The Different Battles Raid
By: AliasCWN
Chapter 1
The Dariwa Oasis was bustling with activity as the American forces set about fortifying it to defend. Soldiers used bags full of sand to build walls around the precious source of water. While not as substantial as stone, sand was plentiful and easy to get, making it the best choice for a wall. If they made the wall thick enough, it would protect them from enemy fire.
The rows of tanks lined up beyond the oasis would be the main line of defense, the sand bag wall was meant more for the ground troops stationed at the oasis. Mortars and bullets did more damage to a human body than they did to a heavily armored tank. Men worked frantically to build the wall, knowing their lives could depend on it. Officers walked among the working men urging them to work harder.
Two privates picked their way among the sweating men on their way to the water hole. They carried five gallon cans to be filled with the precious liquid. Called 'jerry cans', they were taken on missions carrying spare drinking water, or it could be used as water for the radiators in their vehicles.
"You two!" An officer spotted them as they crossed the oasis and called to them. "Forget those cans and grab a shovel!"
"We need the water for our jeeps Sir." One of the privates objected to the order. "We need to get our jeeps ready to go out again."
"Your jeeps aren't going anywhere Private. We're digging in here, so grab some shovels." The officer growled at them angrily.
"We're recon Lieutenant, we never know just when we will be going out again."
"I said grab a shovel Private!" The lieutenant got right in their faces and demanded that they follow his order. "One more word out of you and I'll put you on report. I guarantee Private, I will make your stay here on the desert miserable. Believe me, you don't want to get on my bad side."
"Sarge will have out hides if we don't get this water Lieutenant." The other private protested when his buddy quit arguing.
"I outrank your sergeant…grab a shovel…I won't tell you again."
The two privates exchanged frowns but they obediently placed the cans on the ground at the base of a tree and picked up shovels. Someone handed them a pile of empty bags and showed them where to dig. They dug trenches to walk in during an attack and used the sand to fill the bags. They were busily filling a bag when a shadow blocked the sun above them. Looking up, they met the angry eyes of Sergeant Sam Troy.
"What the devil do you two think you're doing? Are the jeeps ready?"
Both privates hung their heads. "Not yet Sarge."
"Why not?" Troy demanded in a growl.
"The Lieutenant told us to fill sand bags." Hitch looked to Tully for support. "He threatened to report us for not following orders." Hitch dropped his head a degree and looked at Troy through his lashes. "He said he outranked you Sarge."
"He did did he?"
"Yep." Tully agreed, trying to hide a grin. "That's one mean officer. He warned us not to get on his bad side."
"I'm not sure he has a good side." Hitch added in a low voice.
"Go get the jeeps ready to roll. Now!"
Both privates dropped their shovels and bags and climbed out of the trench. Leaving Troy staring after them, they returned to the tree and retrieved the empty water cans. After filling the cans, they were on their way to their jeeps with them when they heard a shout directed at them.
"Privates!" The lieutenant who had stopped them before was at it again. He stomped over to them angrily and blocked their path. Fists on his hips, he glared at the water cans in their hands. "What do you think you are doing? I thought I told you to forget the water and fill those sand bags."
"Sarge told us to get the jeeps ready to roll Lieutenant." Hitchcock explained as he looked around for the sergeant.
"I don't care what your sergeant told you!" He leaned down and screamed in their faces. "Drop those cans and start digging!"
"Maybe you should talk to Sarge." Hitch suggested, still looking for the man in question.
The officers face reddened as he lost it completely. "That's it Private!" He turned to call to some of his men. Four men came running at his call, glad to drop their shovels for something more interesting. They crowded around the two privates and waited for the Lieutenant to tell them what he wanted them to do. "Escort these men to a truck and put them in the back. Hold them there until I can locate some MPs to take them off your hands."
"Lieutenant, if you'll just let us explain. Just talk to our sergeant." Hitch tried again to defuse the situation before it got out of hand.
"Keep your mouth shut Private, you're in enough trouble already. Give me any more lip and it will go hard on you."
"But Lieutenant…."
"Get them out of here!" Livid with rage, the lieutenant banished the men from his sight. The four soldiers rushed the privates away as the lieutenant stomped off to find some MPs.
"Sarge is going to be mad." Hitchcock told their four guards.
"Not half as mad as you made the lieutenant." One of their escorts responded with a chuckle. "I'd say that you just made yourself an enemy in that one. He's not someone I want mad at me, he can get really mean when he's mad." The soldier continued more soberly.
"Sarge doesn't get mean, but he usually gets his way anyhow." Tully drawled. "That Lieutenant don't know it yet, but he just met his match."
"From a sergeant? No way!" Another of their escorts declared in disbelief. "Sergeants just back down when the lieutenant gets on his high horse." They arrived at the truck and pushed the two privates to get inside. "Don't give us any trouble; we don't want the Lieutenant mad at us." They took up positions outside to ensure that the privates stayed in the truck.
Throwing himself onto the bench seat, Hitch fumed at the delay. "Sarge is going to be mad." He repeated for Tully's benefit.
"Yeah," Tully agreed, grinning around his matchstick, "but once we explain, it isn't us he's going to be mad at." Stretching his long legs out in front of him, Tully made himself comfortable to wait for the fireworks he was expecting.
They heard the shouting long before the sergeants arrived to get them. The canvas flap at the rear of the truck was ripped aside to reveal the face of Sam Troy.
"Get out of there you two." There was a tenseness to his tone that gave a clue to anyone who knew him just how irritated he truly was. Both privates scrambled out of the truck and jumped to the ground. Jack Moffitt stood to one side with an amused twinkle in his eyes. The lieutenant who had ordered them confined was standing in front of a red faced Major who was loudly vocalizing his displeasure at the situation.
"You have been with this outfit for almost six months Lieutenant, how did you not know that these privates weren't with your unit?" The Major didn't give the younger officer a chance to answer. Looking at Hitch and Tully, he paused to take a breath before asking. "Did you tell the Lieutenant that you weren't with his unit?"
"Not in so many words Sir." Hitch answered for both of them. "We tried to explain but he wouldn't give us a chance Sir. I told him we were recon but he ignored it. He just said he would put us on report for disobeying orders if we didn't shut up and dig."
"And he didn't care that you were recon?"
"I guess not Sir. He said he outranked us and we should shut up and dig, so we shut up and dug Major."
"When we tried to explain, he had us confined to the truck Major." Tully continued the explanation for Hitch. "We figured Sarge would find us and fix things okay."
Moffitt's smile widened at Tully's comment about Troy. Troy, on the other hand, still looked ready to explode.
The Major nodded and turned to Troy. "Take your men and go Sergeant, we need that recon report."
"Yes Sir." Troy saluted the Major and jerked his head at his team. Hitch and Tully hurried away with Troy and Moffitt following at a slower pace.
By the time the sergeants got to the jeeps they were ready to roll. Both privates were staying close to their vehicles in case there were any more demanding officers wandering about the camp. They busied themselves with one final check so they would look busy if anyone were to walk past.
Troy had a smile on his face as he rounded the front of his jeep with Moffitt close behind.
"Are we in trouble Sarge?" Mark Hitchcock looked from one smiling sergeant to the other.
"No Hitch, not you." Troy grinned at Moffitt who smiled wider in return. "The Major was giving the Lieutenant a good dressing down when we left. Unless I miss my guess, the lieutenants' hide is going to be blistered by the time the Major gets finished." The sergeant climbed into his jeep and made himself comfortable. "The Major wants this entire area checked for enemy activity, let's shake it."
The two little jeeps rolled out of camp, the target of envy among the men still filling sand bags in the hot desert sun.