The Squad by David Sherman

Author:David Sherman
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2014-01-13T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Rounding Out the Parts

A couple of days after Cooper's death and the killing of the NVA company by the river, the Marine commanders decided the immediate threat to Khe Sanh from that direction was over. Half of the companies involved in that search and destroy operation were ordered to continue sweeping the area to act as an early detection and blocking force in the event the NVA tried it again. The rest of them were withdrawn to small fire bases where they could readily contest territory the enemy might want to occupy, and be ready as reaction forces to reinforce any established combat bases the NVA might attack. As incredible as the warnings about a major offensive at Tel might have seemed, the Americans did want to be prepared. Just in case.

One facet of the preparations was sending in replacements. George Bingham's first squad got two new men: PFC Gilbert C. Stuart and Private Matthew Pratt.

Stuart was a quiet man who talked about himself only reluctantly. That was fine with the other men in the squad and they left him alone—until they found out he was from San Diego.

"Say what?" Russell said, somewhere between a gasp and a shout.

"You shitting me," West said, goggle-eyed—he hadn't been killed, only knocked unconscious when a piece of shrapnel smashed into his helmet. Copley held a hand over his mouth and giggled behind it. He rolled toward West, who rolled back at him until the corners of their foreheads touched. They laughed quietly into each other's chests, their bodies shuddered with the effort of keeping their laughs quiet.

Trumbull's eyes lit up. Here was someone who'd done something so dumb no way this newbie could call him "Baby-san." "I'm gonna like you, Gil," he said.

"If you're really from San Diego, why the fuck did you enlist in the Crotch?" Rush asked "Don't you know any better?'

Stuart shrugged weakly and looked embarrassed.

"You must a lived back in the hills and never went near Boot Camp," Russell said.

Stuart shook his head again. "Any of you go through Dago?"

Copley, Russell, and Pratt had gone through Boot Camp at MCRD San Diego.

"You know when you stand on the Little Grinder and look up on the hill at those houses?"

They all remembered the pastel housing development.

"That's where I lived."

Copley and West stopped laughing into each other and sat up straight, gaping. Russell stopped chewing his gum. Rush grimaced and slowly shook his head.

Trumbull's eyes lit even brighter. Really dumb. Finally, there was going to be someone below him on the peeking order. Pratt beamed. He hadn't known Stuart before, but anyone who could see Boot Camp and still enlist was someone he wanted for a friend. He was someone who really wanted to be a Marine.

"Why?" Copley, West, Rush, and Russell wanted to know. If you could see it, what on earth made you enlist? Who put a gun to your head?

Stuart tried to explain. From the yard of his home in the pastel housing development he couldn't hear the drill instructors screaming at the recruits.

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