1945

"I agree," said Nimitz. Normally he would have been at his command post at Okinawa or on the Wasatch; however, the situation was so unique that he felt compelled to be on the Midway waiting for success or failure. That he was not the only important person on the carrier was also not lost on him. Should anything happen to the Midway, history might well change dramatically.

A junior officer interrupted Nimitz's thoughts. "Sir, we have a message from Roy. He says send Dale."

"My gawd," said Halsey. "Something's actually happening out there, isn't it?"

Nimitz nodded. The question was rhetorical. Dale was the signal to begin extracting the troops. He wondered if the American raiders had actually taken Hirohito or were just running for their lives. Irrelevently, he wondered who'd thought of using the names of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans for the operation.

CHAPTER 74

KYUSHU, NEAR CAMP 7

Nomura looked at the clearing that was now surrounded by lights that pierced the foggy sky. Swain had said help was coming and that was good. Bad news, however, was that a Jap patrol had found them, probably attracted by the lights. It had been driven off, but the sky was getting brighter, and Jap reinforcements were coming through the brush and homing in on the beacons.

"When, Mr. Swain?" Joe asked impatiently.

"Any second now."

As he said that, a ranger outpost began firing at approaching Japanese. The Japanese shot back, and mortar shells began to drop near the perimeter. In the background Joe heard a distant clattering sound that rapidly grew closer. He turned and watched as what appeared to be a giant insect dropped from the sky.

"What the hell is that?"

Swain grinned. "That my friend is a helicopter. Chopper for short." As he spoke, a mortar exploded, hurling Swain on top of Nomura. Joe pushed him off and saw that the back of Swain's head had been blown away. Joe's leg was bleeding and he was covered with Swain's gore. He had picked up shrapnel and maybe pieces of Billy Swain. He picked himself up and managed to stand and control the pain.

The first chopper landed, quickly followed by a second. Sounds told Joe that others were approaching. He made a quick decision. "Get the emperor out on the first one and send one of the Japanese speakers with him."

"What about you?" one of the rangers asked.

"That's my problem. Hirohito goes first and then the rest of us."

Hirohito and a wounded ranger headed for the first helicopter. The emperor hesitated momentarily as he realized that the frail-looking craft was expected to fly him out over the Pacific. He turned, waved at Joe, then boarded. Joe was glad to see that the wounded man was one of the Japanese speakers. Good. Someone was using his head and killing two birds with one stone.

Hirohito looked out through the window as the helicopter began its slow, noisy ascent. Joe wanted to scream for it to hurry, to make all the dead and wounded relevant.

Prudently, the pilot kept the chopper low and headed away from the approaching Japanese. The second helicopter lifted off and two more landed in their place. These were quickly filled with wounded and flew away. Wounded now had the highest priority. The dead would have to remain.

The sequence of drop-down and liftoff continued despite Japanese fire, which got closer and heavier. As the Americans departed, it meant fewer and fewer remained to man the defenses, and Joe realized that he had a difficult decision to make.

Suddenly, a helicopter was hit and exploded in a burst of flames. It crashed to the ground. No one left it. The approaching chopper pilots ignored the fire and carnage to land and remove more men.

"How many left?" Joe yelled after still another pair had lifted off. The men sounded off. Only five were left alive, counting himself.

Two more helicopters managed to land, avoiding the flaming ruins of the burning one. Two men filled one and it lifted off.

"Go," Joe ordered.

A ranger looked aghast. "What about you, sir?"

"No room at the inn, buddy. I'll be all right. Just get your asses out of here."

The remaining rangers didn't need more urging. They sprinted to the last helicopter and flung themselves into the cabin, and the chopper immediately took off.

Joe turned and saw Japs approaching less than a hundred yards away. The sun was beginning to rise and the whole area remained lit by the lights and the fire. "Hurry!" he screamed at the approaching Japanese. "Hurry! The Americans are getting away. Kill them!"

With that, he stood and shot at the helicopter, which was now safely out of range. He only stopped when the wave of advancing soldiers raced by him.

A militia officer trotted up to him, saw the kempei uniform, and saluted. "Are you all right, sir?"

"Yes, but some of them may have gotten away." Joe gestured vaguely in the direction of some hills to his left. "Send your men in that direction." The officer did as he was told and Joe was again alone.