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By Root 1485 0

morning you should be able to cross over. But there’s almost no cover anywhere close to the river, so don’t delay. Get your men out there well before daylight. My engineers will keep recon officers on this side and give you as much help as we can. We’ll build more bridges for the armor as quickly as we can, but your objective is to get the hell over to the other side, and establish a bridgehead. I’ll radio back to Colonel Schneider. He’s given me the authority to put my people in the water, and once we’re done I’ll pass the word to him. You should get his order to cross as soon as my people are back onshore. Can’t waste time. Even if the Japs don’t know we’re coming across, by dawn they’ll see that footbridge and try to blow hell out of it. You’ll have to get over pretty quick.”

Adams saw Bennett nodding, “I’ve been told that, yes, sir.”

The engineer turned again toward the river, the binoculars coming up once more. Bennett said, “Sir, I wouldn’t do that too often. Binoculars draw fire. Even in this mess, the enemy snipers can catch a reflection. Any glimpse of something like that on this ridgeline could … um …”

The binoculars dropped, and Adams saw the older man’s face, a hard frown.

“I know my job, Captain. Your concern is noted, but I’ve been staring at Jap positions for a month now. I’ll do my job, you do yours.”

“Of course, sir.”

The engineer didn’t linger, no more conversation. He slid past Adams on his backside, then stood in the rocks below, disappeared quickly down the hill, another man following close behind him. Adams felt impressed, thought, yep, engineer. Gotta know his stuff, for sure. He felt movement at his feet, saw Welty slipping up beside him.

“That’s Colonel Wakeman, I think. Saw his men do some pretty keen work on Saipan. I couldn’t hear them. What’s the hot dope?”

“They’re gonna build a bridge. I guess the river is pretty close to us.”

Welty seemed to chew on the words, put his face down, said nothing.

Porter slid down near them now, scanned the men closest to him, pointed toward a man to one side, Ferucci.

“Let’s move back down, Sergeant. Engineers have some work to do, and we need to be ready to move out in short order. Find good cover in those rocks and gullies in case the Japs open up on us again. Make sure your men get some rest, eat something. It’ll be a short night.”

Porter moved off in a low crouch, and Adams felt the lieutenant’s excitement, felt it himself. One word rolled through his brain, a mission. Finally! Something to do, something more useful than sitting in a mud hole. He knew what was coming next, Ferucci’s barking command, and he started to move back along the pathway. But Welty didn’t follow, and Adams stopped, tapped Welty’s leg.

“Let’s go. Gotta find a good spot to spend the night.”

Welty looked at him, and Adams saw a gray mask of dread, anger on Welty’s wet face.

“What’s wrong?”

“Are you stupid or something?” Adams was mystified, didn’t know what to say. “That engineer colonel … his men are gonna build a bridge? That means we’re up here for one reason. We’re gonna cross the river.”

Ferucci moved up close, slapped Adams on the back.

“Right. That’s why we’re here. Japs ain’t on this side, they’re over there. It’s our job to go get ’em.”

Adams felt a rush of exhilaration, said, “Yeah! Right! About damn time we can bust up some Japs instead of everybody else getting all the fun!”

Ferucci stared at him, unsmiling, then looked at Welty.

“I keep forgetting, he hasn’t done much of this before. Tell you what, Adams. When it comes time to hit that water, you can be the first one in.”

17. ADAMS

NORTH OF THE ASA KAWA RIVER, OKINAWA

MAY 9, 1945

He had seen the engineers and their work crews moving out, disguised by the wet darkness. The rains had still not subsided, but there was no time now for sitting in muddy foxholes. Despite the dense mire of the flooded roads, fresh supplies had reached the hill. But the trucks stayed far back, would not risk either the mud or Japanese artillery. Instead the supplies were carried forward on foot, men hauling crates