"Captain Douglass said he thought it would be nice if the Colonel made it official," Staley said.
"Yeah, hell, why not?" Ellis said.
"But you done it, Ellis," Staley said.
"Thank you."
"We old China sailors got to stick together," Ellis said.
"And you're at the age where you look silly in bell bottoms
He tossed his overcoat on a chair, pushed his cap back on his head, sat down at the desk, and slid the stack of classified documents in front of him.
"Anything interesting in here?"
"Yachtsman is alive and well," Staley said.
"That came operational immediately from London yesterday. What's it mean?"
"It's damned good news," Ellis said.
"You don't have to know why. The Colonel will be happy as hell."
"Whittaker's ashore in the Philippines," Staley said.
"We heard that," Ellis said.
"And the radio works," Staley said.
"There's a whole bunch of messages from Fertig."
"And anything else?"
"Two things for you," Staley said uncomfortably.
"I opened the telegram. I figured it might be important. It's on the bottom."
Ellis lifted the stack of cover sheets and found the Western Union telegram envelope.
WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM
US GOVT WASHINGTON DC 4 PM FEB 23 CHIEF PETTY OFFICER JOHN R. ELLIS
C/0 THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH WASHINGTON DC
THE SECRETARY OP THE NAVY REGRETS TO INFORM YOU THAT YOUR
FRIEND LIEUT COMMANDER JOHN DO LAM USNR DIED FEBRUARY 21
WHILE ON OVERSEAS SERVICE. FULL DETAILS WILL BE FURNISHED
TO YOU WHEN AVAILABLE. YOU WILL BE SHORTLY CONTACTED BY
MAVY OFFICIALS WITH REGARD TO YOUR SURVIVORS BENEFITS.
FRANK KNOX, JR
SECRETARY OF THE NAVY