The galley aboard the aircraft carrier was much bigger than hers and thirty years newer. Suddenly the mileage and the years on the Peleliu showed.
Gail had been so proud of her new command, but her galley was half the size. The battering of hard service that couldn’t be removed by hard scrubbing and fresh paint didn’t appear here. Instead of a dozen willing hands, plus two more on the midrats shift, here there were a dozen working the line. More tended steam kettles, oven, mixers, blenders…
Breakfast service was at full roar. Mile-long griddles were buried in pancakes. Gallon pitchers of maple syrup were pulled from the warmers. Waffles, eggs, link sausage—it was a mass of food that would feed her six hundred charges for days. And this was only the main galley. How many did a carrier hav
