Lest we forget
December 7, 1941
Saturday, December 7, 1985
9:55 am
Hill Valley, California
AFTER getting a phone call from Doc Brown, Marty drove his truck to the Brown residence. Once there, Clara was at the door to let him in. After being told that Doc was in the lab, Marty proceeded there. As he entered he looked around. Doc wasn't there. Neither was the DeLorean. "Doc?" asked Marty. Then, out of nothingness popped Doc. Marty was startled. "Doc?" he repeated. "Marty!" responded the Doc, "You're here. Welcome to my latest experiment." "Hey Doc." asked Marty, "Where's the hell is the DeLorean?" "Right here." said Doc. And he disappeared into nothingness. Seconds later, the DeLorean faded into existance. Doc was in it. Then, he got out. "Marty." said Doc, "It's my latest invention." "The DeLorean." exclaimed Marty, "It just appeared out of thin air." "That's right." said Doc, "It's what I'm talking about. I've finally discovered how to make things invisible." "What is it?" asked Marty. "It's called the 'cloaking device'." said Doc. "A cloaking device?" asked Marty, "Isn't that from Star Trek?" "Of course." said Doc, "I've mastered on how it works. You see the theory is simple. The device creates a 'shield' that bends light rays around the car." "That's heavy duty stuff." said Marty, "Why the hell do you need a cloaking device for?" "It's better than hiding the DeLorean in a cave or a barn or sending it hours into the future when one is in the past." said Doc. "It sure is." said Marty, "Hey Doc, do you remember about me buying a brooch for Jennifer for Christmas?" "I did." said Doc, "Marty, we discussed this. I can't loan you any money right now." "Okay, Doc." said Marty, "I don't know how to save up for all that money I'm been earning from my afterschool job. I've gotta think of my family too. By the time I have enough money, that brooch might be gone." "I know." said Doc, "That's another reason I've called you over. You've just enlisted." "Enlisted?" exclaimed Marty. "Yes, Marty." said Doc, "Into the Navy." "What!" exclaimed Marty. "That's right!" said Doc, "Marty, you'd said you want some adventure." "I do, Doc." said Marty, "But..." "I think a six month service there would help you get enough money for that brooch." said Doc. "Six months?" asked Marty, "Christmas Doc, it's eighteen days away!" "No, not now." said Doc, "In the past." "What?" asked Marty. "That's right." said Doc, "I've got it all planned. I'm going to supply you with a fake ID to get you in." "And how are you going to do that?" asked Marty. "I went to the Hall of Justice." said Doc, "And I picked up a birth certificate of a baby that died at birth in 1923. You'll be using it to get in. And since you've avoided that accident with the Roll-Royce a couple of months back, you won't get a 4-F because of a broken wrist." "That's great, Doc." said Marty, "When do I leave?" "Right now." said Doc loading the fusion generator, "Get in." "Alright." said Marty getting into the car. Moments later, Doc got his coat and got in. The ceiling above opened and the car lifted off. Setting the time circuits, the Doc drove the car into the past.
Monday, April 6, 1941
11:00 a.m.
A Navy recruiting headquarters
The Delorean appeared over a deserted field. As it did, it was raining.Activating the cloaking device Doc set the car down and drove to the recruiting office unobserved. Pulling up to a deserted parking lot, Doc said "First you've gotta get out and change your close." "Right now?" asked Marty, "It's pouring rain." Doc looked up, then looked at his watch. "Wait ten seconds" he said. They did. Ten seconds later, it stopped raining and the sky cleared. "Right on the tick." said Doc still looking at his watch, "Too bad the post office isn't as efficiant as the weather service." The two got out of the car, and as they did Marty looked around saying "1941. Doc, I've gotta check this out." "All in good time, Marty." said Doc, "We're on a tight schedule." Doc noticed Marty's Nike shoes and said "You can't be wearing those shoes here in 1941." He produced a bag and opened it. In it, were a pair of old style shoes. Then, he took out a suitcase. In it, were a set of 1940's clothes. "Go to the nearest bush and change." said Doc. "Check." said Marty. He did. "Oh Marty." said Doc, "You may have to undergo a physical." "I do?" asked Marty, "Doesn't that mean..." "Yes Marty." said Doc, "Relax, it isn't as bad as you think." "That's a relief." said Marty. Marty emerged from the bush dressed in 1940's clothes saying "Are you sure this is what they wore during the 1940's?" "Of course." said Doc as he gave Marty a paper. "This is your 'birth certificate'." he said. Marty looked at it. "Burt Lancaster." he said, "Far out." "Marty." said Doc, "I must advise you not to use phrases like that here in 1941." "Okay." said Marty, "You're the doc, Doc." As the two were walking up to the Recruiting Office, Doc said "Remember one thing. This is 1941. Just do your duty in the Navy, but no matter what improvements the military needs in this era, I don't want you to make any suggestions. Any suggestion that you make could alter the course of future events." "Check, Doc." said Marty. "When your tour of duty is over," said Doc, "Write a note to me, but ask the Western Union office keep it with them until December 7, 1985 where I will return. On it, I want the exact date of your discharge written down." "Right Doc." said Marty. They were at the door when Doc said "Well this is it. Good luck Marty. See you in the future." "You mean the past, Doc." said Marty. "Exactly!" said Doc pointing back at him. They both embraced. And Doc left.
Saturday, December 7 1985
9:30 am
Hill Valley, California
Doc arrived back in the present when the doorbell ring. The door opened and the same man who delivered Jennifer's letter from 1966 was there. "Doctor Emmet L. Brown." he asked. "That's me." said Doc. The man reached into his coat saying "I've got something for you." He pulled out a large Manila folder. Doc studied it asking "For me?" "Yeah." said the man, "This was left in our Western Union office for the last 44 years." He produced a clipboard saying "Please sign here on line six." Doc did and got the envelope. After the man left, Doc went in to read the note. It was from Marty. It was dated December 6, 1941. It said that he had been spending the last six months in 1941 and that he's been assigned to the Arizona at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The note also had a tidbit of information like Marty going to the PX to get a Tab only to be told that he couldn't get a tab unless he ordered something. So he asked for a Pepsi Free and was told that if he wanted a Pepsi, he had to pay for it. "Great Scott." said Doc to himself. Finally, Doc got down to the date of his discharge. December 8, 1941. "December 8, 1941." said Doc to himself, "December 8, 1941. There's something familiar about that date." He went off to his boys room. Clara had them studying very hard. "Jules." said Doc, "Can I borrow your U.S. history book for a minute?" "Sure." said Jules. Doc picked it up and thumbed through it. Finally, he came up to a page that had something to do with Pearl Harbor. On it was a picture of a submergered wrecked ship. It had a title. It read "U.S.S. Arizona at Pearl Harbor after the Japanese Attack of December 7, 1941." Doc was horrified. "December 7, 1941!" he exclaimed. "Great Scott! That's one day after Marty wrote the letter and one day before his discharge." Doc went onto read the page. It said that three waves of Japanese bombing planes suddenly attacked the naval base at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Islands on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941 raining death and destruction on vessels and planes. It also read that the Arizona, the ship that Marty was on, was sunk with almost twelve hundred men onboard. "Great Scott!" Doc repeated, "Poor Marty, how could I be so foolish?" He looked at the sorry picture of that poor unfortunate battleship in disbelief.