From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [446]
“That was one of ours!” Reedy Treadwell said in a small still voice. “That was an American plane!”
“Tough,” Warden said, without stopping firing at the new double coming in from the northeast. “The son of a bitch dint have no business there.”
After the Jap double had flashed past, unscathed, Warden turned back and made another circuit up and down the roof, his eyes screwed up into that strained look of having been slapped in the face that he sometimes got, and that made a man not want to look at him.
“Be careful, you guys,” he said. Up the roof. Down the roof. “That last one was one of ours. Try and be careful. Try and get a look at them before you shoot. Them stupid bastards from Wheeler liable to fly right over here. So try and be careful after this.” Up the roof. Down the roof. The same strained squint was in his voice as was in his eyes.
“Sergeant Warden!” Lt Ross roared up from down below. “God damn it! Sergeant Warden!”
He ran back to the roof edge. “What now?”
“I want you down here, god damn it!” Lt Ross yelled up. He had his belt buckled and his shoes tied now and was smoothing back his hair with his fingers under his cap. “I want you to help me get this orderly room ready to move out! You have no business up there! Come down!”
“Goddam it, I’m busy!” Warden yelled. “Get Rosenberry. Theres a goddam war on, Lieutenant.”
“I’ve just come from Col Delbert,” Lt Ross yelled up. “And he has given orders we’re to move out as soon as this aerial attack is over.”
“G Compny’s ready to move now,” Warden yelled down. “And I’m busy. Tell that goddam Henderson to send up some clips and belts.”
Lt Ross ran back under the porch and then ran back out again. This time he had a helmet on.
“I told him,” he yelled up.
“And tell Stark to send us up some coffee.”
“God damn it!” Lt Ross raged up at him. “What is this? a Company picnic? Come down here, Sergeant! I want you! Thats an order! Come down here immediately! You hear me? thats an order! All Company Commanders have orders from Col Delbert personally to get ready to move out within the hour!”
“Whats that?” Warden yelled. “I cant hear you.”
“I said, we’re moving out within the hour.”
“What?” Warden yelled. “What? Look out,” he yelled; “here they come again!”
Lt Ross dove for the supplyroom and the two ammo carriers ducked their heads back down through the hatch.
Warden ran crouching back to Pete’s chimney and rested his BAR on the corner and fired a burst at the V of three that flashed past.
“Get that goddam ammo up here!” he roared at them in the hatchway.
“Milt!” Chief Choate yelled. “Milt Warden! They want you downstairs.”
“You cant find me,” Warden yelled. “I’ve gone someplace else.”
Chief nodded and relayed it down over the edge. “I cant find him, Lootenant. He’s gone off someplace else.” He listened dutifully down over the edge and then turned back to Warden. “Lt Ross says tell you we’re moving out within the hour,” he yelled.
“You cant find me,” Warden yelled.
“Here they come!” Grenelli yelled from the tripod.
They did not move out within the hour. It was almost another hour before the attack was all over. And they did not move out until early afternoon three and a half hours after the attack was over. G Company was ready, but it was the only company in the Regiment that was.
Warden stayed up on the roof, by one subterfuge or another, until the attack was over. Lt Ross, it turned out, stayed down in the supplyroom and helped load ammunition. The Regimental fire umbrella claimed one more positive, and two possibles that might have been hit by the 27th and already going down when they passed over the quad. Stark himself, personally, with two