Evening star., 1943-04-17
INSTALLMENT XIV

ran out of cigarettes this after
noon near my old cooks battery. SC
1 thought I'd drop in on First
Sergt. Goldsmith, who smokes the
same brand that do. Sergt. Gold
smith is the old type of top sergeant
with heart of GI shoe leather and
voice that would put the stoutest
bugle to shame.
Great gods and little paychecks, u
he rallied. Look what's loose again
What's the latest, little man, or
aren't reporters supposed to know"
The only news I've heard today
I told him, helping myself to a
coffin nail from his desk, "is that
they're sending all the first sergaants
in the Replacement Center to PAN
anna for hard-labor service detach-
ments. Polish your brass and you
might make acting corporal before
the wars over
Oh, it's lovely to run into an old
top sergeant who can't put you on
at him.
We'll, son." said Goldie, ANY time
they need an instructor in coal haul
ing Or fertilizer pitching, I'll write
out recommendation for you. We
were going to give you specialists S
rating in cavalry. sanitation before
you left US
You haven't got a light have
you?' 1 asked, taking the lighted
cigarette from his hand. I dumped
three more fags from his pack into
my hand and stuffed them into my
shirt pocket Our photographer
smokes too, I explained.
The Banter Continues.
The first sergeant over in your
battery tells me" he said that you
spend so much time on KIP that the
boys all think you're the mess SER
geant.'
How are things over here" I
asked him. now that I've left and
YOU have to get somebody else to do
your reading and Writing?"
you're a sweet little lad, Har-
grove" he purred. We really do
miss you here. When you were here,
l never had to worry about where /
was going to get another man when
there was stovepipe to be cleaned
or a street to be swept. Now l have
to go and search around-search,
mind you-for some one who's been
bad little boy Never had that
trouble when you were here"
Sergeant" I told him, propping
my feet on his wastebasket. you
never miss the water until it's gone
under the bridge. This battery
owes a lot to me- Look out there
at that grass growing in front of the
orderly room. That grass wouldn t
be there-much less be that green
if l hadn't spent time and labor
sprlnkling it with fertilizer. And
think how much cleaner the VIM
dOWS were when I was here to wash
every one of them every week I'll
bet YOU haven't had a clean floor
in the battery since I laid down my
mop
"How's Sergeant Ooton making
out viii his grocery budget?' I
asked. TRYING to feed you on AZ
cents a day The last time I saw
him he was working out plans to
feed YOU on Buncombe County tur-
nip green's or pay you to eat at the
Service Club"
"Oh, that" he said. I've saved
so much on cigarettes since YOU left
the battery that I could afford to
eat uptown now if I wanted to-.
And let's leave any remarks about
Buncombe County ont of this. And
let's leave Your feet out of my waste
basket"
Matches Lead to Pipes.
From now on l must deny myself
one of the fundamental rights and
Joys Of mankind. I must quit bum
ming matches from those near and
dear to me-that is. if l want them
to remain near and dear to me
Whenever l ask any one around
Center Headquarters-even Mulve-
hill or Bishop or Bushemi-for a
match. | get one of two answers.
both Of which are getting very tire
some by now. l hear either What s
the matter? Has your fire gone
out?' or Just light your cigarette
on one of our conf1agrations there
should be a small arson in Wonder
corner"