point of honor

point of honor

fiction
edward w pritchard


All in one week a lot of changes occurred in my life. My 21 year old nephew became my sergeant, I spend hours and hours each day putting together and taking apart an M-16 rifle complete with three varieties of bayonets, and at 7am I report to our barracks which in my case is the gym I until recently was a member of less than a thousand yards from my house. Because I am over 65 years old I am able to sleep at home although it is not unusual for me to be on duty each day from 7am to 8pm each day. With training, meetings and orientations the time passes quickly.

I am paid for my services, $827 per month with a lot of benefits.

My sergeant has put me on a diet. I need to lose 21 pounds over the next 61 days with a daily weigh in after 8am breakfast. I am only average at my timed rifle assembly and there is no handicap for my age. After my first week in the regiment I learned not to volunteer and not too speak out. No one wants to hear your suggestions anyway.

Once I compared my experience here as a soldier to my impressions from my extensive readings in History to what it must have been like to be a  draftee in the French army at the beginning of world war two. That resulted in a meeting with Sarge and extra duty.

Most of the time there is a lot of sitting around and waiting. Nothing happening. I still don't smoke but if I did it would have to be Luckies like my new comrades. Oh, yes, we have women in the unit.

Something is coming, something will be happening soon, I can feel it. Despite the military display of drill and shiny uniforms which I hate I know soon that our unit will perform greatly for our country.

Rifle range in a few minutes. Firing real bullets into a wall at the back of a gym over and over.

Point of honor; I take what we do very seriously, I follow orders, I perform to the best of my ability, and God grant me bravery and obedience in the coming ordeals.