Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-26

SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT - Sergt.
King tells VIII he can name him per-
manent latrine orderly and win is
happy in the confidence shown In
him.-Photo by permission Of the
Broadway play, mo Time Tor Ser
geants."
I done right good on the latrine. All the
others In the barracks had gone to get clas-
sified. and had the barracks pretty much to
myself, so Just hung around and kept at 1t
as 1t got right lonesome not having ANYBODY
around. cleaned UP things 50 they Just
shone and then got the bucket and the mop
and cleaned the floor. and went over the
sinks with paper. so you couldn't have got
it much better The second morning cleaned
it. Sergeant King said he never had seen no.
body so good at it. He said was horned TO
be In the latrine and he should have knowed
1t time he saw me- He kept on like that for
a good while, and 1t made me feel pretty
good too. so done pretty good job on it.
Got Along Just Fine
Anyhow, stayed at latrine orderly about
a week, and me and Sergeant King got along
fine together. All the rest Of them were still
being classified at the time. and asked him
II was going to get classified, but he said
he doubted 1t. He said that as far as he was
concerned, had already found my classif1ca-
ton, and that as long as didn't mention 1t
over in the room or nowhere, probably
wouldn't have to fool with 1t at all. "Yessir."
- 1871, kk.nk alA Lott ina
the way you can ought not to do anything
else" and he stood looking 1t over and his
eyes just shone He didn't look sad at all
any more and felt 1t was partly my do
ings too.
And one day ne took me down to help
wash his car, and I kind Of appreciated that
because that was one thing Sergeant King
thought good bit about. mean he kept 1t
In this garage OF the base, and he kept about
three locks on the door. and he had more
things to wash 1t with than you would ever
believe. He had all kinds Of brushes and wax
and rags and polish and stuff like that, and
he showed me all about it. going around
patting the tenders, and don't guess nobody
knowed much more about keeping car than
Sergeant King did. mean lot Of folks
just like to drive a car. but Sergeant King
didn't care as much about that don't think.
as he did washing IT, But he really was good
didn't really want me to wash none. Every
time would mention helping him. he would
act like he didn't hear me, or say something
like, II guess had better do this part. You
amt had much experience on this kind Of
paint job So didn't push 1t none. ]
finally just set on a bucket and watched him
scrub singing away and whistling to himself.
But he was mighty nice about letting me
go down there and ! appreciated 1t. One
iuaa ha
could let the windows up and down by just
pressing Q button, and then he showed me
these little shades over the top OF the win
dows that was supposed to keep the rain
out He got inside and run the windows
up and said, See, I can get air UP here. even
when it's raining" and all like that, only 1t
was right hot and his face started turning
down the side Of 1t as He set there calling out.
See, can breathe real good"
But his face kept getting redder so
thought the heat was going to get him and
finally said, well. why don't you just get
out and rest a while and then you can get
back in and show me again later" but 1t was
late by that time, and we headed back to the
barracks So didn't really get to wash it
none only didn't say nothing about 1t. He
was so wore out and happy that 1t was some
thing to me just seeing him peaceful again.
And How II Shined
Anyhow, the next day for inspection
cleaned up everything real white, except the
tops which warnt supposed to be white, and
Sergeant King went pacing all round the
place examining hunks and getting wrinkles
out Of them and things like that, and telling
everybody how to act. and just what the
officers would do and everything. He worried
a good bit about inspection like that. and he
explained 1t to everybody again. and 1t hap
pened just like he said 1t would too. The door
opened and some Lieutenants and the Captain
and the Colonel come In, and Sergeant King
called out Attention" and everybody stood
real stiff like they warnt breathing, and the
Lieutenants peeped and shifted around here
and there, and the Captain went around look
ing over the men In their fresh uniforms.
but the Colonel he didn't waste no time at all
he only glanced at things and headed right
past, coming for the latrine where ! was
standing at attention by myself just like
Sergeant King said he would do.
And he really was the most interested in
latrines Of any man you ever seen in your life.
He was a nice old fellow too, gray-headed
with little mustache and looked like an
uncle of mine, but knowed 1t warnt as my
uncle hadn't been drafted that had heered
anyhow, he headed right back for the Ia
trine and went in and looked around, nodding
his head and smiling. and seemed mighty
pleased with 1t. And I was myself when l
seen the look on his face and seen Sergeant
King kind of cutting his eyes around at him.
But / didn't want to take all the credit for
myself, so when he come back by me on the
way out. said, Colonel. i hope you like how
we fixed up the latrine for you"
And when he turned to me and said,
"What?" said THE reason 1t is so clean was
mainly because Of Sergeant King there He's
the one behind 1t all: just done the clean
ing. He said he had never seen man in his
life care more about Iatrines than YOU do.