feel as though we have a good chance of being the honor platoon and we’d like to brush up. Maybe some fancy stuff…we aren’t too good on rear marches from left and right obliques.”
“I’ll be a sad bastard—all right. Tell them to fall out.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The tent area was pitched in darkness. Danny, Ski, and L.Q. lay under the deluge of cover, enjoying a late cigarette.
“It won’t be long now. One more week of boot camp.”
“Yeah, one happy Polack is going to kiss this goddam place good-by.”
“How did the practice round go?”
“I shot one ninety. Jesus, I got to qualify, Danny. Three extra bucks a month is going to help a lot.”
“How did you go, L.Q.?”
“My stomach still gets in the way on sitting position.”
“I got to make at least Sharpshooter,” Ski repeated.
“Try and relax more,” Danny said. “You can’t shoot when all you’re thinking about is getting her out here. It makes you too nervous.”
“I got to get her out here, Danny. It’s going rough back there. She ain’t saying much, but I can tell.”
“You can’t help her much by shooting Maggie’s Drawers.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I got to relax. Trouble is, Danny, every damned thing I do is hard for me. I just can’t pick up stuff like some guys. When I was playing football it was the same. The same in everything I do. I got to practice like hell.”
“Anyway,” Danny said, “we were sure lucky to get Piper for an instructor. He’s one of the best in the Corps. Even got his picture in the blue book.” He reached to the deck and snuffed out his cigarette and pulled his arm back under cover quickly. “Colder than a well digger’s butt out here.”
“Yeah,” L.Q. moaned. “I’ve had to take a piss for an hour, but I’ll be damned if I can get up enough guts to get out of the sack.”
“Will you shut your mouth? You’ll have me thinking about it now.”
“How do you like that Whitlock? He gave me the detail again; emptying piss buckets. Third time.” Jones scratched. “I think they got all the crabs, but one. The bastard is driving me crazy.”
Silence.
“Danny,” Ski said.
“Yeah.”
“Know something?”
“What?”
“I’m sure lucky I got lashed up with you and L.Q.”
“Go to sleep.”
“No, I mean it. If you hadn’t been helping me out I’d be a screwed goose. They’d probably made me start all over. I just don’t catch on fast.”
L.Q. threw off his blankets and dashed for the tent flap. “I can’t hold it, my back teeth are floating!” He returned and flung himself into his sack and buried himself, shivering.
Several moments passed.
“Danny,” Ski said.
“Aren’t you asleep yet?”
“What do you figure after boot camp?”
“I don’t know. Scuttlebutt has us going from Truk to Tokyo.”
“Yeah, got to take scuttlebutt lightly. But I did hear on good authority it might be Wake Island.”
“Could be.”
“What are you going out for when we get back to Dago?”
“Not much choice in the Corps. We’ll all wind up packing a rifle in the FMF sooner or later.”
“Yeah, ain’t a hell of a lot to choose from.”
“Maybe I’ll take a crack at the test for radio school.”
“Radio, why?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Just something a little different. Not that I mind packing a rifle. Just something a little special.”
“I’d like to get into aviation. Fifty per cent more pay. I could get her out here faster.”
“Sure rough to try saving on twenty-one dollars a month, Ski.”
“Yeah, but it will be twenty-eight soon. Jesus, I’d never make aviation.”
“Why don’t you quit pushing so hard, Ski?”
“Can’t help it, Danny. I just can’t rest with her in that lousy town. It eats me all the time. Her there with that bastard old man of hers.”
“I know.”
“Danny.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think I can get into radio? I’d sure like to stick with you.”
“Why not take a crack at it?”
“Radio guys wear them
“I’ll be a sad bastard—all right. Tell them to fall out.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The tent area was pitched in darkness. Danny, Ski, and L.Q. lay under the deluge of cover, enjoying a late cigarette.
“It won’t be long now. One more week of boot camp.”
“Yeah, one happy Polack is going to kiss this goddam place good-by.”
“How did the practice round go?”
“I shot one ninety. Jesus, I got to qualify, Danny. Three extra bucks a month is going to help a lot.”
“How did you go, L.Q.?”
“My stomach still gets in the way on sitting position.”
“I got to make at least Sharpshooter,” Ski repeated.
“Try and relax more,” Danny said. “You can’t shoot when all you’re thinking about is getting her out here. It makes you too nervous.”
“I got to get her out here, Danny. It’s going rough back there. She ain’t saying much, but I can tell.”
“You can’t help her much by shooting Maggie’s Drawers.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I got to relax. Trouble is, Danny, every damned thing I do is hard for me. I just can’t pick up stuff like some guys. When I was playing football it was the same. The same in everything I do. I got to practice like hell.”
“Anyway,” Danny said, “we were sure lucky to get Piper for an instructor. He’s one of the best in the Corps. Even got his picture in the blue book.” He reached to the deck and snuffed out his cigarette and pulled his arm back under cover quickly. “Colder than a well digger’s butt out here.”
“Yeah,” L.Q. moaned. “I’ve had to take a piss for an hour, but I’ll be damned if I can get up enough guts to get out of the sack.”
“Will you shut your mouth? You’ll have me thinking about it now.”
“How do you like that Whitlock? He gave me the detail again; emptying piss buckets. Third time.” Jones scratched. “I think they got all the crabs, but one. The bastard is driving me crazy.”
Silence.
“Danny,” Ski said.
“Yeah.”
“Know something?”
“What?”
“I’m sure lucky I got lashed up with you and L.Q.”
“Go to sleep.”
“No, I mean it. If you hadn’t been helping me out I’d be a screwed goose. They’d probably made me start all over. I just don’t catch on fast.”
L.Q. threw off his blankets and dashed for the tent flap. “I can’t hold it, my back teeth are floating!” He returned and flung himself into his sack and buried himself, shivering.
Several moments passed.
“Danny,” Ski said.
“Aren’t you asleep yet?”
“What do you figure after boot camp?”
“I don’t know. Scuttlebutt has us going from Truk to Tokyo.”
“Yeah, got to take scuttlebutt lightly. But I did hear on good authority it might be Wake Island.”
“Could be.”
“What are you going out for when we get back to Dago?”
“Not much choice in the Corps. We’ll all wind up packing a rifle in the FMF sooner or later.”
“Yeah, ain’t a hell of a lot to choose from.”
“Maybe I’ll take a crack at the test for radio school.”
“Radio, why?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Just something a little different. Not that I mind packing a rifle. Just something a little special.”
“I’d like to get into aviation. Fifty per cent more pay. I could get her out here faster.”
“Sure rough to try saving on twenty-one dollars a month, Ski.”
“Yeah, but it will be twenty-eight soon. Jesus, I’d never make aviation.”
“Why don’t you quit pushing so hard, Ski?”
“Can’t help it, Danny. I just can’t rest with her in that lousy town. It eats me all the time. Her there with that bastard old man of hers.”
“I know.”
“Danny.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think I can get into radio? I’d sure like to stick with you.”
“Why not take a crack at it?”
“Radio guys wear them
Similar Books
