The Last Parallel by Martin Russ

Author:Martin Russ [Russ, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Published: 2016-11-23T00:00:00+00:00

Group Eight - Hill 229

March 27th, 1953. On the MLR.

We were pulled back to the MLR without warning, a happy trip. Before leaving, we oriented the men who were to replace us; scaring hell out of the men who were taking over B-l by our warnings and lucid descriptions.

Reaching the lines at 3 P.M. — we accompanied the supply train — we occupied our new positions and stood watch for the rest of the night. The hills of No Man’s Land are sprawled out below us now. New Bunker is a low, broad knoll. B-l is visible, far below, an extraordinary sight. Not exactly nostalgic, but extraordinary. Old Bunker appears to be larger in all respects. The sight of it alone is ghastly.

Our squad sector is three hundred yards long; there is a wide interval between each man. In almost every case we are out of sight of each other. It makes little difference; we are far safer here than on New Bunker.

After a long morning sleep in a bunker with a stove, Pugnacci, Barefield and myself climbed down the long, very steep ravine behind us and found the MESS HALL. It is a large bunker with tables inside. Hot chow is prepared back at battalion headquarters and then brought up to us, reheated. We swaggered in, bearded, filthy and stinking, and played it up to the hilt, like a bunch of asses. Danny Keppard, the black Apollo, joined us in line. He alone is beardless; says he doesn’t need to shave. We sat down to a meal of spaghetti, mashed potatoes, lettuce, cake, and two cold cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. Pure bliss. We made all sorts of Homeric sounds. Fartensissimo, Belchitorium. Coughilensis. Spitandum.

After the meal we sat outside in the sun and talked, told sea-stories. Each time a friend arrived — anyone we knew — we greeted each other loudly. Lester Higgins was especially happy to see us. He had remained on the MLR to take charge of the yo-bos. Higgins lay sprawled out in the sunlight, laughing boisterously and insulting us with glee. We were happy to see him. He kept saying things like, “My! You are all so lovely. So delightful. So well-scrubbed and lovely.” He told us that Nate Bell was sent to the hospital at Yokasuka, Japan and that he will be back. Dudley Hogg and Lauroesch are at Able Medical Bn., and will be back shortly.

There is a wooden commode near the mess hall which we happily assaulted. Defacendorum superabundorum. Then we went back and had another meal. Later we walked to the showers, some distance away, located behind the secondary MLR. The entire platoon might have been there, including Lt. Buell. Pure delight. We shaved under the stream of hot water. What horrible sights we were when we came out into the sun. Dan handed me his pocket mirror. O, most terrible sight! A long white face covered with blackheads. We are all white, and lolled about in the sun before returning.

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