THIRTY FOUR
Feb. 2nd: 0300 hours
Stretching to ease the muscles in his back, Hawkeye Pierce then pulled his blanket tighter around his body. He looked around the battalion aide station to discover what had awakened him. He saw only the sentries passing by. Things had been pretty quiet since they had patched up and called in transport for their last wounded solider, hours ago.
While the aide station surgeon and his medics had been grateful for his help, they hadn't been as overrun as he had been led to believe. First thing in the morning, if things were still quiet, he'd call the colonel and see if he really needed to stay an extra day.
Shivering, Pierce thought about his tent mates. By now, B J and Charles would be sound asleep, safe and, more importantly, warm inside the Swamp. He envied them as he tried to find a comfortable spot on the ground. The next time he was assigned to help out at one of these aide stations, he was definitely going to insist on a feather mattress…and a goose down comforter…and maybe a tall, slinky blonde as a bed warmer….
B J Hunnicutt and Charles Winchester were neither warm, nor, as far as they were concerned, safe. Minutes earlier, tracer rockets had lit up the night sky. They were quickly followed by an intensive barrage of artillery shelling that had everyone hunting for cover.
Colonel Potter quickly placed the camp under blackout conditions and called for all of his people to gather inside the mess tent. As the heaters were lit, and the frightened people huddled around them, no one seemed to notice that the mortar shells were missing the hospital compound. They were close enough to rattle windows, and nerves, but not, fortunately, close enough to actually rattle bones.
And, no one seemed to notice that the five Koreans had not come into the mess tent with the rest of the medical personnel. No one, except the camp commander and a red-haired nurse who caught each other's glance and nodded; everything was, fingers crossed, going according to plan.
Nearly an hour later, when the big guns stopped, the 4077th personnel breathed a sigh of relief. Wanting to get out of the cramped quarters and to examine the damage, they quickly retreated back into the relative safety of the tent, as the shelling began again. This time, the road leading away from the compound seemed to be the main target.
Only after that second barrage was over, did anyone realize that the civilians under their care were nowhere to been seen. An extensive search of the camp revealed no Korean children hobbling around, with mother and grandparents in tow. Their ox and cart were gone, as well. Inside the VIP tent, however, a startling sight was discovered.
Luther Rizzo, the man who had been assigned to guard the Korean family, was bound, gagged and tied to a support post. With him, also tied to the tent posts, were seven Military Policemen.
As each man was freed, and examined for injuries, Sergeant Rizzo shakily told his story. "I heard a noise, turned around, and the next thing I know, I was hogtied," he reported in his gravely Louisiana accent. "These boys were already in here. We've spent the past two hours listening to those mortars fall around us. And, now, begging the colonel's pardon, I'm going to the Officer's Club…for some medicinal comfort," the man announced. To himself, he added silently "And to my tent…for a new pair of skivvies."
The seven Military Policemen were also unharmed; except for the lumps on their heads and their acute embarrassment. They refused to answer any questions. The senior man present, who said his name was Myles, asked, sheepishly, that Colonel Flagg be notified.