Griffin, W.E.B. - The Corps 08 - In Dangers Path by Griffin W. E. B

Author:Griffin, W. E. B.
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf

"Is that so?"

"Pensacola is a buyer's market for a girl like Martha. One hell of a lot of eligible young officers have taken their best shots at her. And gotten Maggie's Drawers." When a marksman-and every Marine is trained to be a rifleman- completely misses his target on a known-distance range, a red flag, "Maggie's Drawers," is waved in front of the target.

"You're the first one to even come close to getting the brass ring."

"With all respect, sir, is your real name John Alden?"

"Not the last time I looked."

"You sound as if you're trying to match me up with the lady."

"It seems to me that Mother Nature has already done that," Williamson said. "I'm just letting you know Mother Nature rarely makes a mistake."

Weston didn't reply.

'"Lieutenants should not marry; captains may marry; majors should. You ever hear that, Jim? Or am I putting my nose in where it doesn't belong?"

"As a matter of fact."

"Don't be impertinent, Captain. You are a very young captain; I am a senior major. It therefore behooves me to counsel you on a matter of importance to your career."

"With all due respect, Major, sir, go fuck yourself."

"I was a lieutenant when Margie and I got married," Williamson said. "I didn't want to get married either. October '41. I was on orders to VMF-219. I thought, Christ, we're going to war. The last thing I wanted to do to Margie was make her a widow. But I couldn't tell her no."

Weston looked at him.

"We had a seven-day honeymoon," Williamson went on. "Then I reported to 'Diego, went aboard the Lexington-change of orders-and wound up on Midway. I was lucky there. I was

determined to go home to Margie. I got six Japs, and that got me railroad tracks, and then I went to VMF-229 on Henderson Field on the 'Canal. Charley Galloway was the skipper.

Colonel Dawkins-you know this-was the MAG commander, and he asked Charley which of his pilots should get a squadron, and Charley said me. And I got lucky there, too. I was determined to go home to Margie. And I did, with major's leaves on my collar. I went home to Margie and our brand new son. Marrying her was the best and smartest thing I have ever done."

"You think you're going to be as lucky the next time?" Weston asked. "Who knows? On one hand, the statistics suggest that if you live through the first thirty days, you have a good chance of finishing the tour. On the other hand, everybody dies sooner or later. But in the meantime, Jim, I've had Margie and the boy. That's what it's all about." "Yeah, I guess." "End of speech," Williamson said. "Except to say, when you're on the merry-go-round and a brass ring

like Martha's is within reach, grab it." Weston shrugged. Then he pointed ahead, out the window. A flight of perhaps twenty Army Air Corps C-47s-essentially identical to the Navy R4-D they were flying-was 2,000 feet below them, making a wide turn toward Fort

Benning. "What

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