Greg stood up and thanked everyone for their contributions to the evening and made a short speech about how proud he was to be in command of such a fine group of men.

"Now the main reason for my being up here is that I have an important announcement," Greg replied trying to remain serious despite the looks on some of their faces during the speech.

The room became quiet at that statement, although everyone, but TJ knew what the announcement was or so they thought.

"I want to tell you all that next week we will officially be adding a new member to the Black Sheep and at the same time one of the Black Sheep will be returning to the United States for a short time."

No one had been expecting that and everyone began talking, trying to figure out what Greg meant by that statement. Holding up his hands for silence Greg waited until everyone was once again quiet before he continued.

"As I was saying I want to welcome to the Black Sheep, Emily Grace Wiley."

At that moment Casey came out from behind a sheet that had been hung behind the bar, and handed Emily to TJ, who looked down at her and then at Greg not quite comprehending what was going on.

"TJ, Robert and Janie will sign the papers finalizing their adoption of Emily on Monday, but, as of tonight, we're officially considering you her uncle. I know that's a little out of order procedure-wise, but considering the circumstances those of us involved felt it was the best way to proceed.

"Pappy," Anderson said "We're the Black Sheep have we ever been known to follow procedure?"

"No, Anderson, we definitely aren't known for following procedure so I guess for us the way things worked out is normal procedure," Greg replied laughing.

"Anyway, TJ, as soon as I can get the confirmation paperwork from Colonel Lard and General Moore and travel arrangements made, you will be accompanying Sister Mary Elizabeth when she takes Emily to the States."

Greg then went and sat back down by TJ.

"You okay?" he asked.

TJ nodded.

"I just can't believe it. When did you find out?" he asked.

"A few days ago, I wanted to call you into my tent and tell you then, but Casey insisted we keep it a secret and have a celebratory dinner, so I could make a big announcement."

"Thanks Casey," TJ replied.

"Well, it didn't seem right for Pappy to just tell you in his tent, and since we couldn't get Emily a gift we had a pool the other day during the morning patrol, of course everything was quiet and we didn't see even one Zero or enemy destroyer, but we still put the money that would have gone into it together and this is for Emily from all of us."

Casey handed TJ an envelope containing the $240 and when he opened it he was speechless.

"I don't know what to say," he admitted. "Except thanks and I know if Janie and Robert were here they'd thank you all, as well."

"You're welcome, TJ, and I'm sure Janie will write and thank us once they and Emily get settled in together," Casey replied

Emily had had about as much excitement as she could handle for the evening and fell asleep in TJ's lap while everyone else came over to congratulate TJ and his family

Finally, things started winding down and slowly everyone began drifting back to their tents. Bragg and French followed Suzette and the other girls back to the nurse's quarters to make certain that they got there safely, before turning in themselves.

The celebratory mood of the previous evening did not last long, however. Greg stayed behind during the morning patrol, putting Gutterman in charge. He had sat down with him and had a man to man talk and one of the problems was that Jim felt as if he didn't have enough to do, so he stirred up trouble to release his excess energy.

Greg solved that problem quickly enough by putting him in charge of two of the morning patrols a week, plus the paperwork that went with it.

"Hopefully, that will keep him busier," Greg said to Hutch as the two of them were sitting outside the maintenance shed while Emily, who was sitting on Greg's lap, had a very animated conversation with Meatball about something. Just then Hutch looked up and saw the eight Corsairs flying in. He and Greg looked at each other trying figure out what they would be doing back early.

"Pappy, we hate to tell you this, but we're done for as a squadron," Gutterman said and the others nodded their heads in agreement.

"What's going on, Jim, just calm down and tell me what happened."

"Everything was fine until we got about 50 miles from Munda and then things started to go south. My plane's engine started acting up, Casey's fuel pressure dropped, and Boyle's did the same thing. I made the decision to head back and I was glad I did because we got within shooting distance of here and TJ's plane starts smoking something awful. I thought we were going to lose him and no matter what I told myself I'd stay with him this time."

Greg knew then that Gutterman's conscience had really been talking to him over his behavior when TJ had recently been shot down.

"And that," he thought. "Definitely was a good thing."

"Then," Jim continued. "Anderson, French, and Bragg all came over the radio telling me their planes are having various mechanical difficulties as well. We coasted in here on prayers and probably little else."

"You all go get a few hours rest and Hutch and I will see what's going on. Everyone meet out here at 1100 and hopefully we can tell some of you if the situation with your plane is as bad as you think or if it's fixable."

"Okay Pappy"

"Thanks"

"See you in a few hours."

TJ took Emily back to his tent with him as he and the others went to get some much needed sleep.

"What do you think, Hutch?" Greg asked.

Hutch looked over at each of the planes sitting off to the side of the airstrip.

"I don't know, Greg. I told you that had my doubts that I could do anymore to keep them flying, unless we get those parts, but I'll try my best."

Greg patted him on shoulder.

"That's all I ask," he replied.

I wished that I was going to have better news to tell the guys when they showed up at the airstrip at 1100. TJ's plane was in need of a whole new engine, carburetor, and a complete fuel line replacement and that was just the tip of the iceberg. As a matter of fact, in his case, a whole new plane was in order. It was a miracle that he'd made it back and the same could be said for the rest of the Black Sheep based on the multitude of things that Hutch and I found wrong with their planes. At that moment, I realized one thing and that was if we were going to stand any chance of staying together those parts that Washington had promised needed to get here and get here yesterday.

As he expected, the Black Sheep didn't take the news about the planes very well. In fact, Gutterman, French, and Bragg all wanted to meet with him in his tent to put in for transfer. Greg, however, refused telling them that until there was nothing more that could be done he wasn't giving up and if they were then they were cowards, not Black Sheep. As Greg had hoped that got the three of them to rethink the situation and after a few moments of thinking over what he had said they agreed to wait and see what was going to happen

After they had left, Greg began writing letters to whomever he could think of that might have some way of influencing the outcome of this situation. While he was doing that the others tried to be as constructive with their time as possible.

Greg's talk had really made an impression on Gutterman, French, and Bragg and the three of them went to see what they could do to help Hutch, who was working on the few planes that he could do anything with. TJ, Casey, and Anderson spread a blanket out on the ground and were busy making towers on it with some wood scraps that they had sanded, for Emily to knock down. Boyle and Meatball somehow found themselves in a game of fetch with a piece of driftwood.

"Anyone else hear that?" Boyle asked stopping mid-throw.

Meatball barked in acknowledgement.

"Okay besides Meatball?" he asked again.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and listened.

"Sounds like a plane," French replied wiping oil off his hands

"I hope it's not Colonel Lard," Gutterman replied looking up from trying to find the right size wrench that he needed.

"It wasn't him the last time, but how long can our luck hold out?" Bragg commented from where he was sitting on the wing of French's plane.

Just to be on the safe side Casey ran to alert Greg about the incoming plane. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, when it landed and it turned out to be another cargo plane.

The pilot got out, looked at his clipboard, and then his eyes scanned over the Black Sheep as if looking for someone in particular. If he thought it was strange that TJ was holding a baby girl, he didn't show it and perhaps, taking note of her Asian American features, he assumed that TJ was her father.

"Are any of you Major Greg Boyington?" he asked.

Just then Greg and Casey walked up and upon overhearing his question Greg replied.

"I am what's going on?"

"I've got a large shipment here for you and I'll need you to sign for it," the pilot explained.

"Really, what's the USS Detroit sending us this time?" Greg said

The pilot looked at Greg very confused.

"Um nothing, Major Boyington, Sir, actually, this is the first of four shipments that will be arriving today consisting of...airplane parts."

At those last two words Greg felt himself growing dizzy and lightheaded. He would have fallen if Gutterman and Boyle hadn't caught him and sat him down on a nearby rock.

"Did you say four shipments of airplane parts?" Jim asked not quite believing what the pilot had said, himself.

"That's correct um..."

"Gutterman, Sir, Captain James Gutterman, I'm Pa...I mean Major Boyington's executive officer. If it's not a problem, I'll sign for the shipments since Major Boyington is not feeling well at the moment."

"Very well, Captain Gutterman, if you'll sign here," he said indicating a line on the top form, then turning the page ...and here, then turning to another page...here...here...here...and initial here." Then he turned one more page. "And finally sign, date, and initial here and here. The remaining three shipments are scheduled at 1300, 1400, and 1500 hours. I do need to warn you that the next two shipments will be significantly larger than this one and the last one."

"Thanks," Jim replied.

After the plane had left Greg slowly started to come around.

"What happened?" he asked.

Anderson told him about the shipment of airplane parts and that there would be three more shipments arriving later that afternoon. When Greg heard that he became kind of woozy again, but managed to fight it off.

"I don't believe it, I don't freakin' believe it," he said.

"Believe what?" Hutch asked walking up.

He had gone over to the Sheep Pen to see if he could find some old towels or something else that they could use to lay some oily parts on.

"Hutch, how would you like it if I told you that I'm giving you an early Christmas present?" Greg asked.

"Depends on what it is?" Hutch replied. "A date with Betty Grable would be nice."

"Well, it's not that," Greg indicated the boxes that were stacked off to the side of the air strip.

"That's the first of four shipments of airplane parts, according to the pilot who delivered these about 20 minutes ago."

Hutch looked dazed.

"Are you okay?" Casey asked.

"Uh...yeah...I just don't believe it," Hutch replied.

"Well, if I weren't seeing it for myself I wouldn't believe it, either," Greg replied.

I had no idea what caused those big shots in Washington to finally send us the parts, maybe my letters and the plane assessment packets did the trick or perhaps, General Moore had put in a word about my situation, but that was doubtful since he had known about the problem for months. Anyway, who cared how it happened, the main thing was we had the parts and could get the planes back in the air, which was all that mattered to us.

Four days later, everyone was at the airstrip saying goodbye to TJ and Emily. The weather was perfect, a brilliant blue sky with just a few wispy clouds overhead.

"You'll meet Sister Mary Elizabeth on Espritos Marcos and be there about an hour while they refuel and take care of some paperwork," Greg replied. "After that it will be a straight flight to San Francisco."

"I know," TJ said sounding a little scared.

"Don't worry, TJ, everything will be fine," Greg assured him.

Emily reached out and Greg took her from him.

"I am really going to miss you," he said. "You've caused me less trouble the entire time you've been here than any of these guys and you're younger than them by several years,"

"Give her time," TJ remarked. "I'm sure that she's been taking in all of our bad habits and in a few years she'll be driving Robert and Janie to distraction."

"Oh, not this little sweetheart," Greg said. "Emily is and always will be a perfect angel."

The others nodded in agreement.

Greg bent down so that Emily could pet Meatball one final time. She hugged him and he was certain, as she talked to him in baby talk that she was telling him she was going to miss him. "He's going to miss you too, but I hear you have a new puppy named Snowflake waiting for you at your new house and we'll all write and tell your mommy what Meatball's been up to," he said trying to keep from tearing up.

The transport plane would be landing, shortly and everyone started talking at once telling Emily how much they were going to miss her and how they had enjoyed caring for her.

"Look, if I know Janie she's going to take a lot of pictures and from here on out her letters are going to be nothing, but news about Emily so it will seem like she's still here and remember they made me promise that after we all get back home you all will come visit them as often as you want," TJ reminded them.

Greg handed Emily to French and after he had held her and told that he was going to miss her, the other Black Sheep had a chance to hold her and let her know how much they were going to miss her, as well before Casey handed her back to TJ just as the transport plane was landing.

"I'll see you in three weeks," Greg told him. "And I expect you to behave yourself while you're gone."

"I probably won't have much a chance to get into any trouble, Pappy," TJ assured him. "I'm going to be too busy being Uncle TJ."

They stood there watching as the plane took off and continued to watch until it was out of sight. No one seemed to know what to do, after that, it seemed as if a part of them were missing with TJ and Emily gone and they just stood there looking like lost sheep. Finally, Greg snapped them out of it.

"All right, TJ will be back in three weeks and I know that he's not expecting you to just sulk around the entire time, because I'm certainly not going to stand for it, so go find something to do or I'll find something for you to do and if it comes to that happening you probably won't like it."

At that statement everyone suddenly remembered something they had to do. Casey and Anderson headed towards the radio shack to straighten things up and sweep the floor. Gutterman, French, and Bragg remembered that they had promised Hutch they would help him work on the planes and so they hurried off to see what he wanted them to do. Boyle left to go write a letter to his family, since he had been neglecting to do that and now seemed like the perfect time, as far as he was concerned.

Greg looked down at Meatball and the two of them headed down to the beach for a walk.

I knew from the beginning that I was going to miss Emily once she was gone and even though she was now a part of TJ's family and we all would undoubtedly see her again, or at least hear about what was going on in her life as she grew up, it still didn't make it hurt any less. Still, I knew that this was no place for her. Hell, it was no place for anyone, for that matter, and hopefully, once this war was over, future generations would never have to go through what we were now.

A note about the story:

The character of George Williams is based on my grandfather, George William Gerhardt, who passed away in 1994. Grandpa George, as I affectionately called him served in the Navy with the Seabees during WW2 and was stationed in the South Pacific close to where the actual Black Sheep were stationed. To my knowledge, Grandpa George never met any of the Black Sheep or was near Vella La Vella, the real name of the island the Black Sheep were on. Still, I like to think that they may have flown over some of the islands on which he was stationed and I like to imagine Grandpa George and the real Greg Boyington in Heaven sharing stories of their time in the South Pacific. I included him in the story as a tribute to his service and the service of the other Seabees that he served with.