Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-01

RANK IS COLOR BLIND-Will dis
covers there's no such thing as Negro
lieutenant. He's just an officer, that's
all. Photo by permission of the Broad
way play, "No Time for SergeantS"
game. But wen teach you all right. We sho
will, as you say"
And I'd say, "Yeah, but that seems a
ton to them: they were always taking on
that way; but one day / happened to walk
into Sergeant Kings room and there was
four or five of them in there talking, and
Sergeant King looked like he felt a lot bet
ter all of sudden. Just as walked in. he
was saying, "Well. hate to do 1t, but guess
it's the only thing. like you say :" and
sounded more like his old self again.
And one of them said Sure drunk and
AWOL-that will mean the guardhouse any,
how, and then ;"
And then they seen me and one of them
looked around and said. will, have you ever
been drunk and AWOL?"
And said not that knowed of, and they
all hee-hawed and took on like they do kind
Of silly, and one Of them said. There amt
no bigger sport. viii. It's the most fun of
anything"
Then Sergeant King said to me, "You
ready to have the party, WHIP" He was set
ting over on the bunk and looked like he felt
lot better.
"sho." said. ct didn't know you was
going. though"
Going? Man. I wouldn't miss 1t for any
thing in this world" Then he give whoop
and fell back on the bed laughing, and the
rest Of them Joined in because everybody was
feeling real merry, so Joined in a little bit
myself. It was mighty good to see him all
full Of spark again.
"Yessir," Sergeant King said, setting up.
Were really going to have us party. You
ever drink, WHIP"
well. just the stuff Pa used to make but
never :"
'We will" he said. "Ill see that every
body gets pass. and I'll take my car. Yessir,
I'll take my car and we'll go down the road
and see the sights. How about that now?"
Sounds good" one of them said.
Sounds goodern good" Sergeant King
said. How about 1t, VIII? You want to?
Wen show you the town, IN it and under it.
Yessir." M
"You still got that .thirty-four dollars?',
one of them asked me-
2 Don't worry about money" Sergeant
King said getting up and walking around
kind Of excited. "By God, this is one time I'll
supply the money myself"
We'll. we Just thought we'd shoot little
snooker on the way, and that's right ex-
pensiye game, you know" this other fellow
said. "And anyhow there amt no sense in
you trying to hog everything
Then they all laughed and took on and
banged me on the back, and Sergeant King
looked real happy about 1t. It was the first
time he had looked poppy in about three
days.
Well they spent most Of the day talking
about it, everybody getting ready and telling
me what all we was going to do, and how not
to worry about nothing that they would take
care Of me, and all like that. They said, "And
don't worry about the Air Police neither II they
say anything to you. If any of them bothers
you, you just knock their teeth down their
throat and that's all there is to it. Sergeant
King can get you out Of 1t If you get in
any trouble"
Can't Wait to Go
Sergeant King hung around too, going
to the windows and looking out at one or two
little clouds that floated by and getting
worried again because he didn't like to drive
his car on muddy streets but finally 1t
cleared off and toward late evening there
warnt a cloud nowhere, and he got to looking
real happy again. And about dark, we got
the passes that Sergeant King had arranged
for and went down to the garage and got
the car out. Me and fellow by the name of
Polettie and another one called P. j. who
warnt as big as Ben and wore glasses too
we set in the back seat, and Sergeant King
and another fellow by the name of Chris set
in the front seat, and then we rode the five
blocks into town at about ten miles an hour
1t warnt too much Of ride because we had
to sit right up on the edge of the seat be-
cause Sergeant King didn't like you to SLOUGH
back on the covers. and we had to hold our
feet right still in one place so as not to stir
up the dust in the bottom-but anyhow we
drove the five blocks into town and about
six blocks on the other side of it to park be-
cause there warnt so many cars out there and
Sergeant King kept being worried about some
on han ryntn ~
and started walking back to town. It really
didn't seem much Worth it to me- but 1t made
Sergeant King right happy having drove 1t.
and 1t got enough dirt on 1t so he would
have to wash it lot more next week, so you
couldn't grippe after all.
Anyhow we walked back toward town
with everybody getting real jolly and punch
ing at each other and laughing and talking
on. Sergeant King said, I'VE gonna rip and
snort, amt we, viii? We gonna rip and
snort"
And so joined in with: Like hawngry
hog, we is"
well, youse guys can rip and snort"
Polettie said. Myself, want some whiskey"
I'VE gonna have whisky too," Sergeant
King said. I'VE gonna rip and snort some
whisky too amt we, WHIP"
That's rightern the preacher with the
devil" said.
That's rightern rain on tin roof" Ser
geant King said. "Yessir, this here is nice
little town and it's got all the things man
could want, and the APPS are the finest bunch
OF fellows you ever seen. You can get drunk
and rip and snort and kick the windows out
and beat folks on the head with chairs, and
they never say word. You don't have a
thing to worry about This is your party,
your farewell party -"
"Well, that's mighty decent +"
Its nothing he said. Wen take care
of you. boy. Well see that you get back all
right"
And If we don't, the APPS will" Polettie
said
Sergeant King laughed and said, "Yessr.
VIII. you just let yourself 60 and have good
time"
Temenow: The trip 10 o huss success