Evening star., 1956-03-13
THE COMPLETE BEST SELLER
No Time for Sergeants

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surprised. Benz" and Ben stepped up and
said, will Stockdale and Ben Whitledge
reporting for duty after unforeseen delay"
and said it real snappy looking like he felt
a lot better already.
Not Saying q Word
But Sergeant King set there not answer
ing or saying nothing for while, just staring
from one to the other with his feet still up
on the desk and leaning forward so that he
bent about double. which was a right
uncomfortable way of setting: but he stayed
like that not saying nothing for the longest
sort of time, and when he finally did come
around to opening his mouth, he said in a
real low. hoarse voice, 'Why amt yall dead?"
which really warnt much to say at all
said. I'VE got on the train and come
back. We was little late because we ran
out of money but we made it all right.
You aint dead" he said. "You aint
dead -
II just told you," said. 1--WE :"
But he kept on staring that way, and
said. "You amt dead and I'm the one that
went down there and identified your remains
"wel, that was just mistake" I said
Because we amt dead. no matter what you
say, and :"
"Your dog tags was there" Sergeant King
said. II seen them and seen some of your
clothes and the whole tail end of that airplane
was burned and I was the one that had to
make the report and thought :. -
"Sho." I said. II know what you thought
because we was just down by the parade
and :"
And then all of sudden he hoped up
and both feet hit the floor and he yelled out
like he was about half-crazy, "The parade!
The parade!"
Now, look" said "That amt no way
to act, is it? Here me and Ben is alive and
you :"
But then he started looking this way and
that like he didn't have good sense, and all OF
a sudden he started bounding across the room,
and then stopped and come back. and then
his eyes lighted up and he went bounding
back across the room again heading for the
door and calling out. Lieutenant! Lieuten-
anti" and slamming the door right in our
faces.
So said to Ben, "Well, would'n pay no
attention to him. He's always acted kind OF
peculiar like that" because you could tell
Ben was already getting worried. But then
there was lot Of commotion and talking in
the other room, and then all of sudden the
door flung open and the Lieutenant stood
staring at us a second, and then he yelled
out, Don't move! Don't novel" and slammed
the door again. which made Ben jump. And
then he opened 1t up again and yelled out,
If you move, I'll have you shot!" which
mighty near scared him to death, it looked
like.
said, well hits just that they are kind
of surprised right now. Later on, they'll be
more glad to see u.s.
"There aint no telling what they'll do
with u.s." Ben said. IF we'd gotten in the
infantry like I've wanted to all my life we'd
never been in this mess Now, like say, there
amt no telling what they'll do with u.s."
WELL wouldn't feel that way" I said.
It's just that they are kind of upset right
now and later on after they get accustomed
to IT, I'll mention it to them about them
medals and
Back They Come
But then the door flung open again and
Sergeant King and the Lieutenant come out
again. and this time they was talking awful
rough, it seemed like. The Lieutenant lit into
us again. wanting to know what we was doing.
alive, and told him about 1t, and he rayed
around a few minutes, not making good
sense, and then he started in on Sergeant
King again, wanting to know all about it,
and got right ornery about it before 1t was
over Sergeant King explained to him how
he found the dog tags and some OF our
clothes and all like that, and told him how
the back end of the plane was burned, and
told him how he dggered we was dead. and
all like that. but then the Lieutenant busted
can say nearly anything you want to me,
but if you explain to me one more time how
you knew they were dead, that's going to be
the end of you'll Now you get to the General
in hurry and don't fool around about it
tell him to leave their names off the list.
Tell him just not to mention them because
they've got the newspapers down there and
everybody else. including the Mayor-it's
the only thing know to do right now because
if he gets up there and gives them a medal
for being dead while both of them are sitting
right here in this Office alive and the news
papers ever find out, he'll be the laughing
stock Get out of here and hurry" he
shouted. "By God step on it!"
Then Sergeant King went bounding out
of the front door like he was In race or
something and then the Lieutenant started
in on us again but couldn't think of much to
say. and finally just stopped with his finger
UP in the air and said, Get in that Office
there and shut the door. And stay there!
And If anybody comes in, you tell them you're
John Jones and Jack Smith-do you under
stand that now?"
"They's just one thing" said. About
them medals
Get in there!" he yelled
So me and Ben went in the other Office
and he slammed the door shut and we
waited in there for while, and then in a
little bit there was another commotion in
the outside office; and we heered the Cap
tain say 81 don't believe it!' and then the
door flung open again and the Lieutenant
was pointing at us and the Captain was
staring at us, and the Captain said, "Are
you sure?" and the Lieutenant said, Sure.
I'm sure"
whats your names?" the Captain
asked us.
I'm John Jones and this here is Jack
Smith, sir" said.
Then the Captain looked at the Lieu
tenant and said. Listen, Jim, if you're try
ing to pull my leg, it'll be the last time be-
cause that's carrying joking too far, joking
over the dead -
Dead! There they sit, right there, and
they aint any more dead than you are!
That idiot gave those names just because I
told him to say that. That's them all right.
Sergeant King identified them!"
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