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Not long after the collision, Waddle said he wanted to apologize personally to family members in Uwajima but he would not be able to do that until after the court of inquiry and his discipline.
At that point, his attempts to convey his feelings had already gone poorly.
When family members of the victims first traveled to Hawai‘i in February, he was told by the Navy not to meet with them. Then his attorney, Charles Gittins, gave similar advice, saying that an apology was tantamount to an admission of guilt. Everyone, from the president to admirals in his fleet, had apologized to Japan except Waddle.
It was a matter of honor, something Waddle understood well.
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