At last, it is announced at Monday Morning Training formation that, starting this Saturday morning, there will be an Inspection every Saturday morning which will include; personal, weapon and barracks after which for those who pass, a weekend pass all the way to 0500 hours the next Monday morning.
OK, the Field First Sgt. tells us, this means every "Friday night G.I. party" everyone restricted on Friday night to preparing which includes scrubbing clean, the walls and floors and all personal belongings including ones self, to be ready for Saturday Morning.
I couldn't help but notice Leroy who always was ahead of everyone else in well organized foot and wall locker layouts, well starched uniforms, shined shoes, brass and clean rifle and too, was always helping
the others who lagged behind in their preparation, shining their brass and shoes all
with a smile on his face. That was Leroy was always helping someone or picking up
trash throughout our area of responsibility.
And on Saturday morning, of course, everyone passes, we'd kill anyone who didn't,
because if one failed, the whole squad would be restricted and "no pass" too.
Thanks Leroy, you are quite a guy. After every Friday night barracks clean-up,
Leroy would walk through out the whole place cleaning little spaces that was missed
or or overlooked, never complaining or critisizing any one, just picking up and
looking after the rest of us, always with a smile on his face, that was Leroy.
1949 Cadillac
Friday G.I. Party
At around 2: AM the Chinese mounted another counter attack trying to re-take the hill and we held on with no casualties as it was not as heavy on our side as it was on 1st Platoon's side, where I hear they lost a few including their Leader.
The next morning before we had a chance for our canned C-ration breakfast, we were on the move again and to another jumping off position at a roadside. At last we got to open a few cans of ham and beans and Fruit cocktail, but no time to build a fire for hot powdered Coffee.
We start another attack on a Hill, LT sends my squad to Point and I lead-off the attack with a new replacement named Johnson. After what seems like an hour or so, we realize we are ahead of the entire line with enemy chinese on both our sides. I order my BAR to cover the left and the rest to cover the right as I cover the front and from one side to the other. As the small arms and machine gun fire gets intense, Johnson the new replacement drops his rifle, turns and start running back on the left slope, I call the assistant BAR man to cover the front while I run and pick up Johnson's rifle hollering at Johnson but, he kept going and soon my attention is refocused to the front. Very awkward and as our LT advances with the rest of the Platoon, we continue the track forward this time keeping pace with the rest so our fire power is more effective. We continued this safer pace until we reached the summit and our goal. No sooner we get rested than Johnson returns coming to me and saying, "sorry I just couldn't take it anymore." so I say "why did you come back" and He says, " well when I got to the road, this mean looking guy with a heavy coat leans over my way and says, "Soldier, you turn around and get your ass back up that hill or I will shoot you myself", and when I looked up at him, I saw five stars sticking out one side of his open Jacket on his lapel and told myself, He looks and sounds like he means it, so decided to come back." I told Johnson, he had a brief case of shell shock and was hallucinating, so here take your rifle and don't mention this story to anyone, now get back to your position.
A week or so later as we were on another Hill,
we got a copy of the Combat lines newspaper,
ARMY Times and on the front page was this
Story that read, " Gen. MacArthur observes the
15th Infantry on a Strategic Attack."
