Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-09
BY MAC LYMAN
Copyright. 1854. by Mac LYMAN
CHAPTER XIV

uLLle DlL shaking MS Iledu dilu ULIlhAlB Ills
eyes and couldn't see no sense in going down
to the plane with so many people around al
ready, so what done, led him along until
we got to the gate and then got us on this
bus going into town. I figured ! would just
head on down for the depot and get up on
the train and head on back, but when we
got to town. Ben was still kind Of groggy
from the fall, and everything, SO took him
up to bench in the park and we set around
there for a while. waiting for him to get
cleared up.
But after he did get to feeling better,
I kind Of wished had gone on to the depot
in the first place, because then he start
worrying pretty bad about everything. He
started talking about how he bet Lieutenant
Bridges and them was all killed and every
thing and he got all down in the dumps
about it no matter what said. told him it
didn't look like to me they got hurt none, and
he finally agreed it was possible they warnt,
but he was still down good Bit and had to
worry about something it seemed like, SO
then he got started on what we was going
to do and everything and picked around
that for a while; and then he hit on the
idea that we didn't have no passes and here
we were of the base and that give him some
thing to really tie into. He finally got right
upset about it and said to me with his eyes
right big, DO you know what that makes us,
Will? Off the base with no passes? That
makes us Absent Without Leave just as sure
as anything. We're AWOL. Will, We're
AWOL!"
So seen it was better him having some
thing to sink his teeth into that way so I
said, well, I guess that's a fact all right.
hadn't thought of it. It's true we amt got
no passes"
'You doggone well right we DON'T" Ben
said We're just about the same as deserters
when you come down to it. We were supposed
to have stayed with the airplane!"
So said had never thought Of it that
way, and he said there warnt no other way to
think Of it. He said it was just as clear as
anything, and then he got to talking about
the Articles of War and things like that. and
how nothing was no worse than running off
and leaving your plane after 1t went down,
and made pretty big case out of it. He got
to pacing up and down, saying this was prob
ably the worst mess we had ever been in, and
the least they would do was to send us to
prison, and how he wished we had stayed on
the plane in the first place.
We'll, that was my fault, Ben" said.
I was the one that made the mistake about
that. caused you to fall"
No Excuses Will Do
But Ben said, "That don't make any differ
ence. Ignore is no excuse, and we left the
plane and it's disgrace any way you look
at it," And he stayed pretty firm about it
too.
And after that, he got right hard on us,
and was so dead-set on the idea that we was
AWOL he couldn't think of anything else. He
stopped and set down and shook his head all
miserable and said, Here we are alive and
they are all probably dead and =. Oh, my,
Will, we got to do something! And there
cant be any slipups on it neither because
we've done enough wrong as it is We've got
to do something quick!"
So said why didn't we take the train on
back then. but he had got up and was pacing
again by that time. looking all worried and
everything. He done that a while and finally
got to nodding his head little bit, and then
he come over and set back down on the bench
and said Look, Will, I've thought of way,
but don't know whether we can use it or
not. We've got to have some kind of organ
iZation from now on-that's been the trouble
all along-so what we have to do now is use
the plan of whoever is in charge. Now I've
got plan but don't know whether we can
use 1t or not because ..'
"Why, sho we can use it, Ben. You be in
charge and we can use your plan and every
thing will work out fine, bet. I amt got
plan nohow-all was going to do was get on
the train and go back"
But Ben said. my goodness, Will, you
cant do things like that. You cant just put
somebody in charge that way. You're sup
posed to decide by date of rank. What's your
date of rank now? That's how we decide"
MY WHAT"
"Your date of rank We have to decide
which one ranks the other before we know
who will be in charge, and whose plan to use.
That's the only way to work things right,
Will"
So he had me there and didn't know
how to answer. So finally just said "Now,
Ben, how are we ever going to igger any
thing like that? How is either one Of us
going to rank the other when we're both
recruits. Why don't we Just go ahead and use
your plan and -"
But Ben said, "That's why want to know
your date of rank, Will. What day was you
sworn in?"
why, the same day you was, Ben. You
remember that. We
Time Is the Thing
But what time?" Ben said. What
time was you sworn IMP"
well, don't remember exactly what
time it was Ben. Look, let's just use your
plan and you be in charge because amt got
one nohow. I was just
But Ben said, "Nosir. You'll have to get
UP plan If you rank me because then you'll
be in charge. Think. Try to remember"
So thought back on it and finally it
come to me. I remembered I was one OF
the first ones sworn in that day, and I was
just about to say so when I caught myself
and said, Don't you remember what time
you got sworn IMP
Three thirty-fve that afternoon" Ben
said.
well, guess you are It," i said, be
cause was one Of the last ones that after
noon, I guess it was close to five o'clock"
So that done it all right Ben decided
he was in charge and we could use his plan,
and it turned out to be mighty good plan
too. You could tell he had give it q lot of
thought and everything. He said the only
thing for us to do would be to turn our
selves in, because that way, they wouldn't
court-martial US so bad. But If we let them
catch us. they would think we were trying
to escape so the best way to manage it,"
Ia