“What did he just say?”
“He said ‘Americans love to fight.’”
“No shit.”
The two men sat in the back of the big hall, watching as the General paced back and forth on the stage. Occasionally they generated glares from others as they kibitzed.
“Killed off like flies? Really?”
“Um. Yeah.”
“‘A Nation of Brave Men.’ I wonder who’s going to dig the ditches.”
“We will, obviously. Bravely.”
“Right.”
A strikingly handsome man with three stripes on his shoulder slid into the seat next to the pair. Casually, he leaned over to them. “You guys enjoying the speech?” He spoke in a low tone, but in a normal voice. The two men stared at him.
“Yes Sergeant,” one of them said. “Very much, sergeant.”
“Good,” said the sergeant. “What’s your favorite part? I like the part about the instant obedience to orders, it really makes my spine tingle. How about you fellas?”
“I...”
“Yes sergeant, it’s thrilling.”
“Okay, fellas, here’s an order for you then: Shut the fuck up, okay?”
“But...”
“Yes sergeant.”
The sergeant leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, looking up at where the General in the shiny helmet was talking about death and glory.
The two privates sat back and listened in disgruntled silence.
When the speech was over and the general had stomped back off the stage, the crowd of soldiers stood up and began to shuffle out of the auditorium. One of the kibitzing privates stuck with the sergeant while the other snuck off.
“Sergeant,” said the private, “You ever seen combat?”
“Naw,” said the sergeant, “I’m as green as everybody else.”
“Well, listen, sergeant, I gotta tell you, this whole thing worries me.”
“Just shows you’re sane, son. It’s a worrying endeavor.”
“Endeavor.”
“Thing. Job. Undertaking.”
“Yeah, I know what it means, I just...”
The two men walked in silence for a while, the sergeant seeming to know where he was going, if he was in no hurry about it, the private walking along beside.
“So we’re supposed to be out here dying nobly for this cause...”
“Jeez, kid, you didn’t listen to that speech at all.”
“I thought I did.”
“You ain’t supposed to be dying nobly for the cause, you’re supposed to be making the other guy die nobly for his cause.”
“Huh. He said that?”
“Yep.”
“I didn’t hear that. I just heard the parts about being brave and running into machine gun fire and all that shit.”
“Listen, don’t do that. Running into machine gun fire. Just do what you’re told and keep your head down and you’ll be fine, okay? All that speech stuff was just to get everybody’s blood up, make ‘em excited about what’s coming, because being excited beats the hell out of being scared. Just...”
The sergeant sighed. “Just do what you’re told, okay?”
“Yes sergeant.”
The two men arrived at the NCOs club. The sergeant turned just outside the door. “Go back to your outfit and keep your head down,” he said. “Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Unless I get killed.”
“Unless you get killed, but hell, ain’t that always the way it is.”
“Yeah. Thanks, sergeant.”
The sergeant watched the young private walk off, hands in his pockets, hunched over. He sighed heavily and walked into the NCO club, sat down at the bar.
“Hey Jerry,” said the bartender, “How’s it going?”
“I don’t know, Fred.”
“You want to talk about it?” He set a drink on the bar, set about wiping down everything he could reach.
Jerry sat at the bar, hunched over the drink. “I don’t know. I keep getting these kids that’re full of questions about what it all means, and I feel like I’m supposed to be getting ‘em back in line, you know? Like I’m supposed to be herding ‘em toward this big cliff and keeping ‘em excited and make ‘em... I don’t know, all revved up to die nobly for the cause.”
“Or live humbly, right?”
“What’s that?”
“Something my dad used to say. ‘You don’t want to die nobly for a cause, you want to live humbly for one.’”
“Huh.” Jerry sipped his drink. “Thanks, Fred, I’ll think on that.”
“And, you know, don’t let ‘em fall off the cliff.”
“What?”
“Don’t let ‘em fall off the cliff. These kids.”
“Oh. Right.”
Fred found something to do at the other end of the bar, involving glassware.
Jerry sat for a while, lost in thought; then he pulled out a notebook and started scribbling.
“He said ‘Americans love to fight.’”
“No shit.”
The two men sat in the back of the big hall, watching as the General paced back and forth on the stage. Occasionally they generated glares from others as they kibitzed.
“Killed off like flies? Really?”
“Um. Yeah.”
“‘A Nation of Brave Men.’ I wonder who’s going to dig the ditches.”
“We will, obviously. Bravely.”
“Right.”
A strikingly handsome man with three stripes on his shoulder slid into the seat next to the pair. Casually, he leaned over to them. “You guys enjoying the speech?” He spoke in a low tone, but in a normal voice. The two men stared at him.
“Yes Sergeant,” one of them said. “Very much, sergeant.”
“Good,” said the sergeant. “What’s your favorite part? I like the part about the instant obedience to orders, it really makes my spine tingle. How about you fellas?”
“I...”
“Yes sergeant, it’s thrilling.”
“Okay, fellas, here’s an order for you then: Shut the fuck up, okay?”
“But...”
“Yes sergeant.”
The sergeant leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, looking up at where the General in the shiny helmet was talking about death and glory.
The two privates sat back and listened in disgruntled silence.
When the speech was over and the general had stomped back off the stage, the crowd of soldiers stood up and began to shuffle out of the auditorium. One of the kibitzing privates stuck with the sergeant while the other snuck off.
“Sergeant,” said the private, “You ever seen combat?”
“Naw,” said the sergeant, “I’m as green as everybody else.”
“Well, listen, sergeant, I gotta tell you, this whole thing worries me.”
“Just shows you’re sane, son. It’s a worrying endeavor.”
“Endeavor.”
“Thing. Job. Undertaking.”
“Yeah, I know what it means, I just...”
The two men walked in silence for a while, the sergeant seeming to know where he was going, if he was in no hurry about it, the private walking along beside.
“So we’re supposed to be out here dying nobly for this cause...”
“Jeez, kid, you didn’t listen to that speech at all.”
“I thought I did.”
“You ain’t supposed to be dying nobly for the cause, you’re supposed to be making the other guy die nobly for his cause.”
“Huh. He said that?”
“Yep.”
“I didn’t hear that. I just heard the parts about being brave and running into machine gun fire and all that shit.”
“Listen, don’t do that. Running into machine gun fire. Just do what you’re told and keep your head down and you’ll be fine, okay? All that speech stuff was just to get everybody’s blood up, make ‘em excited about what’s coming, because being excited beats the hell out of being scared. Just...”
The sergeant sighed. “Just do what you’re told, okay?”
“Yes sergeant.”
The two men arrived at the NCOs club. The sergeant turned just outside the door. “Go back to your outfit and keep your head down,” he said. “Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Unless I get killed.”
“Unless you get killed, but hell, ain’t that always the way it is.”
“Yeah. Thanks, sergeant.”
The sergeant watched the young private walk off, hands in his pockets, hunched over. He sighed heavily and walked into the NCO club, sat down at the bar.
“Hey Jerry,” said the bartender, “How’s it going?”
“I don’t know, Fred.”
“You want to talk about it?” He set a drink on the bar, set about wiping down everything he could reach.
Jerry sat at the bar, hunched over the drink. “I don’t know. I keep getting these kids that’re full of questions about what it all means, and I feel like I’m supposed to be getting ‘em back in line, you know? Like I’m supposed to be herding ‘em toward this big cliff and keeping ‘em excited and make ‘em... I don’t know, all revved up to die nobly for the cause.”
“Or live humbly, right?”
“What’s that?”
“Something my dad used to say. ‘You don’t want to die nobly for a cause, you want to live humbly for one.’”
“Huh.” Jerry sipped his drink. “Thanks, Fred, I’ll think on that.”
“And, you know, don’t let ‘em fall off the cliff.”
“What?”
“Don’t let ‘em fall off the cliff. These kids.”
“Oh. Right.”
Fred found something to do at the other end of the bar, involving glassware.
Jerry sat for a while, lost in thought; then he pulled out a notebook and started scribbling.
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