Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-14
1HE COMPLETE BEST SELLER p
No Time for Sergeants

told Ben that. But right now. we've got to
get started on Strengthening this mess out,
haven't we? Come on now. want you to put
these oyercoats on and pull them way up
over your heads and I'm going to open the
trunk Of the car, and when ! say Co. want
you boys to run and jump in the trunk, you
see. That's for precaution, just to make sure.
Then I'll close it up and Well go to see Cen
eral Pollard. Is that all right with you boys?"
''Yessir," Ben said We'll do Just what
you say"
And I felt the same because he was a
right nice fellow. figgered it would be hot
down in the bottom of that car, but Ben
was willing, so didn't say anything. So then
Sergeant King went outside to see If any
body else was around and he come back and
said there warnt, and then the General
poked his head out the door too, and then
come back and said "Okay now, run for
it," and give Ben a little shove out the door.
So Ben run out and hoped in the back
of the car. and then the General started to
give me a shove, but held up minute to
speak with him.
Run for it, he said What are you
standing there for?"
'"They's something want to see you
about" said. Ben, he takes a lot Of stock
in them medals and things and -
Look" the General said I'VE can talk
about that later cant we? Hurry up before
somebody sees him out there! Hurry now!"
well, don't want to talk about 1t around
Ben, you see. mean he's kind of particular
sometimes and might not like it, but was
thinkink that if you could give us them
medals you had. Ben would be mighty CRATE
full and -"
Generals and Barrels
my God" the General said 1--WE been
put over a barrel before but never had any
body hold me over one the way you do!
Hurry up now before somebody sees him and
spoils the whole tling!'
You see, Ben, he kind Of hggered with
all the rest of them getting one for pulling
each other out of that plane, me and him :"
Call right" he yelled. "All right! He'll
get the medal. I'll see to that myself. What
do you want me to do now. swear to it? Get
going now, for Gods sake!"
So took off then and run and jumped
in the back of the trunk myself. And then
they slammed down the top of it with it so
dark inside that We couldn't even see each
other, and then they drove off with the tire
and the jack bouncing around in the back
and banging up against us every time we
moved so that it warnt very comfortable, but
I didn't mind as I got right excited over how
surprised Ben would be to get that medal
And was right glad he couldn't see my face
there in the dark because know it would
have give it all away for sho.
Anyhow, finally got comfortable in the
back even though it was too little for me SO
had to get kind of doubled up in it; but
managed to hold the jack down under my
feet and get grip on the tire so it wouldn't
bounce no more, and finally got right COM
Portable and got to sleep for while, and
guess we must have slept for long time be-
cause by the time we stopped, it was already
dark outside Somebody pulled up the top of
the trunk and all could see was bunch of
men standing around with flashlights and
things, but I knowed we was out in the woods
somewhere because could smell 1t and could
hear some frogs and crickets chattering away.
And then I recognized the General behind
one of the flashlights saying, "All right, boys,
here we are. Come on and hop out now"
Out in the Woods
So crawled out and said: Come on, Ben.
Get up and see where we are now" and he
stirred and sat up and looked around at all
the flashlights and things, blinking his eyes
and looking worried again. So I said: Come
on hop out, we're going to get everything
Strengthened out now, like the General says
and he finally clumb out, looking this way
and that, and followed him, feeling all stiff
from being curled up inside the trunk for so
long We looked around at things, trying to
make them out didn't know where we was,
though, except that it was out in the woods.
There was another car parked down the way
with its lights on, and over next to it was this
old cabin with the roof of the porch leaning
down, looking like nobody lived in it. Then
made out some of the others standing around
there was the General and the Captain and
the Lieutenant and Sergeant King, and an
other fellow with a bunch of papers under
his arm, and another older man standing over
by the side with a star on his collar. They
were all walking around holding flashlights
and talking low, their feet crunching over
pine needles and sticks and things. looked
at the other older man for second and
then the General said, Boys, this is General
Pollard. I've told him about our little mx-up
and he's offered to help us out. We better
go In the cabin now because we've got lot
OF papers to fill out. and then think every
thing is going to be all right" Then he
looked at General Pollard and said, "We1l
just have to find good place to send them"
We'll, don't worry about that" General
Pollard said. Il know this place at Fort Jen-
nings in Georgia, and Colonel MCGEE will
handle it nicely
So they talked while longer and the
fellow kept tipping and wanted to get the
General off to the side so Ben couldn't hear
but he kept going over to the typewriter and
getting these papers for us to sign, and kept
explaining them to us. This one is letter
to your folks that says you are on a secret
mission and not dead after all, but that they
shouldn't mention it to anybody because of
the secret mission And this is a document
which sWears that you have never been sta
toned on your last base and have never been
under my command and have never been in
an alrplane crash in your life, and this other
one has your new serial number on it; and
this other one is document whereby you
swear never to tell anything at all about all
this because we're listing it as Top Secret,
and you're liable to be court-martialed if you
do, you see You boys understand that now?"
Yessir," Ben said, and he signed, and I
done the same
You're sure that's clear now?"
"Yessir," 1 said. There's Just one thing
:" but then I stopped because Ben was
setting there.
Anyhow, he went on that way for the