by Len Levinson
“Hey, there!” said Nutsy. “Hello!”
The GIs dropped to the ground and pointed their rifles toward Nutsy. “Who's there?” one of them shouted.
“Private Marion Gafooley, recon platoon. Twenty-third Infantry Regiment!” Stand up so we can see you!”
Nutsy showed his face and part of his body. “Don't shoot!”
“Come on out of there!”
Nutsy walked into the open, holding his rifle at port arms.
“Drop your rifle!”
“I ain't droppiri my fuckin’ rifle!”
“I said drop your rifle!”
“Fuck you!”
“Drop your rifle or I'll plug ya!”
Nutsy dropped his rifle. The GIs stood up and approached him, and behind them more GIs appeared.
“He looks like an American to me,” said one of the GIs.
“Of course I'm an American!” Nutsy replied angrily.
“What're you doing here?”
“I was with George Company and we got swamped by Japs back there.” Nutsy picked up his rifle.
“We'd better take him to Captain Kallas,” said one of the GIs.
“Let's go,” said the other GI to Nutsy.
They escorted him back past the column of soldiers coming through the jungle, and Nutsy felt safe at last. He'd made it. He figured he was due for a two-week furlough in Hawaii.
Captain Kallas was short and swarthy-faced, with a lantern jaw covered with thick stubble. He looked at Nutsy with fierce intensity as the GIs told him about Nutsy.
“How far back are the Japs?” Captain Kallas asked Nutsy.
“About a mile, maybe more.”
“How many of them?”
“I don't know. A company at least.” Captain Kallas held out his hand. “Gimme my walkie-talkie.”
Colonel Smith had been forced to leave his jeep behind and was trudging through the jungle with his headquarters, bringing up the rear of the battalion, when the call came through on the radio. His brow became furrowed when Captain Kallas told him about George Company being overrun by the Japanese.
“Continue your advance,” Colonel Smith told Captain Kallas. “If you run into any Japs, deploy for attack immediately.”
Then Colonel Smith called Colonel Stockton and was able to reach him this time. He told him the news about George Company and explained that he moving forward to rescue any survivors.
“I don't have any idea of how many Japs are ahead of me,” Colonel Smith said, “and I don't have time for a reconnaissance. I think you'd better move up the rest of the regiment as fast as you can, sir, in case we get in over our heads.”
“The rest of the regiment is on its way. All I can do is tell them to double-time, and I'll be coming in with them. We'll be there in about two hours.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Colonel Smith handed his headset to Sergeant Shirley and hiked up his pants. “Okay,” Colonel Smith said. “Let's go save George Company.”
Captain Kallas posted Nutsy Gafooley at the front of Easy Company with the point man, Pfc. Harry Chambers from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Nutsy led the company across the field of kunai grass into the jungle behind it, retracing his footsteps, heading toward the sound of firing in the distance. He had a good sense of direction and remembered landmarks he'd passed as he'd escaped from the Japs. Anxious to pay back the Japs for what they did to George Company and the recon platoon, he didn't know that an entire full-strength Japanese regiment was deploying across a broad front in front of him. If he had known, he might have turned around and run, because a battalion is only one-quarter the size of a regiment, and Colonel Smith's battalion wasn't even at full strength. On top of that Colonel Smith had made the mistake of splitting his battalion up; Fox Company had been ordered to attempt the cutoff of the Japanese rear.
The Second Battalion surged through the jungle behind Nutsy and Pfc. Chambers, eager to save George Company—or what was left of it. Before they got close to the spot where George Company had been attacked, machine guns opened fire in front of them, followed by volleys of rifle fire.
Easy Company hit the dirt and spread out into a skirmish line. They'd bumped into the left flank of Colonel Shibata's regiment, but Captain Kallas suspected he was facing no more than a company or two. He radioed this information back to Colonel Smith, who ordered H Company, his heavy-weapons company, to set up their mortars behind East Company and begin a bombardment of the Japanese force ahead of him.
Before he could get ail the words out of his mouth, Japanese mortars began lobbing shells at the Second Battalion. Colonel Smith dropped to the ground, finished relaying orders to H Company, and then called Captain Kallas and told him to attack.
Colonel Shibata heard the mortars and knew his regiment had finally made firm contact with the US Army. Almost simultaneously a radio message came back to confirm that the battle was joined. Colonel Shibata looked down at his map and noted the position of the Americans. He figured they were trying to roll up his left flank, but instead he'd deliver a blow that would rock them back on their heels.
His Battalion A was holding down his left flank, and he transmitted an order to its commander that consisted only of one word: Attach‘
The mortar rounds fell with the rain on Company E, and almost as heavily. Nutsy hugged the ground, which trembled beneath him. He'd been on Guadalcanal long enough to know that when you are hit by a mortar barrage, you either advance or retreat, because to stay in the same place is murder
Behind him Captain Kallas hollered: “Fix bayonets!”
Nutsy reached to his side and drew his bayonet, snapping it on the end of his M 1. Now he knew what was going to happen. They were going to advance through the barrage.
Captain Kallas jumped to his feet. He raised his rifle and bayonet high over his head and pumped his arm up and down. “Charge!” he screamed. “Follow me!”
Captain Kallas ran to the front of his company, mortar rounds blasting all around him, his head hunkered down, heading for the Japs in the jungle ahead. Nutsy scrambled to his feet and ran after Captain Kallas, and so did the rest of the men in Company E. They sped through the jungle—which was exploding like the bowels of hell all around them—trying to get out of the barrage, looking for Japs to stick on the ends of their bayonets.
Nutsy made no effort to come abreast of Captain Kallas because Nutsy had no desire to win medals. If Butsko was around, he'd kick Nutsy in the ass, but Butsko wasn't around and Nutsy could lay back a little.
Then suddenly the mortar barrage stopped. Nutsy's ears rang with the silence.
“Banzai!” came the cry to the front of Company E.
The GIs saw Japs swarming through the jungle toward them, their bayonets fixed, screaming and hollering, bearing their teeth.
“Attack!” yelled Captain Kallas.
The GIs and Japs closed the distance between them and came together in the pouring rain. Bayonets clashed in the air and rifle stocks jammed against each other. Sporadic shots were fired and the soldiers on both sides grunted and heaved, trying to kill each other.
Nutsy thought he saw Captain Kallas go down, but he didn't have time to think about it because a Jap with fixed bayonet was running straight for him, shrieking at the top of his lungs. Nutsy didn't like his attitude and just waited for him, planting his left foot behind him so that he wouldn't be bowled over.
“Banzai!” screamed the Jap, lunging for Nutsy.
Nutsy parried him out of the way and the Jap went flying past him, losing his balance and falling to the ground. Nutsy was on him in an instant and rammed his bayonet into the Jap's left kidney. The jap hollered even louder and Nutsy gave it to him again, this time through the center of his back. Blood oozed out around Nutsy's bayonet and the Jap continued to scream. Nutsy would have stabbed him again but heard footsteps behind him. He spun around and saw another Jap charging him, hollering like a lunatic; Nutsy didn't like his attitude either.
The Jap pushed his rifle and bayonet forward an
d Nutsy danced to the side, swinging around his rifle butt, connecting with the rifle on the Jap's face. He broke the Jap's cheekbone and knocked the Jap unconscious. The Jap fell at Nutsy's feet and Nutsy harpooned him through the back, pulled out his bayonet, and looked around.
Two Japs were running toward him, but before they came close they split up, one heading for Nutsy and the other for another GI. Nutsy charged his Jap and lunged first. The Jap parried his blow and tried to bash him in the head with his rifle butt, but Nutsy dodged backward and the Jap butted rain and thin air.
The Jap gritted his teeth and jabbed forward with his bayonet. Nutsy parried the blow and kicked the Jap in the balls. The Jap grunted and bent over. Nutsy delivered an uppercut with his rifle butt, connecting with the Jap's nose, smashing it flat and straightening the Jap out, sending him sprawling backwards. The Jap fell on his back and Nutsy buried his bayonet in the Jap's stomach, then pulled it out, looked up, and saw another Jap coming at him.
“Banzai!” screamed the Jap.
He lunged at Nutsy with his rifle and bayonet and Nutsy lunged at him at the same time. Their rifles smashed together and they got all tangled up with each other. The Jap tried to kick Nutsy in the balls, but Nutsy turned his hip in time and caught the blow harmlessly. Nutsy shot his elbow forward to the Jap's face, but the Jap lowered his head and Nutsy bruised his elbow on the Jap's helmet.
Nutsy and the Jap pulled away from each other and started all over again. The Jap feinted with his bayonet but didn't sucker Nutsy out of position. He feinted again and Nutsy shot his rifle and bayonet forward, his bayonet cracking through the Jap's ribs. The Jap vomited blood and his knees collapsed. Nutsy tried to pull his bayonet out, but it was stuck. He tugged with all his strength and glanced up to see the Japanese officer aiming a pistol at him.
Pow!
Nutsy dived to the ground and the bullet sizzled over his head. He picked up the dead Jap's rifle and hid behind his bleeding torso.
Pow!
A bullet slammed into the dead Jap. Nutsy felt trapped like a rat. He couldn't run and there wasn't much room to hide. He waited for the next bullet, squinching his eyes shut, but it didn't come. Finally he had the nerve to peek over the dead Jap. The officer was lying in a clump on the ground: Somebody had done him in. Nutsy picked up the dead Jap's rifle and bayonet and got to his feet. Japanese and American soldiers were grappling all around him, and there were many more Japanese soldiers. They were swarming over the GIs like maggots, cutting them down, and many of the GIs were turning and running, although no one had ordered them to retreat. Nutsy thought Captain Kallas was dead. He couldn't see anybody else who had any authority.
Should I give the order? Nutsy thought. Before he could answer his own question, three Japanese soldiers charged him through the drenching rain. Nutsy dropped to one knee, steadied the rifle against his shoulder, and pulled the trigger—Blam— the Japanese soldier on the left tripped and fell down. Nutsy worked the bolt quickly, aimed at the next Japanese soldier— blam—and he, too, went down for the long count. Then the third Japanese soldier was on top of Nutsy, aiming his bayonet down. Nutsy didn't have time to work the bolt. He sprang forward and tackled the Jap as the Jap was moving forward. The Jap fell over Nutsy and landed on his hands. Nutsy twisted around and jumped on the Jap's back, reaching his right forearm around the Jap's neck, locking his right hand in the crook of his left arm, and placing his left hand on the back of the Jap's head.
Nutsy pushed the Jap's head with his left hand, and the Jap's throat pressed against Nutsy's right forearm. It was an old juijitsu trick taught to Nutsy in basic training, but this was the first time he'd used it. He was surprised and pleased that it was working so well. Just like the sergeant said, it was the easiest way to break a man's neck. Nutsy pushed with all his strength and heard the Jap's neck go snap!
Nutsy picked up a rifle and looked around. Five Japs were charging toward him, and beside them were three more Japs. A few GIs tried to stop them, but the Japs ran right through them. Nutsy said to himself, Fuck Ms!
He turned around and ran away. “Retreat!” he shouted. “Pull back!”
The GIs who were still alive heard his voice and reacted like robots, because that's the way they were trained to react. They didn't know who Nutsy was, but they figured he must know what he was doing, and who had time to think about it anyway? The GIs disengaged and retreated into the jungle, firing their rifles wildly behind them as they tried to get away. Fortunately the jungle was thick and provided a lot of cover, but the Japs came after them all the same. Nutsy fired his Japanese rifle until it was out of bullets, then threw it away and ran like hell. He zigzagged through the jungle and soon came to Easy Company's weapons platoon, with their machine guns and mortars. They looked up at Nutsy and the other GIs speeding through the jungle.
“Get ready with those guns!” Nutsy said. “The Japs are coming!”
The GIs manning the machine guns got into position. Nutsy saw a BAR lying on the ground next to a dead GI and dropped down. He pulled the BAR to his shoulder, checked the clip, and watched GIs fleeting through the jungle toward him in a wild rout.
“Wait for the Japs!” Nutsy shouted to the machine gunners. “They'll be coming through any minute now!”
The machine gunners were scared shitless, but they gritted their teeth and waited for the Japs to appear. They didn't have to wait long. The Japs came through the jungle like a hurricane, trying to shoot the retreating GIs in the back. They appeared in hordes in front of the machine guns.
“Open fire!” yelled Nutsy Gafooley.
Nutsy pulled the trigger of his BAR and swung it from side to side, spraying hot lead at the Japs. The two machine gunners did the same thing, and the front wave of Japs went down like wheat before a threshing machine. The next wave of Japs also were taken by surprise and bit the dust. The third wave took cover and tried to see what was going on. “Let's get out of here!” Nutsy bellowed. He picked up the BAR and ran back into the jungle before the Japs figured out what to do. The machine gunners broke down their weapons and fled also, while the Japanese officer in front of them was trying to assess the strength of the Americans he'd run into.
It wouldn't take him much time to figure out that there were no Americans in front of him anymore, but by that time Nutsy and the other survivors from Jiasy Company would be long gone.
Meanwhile, far to the south, the recon platoon was passing through a wooded valley. They were dragging ass because they were all tired and the rain was making the ground difficult to walk over. Shilansky had replaced Gomez on the point because Gomez had come down with the chills, and it was Shilansky's first time on point. He was afraid to alert the platoon to something that wasn't there, or not alert them to something that was there.
The wooded area wasn't as thick as the terrain they'd passed over previously, and Shilansky's field of vision was relatively clear. The tree trunks were thick and a fog hung over the ground, giving the forest a sinister atmosphere.
Then, out of the fog, Shilansky saw the figures of men. At first he thought he was seeing things, so he blinked, but they were still there. It was no hallucination and he dropped to his belly. Those behind him took cover also.
Butsko crawled forward to see what was happening. There wasn't as much protection in the forest as there was in the jungle, and if Japs were coming, they'd see the recon platoon without much difficulty. Butsko didn't think the recon platoon could handle a battle with a superior number of Japs and hoped it was only a patrol. Maybe he could set up an ambush if he could see where the Japs were headed before the Japs got too close.
He came abreast of Shilansky and peered ahead. The figures were coming closer, and there was something about their gait and posture that made Butsko think they were GIs. He wished he had his binoculars, but he'd lost them when he was captured by the Japs.
“They're ours!” Shilansky said.
“You sure?”
“Yeah!”
Shilansky started to get up, bu
t Butsko pulled him back down. “Not yet.”
“But they're ours!”
“Shaddup!”
Butsko looked at the advancing soldiers, and as they drew closer, he realized that Shilansky was right. They were GIs!
“Hey, there.’” Butsko cried out. “Hello!”
The GIs dropped to the ground and looked around. “Who's there?” one of them shouted.
“The recon platoon from the Twenty-third!”
“That you, Butsko?”
“Yeah!”
Butsko stood up and so did the GIs. Behind Butsko, the men of the recon platoon got to their feet, big grins on their faces. Their ordeal was over at last! They were home!
Butsko walked toward the GIs and recognized Master Sergeant Fargo Raines from J Company, an old drinking buddy . of Butsko's.
“Hey,” said Raines, “what you doing out here?”
‘Trying to get back to Henderson Field.”
“That's a long ways off.”
“Where you going?”
“That way!” Raines pointed to the sound of the fighting in the distance.
“What's over there?” Butsko asked.
“A lot of Japs.”
“We passed a bunch of them a couple of hours ago.”
J Company kept moving forward, and soon there was a big crowd around Butsko and the recon platoon. Lieutenant Jason Wright, the CO of J Company, pushed his way through. “What's going on up here?”
“We just found the recon platoon,” Raines told him.
Wright looked at Butsko. “What're you doing here?”
Butsko gave him a quick rundown on their capture, rescue, and effort to get back to Henderson Field.
“I think you'd better come with us,” Wright said. “Japs are moving into this sector in force.”
“We saw about a battalion of them a ways back.”
Wright took out his map. “Where?”
Wright's runner held his poncho over the map and Butsko pointed. “Around here, and they were headed into this direction.”
Wright could see that the Japs were going to the same general section of the jungle in which he was aimed.
