“The Epic Journey of William Halford” was written as an assignment for my Mythology course at NMSU. The Assignment takes the true story of William Halford (see below) and embellishes it into a myth. The myth draws heavily from Grecian mythology: namely the Odyssey, Dionysus, and Poseidon. While this is a slight change of pace from the direction I will normally employ while writing here, I hope everyone enjoys reading this writing exercise as much as I did creating it! As always, please comment, like, and/or share anything you enjoy here and elsewhere on Facets of Mind.

The Myth about William Halford

The crew of the USS Saginaw, flagship of the fleet, had found their fortune during the wars. William Halford, their mighty captain, had led his ship and crew through the years of war, tempting fate and earning fortune. Now, on the eve after their victory, Halford felt nothing could overcome him or his ship. The first war with the Koreans (Rodgers) had finally ended and by the burning husks of the enemy fleets Halford and his men celebrated their fortunes on the sea.

The men, who had spent their day fishing, were enjoying their catch and cooking it over the still burning ships of the enemy fleet. The wine being passed about was only the finest and many claimed that the wine was a gift of Dionysus himself (Harris and Platzner 246). In their drunken revelry the men, and especially Halford, felt completely invincible; nothing could overcome them. At the peak of their celebration, late in the night, Halford cried out praising his abilities and dismissing Poseidon believing the victories were his alone.

It was during this boisterous speech that the ocean came to life and the heavens shone bright. A massive tidal wave rolled towards the fleet but stopped directly in front of the ship, continuing to roll within itself without submerging them. Sitting atop the wave was a massive man whose height would have spanned 15 feet if standing. His hair and beard were thick and wild with curls, colored a vibrant brown; his eyes a tumultuous aqua green; his body was sinewy, defined with thick muscles, quivering in anger (Harris and Platzner 182).

The men on the ship froze in fright seeing the giant before them but Halford was not deterred. He called out demanding answer, “Who are you to dare challenge us? By what power do you threaten? Under whose authority do you reside?”

Standing suddenly the giant’s voice, a deep and commanding bass roared out, “Who am I? Who are you, Halford, to challenge me? Do you think yourself so large? Do you think your deeds your own? Your arrogance is your undoing. Who am I? I am the colossal bull and the mighty horse. I am the earth shaker and the wave breaker. I am Poseidon, lord god of the sea!” (Harris and Platzner 183).

With those words, the lights of Heaven darkened and the entire ocean seemed to quake. Rolling waves separated the American fleet, forcing the ships to flee as quickly as they could for safety. The storm kept the Saginaw stuck in its heart for 12 days and nights, battering her as she struggled to remain afloat. Throughout the storm, Halford remained courageous, convinced of his invincibility but on the twelfth day the main mast broke and the Saginaw split in half, sinking into the ocean. With a mournful cry the ocean seemed to swallow her whole and when the she vanished from sight so too did the storm fade; the wrath of Poseidon was sated.

Half the crew had lost their lives during the assault and those who remained washed up on the shores of the island Midway. As they inventoried the supplies available they were able to scrap some of the original sail and pieces of the wooden hull however their swords and guns had all been ruined. Halford was not overcome however and began directing his men to take what they could salvage and gather supplies from the island and craft a new boat to get them home. For one year they toiled and when they were ready they gave thanks and sacrifice to Dionysus and prayed for safe travels as they began their journey home.

For years they traveled; sometimes lost at sea, others adventuring across the islands of the Pacific. Their journey, one of years, is not completely recorded here but available in other stories and myths. Halford’s affair with the Philippine princess (Harris and Platzner 453), his struggles with the Cyclopes of Okinawa (Harris and Platzner 459), and his travels with Dionysus throughout eastern Asia—reaffirming his faith and conviction to get home (Harris and Platzner 246)—are told elsewhere. Needless to say that death and tragedy followed the men in their struggle to get home and by the final leg of their journey, less than one-third of the crew remained alive.

So it was that their supplies were running low and they knew they would have to secure provisions from the Marshall Islands. Knowing well of the threat that resided there, Halford instructed his crew to plug their ears with wax to avoid the Sirens’ seductive song. His plan was simple: land under the cover of nightfall, gather the supplies, and be off by morning. The plan worked until the end when dawn’s early light alerted the Sirens to their presence as they transported the last load of goods. Quickly the men made to escape, however some had not taken their precautions seriously and were able to hear the Sirens’ song; these men leaped into the ocean and to their doom. The Sirens chased after Halford and his crew, determined to claim all the invaders of their island. So it was that Halford took spears they had crafted and fought off the Sirens, killing one and wounding the other two while his crew worked desperately at the oars to escape (Atsma).

Halford’s final struggle came as they neared Hawaii for this was where Kharybdis, the dangerous sea monster whose whirlpools had been the doom of many, had made her lair (Atsma). Halford refused to surrender though and led his crew past her waiting pools. His arrogance once more cost him his ship and even as they all struggled to escape all but Halford succumbed to Kharybdis. Fighting the currents, Halford called out to Dionysus, praying for a miracle. Dionysus took pity on him and sent forth his dolphins to rescue the drowning proud captain and carry him to the shores of Honolulu (Harris and Platzner 248).

Halford, the once proud captain, had finally returned from war. The Hawaiian natives greeted him with both cheers and wonder. In the celebrations that ensued, Dionysus himself came forward to recognize Halford for his heroics through the war and his courage and perseverance since. It was at this point that the Hawaiian King presented Halford with the Amulet of Zeus for unquestionable honor as a military commander. It was not only the rewards of medals and gold that Halford enjoyed but also love. Halford and his stories enraptured the beautiful daughter of the King and before long he found himself marrying the princess. With their marriage sealed, Halford became king of the island chains and fathered many future generations of kings.

The True Story of William Halford

According to the records of the department of the Navy, on October 29, 1870, the USS Saginaw found trouble as it approached the island of Midway Atoll in the North Pacific Ocean. It was there that they found tragedy as being unfamiliar with the area the crew ran aground on the reef and sank the ship. Through quick thinking the crew was able to save most of the supplies on the ship and make camp on the island.

The Department of the Navy continues that after 16 days, Lieutenant John Talbot led a group of 4 volunteer sailors on a mission to retrieve help from the naval base at Honolulu. The 5 sailors took the sailboat across 2,000 miles of ocean to Kauai Island. The trip took 31 days and after much suffering and the death of all the other sailors aboard, Halford was the only survivor.

The Department of the Navy records that congress bestowed the Medal of Honor upon William Halford for extraordinary bravery exhibited on their journey that led to the rescue of the crew of the USS Saginaw.

Works Cited

Atsma, Aaron. J. “Kharybdis.” Theoi Project. n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

Atsma, Aaron. J. “Sirens.” Theoi Project. n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2013.

Harris, Stephen L. and Platzner, Gloria. 2012. Classical Mythology: Images and Insights, 6th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill.

Rodgers, John. “Report of Rear Admiral John Rodgers.” Shinmiyangyo. n.d. Web. 19 Apr. 2013.

“US People—Halford, William Lieutenant.” Naval Historical Center. Department of the Navy, 20 Mar. 2006. Web. 20 Apr. 2013.