For You
This is a story I wrote based on the song from the "Act of Valor" soundtrack, "For You" by Keith Urban. I do not own the characters of Combat and will get no profit from this story. Warning: Character death
February 6, 1963
A light snow was falling as seventeen year old Grant LeMay and his father walked past the countless rows of gravestones in Arlington National Cemetery.
"Who are you looking for, Dad?" Grant asked.
When Paul LeMay did not answer, Grant wondered again why his father had brought him here. The family had a tradition of visiting the cemetery every Memorial Day, and he knew his father often visited it alone throughout the year. Two days ago, however, his dad had asked him if he would like to go along. Grant had thought it odd to travel from warm Louisiana to D.C. in the middle of winter, but was happy to get away from school and was also curious about what his father had planned.
Having visited this specific grave many times over the year, Paul walked purposefully toward the grave he sought. When the pair reached it, Caje stood staring at it for a long moment.
"This one," he said softly, finally answering Grant's earlier question.
"Who was he, Dad?" Grant asked, not recognizing the name. "I don't remember you ever talking about him."
"I wanted to wait," he answered slowly. "Wait until I was sure…sure that you would understand."
February 6, 1945
*It's just an in and out,* Sgt. Saunders thought, walking back to the stand of trees where First Squad was waiting. *Quick and easy.*
But no matter how many times he tried to convince himself, Saunders could not shake the feeling of dread that had begun creeping over him when Lt. Hanley had explained their mission.
"The Kraut gun has been causing a lot of problems and the brass want it blown out. You should be able to pinpoint the coordinates from Chennai, but if not, then about a mile away is an old winery with a very tall building you can use. They said in and around the town should be clear and you should be able to get in and out quickly, but be careful."
Coming back to the present, Saunders sighed, knowing from experience how wrong S-2 could be at times.
"Alright, saddle up," he told his men when he approached them a few minutes later. "We've got a mission."
"Where we going, Sarge?" Doc questioned, as he rose from repacking his medical bag.
"Town called Chennai. We have to spot that Kraut gun so artillery know where to fire to take it out. If there's a building tall enough there, we'll go to a winery about a mile away." Despite his personal qualms he added, "Pretty much an in and out, Hanley said."
"In and out," Kirby muttered, bending to pick up his BAR. "Ha, last time he said that, we went in alright. Went in and 'bout didn't get out."
Slightly worried that Kirby seemed to be having the same thoughts about the mission, Saunders said sharply, "Kirby. Just shut up."
The BAR man shrugged and glanced at Caje who also seemed a bit puzzled at Saunders' sharp comment.
"Littlejohn?" Saunders asked. "You got the radio?"
The big soldier held it up. "Yeah, Sarge."
"Alright, let's go."
The squad walked for five miles without stopping, the bright, mid-morning sun helping to somewhat lift their spirits. Two hours later, Saunders finally called a halt.
"Break out some rations if you want," Saunders said. "We've got about three miles to go. Caje, check out the area."
The scout nodded and was soon out of sight.
The squad sat down against some trees, grateful for the rest. Kirby took out his K-rations and eyed the canned cheese disgustedly.
"Hey, Billy. Whatcha got?"
"Eggs," the young soldier replied with an equally disgusted look. "Wanna trade?" he asked hopefully.
"I'll take the cheese," Kirby replied, shaking his head.
"Doc?" Billy pleaded. "Don't ya want some eggs? Sarge? Littlejohn?"
"Mine's eggs, too. Unfortunately," Doc replied, smiling grimly.
Saunders shook his head, not taking his eyes from the map he was studying.
Littlejohn looked sympathetically at his best friend. "You can have my ham," he offered.
"Are you sure, Littlejohn?" Billy asked. "You don't mind eggs?"
"Nope," Littlejohn assured him, handing him his ham. "They taste fine to me."
Billy took it gratefully, and gave him the eggs. "Thanks, Littlejohn!"
Caje was back a few minutes later from scouting ahead. "All clear, Sarge," he said, going to sit slightly apart from the others. He opened his can of ham, then took a picture from his pocket and stared at it as he ate.
Kirby suddenly appeared beside him and stole a peak at the photo of a woman who was obviously pregnant.
"Who's that?" he asked, eyes wide.
Caje sat silently for a moment before answering. "My wife."
Kirby stared. "Your what?"
Caje smiled a little. "My wife, Kirby. I got married when I was on leave a few months ago," he explained. "She sent this picture last week. Pretty, isn't she?"
Kirby nodded. "Yeah, she's real pretty! Hey, congratulations ol' buddy! You gonna be a daddy!"
Caje looked uncomfortable. "Kirby, keep it to yourself, okay?"
His friend looked puzzled. "Okay," he said. "But why? Ya might get some special treatment if they know."
Caje smiled. "That's why. I don't want anyone taking special risks just to keep me alive. They'll be alright if something happens to me."
"I was married once," Kirby began slowly, a faraway look in his eyes. "She was one of them Lt. nurses and I met her durin' basic when I got nicked in a drill. We snuck off and got married soon as I was done with basic."
He paused and looked down at the ground. "Couple months later…she…she was in a field hospital and the Krauts raided it. They shot…everybody. They was mad 'cause some high-rankin' officer of theirs had just been killed. Caje," he said, his voice edged with bitterness. "She had just wrote me and said…said we's gonna have a baby."
The two soldiers sat in silence for a moment until Saunders said, "Let's go. Kirby, you got the point."
"Right, Sarge," Kirby said, pushing the awful memories out of his mind for the moment.
When they reached the outskirts of Chennai, all was quiet.
*Too quiet,* Saunders thought, as he motioned for them to stop. "Kirby."
Kirby turned and jogged back to the group. "Yeah, Sarge?"
"The town should be clean, but let's check it anyway," he replied softly. "Kirby, Caje, take the left side of the street. Littlejohn, Billy, right side. Doc and me will follow down the middle and check out the church at the end for an OP and see if it's tall enough. Got it?" he asked, looking around at his men.
They nodded and began sneaking towards the little town. A foot bridge going over a small creek led into Chennai and the squad crept to it.
Caje glanced at Saunders and waited for his signal. When he nodded, Caje and Kirby started across the bridge. They made it safely and crouched down on the other side to wait for the others.
Saunders motioned for Littlejohn and Billy to go next, then he and Doc followed. When they had all crossed the bridge, they separated into their three groups.
Caje, Kirby, and Littlejohn and Billy started on their respective sides of the street, checking each building carefully.
Saunders and Doc slowly made their way down the street, staying to the right side so they could quickly duck for cover if needed.
When they reached the church, Saunders paused, then flung the door open, his Thompson at the ready. Nothing stirred, however, and he went farther into the building, Doc following close behind.
Everything was quiet and when Saunders was sure it was clear, he and Doc climbed the stairs to the belfry.
When they reached the top, Saunders took one look out the window and knew they would have to continue on to the winery. "It's no good," he muttered. "Too short and too many trees."
Footsteps sounded suddenly, causing the two to whirl around and Saunders pointed his gun to the stairs.
"It's me, Sarge," came Kirby's voice, as he ascended the stairs. Knowing Saunders would have his gun pointed at him, he added in a pleading voice, "Please don't shoot. I didn't do nothin'!"
Doc smiled as Kirby's grinning face appeared at the top of the steps, followed by Caje who was shaking his head at the BAR man's behavior.
"It's all clear, Sarge," Caje reported. "Billy and Littlejohn are watching out down there. We heard you up here so we came on up."
"Okay," Saunders said. "We're gonna have to go on to the winery. I can't see anything from here."
Kirby rolled his eyes. "How nice."
Saunders inwardly agreed. "Alright, let's go so I can radio in."
They followed him down the stairs to where Littlejohn and Billy were waiting.
"Radio, Billy," Saunders said.
"What's up, Sarge?" Littlejohn asked.
"It's not tall enough," he answered, taking the radio from Billy. "Can't see anything."
"Checkmate King Two, this is White Rook," Saunders said into the radio.
"Come in, White Rook," came Hanley's voice.
"Objective not visible from Checkpoint three. Proceeding to Checkpoint four. Over."
"Roger. King Two out."
"How far is the winery, Sarge?" Billy asked, taking the radio from Saunders and strapping it back on.
"About a mile," he replied as they left the church. "You take the point."
They travelled until the winery came in sight, and Saunders inwardly shuddered. It looked frighteningly similar to the one he and Kirby had encountered only a few months ago.
When Billy abruptly dropped down, the squad followed his lead, and Saunders crawled up to him.
"What is it?" Saunders asked quietly.
"I don't know, Sarge," Billy whispered. "I saw something move in those bushes. Don't think it was a person, but I couldn't tell."
Suddenly, a brown and white calf came out of the brush and mooed loudly.
"Fat Kraut, ain't he?" Kirby quipped, coming up behind them.
"Alright, Kirby, Doc, you're on me," Saunders said, turning to the rest of the squad. "We'll clear the main building for an OP. Caje, take Billy and Littlejohn and checkout the rest of this place."
Saunders, Kirby, and Doc went through the unlocked gate cautiously. When they reached the building, Saunders kicked open the door while Kirby covered him. It appeared empty and they slowly climbed the stairs.
Caje led Littlejohn and Billy through the gate and down the street. He motioned for them to split up and each take two of the six rundown buildings.
They found nothing, but suddenly the sound of Mausers answered by a Thompson and a BAR echoed through the air, then stopped just as quickly as they had started. The three whirled around toward the noise and then ran for the OP.
They cautiously stepped through the door, rifles at the ready, and Caje led the way up the stairs.
When they reached the top, they found Saunders and Kirby kneeling by Doc, whose left shoulder was bleeding heavily. Two Germans lay sprawled behind them in front of an overturned table.
"What happened?" Caje asked, as they stepped into the room.
"We came up here and they jumped out from behind that table," Kirby answered, watching as Saunders poured sulfa on Doc's shoulder. "One of their guns jammed or they would've cut us ta pieces."
"They nearly did anyway," Saunders said grimly. When he had wrapped a bandage around the medic's shoulder, he fixed a sling to help support it. "Good as new."
"Sarge," Doc said softly, wincing as he sat up. "Kirby got nicked, too."
"It's just a scratch, Doc," Kirby protested. "See, Sarge?"
"He's right, Doc," Saunders said, looking at it.
The medic nodded slightly. "Okay. But put a little sulfa and a bandage on it."
Kirby rolled his eyes, but complied. "Must not be hurt too bad," he muttered. "Still givin' orders."
Saunders walked over to the window and peered out. "Billy, Littlejohn, go downstairs and keep an eye out," he said over his shoulder. "I don't know what those two Krauts were doing up here, and I don't want anymore surprises. Leave the radio."
"See anything?" Kirby asked impatiently as Saunders stared out through the binoculars.
Nodding, he handed the field glasses to Kirby and picked up the radio. "Wow," the BAR man said when he saw the huge Kraut gun.
"King Two, this is White Rook, over," Saunders said into radio.
"Come in, White Rook."
Saunders gave Hanley the gun's coordinates.
"Stand by," Hanley said, pausing to relay the coordinates to artillery. Saunders took the binoculars back from Kirby and focused them on the gun.
Less than two minutes later, artillery shells could be heard pounding into the ground, the explosions causing the winery to shake.
Suddenly, Saunders grinned and set the glasses down, then picked up the radio.
"King Two, the target has been destroyed."
Hanley's satisfaction was evident even over the radio. "Head for home, White Rook. Good work."
Saunders smiled and turned to Doc. "You feel up to getting out of here?"
"You bet," he replied as Caje helped him to his feet.
They headed downstairs and Billy took the radio from Saunders.
"Let's go home," the sergeant said, with an inward sigh of relief. *Guess I was wrong,* he thought, thinking of his earlier fears. A nagging voice reminded him they weren't back yet, but he stubbornly pushed it away, choosing to think positively. "Caje, take the point."
Saunders slowed down to let Doc catch up. "Feelin' okay, Doc?"
The medic wiped his sweaty face and gave a short laugh. "Great, Sarge. Just a little tired." He glanced back at Kirby. "You think he's okay?"
"Oh yeah," Saunders replied. "He's fine. At least he hasn't said anything."
"Those little nicks hurt worse than this sometimes," Doc said, nodding towards his shoulder. "Give it a little time. He'll probably be yellin' for some-"
"Good grief, Doc," Kirby complained loudly. "This thing hurts like the dickens. Ain't ya got some aspirin or somethin' you can give me?"
Saunders turned and grinned at Doc, as the medic reached in his bag for the aspirin. Tossing them to the BAR man, he said, "Thought it was just a scratch, Kirby."
"Well it was, but I don't know what it is now. It feels like it ex…expanded or something'." he replied, popping the pills in his mouth, as Doc chuckled.
Caje stealthily walked ahead of the squad. An uneasy feeling had come over him as it always did when some kind of trouble was ahead. He had learned to obey it, so he moved slower and used even more caution than before as he began to climb the small hill that was in front of him. His prudence was rewarded when suddenly, machine gun fire kicked up dirt ahead of him, and he flattened himself to the ground. He inched backwards down the hill until he was beside Saunders and the rest of the squad.
"Must've heard the shots," Saunders muttered to himself. "Caje, did you see how many?"
The scout shook his head. "No, Sarge. They're pretty well hidden. Sounds like two machine guns though."
"Alright, we'll try to flank them," he said. "Caje, take the right and I'll go to the left. Get some grenades in there."
"Sure ya don't want me to go, Sarge?" Kirby asked, the pain in his side apparently forgotten.
"No, you, Billy, and Littlejohn give us five minutes to get set, then lay down as much cover as you can. Doc, stay put.
They synchronized their watches, then Caje and Saunders slipped away.
Kirby glanced at his watch and whispered, "Let's go."
"Be careful," Doc whispered.
Kirby smiled. "You know it, Doc."
When the three reached the top of the hill, they settled in behind a cluster of trees positioned there.
Kirby checked his watch again. *5, 4, 3, 2.* "Now!" he shouted.
The air was immediately filled with the sound of rapid American and German gunfire, allowing Saunders and Caje to get closer without being seen or heard.
Although Kirby, Littlejohn, and Billy fired relentlessly at the Krauts, the machine guns continued firing. But since their main focus was keeping the guns off of their two comrades, Kirby figured it was going fairly well. Billy and Kirby managed to pick off a Kraut from each machine gun, but they were immediately replaced, and the bullets kept coming.
Suddenly, Kirby froze as he caught a movement to his right, and realized it was Caje. Knowing it would only be seconds before the machine gunner spotted him, Kirby jumped up, taking a grenade from his shirt. Billy tried to grab his jacket, but it was no use. The BAR man started towards the Germans, pulling the pin as he ran. A rifle bullet hit him in the arm, but he kept going, seeing the machine gunner catch sight of Caje at that moment. The machine gun swung around and managed to get off a few shots toward Caje, but then Kirby's grenade exploded, taking out the gun.
The other machine gun aimed for Kirby, and though he tried to duck for cover, another bullet caught him in the side and the BAR man fell.
"Nooo," Doc breathed, when he saw Kirby fall. He had crawled up closer to see what was going on, but now almost wished he hadn't. He started to go to the fallen man even though the gunfight was still raging, but Littlejohn held him back.
Saunders threw his grenade and destroyed the rest of the Kraut nest. Caje, who had ducked for cover when the machine gun had begun firing at him, stood up slowly, not knowing what had happened. When he spotted Kirby lying on the ground, he froze, then began running toward him. Saunders was close behind.
Doc was already there and couldn't meet their eyes, but managed a small shake of his head. He tried to slow the bleeding, but it was a useless task.
Caje knelt down next to his friend. "Kirby? Kirby, can ya hear me?"
Kirby's eyes fluttered open.
"Why did you do it? Why?" Caje asked, barely holding back tears.
Kirby tried to focus. "Caje?"
"Yeah, it's me."
Saunders watched, hardly believing this was happening.
"Sarge?" Kirby asked, his eyes closed again.
"I'm here, Kirby," he answered, kneeling beside him. "Do somethin', Doc!" Saunders whispered through clenched teeth.
Doc looked up helplessly. "Sarge, there's nothin'…"
"I know, I know," he muttered.
"Kirby," Caje said softly, his voice strained. "Why?"
"For…you," he whispered. "Cause ya gotta go be a Dad…Caje. They…were gonna…kill ya Caje…gonna…kill ya. And those…filthy, lousy…Krauts killed my family…already. But you…you still got yours. Go be a…dad."
Kirby's voice faded and his head slipped slowly and rested on Caje's knee.
"No, Kirby! C'mon, wake up…Kirby…" Caje sat there a moment, his hand on Kirby's shoulder. Slowly he stood to his feet and simply walked off into the woods.
"Caje," Saunders called halfheartedly, wishing he could just walk away too. *From the whole stupid war.*
When the BAR man had first joined the squad, he had nearly driven Saunders insane with his constant escapades. But he was an invaluable asset on the battlefield, and Saunders knew he could count on him there. Finally, though he remained the squad's resident wisecrack, Kirby had "grown up" and become one of the men the sergeant trusted most. Looking down at his still form made Saunders want to quietly but quickly destroy every German in the country.
*Not Kirby,* Billy thought, a few silent tears finding their way down his face. Kirby had been reluctant at first to accept Billy, calling him, "just a kid". But soon, however, the BAR man had learned to trust Billy, and though Kirby still called him "kid", it was no longer a jeer. Kirby had also earned Billy's respect, and it shook the young soldier to see him lying dead on the ground.
Littlejohn simply stood still and stared at the scene before him. *Kirby? Dead?*
The two had not been close friends, but who could define that in war? When you ate, slept, and fought for your lives together every day, before long you had to be close. Though it seemed improbable with all the arguing they did, he realized they had each greatly respected the other.
Doc sat back on his heels and stared at the remains of the machine gun nest that had created such destruction in a few short seconds. Kirby's voice kept echoing through his head, and memories flooded his mind.
"My feet are killin' me, Doc!"
"Hey Doc, got anything for blisters?"
"Good grief, Doc, this thing hurts like the dickens."
Saunders voice broke through their reverie. "We need to get out of here."
The sound of his voice seemed hollow, even to him, as if it was coming from somewhere far away. Reaching down to get one of Kirby's tags, he found only one there. "Where did it…oh," he said quietly, realizing who had taken it.
"Let's go." He got to his feet and started towards the wood, not looking back.
"But, Sarge," Billy said, following him. "What about…"
"We don't have time, Billy," Saunders said, painfully aware of how cruel his words sounded. "The Krauts could be on us any minute now."
Doc looked at the sergeant with a shocked expression. "Sarge…"
"I said we don't have time! Now let's go. Little-…" Saunders stopped in mid-sentence when he turned back and saw the big soldier.
Littlejohn had finally moved and gathered Kirby in his arms. Without a word, he walked past the other three soldiers and into the woods.
Saunders started to say something, but suddenly realized how glad he was for what Littlejohn had just done. The first tear he'd cried in a very long time slid unintentionally down his cheek as they left.
February 6, 1963
"I finally came back later that night," Caje said, brushing a tear away. "Lucky for me, Hanley didn't miss me and no one told him I was gone. For days, I blamed myself."
After a short pause he continued. "But Doc and the Sarge, they finally set me straight. He gave his life…because he wanted to." Caje smiled slightly. "He usually got what he what he wanted, or whined and begged 'til he drove you crazy enough to give into him."
He turned serious again. "But if I had given my life for him, I wouldn't have wanted him sitting around mad at himself for what I chose to do. And that was what he did. For me and for you, son."
He paused again and stared into the distance at another family who had knelt by a grave. "His last words were, 'Ya gotta be a Dad, Caje. My family's gone. Go…go be a Dad."
Grant hadn't spoken throughout his father's story, listening intently to every word. He looked at the grave stone with new respect, and read it again.
William G. Kirby
Illinois
US Army Infantry
Private First Class
November 3, 1919
February 6, 1945
Medal of Honor
Suddenly, a thought struck him. "Dad, what was his middle name?"
Caje smiled, putting his hand on his son's shoulder. "We had decided on a first name, Joseph, but could not figure out a middle name. I decided the day after he died that your middle name would be Grant, and that was the name you would go by. Your mother was happy to honor him that way, too."
Grant was silent for a moment. "I wish I could've known him," he finally said as they turned to go. Thoughtfully he added, "But I guess if I'd have known him, Dad, I'd never have known you."
Caje turned his head to look at the grave one last time before it was out of sight. "Thanks, Kirby," he whispered.