Browning chief., 1945-09-28
Strategic
Withdrawal
By FORREST KLEINMAN
Mcclure syndicate-wNu Features.


with the sergeant. Yet the sergeant
was fine, good man. Wasn't it
this same Sergeant O'Hara who had
given him the wondrous book of
knowledge now resting in his pocket
the book of Webster by means of
which he spoke American even as
Sergeant O'Hara?
BoSko waved a rock-scarred paw
at the skirmish line OF gray-green
figures advancing across the valley
below. Look, Sarge-Germans!
But no shoot. I wait like you tell"
He fondled the grip of the machine
gun happily.
Keep your hands off that gun,
va big ape!" snarled the sergeant.
"We amt here to fight the whole
German army. We're just an out
post, see?"
Bosko's grin faded. II no under
stand. All the time I am at Camp
Roberts the ieutenants he say,
Kill The captains he say, KILL
The general he even write an order.
But now when see Germans cam
not shoot him."
How Bosko ever got into the army
had long been mystery and rich
source Of profanity to Sergeant
O'Hara. He'd recommended a Sec
ton VIII the first week the big Pole
Joined his squad, but the company
commander had said that anyone
who could pronounce a name like
Boskowitzch couldn't be 4-F.
Look, Bosko," Sergeant O'Hara
said with great patience. ''Those
Krauts don't know we're here, so
we amt gonna tell 'em. And by the
time they get here we amt gonna
be. It's what is known as a strate-
gic withdrawal. D'ya understand"
Bosko stuffed a paw inside his
field jacket and frightened as he
brought forth a dog-eared diction-
ary. "Mr. Webster tell me. How
you spell this words-strategic with
drawal-Sarge?"
Ditch that dictionary" roared
Sergeant O'Hara, land try this on
your ivory dome. We're going to
beat it, scram, vacate. You wait
here for ten minutes to cover US in
case they start coming up, then pack
up your gun. I'll meet you with the
rest of the squad in the edge of the
woods behind the hill. Now d'ya
get it,"
Sergeant O'Hara snaked over the
ridge. A haf-dozen mud-encrusted
G.I.s were waiting for him on the
reverse slope. whats up Sarge?"
asked Sergeant Murphy, his five
by-five assistant squad leader.
They're getting ready to serve
iverwurst NIT sauerkraut on the
other side," said Sergeant O'Hara
briefly. "But we amt leaving any,"
"What about Bosko?"
Hes to cover us till we get to
the woods. He'll meet us there"
They had been waiting in the
woods about twenty minutes when
the shooting began. Sergeant
OHara sat on log and listened
to the crack of mausers and the
rrrrip-rrrrip Of machine pistols
punctuated by the tat-tat-tattat Of
light machine gun. "Ya got to
admit that eight-bal don't need a
dictionary to make a machine gun
talk pretty"
"Yeah," said Sergeant Murphy.
"Too bad he hasn't got chance"
Sergeant O'Hara squirmed. "WeIl.
he asked for it. He had plenty of
time to pull out. And if it had to
be anyone, it might as well be him.
He's been nothing but q headache
ever since we got him. We couldn't
help him now even if we tried"
yeah"
"Then what in thunder are we
waiting for?" roared Sergeant
O'Hara.
When famous war correspond
ent visited the field hospital a few
days later, he paused at the cot of
Sergeant O'Hara. "Nice work, Ser
geant. hear that you and your
friend are in for the DISC. for hold
ing up the Krauts long enough SO
we could get some artillery on them
when they tried that attack on our
flank the other day."
Don't call that big ape no friend
OF mine," growled Sergeant O'Hara.
waving his cast at the bulk that
protruded from both ends of an ad-
jacent cot. If it hadn't been for
him, I'd be safe and sound in nv
foxhole right now. And if they want
to do something nice for me, mister.
they can keep the hardware and Just
send this eight-ball back home.
Here ! am with one squad sitting
on this hill when the whole darned
German army starts coming up the
valley. What would any smart SOL
dier do? Naturally I call for a
strategic withdrawal. It'd'a worked
fine. too, only what does this big ape
do? He attacks!
"Well, there's nothing for me to
dn then h,rf nm hocL o1l ..,.- Al,