'Stead Of Kisses, We Get Kicks

Part 6 - Everything Has Changed

The blaring sound of the overhead horn and the blinding light that slipped through the widening slit in the exit door where a concoction that left me temporarily deaf and blind.

"ALRIGHT MEN, STAY LOW AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL!"

The low, loud rumble of the transporters engine signified that we were on the move. I felt a soft pat on my back telling me that at least one person out of 30 that I could count on, with that, I needn't move my head to acknowledge the gesture but keep my eyes locked on to the nearly fully opened doorway, leading us all to Guadalcanal.

The light blue sky that were smeared with crisp white clouds were the first in my vision as the gate lowered and we began to move, what was once imagined to be a tropical coast was in fact, a mine field. The Air Cavalry had already moved in dropping bomb after bomb in the mist that lay below them, the waves crashed as sounds from artillery boomed. Men were being sick over and in the transporter while the nearby firing was heading in our direction.

Each transporter had at least one machine gun at the front, surrounded by two sheets of metal either side in which a platoon leader would be assigned to until after all the men were out of the ship. As we reached the shallow, sky blue waters we were ordered out of the ships. No hesitation. No mercy.

All five men in front of me we killed by one Japanese sniper, which signalled to me that I should stay as low as possible. Bombs we being dropped on both enemies and friendlies as the pilots couldn't differ one from the other, heavy artillery from the Japs were met by only suppressing fire from the Americans. BOOM. BOOM. BANG. Those are the sounds I have been hearing for the last 40 years.

We had a total of 4 medics between 360 men, they were being called from left, right and centre as the men with their guts hanging out called for their moms. One of those men was Rusty.

"Hey hey buddy, what happened here?" I tried to say in a calming voice.

"Coop, I wanna go home! Where's Rosanna? Where's Mom? Coop, I want my mom!" Rusty began sobbing, admitting defeat.

"MEDIC!" I screamed knowing that no one would come. "MEDIC!"

"Did I tell you about Rosanna? I love her, Coop I really do, promise me you'll tell her that!"

"MEDIC!" He may admit defeat but I won't.

"Right. Hold this plasma. Do you know him?" I nodded still in disbelieve that someone turned up "Then talk to him, just talk!"

"Hey Rusty, you didn't tell me what you did back home." I began. "What was your job?"

"I was a cab driver, I thought I would make loads after the war, with all them sailors coming home." He stuttered but between sharp intakes of breath.

"Right, we have been told there is an aid station past this creek down there, find a stretcher and we'll take him." The Medic said pointing in the left-ward direction. "And hurry!"

I passed him the plasma amd began to run. Stretcher, stretcher where can I find a stretcher. BOOM. Another bomb. Through dodging bullets, stepping carefully and finding two other medics, I found a stretcher.

"You're gonna be okay Rusty I promise." I reassured while moving him from sand to plastic, as we passed the artillery, we had a surprise camouflage attack where the Medic got hit in the shin but was still able to walk. I could see Rusty's eyes flickering and colour fading with every step.

"HEY. DONT YOU DARE LEAVE ME NOW, WE JUST GOT HERE, OKAY?"

"...ugh..." And a nod was all I got from him, but that was good enough.

The aid station was 2 miles from the edge of Guadalcanal and Rusty was in a critical state. Despite me wanting to stay with him, I knew I had to go back. By the time I reached the coast, it was dark and was starting to rain, out came the raincoat. Luckily, the men had already claimed the coast and were sat around a fire, roasting crabs.

"Coop." Chuckles pulled me to one side. "How's Rusty?"

"He ain't too good. They got him down at the aid station so now we need to just wait." I brushed my hand through my hair, just thinking about it gave me stress.

"Erm, Coop."

"Yeah?"

"Hoob didn't make it, he was KIA."

There were no words to say after that, not for that night anyways. The fact that Hoob was gone, hit the men like a ten tonne of bricks, the reality of the war had shown itself on our first day of combat.

I moved around the camp while I moved around my thoughts. Hoob was dead. Our hammoks were up. Rusty is in hospital. I have been assigned to Fox Company. In the end it was all too much, I had to sit down even thought it meant missing dinner.

I resulted to what was in my sea bag. My books. I noticed 'Farewell, My Lovely' by Raymond Chandler at the bottom of my bag. In my current situation it was odd that i was reading a book about a detective but still i read on. I wondered about the telegram that would be sent home for Hoobler, a folded American flag as some of the officers called it, I thought of it as a mothers worst nightmare.

I then filckered to Rusty, who was in a bad way when I left him to return to base. His hand was blown off and he had bullet wounds in his leg, shoulder and lower back. I prayed for him that night, in my hammock drenched in tropical rain, slowly and quietly.

I knew that the following days would be worst but they had not yet come. How would I tell my family about days like today? Or would I get the chance to? I began to sob but abruptly stopped at the sound of my platoon leader First Sargent Lipton at the foot of my hammock.

"Sorry son, but your gonna have to get up. You got patrol in 10 minutes."

"Yes, sir." He then patted my boots and left. Patrol struck fear in all of the men, it was a time when you were most vulnerable that's why there were no volunteers. Another world, another day, another time. because here, everything has changed.

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