Jack stood at the wheel of PT 109, staring into the night. Less than a thousand yards away, the telltale bow wave of another ship approached through the blackness, and it was moving fast. At first Jack thought it must be another American patrol boat, but the oncoming ship was massive. Then, as they watched, it began turning right for them. It was a Japanese destroyer!
The steel bow of the destroyer smashed into the wooden hull of PT 109 with tremendous force, reducing the boat to kindling, and it kept on going, splitting the boat diagonally across its beam, slicing off a section of the stern. Jack was thrown hard against the controls and onto the deck, injuring his back. Looking up, as the steel hull of the enemy ship tore through what remained of his boat, a single thought crossed his mind: So this is what like to die.
