I was standing on the deck of the USS Blue, a destroyer. We were all alone out there at this buoy, tied up.

We were very fortunate that the carriers weren't in the harbor.

Destroyers did not have chaplains because they were too small.

It was lucky for me. It wasn't lucky for the nine people that got killed and the 20 that were injured.

And though, truly, she sometimes felt like something inside her had disappeared, it seemed that must be a natural part of growing up. Standing out too much made one feel too alone to do it forever.

Everything was black in the harbor, but there were still some fires burning on the ships.