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  Petyr pulled Freda around. “Let’s go home.” He led her out of the room and out of the building. The sun warmed them as they made their way to the street. She didn’t say anything, just walked beside Petyr staring blankly ahead. Even on the tram she remained silent, but when he started to let go of her hand, she tightened her grip and wouldn’t let go. He called home to let his family know.

  Getting back to the apartment, they found that Petyr’s mother had everything arranged. She would prepare their meals and take care of the house. Petyr nodded and led Freda to their apartment. Sitting down together on the couch, she again laid her head on his shoulder. After a few minutes, she looked up at him. “You meant it, didn’t you?” she asked.

  He looked at her questioningly. “Meant what?”

  “That you would take care of me.”

  He smiled at her. “Yes, I meant it.”

  “She could tell. She knew it, and it made her so happy.”

  Petyr smiled. He didn’t know why he had said it, but he knew it was the truth. He chuckled slightly. “I don’t think I realized it until I said it. But I think for the rest of my life, I will take care of you,” he said.

  She looked into his eyes and could see the same thing her mother saw. He loved her. She suddenly realized that she felt the same way. Placing her head on his shoulder again she said, “Then we can be happy together.”

  Petyr held her for more than an hour before the family returned. Sometimes there were tears, others just quiet contemplation. She didn’t speak again until Mrs. Kursov called them to dinner.

  The Baltic

  Captain Leonid Kronovsky watched the seawater as it came up over the bow of his ship, the Oscar Class submarine, Voronezh, and pour off to either side. It was getting cold in the Baltic and his heavy jacket was pulled up tight against him. He and his crew had been training for months to get ready for this day. The reactor had been overhauled and his ship loaded full of 24 SS-N-19 “Shipwreck” cruise missiles. On this trip, there would also carry 23 torpedoes. His orders had been handed to him personally just before departure and would not be opened until the third day at sea. Until then, he was to take his ship into the North Atlantic. His orders would spell out the rest.

  There wasn’t much doubt what they were about to do. Their job would be to take on the United States Fleet. What else would they do with these weapons, he thought to himself. Kronovsky had started his career in the Soviet Navy. In those heady days they had dreamed of sinking all those large ships the Americans boasted about. An aircraft carrier would look nice painted on the side of the ship’s sail. He only hoped this wasn’t just a drill, like they had always had before. The mood at headquarters had changed recently and it appeared that the days of drills were over. His thoughts were interrupted by a report from his watch officer.

  “Sir, the escort is pulling away. They signal for us to proceed.”

  Kronovsky gave a grunt. He always kept a gruff face when a cruise started. Only when the crew had proved its worth would he lighten up. “Signal our thanks. What is the depth of water?”

  “Two hundred meters, Captain,” answered another officer.

  He grunted again. “Maintain course and speed. I am going below. When water depth reaches five hundred meters, submerge the ship. Keep her at one hundred meters until I say otherwise,” he told the watch officer.

  “Yes, Captain!” the officer replied.

  Kronovsky got up from his small seat and made his way to the open hatch. Climbing down the ladder he entered the submariner’s world of pipes, equipment, wires, men and smells. Everything was close on a submarine. It was something some never got used to, but for Kronovsky, it was his home. He glanced over at his second in command, who was monitoring the activities around the control room. “Don’t let that wet nose hit anything,” he said for all to hear. “I’ll be in my cabin.”

  Kronovsky made his way aft to a door along the passageway. Opening it, he entered his personal cabin. It measured just three meters by three meters. It contained a bed, desk, cabinet for his clothes, and two chairs for when he had company. It was the largest personal space on the ship. There was a door on one end that led to his bathroom which had a toilet, sink and shower. To Kronovsky it was the ultimate luxury. Most officers were crammed four deep in a space only half the size. The crew had to squeeze in where they could.

  He pulled off the heavy coat and threw it over the bed. Sitting at his desk, he pulled out the orders in their envelope. Strange, the envelope was only barely sealed. Throwing caution to the wind, he flipped his finger along the top and the flap popped open. What difference does it make, he though as he unfolded the orders and began to read. Kronovsky suddenly froze in his seat. His eyes widened. Flipping through the sheets, he went back and read them again. His heart leapt with joy. He would have shouted if the rest of the crew would not hear him. His dreams would be fulfilled.

  It was strange when the Captain made his way back into the control room. He looked and acted very happy.

  Russell Senate Office Building

  The gavel was struck and everyone in the meeting room got quiet. Senator George Raymond called the meeting to order.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we welcome Vice Admiral Roger Hammond to these chambers today as the nominee for the position of Vice Chief of Naval Operations. I wish to thank Admiral Hammond for coming and helping us in our task.”

  Hammond nodded and said, “Thank you, Mister Chairman.”

  Raymond was one of the senators from Georgia. He had a thick, slow drawl, that reminded people of the actor John Barrymore, but behind the voice and smiling face was a keen intellect and shrewd politician. He continued, “I must say it is a rare occasion that we have such a distinguished officer before us. As we get started would you like to make a statement?”

  Hammond looked across the seated members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Several of them he had met before, but there were a few new faces. “Mister Chairman, I believe you have a copy of my biography before you. As some of you know, I am not someone who likes making speeches. I’d rather my record speak for me. I am honored at being given the opportunity to further serve this nation and stand ready to answer your questions.”

  Raymond smiled. “Well, now, I see you are also being modest. Your bio does not do you justice. Yes, it says where you have served and the awards you have received, however I know a few more of the details. It seems that on your first ship, just two years into your career, you were credited with saving USS Griffin and its crew from being lost in bad weather. You received the Meritorious Service Medal for that one. Then as the Executive Officer of the Candler you personally led the crew’s humanitarian efforts during the tsunami that leveled a portion of the Southern Philippines. You got the Joint Service Commendation for that one. Then as commanding officer of the Hamilton, you and your ship personally beat back four attempts to Shanghai freighters by Somali pirates. You ended up capturing three of the crews and brought them to the international court. Your actions are credited with ending the Somali piracy for a good five years. You got the Legion of Merit for that one. Then we come to the Korean War. You and your ship are credited with destroying over 150 different enemy encampments or facilities, leading the raid on Wonsan, and other events. You received the Silver Star. Then you had the audacity to place your ship between several cruise missiles and an aircraft carrier. You ended up saving the carrier and kept your ship in action. For that, you received the Medal of Honor. There is more, but I don’t think anyone can top that. So my first question is, “Where the hell did you come from?”

  The chamber erupted in laughter and Hammond joined in. “I’m just a regular fellow from Virginia, Senator.”

  “Well, I want to know what they put in the water down there,” Raymond joked.

  Once again, the chamber filled with laughter. When it calmed, Raymond got more serious. “I would like to know, Admiral, what caused you to leave the navy for a year before the war?”

  Hammond had been told this
question would be asked and he was ready. “Senator, at the time, my wife had grown tired of the service and I had hoped that getting a civilian job might make things better. I left and got a good job, making plenty of money, but it wasn’t enough for her. She left me for someone else. I had come to the realization that I needed to get back into the navy when I saw the sky light up that night. So the next day, I got in my car and came to Washington. I was going to get with an old friend of mine to see if it could be done. I figured the navy would need all the help they could. So I was offered the chance and I took it.”

  “You were offered the chance by none other than the President of the United States. Mind telling us about that?”

  Hammond smiled. Those were pleasant thoughts. “I went to my friend’s house. I believe you know him, Jim Butler, currently the President’s Chief of Staff. On the drive up I had kind of figured out what we might need to do, so…”

  Raymond interrupted him. “Hold on, you drove up? I remember that my car didn’t move for almost a month before the spare parts came in. How did you accomplish that?”

  “My car was a part of the solution. I’ve got a 1968 Olds Delta 88 convertible. Since it didn’t have any electronics, it worked fine. At any rate, when I got to Butler’s house, he was the Navy Liaison at the time, I told him what I thought we needed to do. Communications was the first priority so we drove to the USS Barry and got things going. By the next morning I found myself back in uniform and in the Navy Liaison job.”

  “That would be when the old Chief of Staff got fired. From what I understand, you led the way from the White House for a while,” said Raymond.

  “Yes, sir. Mostly I talked to people and gave a few suggestions. Before long things were starting to happen.”

  “Is it true you lived in the basement of the White House?”

  Hammond almost gulped. The sub-basement was not supposed to be talked about, but he got around it. “Yes, I got myself a small cot and just kept out of the way. With the transportation down, it didn’t make sense to have to walk a few miles every morning and night.”

  Raymond snorted. “Can’t blame you. I did the same thing myself. Now let’s talk about something else. I would like to know what you see the Navy’s role is and what part you play in it.”

  Now came the harder questions. Hammond plowed ahead. “Senator, the Navy’s role is just like that of all the other services, really. We are serving as our nation and the elected leaders need us. For us, it can’t be any other way. We really depend on you to do your jobs so that we don’t have to do ours. Only when politics and diplomacy fail, are we are called to step in. Sometimes it is just for a show of force, sometimes we must fight. But throughout history wars have started because the politics of the situation have failed in some way. You, as our elected officials select the course our nation must go. Our diplomats follow that lead and try to integrate our ideas with those of other countries to come to mutual agreements. When that happens, we aren’t needed except to show the flag and act as a kind of goodwill ambassador. I did a lot of that in our cruise after the war. But with a dictator, who refuses to come to a mutual agreement, or has other more sinister desires, the politics fail and we are called upon to bring back some sort of stability so that the political process will work again. It’s been true of every conflict we have been in. So our job is to be ready. We must use the tools at our disposal to get the job done in a satisfactory manner. It is our hope that that time never comes.”

  “My job is to follow the orders of the Commander and Chief. To do that becomes a little more intricate the higher in rank you get. At this level, I need to be a part of that political process, informing you, our elected officials on what I can, working with you as needed to make sure we remain ready and leading our men and women in a way which keeps them safe and secure while getting the job done. It gets difficult at times, but the safety of our people is a priority for me, as I am sure it is a priority for you.”

  Raymond smiled at Hammond, “Thank you, Admiral. Senator Clark.”

  Senator Clark was from Philadelphia and was in the minority party. He was more known for his scowl. “Admiral, I have several questions. First of all, can you tell me the role you played in the forced retirement of Vice Admiral Granger?”

  The silence in the room was deafening. Hammond got a questioning look on his face. “My role, Senator?”

  “Yes, I understand you were there in the room the day it happened and that it was the start of your meteoric rise to power.”

  “I believe you have been misinformed, Senator. I had nothing to do with his retirement.”

  “Well, it is my understanding that the president accosted him over the phone that day while you were there,” Clark said accusingly.

  Hammond took a breath. “Senator, Admiral Granger was a respected senior flag officer in the United States Navy. I have no idea why he retired and it was not mentioned during that meeting. I also refuse to drag that officer’s name through the mud on something that clearly is between him and our leadership. I say again, I had nothing to do with his retirement and it was not mentioned during the meeting. As a matter of fact, I have not seen Admiral Granger since that very day.”

  “So you had nothing to do with him being drummed out of the service.”

  “Senator, I don’t know how he left the service. As far as I know, he retired, and retired with full pay and benefits.”

  “That’s not the information I received. Going on, you said you always kept the safety of your people a priority, yet, you placed your ship between deadly cruise missiles and the carrier. It seems you may not really have their best interests in mind,” the Senator said snidely.

  Hammond was starting to become angry, but he couldn’t show it. Either this guy was a bully or he was playing some dirty politics. Either way, Hammond didn’t like it. “Senator, we were in a war. The North Koreans had fired missiles at one of our carriers with over 6,000 people aboard. My ship had only 1,500 people aboard and is one of the most heavily armored vessels ever constructed. As a matter of fact, that armor is over seventeen inches thick in some places. When I ordered my ship into harm’s way I also ordered everyone in the ship to get inside the armored belt if possible. Yes, the ship was hit three times, but we did not lose one single life to those missiles. More importantly, we saved the lives of the 6,000 sailors and Marines on that carrier. My ship could take it, while that one couldn’t. I made the decision and I stand by it. If I had commanded a destroyer, a ship very lightly protected, I would have done the same thing to protect that carrier. It is something that has to be done.”

  “So you would sacrifice your crew,” Clark insisted.

  Now Hammond raised his voice slightly. “Yes, Senator. I would sacrifice the few to protect the many, and a ship of much lesser value than one of the most valuable assets we have.”

  “Mister Chairman, if I may, I was a naval officer, and in my service that is exactly what must be done. If someone has been in the military at all, they might understand this. It is a shame that some of our distinguished colleagues have missed out on this opportunity,” said Senator Kelso, a junior senator from Ohio. “I can assure my distinguished colleague that this has been a part of our military doctrine from its very beginning, and it is a sign of the dedication to our ultimate victory in war many of our best officers emulate,” he continued. He made his remarks while looking at Hammond and not at his ‘distinguished colleague.’

  Raymond nodded. “I thank the Senator from Ohio. This act was judged several years ago as reaching the zenith of the dedication and heroism our fighting sailors demonstrate. We cannot debate this topic during these proceedings. I hope my colleague agrees,” he said eyeing Clark critically.

  Clark had just been told he was an idiot without saying the words. He quickly backpedaled. “Of course, Mister Chairman, I am simply bringing out that very point, that he made the hard decision, despite the sacrifice it might have incurred. I have one further question.”

  “Proceed.”


  “Admiral Hammond, what is your relationship with the President of the United States?”

  Hammond could tell this was something Clark might use against his friend. He plunged right in. “Senator, Steve O’Bannon is one of my best friends. I didn’t know him at all before that first visit to the White House, but working with him and getting to know him over the years has been one of the highlights of my life. The best part is that I know he didn’t do anything to help me in my career. I owe him no favors, and he doesn’t owe any to me. We have a genuine friendship, and that friendship will last long after he has left office. I found that when you get to know the man personally, he is a good, decent man, who tries not to place his burdens on others. There’s one other thing about Steve O’Bannon. He is one of the best natural leaders I have met. And I’m not saying that because of our friendship. I got to see the man work, up close. He listens to all sides and then invites others to join him. Some of you on this committee may have had the opportunity to see it. Some may say it’s politics, but I have seen him in other situations act the same way. As a military man, I would gladly follow him.” Hammond paused for a second, then continued, “Please excuse me if in this case I am a little more enthusiastic, but I feel that’s what having a true friend is all about.”

  The room was silent. Then someone started clapping. Others joined in. After several bangs of the gavel, Raymond restored order. “I must admonish the attendees that we cannot have such outbreaks during these proceedings, no matter how much we may agree with the speaker,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “If that is all, I now turn to Senator Collingwood.”

  The hearing lasted over four hours. The rest of the senators were polite in their questions and with few exceptions, didn’t try to corner Hammond in any issue. After closing the hearing, Hammond went to the front of the chamber and thanked Raymond.