A Soldier's Story Page #3

...his stripes and insignia

were still on the uniform?

Yes.

Something's wrong, ain't it, sir?

I mean, those Klan boys, they can't stand

to see us in these uniforms.

They usually take the stripes

and stuff off before they lynch us.

That'll be all, Private.

Yes, sir.

Sir, can you do anything

about allotment cheques?

My wife didn't get hers last month.

Did you see the finance officer?

Yes, I did, sir.

Well, I'll...

I'll speak to Captain Taylor.

Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Yes indeedy.

Would you like me to send

the next man in?

Yes.

Private First Class Melvin Peterson,

reporting as ordered, sir.

Sit down, Private.

Where are you from, Peterson?

Hollywood, California...

...by way of Alabama, sir.

You see, I enlisted in '42.

I thought we'd get a chance to fight, sir.

Did you know the sergeant well?

No, sir. He was already with the company

when I got assigned and...

...PFCs and sergeants,

we don't mix too well, sir.

You played ball for him.

Yes, sir. I played shortstop.

Did you like the sergeant?

No, sir.

It goes back to the team.

- Stone-ass felt that...

- "Stone-ass"?

I'm the only one who called him that, sir.

Sergeant Waters, sir.

Didn't mean no offence, sir.

When I got here,

the team had already won...

...9 or maybe 10 games in a row.

It was even rumored we'd get the chance

to play the Yankees in exhibition.

Anyway, we were playing

the 35th Ordinance this particular day.

It was a real big game, too.

The YWCA sent

a whole busload of women to see us.

A real big day, sir.

Let it fly there. Let's go, Pete.

Come on, batter, hit the ball.

That's a hell of a ballplayer.

Come on, hit it!

Throw another one up here.

Come on, CJ, next county.

Hell of a ballplayer! Did you see...

All right, CJ.

Come on, boy.

Did you see that ball?

I mean, did you see it go?

We played fairly well. I had two hits.

Smalls had a couple and CJ...

CJ was incredible.

We beat 'em something like 9, 10-0.

Like we always did after a game,

we went to the mess hall to celebrate.

CJ.

Who was that fine river-hip thing

you was talkin' to before the game?

The woman had tits like two helmets.

- Did you see the size of them knockers?

- No, he didn't.

Smalls couldn't even see

a ball go right in his glove.

How the hell he gonna see CJ by the truck?

I saw CJ, man.

Will you all let CJ tell me

about this woman?

She looked mighty good to me, CJ.

All she asked me for was my autograph.

She looked like she was askin'

for more than that.

Moved in close.

Breathin' heavy.

Wavin' them tits all in your face.

He's right on that, CJ.

If I'd given that gal

what she asked me for...

...she'd give me somethin' I didn't want.

Around home, there's a fella

folks used to call Little Jimmy One-Leg...

...on account of his thing was so big.

A couple of years ago...

...a young pretty thing

laid clap on Jimmy so bad...

...he lost the one good leg he had.

Now folks just call him Little.

That pretty young thing talking

to me ain't look too clean.

Them dirty ones'll give you

the clap every time. Right, Henson?

I hear tell they're on the verge

of gettin' all of us together.

The colored, the white.

Say they want one army.

You can forget that, CJ.

White folks ain't never gonna integrate

no army.

I don't know.

If they do, I'm gonna be ready for 'em.

"Get me a bright red zoot suit"

Yeah.

"And a pair of patent leather shoes

"And the woman sittin' at home waitin'

"for the day we get the news

Lord, Lord"

Go!

"Lord, Lord

"Look out, Adolf Hitler

You and Tojo gonna be singing the blues"

All right.

"Gotta little problem

It's about 5-foot-2

"And they call him Sarge

And he's after you

"Got to watch what you're sayin'

Got to watch what you do

"'Cause that low-down dirty Waters

is gonna roll all over you

"Lord, Lord"

Knock it off.

We don't need no more guitar-picking,

sittin'- around-the-shack music today.

I want all you men out of those baseball

uniforms and into work clothes.

You'll report to me at 16:00.

We've got a work detail:

painting the lobby of the Officers' Club.

Why can't those officers

paint their own club?

Hell no, Smalls.

Let the Great Colored

Cleanup Company do it.

Our motto is:

"Anything you don't want to do,

the colored troops will do for you."

"Anything you don't want to do

The colored troops will do for you"

That's enough.

Let me tell all you fancy-assed

ballplayin' Negroes something.

The reasons for any orders

given by a superior officer...

...is none of you-all's business.

You obey them.

This country is at war.

You n*ggers are soldiers, nothin' else.

And something else: from now on,

when I tell you to do something...

...I want it done. Is that clear?

Yes, sir.

Now, get out of those baseball uniforms.

I could smell you suckers

before I hit the door.

What kind of colored man are you?

I'm a soldier, Peterson.

The kind of colored man

that don't like lazy, shiftless Negroes.

Well, sir, you ain't got to come in here

calling us names.

The Nazis call you Schwarze.

You gonna complain to Hitler

that he hurt your feelings?

It don't look like we could do

too much to them Nazis...

...with paintbrushes, Sarge.

You trying to mock me, CJ?

No, sir, Sarge.

Good.

Because whatever an ignorant,

low-class Geechee like you has to say...

...ain't worth paying attention to.

Is it?

Is it?

I reckon not, Sarge.

You're a creep, Waters!

Sarge's just jokin', Pete.

He don't mean no harm.

No, he does.

I mean,

we take enough from them white boys.

Yes, you do.

And if it wasn't for you Southern n*ggers...

...white folks wouldn't think

we was all fools.

Well, where are you from? England?

Wilkie.

Looks like we got us

a wiseass Alabama boy here.

Yes, sir.

Now, don't you get smart, n*gger.

Get your f***in' hands off me!

You wanna hit old Sergeant Waters, boy?

Come on.

Please.

Come on, n*gger!

Ten-hut!

At ease.

Now, what's going on here, Sergeant?

Nothing, sir.

I was going over

some batting techniques, sir.

Is there something you wanted?

Something I can do, sir?

No, nothing. I just wanted to congratulate

you men on the game you won today.

The way I figure it, only seven more...

...and we'll be the first colored team

in Army history to play the Yankees.

The entire regiment is counting on you.

Sergeant?

Sir.

As far as I'm concerned,

these men can have the rest of the day off.

Beg your pardon, sir.

Excuse me, sir.

They don't need time off.

They need all the work they can get.

Our fellas in North Africa

don't get time off.

Besides, they have orders

to report for a paint detail at 16:00.

- Who issued that order?

- Major Harris, sir.

- I'll speak to the major.

- Sir?

I don't think it's a good idea

to have a colored NCO...

...mixed up with your officers, sir.

I said I'd speak to him, Sergeant.

Yes, sir.

Memphis...

About that catch you made

in center field today:

How in the hell did you get up that high?

They say I got bird in my blood, sir.

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