“Do I fly this jet plane in the big show, sir?” Jack asked as he and the Commander stepped down on the Black Bee’s deck half an hour later.

“Not only that,” was the instant response, “but you’ll lead the parade.

“And now,” the Commander ordered, “hit the hay!”

Jack was too excited over past and future events to sleep long that night. He awoke with the dawn to find the sea blanketed in fog.

“Just what the doctor ordered,” he said to Stew. “We’ll be able to get through the day unobserved by the enemy. And tomorrow, unless I miss my guess, we strike at dawn.”

With coffee, hot cakes, and bacon stowed away, Jack made his way to the flight deck. There he obtained permission to take his jet plane below for study, inspection, and if need be, repairs.
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He had plenty of help with this task. There wasn’t a flier or mechanic on the Black Bee who would not gladly have taken the jet plane apart piece by piece just to see what made it go.

The best mechanics on the carrier were assigned to the task of going over the plane. With an eagle eye Jack watched their every move. He made sure that the oxygen equipment was in perfect order and the tubes filled to capacity.

“You’re flying with me,” he said to Stew. “We’re to be the first scouts over the target. Those are the Commander’s orders. And we’ll go there in the stratosphere, fastest trip you ever made, if our jet plane holds together.”

“That’s Jake with me,” Stew grinned.

That was a busy day on the Black Bee. Every plane was inspected and given minor repairs. Fliers were given last day-before-the-battle instructions. Anti-aircraft crews went through dress rehearsals. Every man on the ship was on his toes and ready to go. No night before was ever like this.

That evening Jack hunted up Mary, who had joined the Medical Corps in the sick bay, and retrieved his violin.

To relieve his tension he went to the flight deck, tuned up his violin, and then walked slowly back and forth playing all the melodies he knew—while with every tune memories of other days came back.
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Then he locked the violin safely in its case and wandered up for one more look at the jet plane before retiring for the night.

“Tomorrow,” he whispered.

Jack and Stew were up two hours before dawn. The hour that preceded dawn was their zero hour.

As they came down for their coffee they were surprised to find Ted and Mary waiting for them.

“We thought we’d like to be with you at the last meal before the big moment,” said Mary.

“That’s sure swell of you,” said Jack.

“You’d want to do that if we were the ones to go,” said Ted.

“That’s right,” Jack agreed. “We’ve been through a lot together, all of us. But Ted, what’s your assignment?”

“That’s just it.” Ted made a long face. “Our fighter squadron, Kentucky, Blackie, and the rest are to stick with the ship just in case we’re attacked. Tell you what.” Ted leaned forward. “When you get over that harbor just send word back that there isn’t a Jap carrier in sight and no bombers on the airfields.”

“Oh! Sure!” Jack grinned. “In fact, we’ll do better than that. We’ll just circle around over the sea, then make our report without even looking at that old Jap harbor.”
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“Say! What is this? Mutiny?” Mary demanded.

“No.” Stew grinned. “It’s just a case of jolly good lying ‘just before the battle, mother.’”

“Don’t sell yourself short just yet,” Jack said to Ted. “You may see plenty of fighting before this day is over, yes, and find yourself in need of a ‘woman’s gentle nursing,’ as the old poem goes, before the sun sets.”

Zero hour came. The jet plane began its predawn song. Jack and Stew were off.

The fog was gone, and the moon bright. Jack was astonished as he climbed into the sky. As far as he could see there were white dots telling of ships plowing their way through the dark sea.

“More fighting ships than the world has ever seen in one place,” he said to Stew.

“Sure—carriers, probably a dozen of them; big battle wagons, cruisers, destroyers, cargo vessels, transports, oilers, tankers, repair ships, PT boats—everything. We’re going back to the Philippines, boy! And we’re going back to stay.”

After that they soared again. With oxygen masks in place they climbed to the substratosphere, then headed for Mindanao at incredible speed.

“Wonderful!” Jack breathed. “No Zero will ever catch up with us now.”
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“And we’d better not let them,” Stew warned. “You remember the orders—no dogfights with those cookies today.”

The first faint streaks of dawn were showing when a gray bulk close to the surface of the sea loomed up ahead of them.

“There!” Jack exclaimed. “Take a good look! It’s the Philippines!”

“My first glimpse of the islands,” Stew murmured with a touch of reverence. “But not my last, I hope.”

By studyi............