The Captains by W. E. B. Griffin Page A

months I would be out of the army.”
    â€œThere was an officer named MacMillan who won the Medal,” the lieutenant colonel said.
    â€œThat’s Mac,” Lowell said. “But that well-laid plan didn’t quite work out the way it was supposed to.”
    â€œWhat plan?”
    â€œTo get me out of the army,” Lowell said. “While we were playing the French at Baden-Baden, General Waterford dropped dead. He had a heart attack in the saddle, going for a goal. So that ended the polo, and that ended my chances to get out of the army the same way I got my commission, in other words, somewhat irregularly.”
    â€œFrankly, Captain, if this incredible yarn of yours is true, I don’t understand why they wouldn’t have been happy to separate you. As quickly as possible.”
    â€œI hadn’t been an officer long enough to be given an efficiency report,” Lowell went on. “So they got rid of me. They sent me to the Military Advisory Group in Greece, apparently in the belief that if luck failed them, and I didn’t get killed, the Advisory Group would get stuck with throwing me out of the army.”
    â€œWhat did they do with you in Greece?”
    â€œI wound up as advisor to Greek mountain infantry company. For all practical purposes, I commanded it.”
    The lieutenant colonel looked closely at him. Lowell met his eyes.
    â€œThen I got hit,” Lowell said. “And they sent me home. To the Basic Armor Officer’s Course, where officers who had never heard a shot fired in anger told me all about what I could expect if I should ever get in combat. But I came out of Knox, out of the army, trained as tank officer.”
    â€œWhat do you want, Captain?” the AGC lieutenant colonel asked.
    â€œIf I have to go to war again, I want to go as an armor officer.”
    â€œYou have been around the army long enough to know that what counts is what the army needs, not what the individual would like.”
    â€œI have no intention, sir, of taking a detail to infantry,” Lowell said.
    â€œWhat’s wrong with the infantry?” the colonel asked.
    â€œRight now, the infantry in Korea is being sacrificed for time. I don’t intend to be part of that sacrifice.”
    â€œThat could be interpreted as an admission of cowardice,” the colonel said.
    â€œI readily admit to being a coward,” Lowell said. “But I’m not a fool.”
    â€œCaptain Lowell,” the colonel said, “the personnel requirements of the army are such at the moment, due to the situation in Korea, that there is a surplus of armor officers, and a shortage of infantry officers. To meet the requirement for infantry officers in Korea, the army is detailing a number of armor officers to infantry, selecting those who have infantry experience, and for whose service as armor officers there is no projected need. You have been selected as one of those officers, Captain Lowell. That is all, you are dismissed.”
    HEADQUARTERS
    U.S. ARMY RECEPTION CENTER
    FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND
    SPECIAL ORDERS
    NUMBER 187 14 July 1950
    EXTRACT
    18. CAPT Craig W. LOWELL, ARMOR, 0–495302, Co “B” USARC, Ft Geo G Meade, Md, is detailed INFANTRY trfd and will proceed USA Inf Sch Ft Benning, Ga, for purp of attending Spec Inf Co Grade Off Crse # 50–5. On completion trng off will report to CG Ft Lawton, Wash, for air shpmt to Hq Eight US Army, APO 909 San Fran Calif for asgmt within Eight US Army. Five (5) Days delay-en-route leave authorized between Ft Benning and Ft Lawton at Home of Record, 11 Washington Mews, New York City NY. Off is not entitled to be accompanied by dependents. Off auth storage of personal and household goods at Govt Expense. S–99–999–999. Auth Ltr, The Adj Gen dtd 1 Jul 50, Subj: Detail of Surplus to Needs Armor, Artillery and Signal Corps Officers to Infantry.
    BY COMMAND OF
MAJOR GENERAL HARBES
Morton C. Cooper
Lt. Col,