Fields of Battle by Brian Curtis

Author:Brian Curtis
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781250059604
Publisher: Flatiron Books

PART IV

WAR

There are no great men, just great challenges which ordinary men, out of necessity, are forced by circumstance to meet.

—ADMIRAL WILLIAM HALSEY JR., UNITED STATES NAVY

11. THE FIRST

CHARLES HAYNES COULDN’T WAIT to fight, but his early attempts proved futile. Even before America’s entry into the war, he tried to enlist in the Royal Canadian Air Force, which was already engaged in battle, but when Haynes couldn’t read all the letters on the eye chart from a distance, he was denied. He vowed that he would never let those eyes fail him again. It was not a surprise to his mother—though she was against his decision—that Haynes left Duke in good standing in May 1942 to enlist in the army, memorizing the eye chart to ensure he passed. He initially volunteered for the cavalry, with his experience on horseback and with the false belief that the cavalry would play a vital role for the Americans, just as his father had left Trinity College during World War I to join the horse riders.

Haynes set off for basic training, assuming it would be like preseason football camp under Wallace Wade. As it had for many of his teammates, it took only a few months away from his parents and from Duke for the young man to grow up quickly. Still, his constant gratefulness and optimism remained strong. In a letter home from Texas in December 1942, Haynes wrote:

Hope I am not disappointing your first expectations. I owe you both more than I can ever repay, for being the best parents a soldier ever had. I could never begin to thank you enough for all the opportunities you’ve both given me. You’ve never disappointed me in anything I ever wanted or asked for and I’m not too spoiled, am I?… I hate to say it, but I didn’t realize fully how fortunate I was at home and how much having an education really meant to me until I joined the Army … I won’t let you down. Here’s a kiss for you mother, and a salute to you, Lt. from Pvt. Jr.

Haynes trained at Fort Clark in Texas and, set on becoming an army officer, applied to Officer Candidate School. Like his colleagues, Haynes was ordered to ship all photography equipment home—the government was fearful that plans, equipment, and locations might be revealed—and undertook a round of drugs to prevent spinal meningitis. He spent his rest time writing letter after letter home to his parents, sending two to three a week. He moved to Fort Riley in Kansas, where he starred on the fort’s polo and football teams and served as his company’s athletic officer. He was offered the opportunity to transfer to Washington, D.C., to take care of President Roosevelt’s horse stable, but Haynes declined, preferring battle to horse care. He was destined to lead, he believed, though nothing extraordinary about Haynes would hint at that belief. And, despite his reminiscences of home, he longed to be engaged in battle. He was

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.