Back In the World
CH 6
**
"Radar you little devil" Hawkeye hollered over the crowd of faces as the three men met in the middle of the room, exchanging hugs.
"How are you guys?" Radar asked his face lit.
"Okay, sorry to hear about the Colonel." Hawkeye replied, but eyeing the room for a special someone.
"You two came in together?" The shorter man asked.
BJ replied, "Yeah, we've been together for a couple weeks, Blake, Hawkeye's son was drafted."
"Oh Hawk, I'm sorry….Hawk?"
Hawkeye had found who he was looking for and had mentally left the conversation.
"What? Huh?"
Radar and BJ knew who he had seen; you couldn't fool them for a second. They knew that look; they'd seen it over and over for two years.
BJ tapped Hawk on the shoulder as he saw Margaret making her way over.
"Remember, you're married."
"I am? I mean I Am, of course I am." Hawkeye replied.
The four embraced, and caught up until the service began.
The four sat next to one another, along with the rest of the members of the 4077th who had their own two rows in the back of the cathedral.
"Now a man who served under Sherman in Korea will say a few words."
BJ and Hawk looked at each other, pointing fingers at each other them back at themselves asking if they were the ones were supposed to speak. Then they saw that Radar stand up and make his way up to the podium.
"Our little boy is all grown up Margaret."
She smiled. "Yes, apparently so."
"Colonel Potter was an amazing commanding officer. This coming from a soldier who served under two in Korea. When I went to Korea I was still a kid and I came back a man. Thanks to Colonel Potter, who was like a father to me. Well I guess pretty much everybody there was." He got a slight laugh from the crowd. "But he made our unit run smoothly and always and I mean always knew exactly what to say, how to say it and when to say it. He was an amazing individual who loved each and every one of us, down to the last corporal. I will miss him dearly and will cherish the memories we shared, until I see him again and we can reminisce about all the good times in midst of a war. Goodbye Sir."
He stepped back and saluted the casket. In that instant almost half the cathedral stood and did the same. Especially those who served along side him in Korea.
"That was beautiful Radar." Margaret said, as he took his seat beside her.
"Thanks, I wrote it myself." He smiled.
After the service BJ and Hawkeye started up a conversation with a couple Generals who were still in the army. They gave BJ and Hawkeye their cards, just in case they considered reenlisting. This caused Hawkeye to burst out in laughter, this confused the Generals.
"We're always looking for experience, and any rules that are in place are only there to be bent a little, after all we wouldn't be the army if we followed all the rules now would we." The two generals chuckled.
After a couple minutes, the topic turned to Vietnam and Hawkeye couldn't help but mention that his son was set to ship out in a few days.
"Do you know where he will be stationed?" The taller General asked.
"In his last letter, he mentioned, Da Nang."
"Da Nang, there's a big assault on there, a lot of VC." The other General replied.
"Is that right?" Hawkeye replied. "You sure know how to put a father at ease." He walked away from the men.
"You have to excuse him; he's never been good with Generals." BJ said. "It was a pleasure meeting you; I'll keep these cards in case we are in need of General assistance." BJ laughed. "Get it General Assistance?"
The two Generals stared back with no emotion.
"Guess that's my cue, you two take care." BJ scurried away, throwing a half salute on his way.
"Those men were odd, wouldn't you say?" Both of them nodded in agreement.
**
"Hawk, you know Generals." BJ said standing beside his friend.
"How could I forget their war side manner?"
"Look, we're meeting everyone for dinner in a little bit, why don't we go back to the hotel and get a change of clothes."
"Alright, just as soon as I give my respects to the widow."
**
CH 6
**
"Radar you little devil" Hawkeye hollered over the crowd of faces as the three men met in the middle of the room, exchanging hugs.
"How are you guys?" Radar asked his face lit.
"Okay, sorry to hear about the Colonel." Hawkeye replied, but eyeing the room for a special someone.
"You two came in together?" The shorter man asked.
BJ replied, "Yeah, we've been together for a couple weeks, Blake, Hawkeye's son was drafted."
"Oh Hawk, I'm sorry….Hawk?"
Hawkeye had found who he was looking for and had mentally left the conversation.
"What? Huh?"
Radar and BJ knew who he had seen; you couldn't fool them for a second. They knew that look; they'd seen it over and over for two years.
BJ tapped Hawk on the shoulder as he saw Margaret making her way over.
"Remember, you're married."
"I am? I mean I Am, of course I am." Hawkeye replied.
The four embraced, and caught up until the service began.
The four sat next to one another, along with the rest of the members of the 4077th who had their own two rows in the back of the cathedral.
"Now a man who served under Sherman in Korea will say a few words."
BJ and Hawk looked at each other, pointing fingers at each other them back at themselves asking if they were the ones were supposed to speak. Then they saw that Radar stand up and make his way up to the podium.
"Our little boy is all grown up Margaret."
She smiled. "Yes, apparently so."
"Colonel Potter was an amazing commanding officer. This coming from a soldier who served under two in Korea. When I went to Korea I was still a kid and I came back a man. Thanks to Colonel Potter, who was like a father to me. Well I guess pretty much everybody there was." He got a slight laugh from the crowd. "But he made our unit run smoothly and always and I mean always knew exactly what to say, how to say it and when to say it. He was an amazing individual who loved each and every one of us, down to the last corporal. I will miss him dearly and will cherish the memories we shared, until I see him again and we can reminisce about all the good times in midst of a war. Goodbye Sir."
He stepped back and saluted the casket. In that instant almost half the cathedral stood and did the same. Especially those who served along side him in Korea.
"That was beautiful Radar." Margaret said, as he took his seat beside her.
"Thanks, I wrote it myself." He smiled.
After the service BJ and Hawkeye started up a conversation with a couple Generals who were still in the army. They gave BJ and Hawkeye their cards, just in case they considered reenlisting. This caused Hawkeye to burst out in laughter, this confused the Generals.
"We're always looking for experience, and any rules that are in place are only there to be bent a little, after all we wouldn't be the army if we followed all the rules now would we." The two generals chuckled.
After a couple minutes, the topic turned to Vietnam and Hawkeye couldn't help but mention that his son was set to ship out in a few days.
"Do you know where he will be stationed?" The taller General asked.
"In his last letter, he mentioned, Da Nang."
"Da Nang, there's a big assault on there, a lot of VC." The other General replied.
"Is that right?" Hawkeye replied. "You sure know how to put a father at ease." He walked away from the men.
"You have to excuse him; he's never been good with Generals." BJ said. "It was a pleasure meeting you; I'll keep these cards in case we are in need of General assistance." BJ laughed. "Get it General Assistance?"
The two Generals stared back with no emotion.
"Guess that's my cue, you two take care." BJ scurried away, throwing a half salute on his way.
"Those men were odd, wouldn't you say?" Both of them nodded in agreement.
**
"Hawk, you know Generals." BJ said standing beside his friend.
"How could I forget their war side manner?"
"Look, we're meeting everyone for dinner in a little bit, why don't we go back to the hotel and get a change of clothes."
"Alright, just as soon as I give my respects to the widow."
**