This was a poem I wrote about my grandfather for English class. Albert Dickinson, having graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1932, was a Lieutenant on the USS Northampton during the Second World War. In December of 1941, the Northampton had been heading to Pearl Harbor. On December 6, it became apparent that the Northampton needed to refuel. While refueling, the fuel hose became caught in the boat’s propeller, slowing down the process. As a result of this, the ship was stalled and it was advised that the entire Enterprise Task Force, commanded by Admiral Halsey, stay with the Northampton until the problem was solved. The force did not arrive in Pearl Harbor until after the tragic attack on December 7, 1941. For this reason, the members of the Enterprise Task Force were spared the brutal massacre that occurred that day at Pearl Harbor. If the fuel hose had not been caught in the propeller, Al Dickinson would not have been the husband, father, grandfather, or great-grandfather that he is today, and over thirty of the Dickinsons of the current world would not exist.