Excerpt
The National Guard has thousands of worthy, sincere soldiers. But Curtis knows sending his National Guard platoons to Iraq are a mistake and hes worried. His platoons are all patriotic Americans; but mostly incompetent soldiers who were better used for parades and out of danger communication posts during riots. The day arrives to assemble at the airport.
Fond good-byes are being exchanged at the airport before boarding the huge military plane. Curtis has a First Class Sergeants E-7 rating in the Armys National Guard. His two large platoons have 4 squads. Two women in one squad never expected to be called to war. Mavis Mickopsy has two daughters, nine and eleven and both girls are crying. Doris Sadowsky has two boys, twelve and thirteen. They are saying, Go get em, mom.
Sergeant Curtis Calvert sees his intimate girlfriend, Flora Belle, arrive to see him off. Her other boyfriend, Bubba Brosky, had driven her in his jeep and she kisses Bubba before she gets out to look for him. Curtis assumes she thought with all the people milling around she wouldnt be seen. Curtis walks to meet her and is stopped by one of his corporals, George Kann, a middle aged postman being hugged by his middle aged wife.
George asks Curtis, What should I do?
Standby until Major Anderson calls for assembly.
Major Anderson is in the hospital. Had open heart surgery.
I wasnt told. Well, Captain Morgan will call assembly.
Lieutenant Boyton got a cell call from him. He fell getting out of a taxi and broke his ankle. An ambulance is taking him to the hospital.
Boyton is the senior lieutenant. Tell him hes in charge.
He doesnt want to be.
You tell him I said he has to be. Tell him I want him to call for assembly in fifteen minutes. Not fourteen, not sixteen, but fifteen minutes or Ill punch him out. Tell him this is war, God damn it.
If he calls assembly, what should everyone do?
Tell him when he calls for assembly he is to order both platoons to line up and count off. Then say: at ease. Well stand there until the boarding officer tells us to board. Simple enough?
Curtis, why arent you the officer in charge of our unit?
I turned it down years back because of the extra training for officers school. I was playing pro ball I couldnt miss.
Thats a shame. You won all the medals in target practice.
Aiming a gun is like aiming to throw a baseball. I just someway know Ill hit where I shoot or throw a ball. Go tell Boyton about assembling.
Curtis Calvert waved to Flora Belle and she hurries to him. She is a much liked twenty-nine year old dyed hair blonde with a good figure. She works in a nail salon days and attends bar the weekends Gordy needs her. She kisses Curtis and asks, When will you be coming back?
When we win the war.
Any idea how long it will take?
See, if you had married me, youd be receiving a wifes allotment check every month and the insurance if I get killed.
Really? How much is the insurance?
Congress is considering awarding a hundred thousand to the widows.
Well, damn you, Curtis. You never asked me to marry you. You just asked me to move in permanently to have a cook and bottle washer.
Well, I resemble resent that accusation to not be the whole truth. I was looking forward to having a permanent bed warmer.
I heard that you also asked Mabel Fairington to move in with you.
You said, no. Im a sportswriter. I havent time to write, keep house and court you ladies. The deal was Id give one of you free room and board.
Least, you chose me first. Ill miss you, Curtis.
I see youve replaced me with Bubba.
You know I see Bubba when you travel with your team. He dates other girls, too. But hes a dependable friend when needed. Phone me if you can. Send me a souvenir and dont pretend jealousy. You know its you I love.
Someone blew a bugle. It could have been the sound of reveille or retreat; no one in their Army Nation Guard present knew. But Lieutenant Boyton was watching his wristwatch and the bugle sounded exactly on the fifteen minute wait. He had seen a Navy movie last night and he called out what was said aboard one ship. Now hear this! When the surprised crowd quieted to murmurs he continued. National Guard Platoons line up by height in alphabetical order and count off. Absentees will be cited with demerits and the rest of you stand at ease. The boarding officer will order me when to order you to board the airshipairplane to Iraq.
Confusion is in full force at the Iraqi airport where they land. The wrong trucks pull up and load the deplaning National Guard. The drivers have orders to drive them to the front lines. Other trucks load the soldiers supposed to go to the front, and drive them to indoctrination.
Riding in the front truck of the four where he can see, Sergeant Curtis Calvert knows a mistake has been made. The dirt road has bomb craters to avoid and he hears explosions ahead. There is fighting going on across the desert and now dozens of burning Iraqi tanks clog the road. Planes suddenly appear out of the horizon and begin strafing the area.
The truck driver braked. He hollers, Everybody out! He leaps from the truck to run and jumps into a bomb crater. Curtis races to the rear of each trucks and jerks open the brown canvas. He shouts, Get out!
Lieutenant Boyton grabs Curtis arm. Should we dig foxholes?
Curtis shouts, No! Take cover in the bomb holes near the burning tanks.
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