Evening star., 1956-03-05
THE COMPLETE BEST SELLER
No Time for Sergeants
BY MAC HYMAN
Copyright, 1854, BY Mac Hyman
CHAPTER Xxx

Cf1AT AA
So 1t really worked good that way, and
finally the Colonel poked his head back in
the door again because he had gone all the
way outside when they started popping he
was so surpriSed-he finally peeped back
around at me and looked back in again. and
me and those seats were standing Just as
straight as you could want, all Of them right at
attention! He just stared at them for while.
Then he looked at me for minute, and he
couldn't say a word he was so surprised. He
stood there blinking his eyes for the longest
sort of time.
But finally he got himself Strengthened out
and nodded at me and said, "Yes. remember
you. I certainly do
'Yessir." said Sergeant King made me
permanent latrine man.
oh yes. Sergeant King did that !. :"
"YesSir" I said, and then I looked at
Sergeant King and done the same thing
had done before. knowed Sergeant King
had asked me not to do him no more favors
but the Colonel was right disappointed in
him this time. so told fiat lie. said, I'VE
thought you would like it. Me and him
fixed it up for YOU" looked at Sergeant King
out of the corner of my eye and you should
have seen his face. 1t was the whitest ever
seen. He was right embarrassed about it,
He showed me how" I said.
And then the Colonel looked at him and
said. Sergeant King ought to tell us some
of these things. In fact think Sergeant
King had better come over to the Orderly
Room again and explain few more things
to us!" He stood there looking Sergeant King
up and down and then he shouted out,
Right now. Sergeant. Right this minute
And don't bother to get dressed up. I want
to talk to you just the way you are-Ill en-
joy what I'm going to do lot more" and
then he turned and headed out the door.
Sergeant King followed them out and
for few minutes didn't nobody move. They
all come and looked at the latrine and stared
at it like they hadn't never seen nothing like
it before. And then Chris come over and
stood there and looked at me with his eyes
kind of blank and started to say something;
he opened his mouth but nothing come out.
and then he kind OF stumbled over and
Topped down on his bed said, II was
getting worried yall warnt going to make it
back" but none of them answered me; they
just turned away all of them but little P. j.
VINO still hadn't come out of it, I guess. He
hauled off and tried to kick at me but his
foot got tangled up in the wire which tripped
him up so that he hit fiat on his back, which
made the seats fly up and bang against the
wall again. which kind of scared Chris be-
cause he come bounding up in the bed, look
ing wild-eyed this way and that, and then
Hoped back down again. So I picked little
P. ]. up and put him to bed; he was out like
a light already.
Anyhow, waited around for Sergeant
King to get back and find out what happened
with the Colonel, but they kept him over
there for the longest sort of time. Some
fellows who had passed by the Orderly Room
came in and told everybody they still had
him in there and that they had heered part
of it. Hes explaining how he was at the
picture show and some sailors got to cusSing
the Air Force and when he told them they
shouldn't talk like that, they jumped on him
and beat him all night long The only thing
1T. he cant remember what show he was
supposed to be at"
Vague Identification
HE told them Forward March American
Batallion!' u the other fellow said.
Yeah, but when they asked him who
was in it, he said Willie Hoppe, and he warnt
in 1t at ALL
He's sticking to it, though" the other
one said. "He said Willie Hoppe was dressed
like Chinese"
They warnt even Chinese. They were
Japs in that picture
That's what the Colonel claims"
Anyhow, I finally begun worrying over
what was keeping him SO long and went over
to the Orderly Room to find out. You couldn't
hear nothing, though; the doors was closed
clerks were setting around and while I was
standing there. the First Sergeant come up
to me and said, "Stockdale, just wanted to
tell you that you're going to gunnery school
all right. I think you ought to tell Sergeant
King about it when he gets out. think
it'll do him good"
well, be logged" said I'm mighty
glad to hear it,
"You amt the only one" the First Sergeant
theT of he TO fIa
where they had Sergeant King and said, IT
amt ever liked him too much, but anyhow
you tell him when he gets back, will you?
Ihere's just so much man can take, and I
think it might help little bit"
So went back over to the barrcks and
waited until Sergeant King finally come back
We went up to his room and he was LAYING
on the bunk with his hands over his eyes,
holding his stripes in his other hand, and he
didn't move when we come in. He said,
"Stockdale, I give UP. Just go away, will
you?"
II got some good news" said. Guess
what"
mo" he said. st don't want to guess I'll
tell you what I'll do though. I'll stay right
here and keep my eyes closed for thirty
seconds, and anything else you can do to me,
just go ahead. All ask is that it is quick
and silent"
I just wanted to tell you I'm going to
gunnery school. just heered"
He took his hand away and looked at me
second but then covered his face up again.
NO." he said. mo, you're going to stay here
forever and ever and ever. :"
The First Sergeant just told me-" said
That's right" another fellow said IT
heered 1t too"
Sergeant King took his hand back off his
face and looked around again. Then he set
up real slow and looked at the others and
said. You mean he really is, and last night,
all OF 1t was for nothing? He was going any
how?"
ITS fact" the fellow said
Philosophical King
Sergeant King looked at me and shook
his head; then he kind of smiled and shook
his head some mora +aolz La.,. i---.-L,.