Page 24 of Semper Fi

I t was still night when they climbed from the belly of the ship and fell into line on deck.

No moon was visible, and clouds obscured their view of the southern stars.

Sporadic firelight flickered on Guadalcanal Island in the distance.

The sun would be up soon, but until then the world was only shadows.

Jim swiped at a bead of sweat on his forehead as he adjusted his pack and secured his rifle over his shoulder. Beside him, Cal smiled unconvincingly.

Leaning in, Cal whispered, “Look how many ships we have. All these men. The Japs don’t stand a chance.”

Nodding, Jim squinted at the island—a dark, mountainous shape looming before them, populated by an unseen enemy. He realized he’d never actually met a Japanese person. Now he’d kill these men or be killed.

Captain Brown’s voice was loud and confident. “Moving out! Over the side and down the nets!”

One platoon at a time they did as they were told, clambering over the edge of the ship one man after the other.

Jim threw his leg over and caught hold of the cargo net, putting his foot on one of the squares of rope.

The net swayed—shaking with the exertions of the men who’d gone before him—and he thumped against the hull of the ship, which rocked in the swells of the ocean.

Peering down, he could barely make out the Higgins Boats waiting below. A heavy boot landed on his fingers and he bit back a cry as he forced himself to keep moving, gripping the vertical ropes to avoid being stepped on again.

About three feet above the waiting vessel, the net stopped short.

Fear of plunging into the murky depths gripped Jim, but there was no time to hesitate.

He stepped off and landed safely with a thump on the bottom of the boat.

He let out the breath he’d been holding.

His equipment must have weighed fifty pounds, and he wasn’t sure he’d have been able to make the surface again if he’d missed the mark.

Cal steadied him, and they all took their places as the boats moved into assault formation, wave after wave lined up and fanning out toward Guadalcanal in the impending dawn.

Crouching low below the gunwales, they kept their heads down.

The boat vibrated beneath their feet as the engines kicked in, and they surged forward.

“Here we go,” Cal muttered.

They’d trained in the boats so many times that the spray of salt water on Jim’s face was strangely familiar and comforting. They each knew exactly what to do when they landed, and he could already imagine the gritty sand that would coat his tongue and sting his eyes as they stormed up the beach.

But this time, it wouldn’t be NCOs waiting to critique their performance and offer a hand up or an encouraging clap on the back.

Icy terror coiled in Jim’s stomach as the boat cut through the waves.

For a desperate moment, he closed his eyes, praying to the Almighty that this was only a dream and he was safe back in Clover Grove, or even in the troop ship, where the war was still a mythical, faraway thing even as they steamed ever onward toward it.

“Hey. It’s okay.” Cal’s voice trembled for the briefest of moments, belying his words. He cleared his throat. “We’re going to be okay.” He leaned in a little closer, and their helmets clanked together.

Jim nodded. He reached down with his left hand between them and grasped Cal’s fingers for just a second.

But when he would have let go, Cal held tight.

Jim squeezed and moved his lips in a silent prayer, pleading with God to keep him and Cal safe.

Him and Cal, and Sully and Speedy and Joe and Pistol, and their whole platoon and all the men in the boats around them.

Jim had tried not to think much of home since going to Parris Island.

It only made him yearn to see his child and his land.

But now Sophie’s sweet face filled his mind and heart, and he imagined he could feel her chubby arms around his neck as he lifted her.

A surge of panic tightened his chest. Would he see her grow?

Would she ever really know him, or would he be nothing but a faded photograph on the wall?

With a sharp stab of guilt, he belatedly thought of Ann.

Good, kind Ann. In these moments as he rushed toward his fate, he could admit to himself that there was a sadness in her eyes, and a longing in her soul that he didn’t think he could ever fulfill.

If only the Lord would spare him, he would try to be a better husband.

And Cal. Cal had to be saved. He clutched his friend’s hand, opening his eyes to meet Cal’s warm, steady gaze. As the rising sun began to lighten the sky and the clouds seemed to evaporate, they shared a final glance.

With a last squeeze, Cal let go. “See you on the other side.”

Blood rushed in his ears as Jim eyed the shore, looking for any sign of the enemy.

With a lurch, they hit ground and the men leaped over the side of the boat as one, splashing to land and dropping onto the beach.

Everything was sound and movement, and Jim caught a glimpse of palm trees overhead as he propelled himself forward.

The order that had been drilled into them echoed in his mind, screaming in his ears to get off the beach.

They were sitting ducks out in the open, and he pushed himself to the tree line, keeping low, his part of the mortar gun a heavy load.

His line of sight became a tunnel, focused solely on the coconut grove beyond the beach.

Chest rising and falling, rifle at the ready and clutched in his hands, Jim made it to the trees and flopped onto his stomach.

His helmet had slipped down his forehead and he pushed it up as he jerked his head left and right.

He caught sight of Cal a few yards away.

He exhaled in a rush and said a prayer of thanks that Cal was uninjured.

It was only then he realized it was far too quiet. No explosions split the air. No bullets screamed toward them. He and Cal shared a glance, looking around at the rest of their platoon in wonder. They’d taken the beach unopposed. The Japanese had turned tail and run.

Sully laughed out loud, and soon they were all smiling.

As the minutes ticked by, the sun rose, birds chirped, and they gathered in the shade.

Speedy grinned as he whacked open a coconut with his Ka-Bar.

Soon more men followed suit, and Jim reached for one, eager to taste something other than salt and sand.

The sweet milk felt wonderfully cool as it slid down his throat. He passed his coconut to Cal, who tipped his head back and drank. His tongue darted out to swipe at a stray white drop on his lip. Jim felt a strange flutter in his belly and hoped the milk wouldn’t make them sick.

Sully spoke up. “So…what are we supposed to do now?”

Big Joe slurped from a coconut shell. “Only been ten minutes. Don’t worry, pipsqueak, they’ll find something for us to do real soon.”

Sully grinned. “That wasn’t so hard. I reckon this war’s gonna be a piece of cake.”

1948

“One, two, three…”

A nail in his mouth, Jim looked up from the broken railing of the paddock fence and rested his hammer against his thigh for a moment. He watched as Cal spun in a circle near the barn, his eyes closed while the children ran and hid.

The bursts of affection and little thrills of desire that sparked across Jim’s skin in Cal’s presence left him perpetually distracted, but no matter how many times he chided himself to stop acting like a lovesick schoolgirl, all he could do was smile.

“Eight, nine, ten! Ready or not, here I come!”

Cal raced toward the barn. Adam was still too young to really understand the concept of hide and seek, and within seconds Cal cried out that he’d found him, and Adam’s giggles floated out on the breeze. Jim had spotted Sophie ducking into the house, so the game would last for a while.

He went back to repairing the fence, humming to himself.

Before long, Cal emerged from the barn with Adam secure on his shoulders, Adam laughing uproariously as Cal trotted toward the house.

Jim waved as they went by, and Adam flapped his arm in return.

Cal gave Jim a smile that did nothing to stop the giddiness Jim felt.

A voice in his head warned him for the umpteenth time that they had to be careful.

At church that morning without Cal, Rebecca had commented that Jim seemed happy.

Not that there was anything wrong with being happy, but folks would wonder.

It hadn’t even been a year since Ann’s accident.

Now the familiar litany of remorse settled over him heavily.

What if she was alive? Would I still feel this way for Cal? Why didn’t I ever feel this for her? I should have been a better husband. Has this sickness always been there? It must be a sin, but I can’t stop myself. Even if I could, I can’t bring her back.

The thoughts tumbled through his mind endlessly. He pulled another nail from his pocket and hammered it into the railing as he told himself not to go any farther down that road.

Instead he thought of church, an equally uncomfortable topic.

Jim knew he was sinning, but he couldn’t help himself.

Going to church had been part of his routine his whole life, but he had to admit he often daydreamed during services.

He’d barely listened to a word the reverend had said that morning, instead wishing he was home with Cal.

If I’m going to hell, might as well skip church.

He laughed out loud at the thought, and then looked around as if someone could have heard him. Sophie’s muffled shriek from the house was followed by her bursting out of the kitchen door with Cal and Adam in pursuit.

“You can’t catch me!” she yelled, heading toward the orchard.