A Time to Serve by Chris Glatte

Author:Chris Glatte [Glatte, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn River Publishing
Published: 2022-06-27T16:00:00+00:00

The week passed quickly. The PTR cadre shoveled information into them as though stoking the fires of a locomotive. Clyde’s head spun, and he realized why the Army insisted on their AGCT scores being so high.

The cadre continually tested them on everything, from naming the parts of the parachute to how many paratroopers a C-47 could carry. If they failed to answer correctly, they did push-ups and/or ran.

They spent a lot of time learning how to pack the parachutes. Everyone paid close attention, knowing their lives depended on getting it right. The instructors watched them carefully.

With the chutes spread out to their fullest, it seemed impossible that all the material could possibly fit into the smallish backpack. But, with painstaking instruction and attention to detail, each trainee succeeded in doing so.

After each day of training, as they stood waiting for the buses to pick them up, they were dusty and streaked with sweat. Clyde came to appreciate the rigors of A Stage. His hardened body could take the strain of the leaping, rolling, and falling they went through in B Stage. So far, none of them had injured themselves, but he doubted that would be the case if they hadn’t been through A Stage.

Clyde enjoyed himself, mostly. In a few short days, he’d learned more than he could properly assimilate, but he felt strong and confident. He’d done well. He’d listened and done everything the PTR cadre asked of him. He’d made mistakes—done his fair share of push-ups—but not more than any of the others, and fewer than most. Tomorrow, they’d face the forty-foot tower and put much of the last week’s training to the test.

After a hot shower and chow, Clyde lay on his bunk and wrote a letter to Abby. He’d written her when he could during A Stage, but that only amounted to a few harried letters, mostly apologizing for not writing. Now that he had more time, he tried to make up for it.

He told her the happy news that he’d be coming home on furlough after getting his jump wings. Writing it made him feel odd, as though he tempted the fates, but he felt confident he would graduate, and so kept it in. He hoped the PTR cadre didn’t get a hold of it. They might still run him out of here.

He told her about the training, leaving out most of the gory details. He told her he loved her more today than the day before, and he couldn’t wait to hold her in his arms. He didn’t mention the war or the fact that he enjoyed being a soldier. He kept it light, as though he was simply away at summer camp instead of training for war. A war, he suddenly realized, he wanted to fight.

He addressed and sealed the envelope. He wondered what she’d think of his new body. He weighed about the same as when he’d left, but he’d replaced the thin layer of fat with hard, lean muscle. He wanted to see her eyes light up with overpowering lust.

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