Chapter 12

           Itisbynomeansenoughthatanofficershouldbecapable....Heshouldbeaswellagentlemanofliberaleducation,refinedmanners,punctiliouscourtesy,andthenicestsenseofpersonalhonor....Nomeritoriousactofasubordinateshouldescapehisattention,eveniftherewardbeonlyonewordofapproval.Conversely,heshouldnotbeblindtoasinglefaultinanysubordinate.

           Trueasmaybethepoliticalprinciplesforwhichwearenowcontending...theshipsthemselvesmustberuledunderasystemofabsolutedespotism.

           ItrustthatIhavenowmadecleartoyouthetremendousresponsibilities....Wemustdothebestwecanwithwhatwehave.

           JohnPaulJones,September14,1775;excerptsfromalettertothenavalcommitteeoftheN.A.insurrectionists.

           TheRodgerYoungwasagainreturningtoBaseforreplacements,bothcapsulesandmen.AlJenkinshadboughthisfarm,coveringapickupandthatonehadcostusthePadre,too.Andbesidesthat,Ihadtobereplaced.Iwaswearingbrand-newsergeant’schevrons(viceMigliaccio)butIhadahunchthatAcewouldbewearingthemassoonasIwasoutoftheship—theyweremostlyhonorary,Iknew;thepromotionwasJelly’swayofgivingmeagoodsend-offasIwasdetachedforO.C.S.

           Butitdidn’tkeepmefrombeingproudofthem.AttheFleetlandingfieldIwentthroughtheexitgatewithmynoseintheairandstrodeuptothequarantinedesktohavemyordersstamped.