The spectacle was enough to send patriotic sentiments through anyone’s veins. She could understand Gladys’s passion just a bit better. Gladys had seen the world let her mother down—so she crusaded for improvement at every corner. Charitable outlets. Rights for women. Politics. When one had been affected so greatly, the fire to promote change was an infectious one. Bringing the realities in the country into alignment with the feelings such events produced.

Margaret would do well to learn from her example.

Senator Truman tapped the microphone and an immediate silence descended upon the crowd. Margaret missed the first of his words as they were scattered into the breeze, but once she focused, she was able to discern most of it.

“The christening and launching of this greatest warship of all time illustrates the decisive answer which the democracies of the world are making to the challenge of the aggressor nations.”

His speech was interrupted by intermittent cheers.

“Missouri is the Show Me state,” he continued. “The battleship Missouri will show all Americans—indeed, all the world—her innate seaworthiness, her valiant fighting spirit and the invincible power of the United States Navy. Today, Missouri joins hands with her sister states throughout the Union in asking the blessing of Divine Providence upon this magnificent battleship and upon her valiant men.”

His left hand formed a fist and he pounded the podium for emphasis.

Margaret felt it like a heartbeat.

She thought of John. Of how this battleship and the others like it would avenge his tragic death. It would ensure the safety of William and Tom and the other boys like them who had risked everything and would love nothing more than to sit back at the table with their families and go about living the lives they had always dreamed of.

She would write to William of this moment. This event so spectacular that already she was struggling with the right words, even among her vast bank of them.

“May this great ship,” Truman concluded, “be an avenger to the barbarians who wantonly slaughtered the heroes of Bataan and may the battleship Missouri and all the other ships of our Navy do their full share on behalf of the people of the United States to maintain the peace which will follow our total victory.”

A cheer went up as the crowd squealed with unified delight, as if it were one breathing being and not thousands combined. Margaret, Dottie, and Gladys contributed their own shouts, feeling the swell of pride in their very bones.