H*** I don't think anything this bad has ever happened to me. I was in a field hospital and there were two men there with 'nerve problems.' God**** it I've always had problems with my nerves and being scared. "No sane man is unafraid in battle, but discipline produces in him a form of vicarious courage." The leader must be an actor. If I didn't appear unafraid my men would not be able to perform the way they do. "It's my nerves, I guess. I can't stand shelling." he said. Well, I slapped him...
It was stupid, but reminds me of a time back before Pancho Villa... I saw a groom in one of the stables under my command wasn't doing his job. I made him run back and forth and do his job. When he didn't run, I yelled "Run, d*** you, run!" I then realized that I had said 'd*** you' and not 'd*** it.' I called all the grooms together and apologized to the man and all those present for insulting him.
When Ike found out about this incident I had to do it all over again. I called the entire army under my command together. I apologized, and said "I just wanted to give you all the chance of seeing if I am as big a son of a b**** as some of you think I am." That brought laughs, but it wasn't enough to save my command. If this is the end of my duty in this war I think I may as well die.
No comments:
Post a Comment