded their plane.

Now with all the planes on deck, deck crew members in duos went to each plane and pulled on the propellers to start them. John whistled at the sound of the engine coming alive, the crew members then directed the pilots to check their rudders and wings. Wiggling the components and seeing that they were all nice and in working condition, takeoff could begin.

Releasing his brake Richard Best accelerated off the carrier deck, next was John and Iris taking a deep breathe John released the brake and the plane rushed forward and off the carrier deck. Soon all 5 planes of the squadron took off and flew together in V-formation, leaving his canopy open John and Iris felt the nice cool wind blow into the plane, looking down Iris saw the beautiful blue ocean staring at him. "If this isn't perfect, I don't know what is" John said admiring the sky.

The squadron flew for an hour until they had to return back to the ship because of low fuel, landing back on the deck of the aircraft carrier the planes one by one were stored back in the hangar below deck. Walking through the ships halls John and Iris navigated their way to the mess hall and sat with their squadron at a table, "Good flying boys, be prepared for tomorrow cause were doing it again" Richard said taking a mouthful of his eggs. "Sir if I may, why are we doing that again, I mean they can't reach us let alone the United States" one of the gunners in the squadron said slightly annoyed, Richard glared at the gunner. Setting his fork down with a clank, leaning back in his seat, and exhaling deeply.