Chapter Eight

Sam was shocked to go through the door and find that they were out in the ocean!

(The children have just stepped through the door and found themselves on the deck of a huge ship that's very different from the pirate ship they'd already been on.)

 Young sailors were moving about the vast gray ship, doing their jobs. Some were cleaning parts of the ship, while others appeared to be examining equipment. All the kids could see around the ship was a huge expanse of water – in every direction.

 "I don't think we're in North Carolina anymore," Sam said, his voice full of wonder.

 "You're right, Sam. We're a long way from the Tar Heel state. In fact, we're in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. See those other ships?"  Mr. Dreamer pointed to several enormous ships with large, flat decks that housed numerous aircraft.

 Kate nodded. "I'll bet those are aircraft carriers," she said.

 "Very good, Kate. Yes. Those are aircraft carriers – the Enterprise, the Saratoga and the Wasp."

 "Enterprise? Like in Star Trek? Beam me up, Scotty?" Sam asked.

 Mr. Dreamer laughed. "Same name, different game, Sam. No, this is   August 18, 1942. The USS North Carolina is on its way to its first real fighting engagement of World War II. In another few days, the three carriers and the rest of the fleet will be involved in the Battle for the Solomon Islands — one of their main objectives will be to secure Guadalcanal. This ship will be responsible for making certain that the Enterprise is protected," he said.

 "What's so important about the Enterprise?" Kate asked as she watched a sailor swabbing the deck.

  "The massive carriers were used to launch airplanes to give our troops both protection against other air assaults but also help the ground troops.  Many young Marines and Navy corpsmen will go ashore at Guadalcanal  and a lot of them won't make it back. The North Carolina will be there to help them.

"In the battle for the Solomons, the North Carolina will take out seven enemy airplanes with its anti-aircraft guns. Next month, in September, the North Carolina will be struck by

The USS Enterprise

an enemy torpedo. Five crewmen will die in that incident, but the ship was repaired and by December was back in the war. The North Carolina fought until the end of the war," he said.

 "But what does this have to do with North Carolina history, Mr. Dreamer?" Kate asked.

 "Just this, Kate, did you know that 360,000 North Carolinians went to war – and 4,000 of them died?"

 Kate shook her head.

 "I didn't think so," Mr. Dreamer said, gently. "War is a terrible thing, children. Something to be avoided whenever possible. But in this case – in World War II – our leaders felt we had to fight those who would rob us of our freedom and the freedom enjoyed by others. So we joined forces with other Allied nations.

 "The men who answered the call to arms were both professional soldiers and ordinary men. They were fathers with families, young men barely out of high school, teachers, lawyers, doctors and mechanics.

 "They came from all around the country – including North Carolina. Cities like Charlotte, Asheville, Raleigh and Winston-Salem sent men. So did Jacksonville, Lincolnton, Hickory, Elizabeth City and Boone.

 "And they came from the country – from little towns like Kenansville, Calabash, Warsaw and Sneads Ferry. They were your grandfathers and your great-grandfathers and their contribution to this country's way of life shouldn't be forgotten.

 "Now – let's get back to the ship named after our great state – not too many years ago plans were made to scrap the ship. Do you know what happened?"

 Sam looked puzzled. "You mean they were just going to throw it away?"

 "In a manner of speaking. But that didn't happen. Some people in this state heard about it and ran a campaign to move the Battleship North Carolina here, so that future generations of Tar Heels can walk upon her decks and feel the pride of the men who served upon her during World War II," Mr. Dreamer said.

 "I remember!" Kate said.  "My class went on a field trip there! The Battleship North Carolina is in Wilmington now!"

 Mr. Dreamer looked at his watch.

 "That's correct, Kate. But right now you two need to start watching for the door. It'll pop up in a minute and you must hurry through. No tarrying – if you do, you will be left behind in the past, unable to pass through the door ever again. Keep a sharp eye out, children. I'll meet you back in the present." And with that, Mr. Dreamer disappeared.

 "Oh no!" Kate said. "Where did he go? What will we do?"

 Sam shook his head. "I guess we'll just watch for the door and get through it as fast as we can." And just as he said the words, the two children looked up and saw the door far in the distance on the other side of the ship.

 They began to run towards it and just as they reached it…it, too, disappeared.

 The two adventurers stopped and looked at one another with dismay.

"Now what'll we do?" Sam asked

Vocabulary Words:

expanse: Space

objective: Purposes.

torpedo: An underwater guided missile that carries a bomb.

unavoidable: Inevitable.

tarrying: Delaying.

Click here to read the conclusion of Time On Their Hands to see if Sam, Katie and Mr. Dreamer made it home OK!

Did You Know?

 When plans to scrap the Battleship North Carolina were announced, thousands of veterans decided to intervene. They raised the money to bring the Battleship to this state with the help of school children just like you, who donated their nickels and dimes to the effort.

 But the battleship isn't the first ship to be named after the state. The first one was built in the 1820s, followed by a Confederate ironclad, a World War I armored cruiser and a fourth ship that was never completed. The Battleship now anchored in Wilmington is the fifth ship to bear the state's name.

Something To Talk About:

 Although battleships look large, the crew quarters were very small. It required a great deal of cooperation for so many men to live and work together harmoniously. One way such an arrangement works is when the participants see the need to control their actions.

 The sailors aboard the North Carolina had to count on all the others to do their job and do it correctly. This requires self-discipline. To have self-discipline means you recognize that although you might want to do something else, you must buckle down and work toward a different goal. One example of self-discipline is when you have a test coming up and need to study and your friends want you to come out and play and you decide to study.

 Can you think of other times when you might need to exercise self-discipline?

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