Warning Spoilers through Devil's Due.
| Dennis Silva | |
|---|---|
| Rank | Gunner's Mate 2c later Chief Gunner on Walker |
| Service | USN |
| Seen | Into the Storm Crusade Maelstrom Distant Thunders Rising Tides Firestorm Iron Gray Sea Storm Surge Deadly Shores Straits of Hell Blood in the Water Devil's Due |
| Species | Human |
| Gender | Male |
| Status | Living |
| Relationships | Risa-Sab-At Pam Cross |
| Job | #1 Gun Captain later Chief Gunner |
Dennis Silva was a good Destroyerman on duty, but easily bored and given to misbehavior as a result. Since his time on the 'alternate earth' he has found an outlet for his destructive energy and has become something of a living legend. A master of small arms, and capable of imaginatively lethal close combat, he is known for his prowess on the battlefield.
As Pam Cross once states a born 'navy man' he respects the chain of command (even if he is known to 'occasionally' ignore orders). If he likes and respects you he follow you into the jaws of hell itself. Silva is fiercely loyal to his ship Walker and Commander Reddy. Silva was born in Alabama and has grown up to be highly self-sufficient. His parents, at Matt and Sandra's wedding he identifies his parents as Stanley and Willa Silva [I.G.S. Pb. p. 99], died of the influenza and he lived with an uncle who mistreated him. When he joined the Navy, his life became very different and he made a few friends when he was at the China Station, one of which was a marine who comes aboard the Japanese POW ship into the New Earth. Silva is described as a huge, strong man with blonde hair, cut short. He earned his most famous injury while fighting the Grik and the Japanese battle cruiser Amagi. A projectile splinter destroyed his left eye, and he now wears an eye patch over the injury. Yet, despite the injury, he's still an above average sniper with his old 'Doom Whopper', a huge rifle made from a Japanese anti-aircraft gun that fires a bullet of 1 inch caliber
Dennis Silva refereed to Abe “The Newsboy” a boxer in a Destroyermen book [DT P. p. 332] as someone who could beat him in a fair fight, and reading stories about him as his reason for joining the navy. Abe's story is interesting see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Jacob_Hollandersky Abe was given free passage on Navy ships by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. He ran a bum boat operator selling papers and magazines and giving boxing lessons to sailors, and a boxer. He wrote an autobiography published in 1930.
In Into the Storm Dennis is introduced as a gunner's mate. He is very upset when his friend, Mack Marvaney is killed, but usually he provides comic relief. When Chack-Sab-At pulls a joke on him causing him to miss he and Chack's sister Risa-Sab-At pretend to be lovers. This practical joke backfires when he involves Captain Matthew Reddy.
In Crusade we meet Dennis before the Captain's Mast for fighting with Chack-Sab-At. Later he and several crew members join the land fight with modern weapons. He plays Marvaney's phonograph during the funeral after the battle. Later interrupted from dancing with Pam Cross they join the Chiefs in judging Al Franklin. He is the last diver tightening the nuts to attach Mahan's screw to Walker.
In Maelstrom Dennis kills a monster on Tarakan Island, and a Mountain Fish after leaving Maa-ni-la. On Talaud Island Dennis shoots Lawrence and meets an old friend Billy Flynn of S-19. On the way back to Baalkpan he makes friends with Rebecca Anne McDonald (Becky). During the final battle with IJN Amagi Dennis fires the last shot, found by Lawrence and Becky.
In Deadly Shores Dennis on a fishing trip when gunny Arnold Horn sees a periscope. He is chewed out by Matthew Reddy for taking Courtney Bradford on the fishing trip. After Laa-laanti Dennis plays a practical joke on the female Snipes and gets another ass chewing. After the torpedo attack there is a meeting on Salissa where he gets Petey. He goes ashore with Chack-Sab-At's raiders returning to Walker after they kill the monster. When Walker is beached he commands a raid on the Celestial Palace to capture or kill the Grik Celestial Mother. He and gunny Horn are too wounded to continue, eventually he is cared for by Pam Cross.
In Straits of Hell Dennis is recuperating from the wounds suffered in the Celestial Palace AKA 'the cow flop' He sneaks out to examine a crashed Grik Zeppelin. He agrees to go with Chack-Sab-At up the Mangoro River, much to Pam Cross' displeasure. Aboard the PT he bugs the Radioman for news, and sees the nature of the natives that have carved up one of the Marines.
In Blood in the Water under Chack-Sab-At a party goes up the Mangoro River to search for Allies. The natives are not friendly but after saving a bunch attacked by a huge predator they learn of a tribe that may help across the mountains. Before crossing the mountains Chack sends Nathaniel Hardee and his MTB Lucky Seven home. Across the mountains they meet the Shee-ree People who not only wish to help defeat the Grik, but inform them of another Grik Invasion. They attack the Grik to steal their steam tugs and barges to take the Shee-ree to Grik City. Silva and his party of Shee-ree are separated and take over a Grik Zeppelin to fly to Grik City.
In Devil's Due he and a small force go in to Zanzibar (Objective Outhouse) early They gather more information and light blink observations to a ship off shore. Later they rescue the Hostages from SMS Amerika. The party splits up some going to Sovoie (only Poky and Gunny Horn survive, and Silva leads the party to sink Nachi, Kurokawa's getaway ship. After again rescuing Sandra Reddy he beats thorns into Kurokawa after Sandra shoots him.