A/N-I did research on this and animals were actually a important part of the war. All kinds of animals were mascots of each unit to boost moral. Please read and enjoy and REVIEW! I love it when you do.
It was a slow time in the war and the tall solgier who is friends with Andrew is standing around with a huge piece of leather around his arm and a beautiful brown hawk flying around him making the beautiful sounds of a hawk and Andrew and Jonathon watch him in amusement then Andrew says, "You've been fooling around with that hawk for weeks now...do you think you are doing any good?" The blond boy smiles and says, "I'm just having fun, I'm training him" Andrew laughs and says, "Training him? You can't train a hawk"
Just then another solgier comes up and puts down his gun and says, "I don't know, I've seen it once or twice myself" Andrew and Jonathon look at each other and shrug their shoulders and watch the hawk fly around and the blond man asks, "Do you think the war is over and they just didn't tell us?" Jonathon snickers then says, "No Phil, I don't, it's just a slow time" The other solgier says, "Whatever it is, let's enjoy it" Just then Phil whistles and the hawk comes back and lands on his arms and Phil says, "And what better way to enjoy it than with a hawk?" The guys all look at each other and silently agree as Phil gives the hawk a snack of some sorts.
A few days later then men were eating breakfast and all were talking and joking and Andrew asks, "What do you have plan to do with the hawk today Phil?" Phil knows his friend is teasing so he sits back and slowly smiles and says, "I don't know, I may teach him to fetch" That brings a hearty laughter from the men sitting around on rocks and various places nearby eating a single helping of eggs . Food had to be carefully spread around in those days but any laughter you could get was always welcomed.
After Phil put his tinplate and fork in the barrel for the cook to wash, he turns around to go to his tent and five feet from it, somebody shouts "Phil!" and asks him a question that makes him laugh then he turns around and barely puts a foot in front of him when he sees one of the most dangerous things to man, a rattlesnake in all its raging glory! He is rattling his rattlers and showing his fangs...Phil is frozen is his steps and except for breathing, he hardly moves and Andrew comes running and he says, "Lord have mercy" and he starts to looks for something, anything to get the snake but then before he knows it, the hawk that Phil has been training and taking care of comes and starts a hell raising fight with the snake! Phil realizes what is going on and he swells with pride and yells encouragement and the other men gather around and cheer the hawk on! So much commotion is going on that even General Collins comes out and when he realizes what is going on, he holds in his cheers like the men under him but he smiles a mile wide.
Eventually, the snake falls dead and the hawk flies up to the top of Phil' s tent and sits like the majestic bird he is while the men clap. A man who is obviously the camp's cook comes over and he picks up the dead rattler who still twitches, the cook looks up and down then says, "Yep, big enough to be put in chili" He takes the snake and walks off while the men silently groan and somebody says, "Well, they are good to eat" Just then General Collins clears his throat and says, "Private Dunning!" Phil turns around and salutes him then asks, "Yes sir?" "That was a excellent example of your hawk fighting that rattlesnake but now I want you to do something" Phil looks at him in curiosity then General Collins says, "I know your hawk hasn't done so but we got a few chickens now from that friendly farmer down the road, I want you to build a chicken pen with a cover for them" Phil inwardly sighs and says, "Yes sir!" with a snappy salute and Collins goes back inside and he looks and Andrew and Jonathon and they laugh while the hawk looks around.
A few weeks later, General Collins comes out and says to another soldier of a lower rank and says, "Lt., assemble the troops" "Yes sir!" He salutes him then turns around and goes out to the middle of the camp yard then says, "General Collins has something to announce! Get in line!" All the men assemble in rank and order then Collins comes out to the front with his second in command and he says in a loud voice, "I have just received word from the front lines that we are to gather with the unit in Sunsville!"
All the men look at each other then the General says, "I know it is 20 miles away but I belive in this unit!" More pride grows in themselves and Collins says, "We have been trained by the best! All of us and I will insist on each soldier carrying themselves a canteen of water!" They all say, "Yes sir!" General Collins then says, "Private Griffith!"
A slim soldier comes forth with a snappy salute and says in a loud voice, "Yes sir!" "You and a another soldier of your choosing will fill each and every canteen for the men! That's your order!" "Yes sir" He clicks his heel and goes back in line then Collins ends his speech by saying, "We will leave at 0500! I suggest you all go to bed early! Dismiss!" Each of the men look at each other and drift off and Andrew tells his younger brother, "Well, you heard him, let's get to bed" . Jonathon shrugs his 14 year old shoulders and they go off to their tent.
A few days later, the men are hot and tired. Phil looks up and sees his hawk flying in the air gracefully and he says in a short, hard breath, "I...wish...I was...up...there...look..." Jonathon looks at his brother with concern in his eyes and Andrew asks, "Phil, have you drank some water?" Phil looks at him then says, "I drank it...all...so ...hot...can't take..." Andrew's eyes bluge out then before he can take another breath, Phil collapses and Andrew catches him and hollers out, "Phil!" General Collins takes notice of the holler and puts his hand up for everybody to stop and then he races his horse back and asks, "What's wrong?" Jonathon says, "I don't know, he just told us that he didn't have any more water and just collapsed"
General Collins then says, "Sunstroke, I've seen it before, how is he?" Andrew turns around and sees his face and checks his friends pulse then looks at the General then says, "Dead sir" Jonathon looks in horror.
A few hours later, all the soldiers gather around Phil's grave and General Collins comes to Andrew and asks, "Are you sure we did the right thing? Burying him in the middle of nowhere? Didn't he have a family?" Andrew shakes his head then says, "No sir, his folks died a while back, there was no one but us"
General Collins turns and goes and gets on his horse and signals for everybody to follow and Andrew and Jonathon start to go but they watch Phil's hawk circle in the sky and then land on the handmade cross one of the soldiers made.
Jonathon and Andrew turn to leave and Jonathon stops and thinks then calls for the hawk like Phil taught him and the hawk follows the troop.
Nobody can see, but Phil's ghost stands and watches his unit leaves with the hawk. He gives a final salute.