Our Cause is Just

The smile that graced the captain’s features provided a sense of relief. He was glad that he’d run into someone from his company. Don returned the smile, glancing around as he wondered who he’d be spending most of the war with. These men were his new brothers in arms. They’d have to earn his trust and he earn theirs if they wanted to survive. The stories about the Pacific and the Japanese rattled him, but he was confident he would be fine. 

Or so he hoped. You could never be to too sure. 

“Oh…” he muttered silently, resting his hand by his side as he adjusted his grip on the bag he held with the other. His hands were a little sweaty. He didn’t know if it was due to the tropical and hellish weather or the nervousness that had kicked in the moment he arrived on the island.  

“Thank you, sir. The names’s Donald Malarkey. I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but they weren’t quite specific once we got off. Where exactly is K Company, sir?” 

Andrew kept a friendly smile etched into his features as the private realized he’d be with him and his men. He seemed like a good kid and knew he’d fit in with time since the boys, especially Snafu, wouldn’t just let him in that easily. But if his training was as it needed to be, then he would be just fine. 

      “Excuse me,“ 

    The redhead addressed, he really hoped he wasn’t interrupting the man, due to the fact all his attention was given to what he was doing.. Perhaps he could spare a moment or two to humor Babe. “Do you by any chance got any extra supplies lyin’ round here? I’ve been sent to ask, we’re runnin’ real low.”

Flies carrying diseases, the Japanese who were attacking them, giving marines and paratroopers no breathing space. There was no medical point, the death that hovered over the corpses - all this had its outlet in their behavior, attacks, plans. 

Snipers were lurking everywhere, just waiting for the right moment. And apparently this moment took place at a time when they fired their weapons, wounding the captain.

“- We shoulda be happy tha’ the bullet went through. It would be difficult ta deal wit’ it in these circumstances, sir.”

Doc did not complain. It was only a note. Nothing more. “- yer lucky, sir.”

The environment he was used it, it being his third campaign in this world war. But the wounds never got easier and this wasn’t his first. Granted, it made his men believe he was dead which he was thankful that he wasn’t. And now being in the hands of the medics and corpsmen hw could relax some in this hell hole.

When an extremely pleasant to the ear man’s voice reached him, Doc rested his hand on the bent knee, looking away to be able to think through the other’s words - and stop some kind of irritation, which increased with each wounded Marine.

He couldn’t say that he didn’t appreciate their effort, did not appreciate their actions, heroism, but the best soldier is the one who is alive. Doc faced the man, and a tip of his tongue wetted his own chapped lips.

“- Yer men need ‘ya alive, sir.’ Wit’ tha’ wound yer ain’t gonna go far. ’m sorry ta say dis, but yer jus’ gonna be a deadwood for ‘em, sir.” The sincerity of his words was cold, but true. He did it for their own good, for the good of the company, the whole staff.

Gene straightened up after a moment. “- Pills, some rest - tha’s wha’ ‘ya gotta do, Captain. If yer health improves, we’ll think ‘bout throwin’ ‘ya to the first line.”

He knew it wasn’t what the medic wanted to hear, he wanted Haldane to remain towards the rear of the fighting and take off some pressure of his leg. In truth if the fighting wasn’t so bad, Andrew would have done it but this was never ending it seemed. 

Nixon handed him almost a full flask, filled with one of the finest malt whiskeys.

“ I am the intelligence   office, unfortunately.   I’m supposed to know   where we are going. ”

Lew replied wearily, looking at the horizon line.

“- One of the caves connected to    a three-tier blockhouse.    Have to destroy the structure on the    edge of Turkey Nob, giving a clear view    of the beachhead toward the southwest    on Iwo Jima.    That’s what we need to do    and need to go. -  - Sounds like a good    fun to me. ”

The man added after a moment of silence, giving his words a clear ironic tone.

Haldane gladly took the flask from the other and took a swig before handing it back, making sure he was still listening to the other talk. He chuckled slightly at the annoyance of the other at his position and shook his head.”Oh it can’t be all that bad Captain.”

if everyone saw it like that, do you think this would stop ??

“I assume so, unless you think in the five seconds of speaking to me that I’m a bad person.”

“- Yeah .. and I heard   Hitler likes Jews.   We’re supposed to fight   with the Germans.   So I hear. ”

“- What a coincidence, Captain.   one sip before we hit the road?

Haldane chuckled, noticing the tone of the other and shook his head. He’d leave the rivalry between branches alone.

   i find it disgusting that    some men enjoy war.

   it is using man’s best    to do man’s worst.

“True, some enjoy it but some only want to defend their country.”

Rosie. She hadn’t been called that in years. Clearing her throat nervously, the blonde lowered her head to hide the blush that tinted her pale cheeks and took a step further into the mess tent. “Thanks, Andy.” 

At the nickname, a smile tugged at his lips and she motioned her forward. It was one he hadn’t heard in awhile, hell he had forgotten about it after hearing Ack-Ack and Skipper more than anything else.”You’re quite welcome.”

“You sure you want me to reprise this story, Captain?”

Eloise watched the man before her listening to him and a completely unaware of her surroundings. This, she realized, was what must have made him such a good leader of sorts, her captured ones attention with their words and voice, and their presence was hard to deny even in a room where flies were more distracting than the wounded who moaned and griped about conditions. She laughed at him, something she realized she was doing a lot more than normal. It was a nice change of pace, however it didn’t somehow make up for the hell she still knew she had to go through.

“If only everyone was half as accepting as you, I suppose that is why you are in charge around here and they aren’t!” Eloise grinned, tilting her head to the side as she balled her fists in her pockets, trying to relax, trying to adapt to her new surroundings. She was trying to not come off as a complaining woman, but it was kind of nice to mention what was going on to someone of equal standing, although he did preside over her in a way.

“See, when I heard I was being moved to the Pacific, I thought I’d be lounging on a beach, sipping cool drinks!” The young Lieutenant sighed out, shaking her head, although the humor in her voice did not waver. “Unfortunately for me, I had been lied to. Someone should have warned me about the crabs and rotten coconuts.” Smiling wider than before, she lowered her head to peer at the ground where she noticed a fly crawling along the toe of her boot. This place was hell on earth, far worse than what she had expected, but she wasn’t wanting to express this to the man before her, she wanted to take it all in stride, do her job, although her strength of will was running thin.

“Do you have a lot of pull, Captain? We could steal a boat and you can take me back? Never thought I’d miss it, but then again I’ve never thought I’d be on a beach I cannot enjoy. But you’re right about that cloud. Then again, doesn’t this place have one as well?”

“Well I did ask, of course you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

He was curious but his response was meant to be polite in the instance she didn’t really feel like remembering or wanting to tell of what it was like in Europe. Haldane knew war was tough on both sides but they were both different types of warfare in different theaters.

His smile didn’t fade, however, he enjoyed talking to the other as she was knew and he liked getting to know people. Even though in war that usually wasn’t a good idea in his past experience when he was a platoon leader and now as a company commander it was a habit he wasn’t going to break. The men liked the fact the captain took the time to get to know the men in his company as most officers usually didn’t. But he believed it helped him be a better leader, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each man helped him pick those for patrols and certain duties in the field. 

“I suppose you’re right.” Andrew chuckled, appreciating that comment.”Well we officers should know help is always accepted. We can’t do everything on our own.” Then her complaints about being in the tropical islands weren’t knew to him, almost everyone thought that before actually getting here and maybe on another island they were true but not here.”Well you wouldn’t be the first to think that, most believe we won’t fight but be in tropical paradise and then you get here and are disappointed. You aren’t the first.”

Haldane’s brow furrowed at her question, wondering what she meant by that but figured he’d learn more if he let her continue. He wasn’t wrong, and her wanting to go back caused him to laugh lightly as it was understandable. “Well I don’t know if I have that much pull, most ships go back to the States. And sorry, there is no cold here except when it rains.”

Snafu clasped his hands behind his head, then positioned himself on the hard ground.

The sky was full of dust, but it was a good sign. A good sign when you were at the war, t’was like getting a million gold teeth of the dead Japs. 

“- Canned dog food has never tasted better than next to yer own shit, sir. I like tha ’, Captain … kinda feel like Roosevelt, y'kno’ … but poorer and alive. Some of us needs to be in deep shit. so the others can be all pretty in all their glory, right? "Another sarcastic argument filled the space.

”- Hope tha’ Japs also like to cleanin’ their rifle …“ A lewd joke escaped from Shelton’s lips as the Cajun tried to get some shut-eye. ”- Merriel’s at yer service, sir.“

Haldane positioned as comfortably as he could on the hard island ground in order to get a few minutes of sleep. He and the rest of his men could use it, any amount of rest was good for them at this point.