Visions From a Foxhole by William Foley

Author:William Foley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction
ISBN: 9780307417657
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2007-12-18T00:00:00+00:00

8

Surrounded by the 6th SS Mountain Division

Back in a clearing, the kitchen jeep again was the center of attention—or, rather, the food and hot coffee it carried was. Captain Griffin, the first sergeant, and a runner walked past in a hurry to get somewhere. Captain Griffin spoke so the cook, the noncoms, and anyone in earshot could hear and obey: “I want five or six men at a time on this chow line. Get your food and move away. I don’t want to see you men grouping up.” It was always a problem—men were naturally social, but in an instant, one mortar shell dropping in could wipe out a squad.

I noticed everyone looking out toward the road the chow jeep used to get here. Farther down, in the direction of the farm buildings of the night before, I could see a convoy of six-by-six trucks unloading men. From that direction, a column was moving toward us. Because they were close enough by then—their shockingly clean helmets and overcoats so obvious—I dared to hope they were replacements for George Company. I held my breath, hoping against hope it was true. I walked over near the captain when the formalities were being observed.

We had well over sixty new men to fill out our squads to some degree: fresh, healthy legs to carry their weight; bright, clear eyes to help guard the nights. Captain Griffin immediately broke the men up into groups and separated them in case of incoming fire. Artillery fire could be heard in the distance, although after a while one became used to it and no longer focused on it. They did focus on it, however. I knew that for a fact. I had been there and heard that with fresh ears only weeks before. I looked at my filthy uniform and could not believe how completely changed I was in only weeks. Conversely, they looked at us in the growing daylight, and it must have caused much consternation behind those serious, self-conscious eyes to see what their future image was to be. Looking at them and seeing what I had been was almost too much for me. It was as though a cleaver had slammed down between us; I would never again be that innocent. Even if I lived to return Stateside, I would be a ghost of who had once walked the familiar rooms of my home.

I looked from their apprehensive faces to the veterans of the company. I took in, not only the condition of our uniforms and equipment, but the color and texture of skin—the broken and blue skin around mouths and the scraggly beards. Most of all, it was the heavy baggage around the eyes.

I now know it was such moments that helped deepen whatever the poetic mentality in me was forming. But this poet thought and visualized pictorially, not in the written word. I felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders to put this all down on paper. I feared I could never do proper justice to my love and respect for the men I served with.

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.