Battle Cry Page #11

It's the hot spot of the Saipan Campaign.

You can be proud of your victory.

That's all. Get out of here.

Sam...

Sometimes I think myself

it's a hell of a way to make a living.

And so on June 14, 1944, our task force of the 5th Fleet...

... the mightiest armada ever assembled,

edged close to the enemy bastion of Saipan.

The dawn would bring D-day.

Through the long night, more than

100,000 men made their peace with God.

No longer orphans, Huxley's Harlots were at last...

... being given the chance to prove themselves.

The chance they'd worked for since boot camp.

We were to spearhead the invasion

that could tip the balance of the war.

Then the most intricate of all military operations...

... an amphibious invasion, was begun.

Every man on every ship was at his station.

Every man knew his job.

The assault teams formed up smoothly

and moved to rendezvous.

As H-hour approached,

the tension grew.

The men who had planned and lived

with Operation Granite on paper for months...

... had no choice but to wait.

The final seconds ticked off.

- Get Major Wellman.

- Yes, sir.

Put on Texas-5.

This is Texas-5.

Wilco. Out.

- Approaching the beach.

- All right, stand by to hit the beach!

Secure your gear.

When we hit it, take cover!

Red Beach. We pushed inland immediately.

The battalion was in trouble.

Our casualties were heavy.

The Japs were on a mountain, looking down.

They threw everything in the book.

And things that weren't in the book.

The enemy was staging a counterattack from our left.

Our right flank was threatened.

A shuttle service from ship to shore...

... poured men, guns, tanks and supplies in

behind us to secure our toehold before dark.

- Get off this beach! Let's go!

- Get off the beach!

All right, let's go!

Hit the deck!

Tell Regiment the enemy artillery fire is increasing.

Ohio, Ohio, this is Texas, over.

Enemy artillery fire is increasing,

out.

- Tell 8-G, field is quick, charge thick.

- 2750, 6700.

Ohio, this is Texas.

Texas command post open 13-20.

Map coordinates 39-54.8.

- Hi, Mac.

- Hello, chief.

- How's it going, colonel?

- Not very good.

We've lost contact with the battalion on our right flank.

I told George Company to see

if they can get through to them.

Get on this generator!

- Give me George Company.

- George Company. Yes, sir.

Get the company commander.

- This is George-6.

- How are things up there?

- Can you hold?

- I don't think so.

We're receiving heavy mortar fire on our right.

All right.

Jim, let's get some mortar fire at TA-4606-yolk.

George Company will observe.

Heavy mortars, target area 4807-item.

- Japs still trying to tap our lines?

- Yes, but it won't do them no good.

They don't savvy Navajo. Get in touch with them.

See what the situation is.

Japs' buildup is increasing.

Let's get that back to the command ship.

Granite. Granite, this is Texas.

A message from Texas.

Red Beach, sir.

Huxley's battalion is isolated.

Yes, sir? Yes, sir.

Fox Company, Colonel Huxley.

Yes, Bill.

I'll be right there.

The Japs are pulling out of Garapan.

They'll hit that position anytime.

- I'm going over to Fox Company. Mac!

- Sir?

- Give me one of your boys.

- Hookens, take off.

- We'll cross here one at a time.

- Yes, sir.

Get a corpsman.

Get a corpsman!

Don't waste time.

Get to the command post...

...and tell Wellman he's got himself a battalion.

- I'll carry you out, sir.

- I gave you an order.

Now, get to it.

You're bleeding to death, sir!

Get out of here.

Yes, sir.

The colonel's badly hit.

He's ordered you to take over.

- Notify command.

- Where is he? Pedro, come on.

Corpsman! Corpsman!

- Kathy.

- Danny's dead!

- He's dead! I know he's dead!

- It's just a nightmare.

- No, he's dead. I know it! I saw him!

- Baby, you're just dreaming.

Everything will be all right.

It'll be all right.

If you like, I'll stay here with you.

All right.

High Pockets was dead, but his spirit

had crushed the counterattack.

"Sam Huxley!" had been our battle cry.

When the last shot had been fired,

they moved us to a rest camp.

We're leaving Saipan.

- We're going stateside.

- When?

About two days, I figure.

I think I'll go to the hospital and say goodbye to Andy.

Won't do no good. We was over there

this morning, but Andy threw us out.

Had a letter from Pat, but he wouldn't look at it...

...wouldn't even let us read it to him.

- Where's the letter?

- I got it right here.

Just like a grizzly bear.

- Hey, Mac.

- Hi, Charlie, how are you?

Remember that Japanese watch I had?

Somebody copped it.

- No kidding, when?

- Last night.

- Joe, how are you?

- Hi, Mac.

I can't hear you, Mac.

I'm a very sick boy.

The watch. The watch.

Watch.

What, are you accusing me of something dishonest?

Yeah.

You gonna open up a hockshop when you get home?

How did that get there?

Hi, buddy. How's it going?

If you're preaching, pray with somebody else.

I've just come to say goodbye.

We're shipping out.

All right. Goodbye.

- You know you're way off base, don't you?

- Sure.

They'll get me a pretty, new leg.

You can do anything with

Chop down trees, plow fields.

Maybe I can even get a job in a sideshow.

You got a home and a wife.

A letter come from Pat today.

- Fellas said you wouldn't even read it.

- Leave her out of it. I got nothing.

They'll have you squared away

as good as new in no time.

Sure.

They get me fixed up with a pretty, new leg,

then they rehabilitate me.

Knit doilies and make leather handbags.

Cut it out, will you?

They gonna give Spanish Joe new eardrums?

They going to put new life into Pedro and High Pockets?

Why don't you try doing a little living for them?

Get out of here.

No. I ain't going.

Not until I tell you something, kid.

You ain't got the guts to deserve to live.

As for High Pockets, don't even talk about him.

You ain't even in his league.

- I'm sorry, kid.

- Forget it.

- I'm sorry.

- Forget it, Mac.

- I'm sorry because it ain't true.

- Look...

Lots of luck when you get home.

Tell all the guys old Andy says goodbye.

- Will you do that?

- Yeah.

"

You have a son.

It's rather hard to say what Timmy looks like.

Poor little dear, what a horrible mixture he is.

New Zealand, American, Scotch and Swede.

He bellows like a Marine and eats like a lumberjack.

I think I'll keep him.

Andy, we know where you are.

Our prayers are with you

every second of every minute.

I know it'll be a long time

before you return to us, but remember...

...all that Timmy and I live for...

...is the day that you'll come back forever."

Yes, Andy came home.

And those of us who were left,

we went home too.

I fell heir to the unpleasant job

of seeing the folks of those left behind. Pedro's mother. Jean Huxley. Marion's family.

The Maryland countryside was just the way

Danny had told me time and time again.

I seemed to be familiar with every landmark.

I was glad the journey was nearly over.

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