Act of Honor — Hank Turowski

On a navy Destroyer in the South China Sea on routine underwater sensor repair duty, the ship's Dive Master encounters a mass grave 200 feet beneath the sea. The ship's Commander, faced with the possibility and evidence that these bodies are Americans, left behind in Vietnam and recently killed and dumped at sea, faces a crisis in her career. She requests permission to bring the bodies home for burial. The Government refuses the request and orders her to depart the area. In Hawaii a Navy forensics expert discovers incontrovertible evidence that the bodies are American. Federal Agents raid her offices and she is threatened with House Arrest. In Washington, Military officers uncover the facts of a purposeful cover-up and press the Administration to recover the bodies. However, the Administration has very good reason not to release the information or change the situation under the sea. To complicate matters, a small flotilla of Chinese ships have been sent to her location to destroy the evidence. More serious, American ships, commanded by an Annapolis classmate, has been sent to stop her before she finishes recovery of any bodies. The story highlights an unusual crisis in military leadership. Does the ship's commander follow her moral imperative or does she comply with orders that have come directly from the White House?