Sergeant Goddard
By:AliasCWN
Chapter 1
Sam Troy reported to Captain Bogg's office alone since he hadn't been able to locate Moffitt. The captain's aide looked up as he entered the outer office and jerked his head toward the captain's door. "Go right in Sergeant Troy, he's expecting you."
Troy nodded and pushed the door to the office open. He stopped in mid-stride when he recognized the man who turned to face him. "Sergeant Goddard." Troy was both surprised and pleased to see the other man.
"Troy." The other man replied with a nod. "I see you made sergeant. I knew you would make a good leader. Good to see you again."
"Same here Sergeant." Troy answered.
"I see you remember Sergeant Goddard." Captain Boggs observed.
"Yes sir, I remember him quite well." Troy answered with a smile.
"And you get along all right with him?" The captain asked.
"Yes sir." Troy assured him.
"Good, because Sergeant Moffitt has been called away to consult on some new project the British government has in the works. Don't ask me what it is because they didn't tell me, apparently it's above my pay grade." The captain explained. "Sergeant Goddard will be his replacement until Sergeant Moffitt gets back sometime next week."
"It sounds like you're stuck with me Troy." Sergeant Goddard stated, sounding pleased at the prospect.
"Well Sergeant, I put up with you all through basics so I guess I can do it again." Troy grinned.
"Put up with me, why you young pup, I taught you everything you know about being a soldier!" The other sergeant declared indignantly.
"Not everything Sergeant, but a lot, I'll give you that." Troy admitted with a smile.
"Whatever he taught you has been put to good use." Captain Boggs assured both men. "Sergeant Goddard, you do understand that Sergeant Troy will be in charge this time around?"
"Yes sir." Sergeant Goddard acknowledged. "The student has surpassed the teacher."
"Exactly." The captain agreed. "Sergeant Troy is the one with all of the desert experience and this is his outfit. You are taking Sergeant Moffitt's place. Sergeant Moffitt is Troy's second in command. The privates will take orders from you as well. Sergeant Troy can introduce you to the two privates who finish out the team."
"I'm looking forward to working with them." Sergeant Goddard declared. "I've been hearing about their exploits ever since I landed in North Africa and I can't wait to see them in action. I'm new to the desert and I hear they are the team to teach me what I need to know."
"They know their way around the desert and they get plenty of action, don't worry about that." The captain looked at Troy and smiled. "Just try to keep up."
"Yes sir." Goddard answered.
"All right Sergeant, now that we have that out of the way, let's get down to business."
Troy and Goddard listened as Captain Boggs outlined the next mission he had for the Rat Patrol. "I expect you back here in three days with that information Troy. Headquarters wants to move ahead with their new plan but they can't do anything until they get that information."
"We'll do our best sir."
"See you in three days then." The captain dismissed them with a wave of his hand.
"Yes sir." Troy saluted and led the way out the door.
"Where are we headed?" Goddard asked as they hurried across the base.
"Motor pool." Troy answered. "Our jeeps are ready so there is no reason why we can't leave right away."
"How do you know the jeeps are ready?" Goddard asked. "The motor pool looked pretty busy when I walked by earlier today. Maybe they haven't got your jeeps done yet."
"We don't count on the motor pool." Troy explained as he walked. "My guys fix our jeeps for the most part. We let the motor pool do the repairs we can't but we do all the rest. Tully and Hitch are particular about those jeeps."
"Then they're pretty good mechanics?"
"If Tully can't fix it it can't be fixed and Hitch is almost as good. He's learning a lot from Tully."
"I thought they were just your drivers."
"Drivers, mechanics, small arms repair, communications, demolition, navigation; you name it they can at least get the job done. They each have their specialties and are able to pitch in wherever they are needed. They're both good, all around soldiers."
"Sergeant Moffitt is British."
"Yeah."
"How did you end up with a British sergeant as your second?" Goddard asked.
Troy shrugged. "We'd just lost a man when this assignment came up. The British wanted us to find and destroy one of their abandoned ammunition dumps before the Germans could get their hands on it. Moffitt is an expert on the desert. He practically grew up here going on archeological digs with his father before the war. The Brits sent him along to help us locate the dump because the Germans were looking for it too. We got there first, but it was close. I liked the way Moffitt fit into our group so I asked to keep him. It turned out that he liked the way we worked and he had already asked to stay. We both got what we wanted and we've been together ever since."
"What about your privates?"
"What about them?"
"Do they get along with the sergeant?"
"Yeah, they like him, and more importantly, they respect him."
"I heard you were a tight outfit."
"We all get along and we've been together long enough that we can almost tell what the others are thinking without the need to ask."
"I warned you about getting too close to your men." Sergeant Goddard answered with a frown.
"Yeah, I know." Troy admitted. "But I like to know my men; what they are capable of, their strengths and their weaknesses. I like to know what I can expect from them."
"Getting to know them is fine, letting them get close is a whole other matter." Goddard warned.
"I know." Troy sighed. "I tried to keep them at arms' length, but you don't know them Sergeant. They were just kids when I first met them. They were trying so hard to prove themselves." Troy smiled at the memory. "I guess Hitch got to me first. He's impulsive, enthusiastic, and always has a smile to cheer you up. He's a darn good soldier. Tully, our other private, used to run moonshine before he joined up. He's kind of quiet but when he talks it pays to listen. Tully seems wise beyond his years, I guess it comes from helping raise his siblings. He comes from a poor family and they always had to work hard just to keep food on the table. He's as reliable as they come. They've both come a long way in a short time."
"And what happens when you lose one of them?"
Troy frowned. "We all look out for each other. I know I can't guarantee that they'll be safe but we all do our best to stay alive and keep the others safe too."
"The mission needs to come first Troy; you can't risk the mission to save one man."
"The mission does come first." Troy argued. "But that doesn't mean that any of us are expendable. I won't throw away lives just to take the easy way out. So far we've been able to accomplish every mission without sacrificing anyone. Our record speaks for itself."
Goddard shook his head. "I don't know where I went wrong. I thought you had more sense Troy. I always figured that you were one of the ones who actually absorbed what I was trying to teach you."
"I learned a lot from you." Troy argued. "But we're all different. My style might not suit you but it suits me. Our techniques are a bit unorthodox but they work for us just fine."
"Someday it's going to catch up with you Troy. Getting close to your men is okay in peacetime but it's a recipe for disaster during a war. I fought in WWI, I ought to know."
"With all due respect Sergeant, I'm not you. Things have changed. Methods have changed. Armies don't fight the same way they did back then. There is room in this war for the unexpected, the unorthodox, the sometimes crazy sounding ideas."
"And that's your specialty?"
"Tully says crazy works for us." Troy admitted with a smile. "I have to admit, it does seem that way."
"And your commanders don't have a problem with you doing things your way?"
"No." Troy shook his head. "They give us an assignment and let us figure out how to get it done. It's easier on all of us."
Both men fell silent as they neared the motor pool. Troy glanced over at his old mentor and wondered how Hitch and Tully were going to react to their new teammate.