Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in
infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and
deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire
of Japan
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused
severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many
American lives have been lost
" The attack had caused severe damage to the American
naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been
lost"
Always will we remember the character of the onslaught
against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this
premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous
might will win through to absolute victory
"Even to this date, especially on this date, the
character of that attack will always be remembered. Many years,
many decades later, America, through determination and might, has
overcome the premeditated invasion"
With confidence in our armed forces—with the
unbounded determination of our people—we will gain the
inevitable triumph, so help us God
"Confidence in our armed forces, the unbounded
determination of the American people, the many hearts of the
volunteers, triumph was won"
In his mind, in his heart, Danny heard both President Franklin D.
Roosevelt's and Mr. Omiat's speeches. One echoing the
other as Danny and his fellow students gathered around the sacred
memorial that was the USS Arizona Memorial. Mr. Omiat had some
inside connection—mainly good friends that work on the
visitor museum—and managed to score a chance for his
students to briefly visit the memorial on this very unforgettable
anniversary.
It was an inner struggle for Danny as his great
grandfather's past fought with Danny's present. He
squeezed Meg's hand every so often as his own reassurance
that he was still Daniel Kawika W. James.
Meg placed one arm around his waist while she reached over to
hold his hand. She was just as scared as Danny was that she might
lose him.
"Don't you dare leave me, Danny." She whispered to
him. A part of her logical side thought it was crazy to believe
in reincarnation, but she regarded her Danny and knew that the
idea wasn't so unbelievable after all.
His eyes were tired, seemingly worn with passing years. This was
not the Danny who would tease her mercilessly. Not the Danny that
could easily pick her up and over his shoulder against her will.
Not the Danny that could heal her broken heart with just a single
promising kiss.
It was then that his eyes gazed far above the rest of his peers
and rested upon the water. The sea that was once deep in oil,
flames, and men screaming for their lives. There was something so
haunting about it even now, sixty years later.
Danny pulled away from Meg and began walking in a daze towards
the end of the floating memorial.
"Danny?" Meg followed him with her eyes, curious
and a bit paranoid as to why he left her side so willingly.
He pushed through his fellow students until finding himself at
the very end of the memorial, where man's creation meets the
warm blue waters.
"Danny! DANNY!"
Danny's eyes widened in utter shock at the piercing impact
that exploded within his chest. Images and sounds of the past
enveloped him, causing his mind to believe that it was all a
dream until he glanced down and began gasping in shock at
the sight of his own blood slowly oozing out of a small
bullet-sized hole on his chest.
His whole body fell limp as his eyes rolled back. Danny's
body became too numb to even feel itself fall into the awaiting
ocean.
"Danny!" He faintly heard Meg scream, but his senses
began to fade into a deep darkness as his body sank into the
shallow depths of the sea surrounding Pearl Harbor.
"Danny"
That voice
"Danny"
His eyes fluttered open to gaze up at the man that was his
brother. In soft spurts, "I'm not I'm
not gonna I'm so cold not gonna make
it."
Rafe held him tight, afraid to let go. "Yes you are. YES
YOU ARE!" He shouted, fear evident in his strong force.
"Do me favor," Danny whispered to Rafe.
"Let somebody else spell my name on the
tombstone."
"Danny you're my family. You can't leave
me like this!"
Danny heard Rafe, but he didn't have the will power to
speak. He closed his eyes again, becoming overpowered by his
whole life flashing before his eyes.
"Bandits at two o'clock!"
"Power dive!"
"Good shooting, Danny!"
"Good flying, Rafe!"
"Land of the free"
"Home of the brave!"
Days of old and days of youthful innocence.
"Didn't you say you told her not to come?"
"Yeah,"
"Then why are you looking for her?"
"It's my test if I tell her not to come, and she
comes then I know she loves me."
"ALL ABOARD!"
"If anything happens to me, I want you to be the one to tell
her"
"Well, just make it back alive for the both of
us."
To a time where all he needed was his brother to return home
safely.
"I lived with Rafe's family after my father died.
Rafe taught me how to fly. I never thought there was anything
that could hurt him in the air."
"He told me you're the only one he ever saw who was
better in the air than him."
" He said that? Up there, he was always pushing
me to fly better and faster."
A moment where a part of his heart was shattered by
tragedy
"Have you ever seen Pearl Harbor at sunset?"
"Well sure,"
"From the air?"
Then mended by a single kiss that would unite him with his first
and only true love.
"Danny Danny you can't die. You
can't." Rafe pleaded with him. Oh God how Danny
wanted him to know that everything's going to be alright.
Moments from months before where he prayed to God that he would
survive the horrendous Japanese attack on Pearl. To dreaded
minutes he'd spent in knowing he practically destroyed the
one person he wouldn't dare to hurt.
"Gotta face facts here, Danny And the fact is, we
both love the same woman."
Finally, to a single perfect moment where the future was just
within his reach
"The only thing that scares me is that you love
him more than me."
"I do love you, Danny. And I'll be here waiting for
you, when you come back."
Danny could just feel in Rafe's soul that he didn't
want him to die. That there had to be
something—anything—to keep him here on earth. Then, "You're
gonna be a father I wasn't supposed to tell you. It
was supposed to be a secret but you're gonna be a
father"
Disbelief shook his core as Danny regarded Rafe's words. The
truth poured from his voice, and just for a mere second, Danny
fought to live but "No. You are."
Danny was too tired to fight. He wanted to with all his heart and
soul. To be with Evelyn and their child but he slowly
realized that it was his time.
The young Walker closed his eyes, as Rafe's heartbroken
voice called out to him. "Danny Land of the
free Land of the free, Danny! Land of the free"
Danny felt so cold inside, but alive in knowing that his Evelyn
and his child would be in good hands so why could he still
hear Rafe.
It was then that he felt that something was wrong. That something
just wasn't right or was still incomplete.
"Land of the free Land of the free, Danny!"
He heard Rafe began to sob, his own spirit dying at the sight of
his dead brother.
Memories swirled in his head again—only this time, they
weren't of Danny Walker's past.
"Nah you is wrong, James! We've known each
other since back in the days of our mothers' morning
sicknesses!"
A young woman, so beautiful in her own right. She was staring
down at Danny with much love and joy in her onyx eyes.
"I can't explain it, Meg, but I'm
afraid. I can't go to Pearl Harbor, Meghan. I just
can't."
He saw himself, days later with the same girl with the
love-filled onyx eyes. Danny could feel the fear in his body at
the thought of visiting the historic military harbor.
"Every dream that I've been having lately
every time I close my eyes I see these images, feel these
emotions, hear these voices that I know, yet don't, by
heart! My dreams Danny's memories all feel so
real to me, Meghan And it's somehow connected to the
anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack I know it is! These
visions are becoming more real to me now especially since I
got here and I'm scared, Meghan."
He was afraid now. Could feel the fear overpowering his entire
body. Meg, the woman with the onyx eyes, was in his arms, and a
part of himself so safe in knowing that. What happened to Evelyn?
Why did he love this woman more?
"I love you, Danny James. You're my best
friend and my soul mate. Not him you. And even
though what makes me love you is that you're a part of Danny
Walker it's you that I'm crazy about."
Danny James? Danny James Yes! He remembered now! Daniel
Kawika Walker James! Son of Samantha Evelyn Walker James.
Grandson of Daniel Walker McCawley Jr. Great grandson of Daniel
Walker!
He was here he was reliving his great grandfather's
death! His mind of screaming "Oh my God! I'm
dying!" Yet he knew that he, Danny Kawika, wasn't
really was he?
Danny suddenly recalled the day of December seventh of 2001. That
sixty anniversary that was taking place in his own time, at the
USS Arizona Memorial.
Why was he brought into this past?
"Land of the free Land of the free"
"Home of the brave!" His mind screamed out.
That was it! Rafe was waiting for him, praying for him, to finish
their special phrase. Those two sentences are the very corner
stones of their friendship. He needed to reply he must say
it! Or his brother's soul could never be at peace nor
could his own.
"Land of the free, Danny! Land of the free"
"Home of the brave." He murmured as loud as he
could to Rafe, using every last ounce of his strength, before
falling deep into eternal slumber.
Rafe blinked, a small smile began to form on his tear stained
face. "Danny my brother." He whispered,
then leaned to place a tender kiss on Danny's forehead
before sobbing and cradling him in his arms.
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"Danny!"
The darkness felt so long so endless that it shook
Danny's spirit to the core.
"Danny! Don't you dare leave me!"
Her voice cried out to him from beyond time itself. He saw mere
shadows of her smile, her face images of his Meghan.
"Please, Danny please"
He felt his eyes slowly flutter open, taking in everything around
him. His heart leaped into his throat as he immediately saw her
for what seems like three lifetimes ago.
"Danny" She gasped as they met eyes.
"With my heart" He coughed, the sea water still
playing on his tongue, "And on my honor"
Meg didn't know whether to shout out him for taking that
stupid leap into the water to cry at the thought of almost
losing him or to just hug him and never let him go.
Instead, she did all three.
"You stupid bastard!" She whacked him on the shoulder,
despite the near attempt to stop her by a military officer. Meg
felt tears flowing down her cheeks as she stopped hitting him and
just enveloped him into a bone crushing hug.
Danny had something to say off the tip of his smart-alec tongue
of his but was too weak from the near drowning to say
anything.
Many voices surrounded him all at once. Mr. Omiat and a couple of
upset officials were amongst the few demanding to know why Danny
just dove head first into the water. Others were trying to
explain to him of the events after his fall. How Michael and a
few others dived in to save Danny, and how two military officers
tried CPR to revive Danny, who's pulse was extremely weak.
All Danny could focus on, however, was Meg. His Meghan and only
his Meghan as she just held him tight.
*************************************************