The Washington times., 1938-11-11
0RIyATE JOE STRYKER,

II sitting III lue Cledl III
under the Argonne tre e S,
missed the import of the sec
ond lieutenant's words. lie
was day-dreaming. Instead OF
concentrating on the lntorma-
ton contained in Memorandum
No. 956. Division H. 9. Warn
ing to Mopping-up Parties, he
was wondering if there was any
truth in all these rumors about
an armistice.
That would mean the end OF
the war! Joe's habitual good-na-
tured expression stretched INTO
wide smile. Gosh, if this darn war
ended right off he might, at
pinch, get home in time 1or
THANKSGIVING dinner with Katie
and Baby Joe! Fred Terry, JoeS
buddy, nudged him:
Get that, Joe? Geez, these
Krauts re meaner than SkunKS.
You said it, bo, meaner than
snakes" Joe had not caught the
warning, but being a recent re-
placement he knew it was a GOOD
idea to agree with seasoned sol
diers. Now he wiped the mind pic
ture of his farm outside Sayport
from his thoughts and listened:
In addition to the BOBBY trap
lust described, mopping-up parties
are warned against the treacher-
Gus use by enemy soldiers OF the
kamerad pistol, This is a pistol
not unlike the one with which
Booth killed President Lincoln"
GALL FAIR IN WAR"
That stuck in Joe's mind; gave
him a jolt.
1t is small enough" con-
tinued the lieutenant'S voice" to
be hidden in the palm of the hand,
yet fires a bullet of .45-caliber.
Method of Use: When an enemy
soldier surrenders and calls Kane
rad! Kamerad!' in order that his
captor may relax his attention,
the enemy soldier watches for his
chance to fire his concealed pistol
into some vital part OF his cap
tor :"
Just let any Kraut try to pull
that one IN me-" muttered Fred
Terry. I'll rip his CUTS out wit
me bay'nut."
The picture turned Joe's stom-
ach. "Geez," he said inWardly
show can a guy talk like that?
Makes me sick to think about it."
He turned away and lit a ciga-
rette, his fingers trembling. Joe
hated the idea of killing anything
Even on his farm-ten acres with
a stand on the Sunrise Highway
he Just hated killing the chickens
and ducks when the time came.
After four consoling puffS tc
drive the sickening picture from
his mind, Joe's thoughts driftec
back to his truck farm on Long
Island, and Katie and the baby
Would the little tyke know Pop
when he came home?
A year was a long time. Gosh
the kid must of grown; in her last
letter Katie said he weighed
Suppose that armistice dope was
the Mccoy? Joe's good-natured
smile reappeared.
Why, he'd a been year in
France and never once in battle;
always on some behind-the-lineS
detail until this replacement or
der caught up with him.
The whole war idea bewildered
him. He often discussed his feel
ings with Buddy Terry, who had
palled up with him at Camp Up
ton. Terry had been a regular and
knew the game.
SAME ON BOTH SIDES
"An' does the ferries have the
draft like we does?" Joe inquired
during one of their talks.
Sure, all the ferries from Is
to so must join the army"
Joe considered this moment:
81 thought they was all profes-
sional soldiers like our Regular
Army?"
In way, yes" explained Fred
Terry. Every citizen must do one
hitch in the regular army in peace
time"
Every citizen? You mean farm.
ers, like me for instance, is liable
to be grabbed off their farms in
peace time, with crops ripe?"
Yeah, farmers, mechanics, taxi
drivers, bankers. everybody"
1T just don't make sense" Joe
commented still bewildered.
When the division arrived II
France he'd been left back with ex
cess baggage at Brest, then de
tailed on a sanitary job laying
duck-boards and draining camp
then other behind-the-line detail
until he had the comforting feel
ing war and its horrors were re
mote from him.
THOUGHTS OF HOME
That November morning tn
rumor of armistice lifted him ou
of his brooding. The vision of HI
Thanksgiving dinner with wifi
and child became so vivid h
could smell the turkey and cal
bage.
November night fog seepe
through the Argonne trees an
settled down on the regiment
hiding place. A curious stirrin
disturbed the underbruSh, tn