European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 16, 1945, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Soldier who came in was dirty and yank fiction by William May the bored Sailor at the registration desk hut number he threw a folded Blanket on the and Jackson picked it up and carried it with his equipment to hut number when he saw that the hut was about half and everyone he went to the next there were Only three men asleep on he picked an empty cot at the end of the hut and dumped his gear on although he was he took out his shaving stripped to his shorts and shoes and went in search of a he found it at the end of the Row of he had the Shower to so he stayed under the Cooling Spray for a Long when he turned the water off he could hear the faint cries of men playing softball on a Field next to the transit the sound made him Back in the hut he took off his shoes and stretched on the he lit a cigarette and stared at the heat pressed on the he Felt sweat sliding Down his a thin tech sergeant came banging the screen door behind he threw a suitcase on a still two hours before we take he said in then he looked at just get in Jackson where you bound Home Jackson trying to sound in going to replacement the sergeant sat on the cot and twirled a pair of Sun you might As Well stay right Here now that the War is the sergeant said everybody seemed to think that he was he Felt lonely and he Felt Black he wished he had been Here two years there was a secret society a big and All the members were going the other he was late to you going Back for Good Jackson not the sergeant in in air were taking some patients Back to the we hit Hickam Field and then dear old Hamilton Field in thirty hours i figure ill be Able to get in on the Tail end of that Victory he sighed and lowered himself on his Wake me up for Villya he Jackson Jackson tried to he Lay on his Back and crossed his arms Over his sweat stung the Corners of his he listened to the beating of his the screen door banged again and he rolled pretending he was two talking and passed his cot and went to the other end of the he buried his face in the folded Blanket which served As a he slept for a when he woke there were More men Iri the he remained motionless and listened to the where you Guys from okie the air evacuation sergeant was we were on a radar picket was that Ever rough i so i ninety Days of we had a those suicides didst give us any you going Home now we got tired of waiting for a so we bummed a ride up Here on a i figure we can get a ride the rest of the see those Guys Down at the end of the hut the sergeant the ones that just came in there b25 boys going Back to maybe you can ride part of the Way with an idea Well ask pm when the sergeant How about some Chow i shove off in half an Jackson heard them get somebody Shook his want Soldier Jackson keeping his eyes when the screen door had Jackson sat he put his shoes on and was pulling on his trousers when the screen door banged the Soldier who came in was dirty and in his uniform was wrinkled and stained with he wore the Blue braid of the in its he said and sat Down on the cot next to he threw his faded Musette bag on the floor and took off his his hair was Grey and his face was Jack son was surprised at the divisional he had thought the infantry was All wheres the latrine the infantryman Down at the end of the Jackson i need a but in so pooped i can hardly sit the infantryman but i aint com id stand up on that plane All the just to get Back to the Jackson said you going too the infantryman Jackson took a deep in going up to Okinawa As a re the infantry Man youre you missed the you just come out Jackson stood up and reached for his the been Over about six he he had left Seattle two months whats it like Back Home same As i i never thought id make the infantryman thirty six i cant believe in going he broke off and stared at the in taking that Shower right fee said when he had Jackson finished he looked at his new duffle bag and Musette the new Rifle in its new protective like a or a he shoved them far under the the air was a Little he stood in front of the hut and looked toward the the ships at Anchor were near the Shore was a thin curl of from the mess Hall came the Clatter of trays and the sound of Jackson turned and began to walk away from he didst know where he was going but he want he knew that he would walk until it was they would All be asleep when he got Back to the Page 22