Victor Henry (Pug)

Pug is a Naval officer who has devoted his career to the military. He is a strong man, dedicated to duty and honorable. At the beginning of this book, he is married to Rhoda who is unhappy at their long separation. She has asked Pug for a divorce which greatly disturbs him despite the fact that others around him are having the same difficulty. Rhoda briefly changes her mind but they do eventually divorce. When Pug's youngest son, Byron, asks why, Pug will not say anything against his ex-wife—a fact Pug's daughter later notes.

Pug is father of three. The oldest, Warren, is a fighter pilot who is killed in the battle at Midway off the Hawaiian coast. When Warren dies, Pug notes he was also at the battle but never fired a shot. The fact that his son was fighting and sacrificing seems...