shut their asses up about when they food is gonna be ready。 suddenly the pany mander e runnin into the buildin。 〃what was that！〃 he shouted。 〃what happen？〃 he look at the two of us； an then holler； 〃sergeant kranz； is that you？〃 〃gump— boiler— stew！〃 the sergeant say； an then he kind of git holt of hissef an grapped a meat cleaver off the wall。 〃gump— boiler— stew！〃 he scream； an e after me with the cleaver。 i done run out the door； an he be chasin me all over the parade grounds； an even thru the officer'；s club an the motorpool。 i outrunned him tho； cause that is my specialty； but let me say this： they ain'；t no question in my mind that i am up the creek for sure。 one night； the next fall； the phone rung in the barracks an it was bubba。 he say they done dropped his atheletic scholarship cause his foot broke worst than they thought； an so he'；s leavin school too。 but he axed if i can git off to e up to birmingham to watch the university play them geeks from mississippi。 but i am confined to quarters that saturday； as i have been ever weekend since the stew blowed up and that'；s nearly a year。 anyway； i cannot do it； so i listen to the game on the radio while i'；m scrubbin out the latrine。 the score is very close at the end of the third quarter； an snake is having hissef a big day。 it is 38 to 37 our way； but the geeks from mississippi score a touchdown with only one minute to go。 suddenly； its forth down an no more time…outs for us。 i prayin silently that snake don'；t do what he done at the orange bowl； which is to thow the ball out of bounds on fourth down an lose the game again； but that is exactly what he done。 my heart sunk low； but suddenly they is all sorts of cheering so'；s you can'；t hear the radio announcer an when it is all quieted down； what happened was this： the snake done faked an out of bounds pass on fourth down to stop the clock； but he actually give the ball to curtis who run it in for the winning touchdown。 that will give you some idea of jus how crafty coach bryant is。 he done already figgered them geeks from mississippi is so dumb they will assume we is stupid enough to make the same mistake twice。 i'；m real happy bout the game； but i'；m wonderin if jenny curran is watchin； an if she is thinkin of me。 as it turned out； it don'；t matter anyhow； cause a month later we is shipped out。 for nearly a year we has been trained like robots an are going to somewhere 10；000 miles away； an that is no exaggeration。 we is going to vietnam； but they says it is not nearly as bad as what we has gone thru this past year。 as it turn out； tho； that is an exaggeration。 we got there in february an was trucked on cattle cars from qui nhon on the south china sea coast up to pleiku in the highlands。 it wadnt a bad ride an the scenery was nice an interestin； with banana trees an palms an rice paddies with little gooks plowin in them。 everbody on our side is real friendly； too； wavin at us an all。 we could see pleiku almost haf a day away on account of a humongus cloud of red dust that hovered over it。 on its outskirts was sad little shanties that is worst than anythin i seen back in alabama； with folks huddled neath cloth lean…to'；s an they ain'；t got no teeth an they children ain'；t got no clothes an basically； they is beggars。 when we get to the brigade headquarters an firebase； it don'；t look real bad either； cept for all that red dust。 ain'；t nothin much going on that we can see； an the place is all neat an clean with tents stretched far as you can see in rows an the dirt an sand aroun them raked up nice an tidy。 don'；t hardly look like a war going on at all。 we might as well of been back at fort benning。 anyhow； they says it is real quiet cause it is the beginning of the gook new years— tet； or somesuch— an they is a truce goin on。 all of us is tremendously relieved； because we is frightened enough as it is。 the peace and quiet； however； did not last very long。 after we get squared away in our area； they tell us to go down to brigade showers an clean ourselfs。 brigade showers is just a shallow pit in the groun where they has put three or four big water tank trucks an we tole to fold our uniforms up on the edge of the pit an then get down in there an they will squirt us with water。 even so； it ain'；t haf bad； account of we been for nearly a week without a bath； an was beginnin to smell pretty ripe。 we is assin aroun in the pit； gettin hosed down an all； an it is jus bout gettin dark； an all of a sudden there is this funny soun in the air an some jackoff who is squirting us with the hose holler； 〃inin；〃 and everbody on the edge of the pit vanish into thin air。 we standin there butt neckid； lookin at each other； an then they is a big explosion close by an then another one； an everbody start shoutin and cussin an tryin to get to they clothes。 them inin explosions fallin all aroun us； an somebody shoutin； 〃hit the dirt！〃 which was kind of rediculous since we was all press so flat in the bottom of the pit by now we resemble worms rather than people。 one of them explosions send a bunch of shit flyin into our pit an them boys on the far side get hit with it an start screamin an yellin an bleedin an grappin at theyselfs。 it were all too apparent that the pit was not a safe place to be hidin。 sergeant kranz suddenly appear over the edge of the pit； an he holler for all us to get the hell out of there an follow him。 there is a little break between explosions an we haul ass out of the pit。 i e over the top an look down an godamighty！ lyin there is four or five of the fellers who was squirtin the hose on us。 they is hardly recognizable as people— all mangled up like they has been stuffed thru a cotton baler or somethin。 i ain'；t never seen nobody dead； an it is the most horrible and scary thing ever happen to me； afore or since！ sergeant kranz motion for us to crawl after him； which we do。 if