A Sword in the Darkness
by
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A sudden explosion amplified the pain in 1st Lieutenant Tegan Allen Braden’s aching head. The hangover was suddenly forgotten as two more near simultaneous explosions occurred close to the building.
Tegan went to his window curious to see what the Navy was doing to add continued pain to his already sad condition. The situation seemed very odd.
“What is the Navy doing and why are they training on a Sunday morning especially in the middle of Oahu,” said Tegan as he approached the window to figure out whom to lodge his complaint against.
As he peered out the window, something in the sky caught his attention. He gazed upward, but the sun hurt his eyes. Suddenly more explosions followed by an aircraft appearing about 100 feet off the ground. It had gone over the bachelor officer’s quarters and came out in front of his window and then slowly banked to the left.
What Tegan saw next shocked him into forgetting all the pain in his body. The sight of the Japanese "meatball" on a white plane was sobering.
In an instant he was moving to get dressed. He didn't have to see another "meatball" to know they were under attack.
Tegan wondered why the Japanese were attacking as he searched for his pants on the ground. He suddenly realized that he had passed out fully clothed.
He was out the door in a blink of an eye and found soldiers exiting their rooms and shouting in a panic. Everyone was running somewhere.
The fact that his shirt was untucked caused Tegan only enough concern to make a mental note as he headed for Wheeler Army Airfield.
Tegan was stunned. He knew tension between Japan and the United States were strained, yet it seemed unconscionable that Japan would attack without a formal declaration of war; especially, here in the Hawaiian Islands.
Once outside, Tegan saw pandemonium everywhere as soldiers were running for cover.
Tegan now could see heavy black smoke rising to the south. The smoke was evidence of a large Japanese force over Pearl Harbor.
The Japanese must be attacking the war ships that are “conveniently” lined up for them.
For a moment Tegan remembered seeing a carrier sailing out of Pearl Harbor several days ago. He remembered not seeing any carriers yesterday while flying over the ship yard; however, the battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and submarines were anchored in the harbor. Stationary targets.
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About the Book
Tegan Braden, wounded during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Discharged because the army considered his injuries too serious for Tegan to ever be able to handle a high performance fighter. Tegan finds a way to fly in the war with the Royal Canadian Air Force in North Africa, performing well enough to be brought back into the United States Army Air Force. Tegan finds himself assigned to a fighter group with a self-serving chain of command. Tegan struggles to maintain his integrity under corrupt authority relying on the truth and his faith as a Christian. Trusting in God, Tegan finds himself able to fulfill his commitment to fight for his country and more.
Fritz Wallerstadt, forced to fly for the Luftwaffe after the imprisonment of his father for violation of the Nazis’ anti-subversion law. Fritz is determined to survive the war he does not want to be a part of in order to search for his father. Every day he flies his plane into the teeth of overwhelming allied fighters trying to survive and stay away from being a Gestapo target while maintaining his faith as a Christian. These two “opponent” will collide over the skies of Germany.
About the Author
Jeffrey “Jeff” A. Romero is from Fort Collins, Colorado. In 1989, he graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in Business Administration with minors in History and Military Science, and was the 1988-89 United States Army ROTC Cadet Battalion Commander, a Distinguished Military Graduate, and three time recipient of the Cadet Superior Award.
Jeff served nine years (two years enlisted time included) in the United States Army as an Infantry Officer and is a graduate of the Airborne and Ranger schools. In 1996, Jeff left the Army and became a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation where he worked primarily Violent Crimes and Bank Robberies.
After twenty-six years of service to the United States, Jeff left government service to spend more time with his family and follow his true passion, writing.
Jeff is married and has two daughters.