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Show Our Man Hoppe The Meaning Of War f By ARTHUR HOPPE San Francisco Chronicle "I see where we moved off Hill 875," said Corporal Partz, reading from a newspaper on his lap as he cleaned the toenails of his right foot with a trench knife. "Which one's that?" said his friend, Private Oliver Drab, 378-18-4454, without Pflllltslll 1 much interest. "They all look alike to me." "What!" snapped Captain Buck Ace, for he had overheard and his military moustache was bristling. "Y o u survivors who reached the top?" "Yes, sir, I'd of liked to been one of the survivors," said Private Drab, nodding. "But what I mean, sir, is why go to all that trouble to take a hill we don't want? The paper here says now we've got it, we're giving it up." American Strategy "Let's see that," said Captain Ace, grabbing the newspaper. "Well, I think the headquarters spokesman explained it pretty well. See, he says here, 'No hill is that critical to hold forever. There are plenty of hills in that area.' " "Oh," said Private Drab. "Why didn't we take one of those?" "Because the enemy isn't holding hold-ing them. We wanted Hill 875 because be-cause the enemy had fortified it. Now they fortified it because they knew we'd want it. So it was costly to take it. But now that the enemy is no longer holding it, naturally we don't want it. Thus having taken it, military strategy dictates that we give it up. After all, it's no good to us." "Yes, sir. But if we'd decided in the first place that it was no good to us, we wouldn't of wanted it and they wouldn't of fortified it and wouldn't ..." "The reason you'll never make a soldier, Drab," said the Captain contemptuously, "is that you just don't have a military mind." The Country's Symbol "Well, maybe the Captain's right," Private Drab said when he'd stomped away. "But I still don't see this fighting and dying for something you know you don't want." "You got to look at the big picture, pic-ture, Oliver," said Corporal Partz philosophically. "Hill 875 is a symbol." "You mean because it was a r, mous victory?" a jiii "Nope, I mean that what a for Hill 875," said Corporal pjT ui wiping his knife on his pants, 'w tiu( for this whole lousy country." , Hey, there, you Viet Cong " Pri flUI vate Oliver Drab, 378-18-4454, 'called out into the surrounding darkness during a luU in the fighting, "i got something I want to tell you." Captain Buck Ace scuttled quicklj along the drainage ditch where Ba- 1 ker Company was pinned down and angrily grabbed the private's arm. 5 "Damn it, Drab," he said, "Me i you launching your own peace oti-ensive oti-ensive again?" "Oh, no, sir," said Private Drab, i surprised. "I wanted to issue them a challenge." "A challenge?" asked the Captain suspiciously. Follow the Leader ( "Yes, sir. I saw where General I Hay of the Big Red One issued a ; personal challenge to the enemy the other day to come and attack him again. There he was, beseiged in Loc Ninh, wherever that is. And he tells them personally that he and his men are downright eager to take on another human wave assault. 'Come and get us,' he says, 'and we'll show you a thing or two.' " "You were impressed, soldier?" "Yes, sir! I said to myself right then and there that I was going to keep the General's words in mind next time I got in a tight spot. And here I am." "I suppose even you couwtn't but be stirred by an example like that," said Captain Ace, his ieiness thawing. "The General's challenge at Loc Ninh will go down in military annals along with 'Damn the torpedoes tor-pedoes ! ' and 'Send us more Jsds. ' " &amf& j jjsm6sx&s0 mean to say sol-Arthur sol-Arthur Hoppe dier, that you've forgotten Hill 875 so soon? "Was that the kind of pointy one, sir, where we liberated a couple of chickens?" said Private Drab hopefully and he scrambled to his feet and saluted. "I remember that one." Some Victory "For your information, Drab," said the Captain coldly, "Hill 875 is where the 173rd Airborne wrote one of the most glorious chapters of this war. They captured t h e summit on Thanksgiving after five days of bloody fighting for every inch of that hallowed ground. And though they took nearly 500 casualties, casual-ties, still they pressed on to the top." "Oh," said Private Drab thoughtfully: thought-fully: "I wonder why." "Because it was there," said Captain Ace simply. "It was their job to take it and they took it. What a proud moment. How would you like to have been one of those A Thirsty General "I suppose so, sir, said Private Drab thoughtfully. "They're all of a pattern." "A glorious pattern," agreed the Captain, his voice rising in enthusiasm. enthusi-asm. "Glory is the spur, soldier. What makes a good officer, a great leader of men? What distinguishes him from the common herd? He thirsts for glory." "Yes sir." "Oh, you can talk about flag and country and Commies, but it's glory that drives him on. For a chance of glory he'll willingly lay down his life and the lives of his men without with-out banging an eyelash." "I've noticed that, sir." "And though he may die in the attempt, he sets an example for the common soldier, like you." "You're sure right about that, sir." The Captain paused and put his arm around Private Drab's shoulder shoul-der in fatherly, fashion. "By God, Drab, I'm proud of you," he said. "Go ahead, issue your challenge in the name of all the men in Baker Company. Tell 'em how we feel." "Thank you, sir," said Private Drab. And, coupling his hands he shouted into the darkness. "Hey, there. I challenge you guys to go find Loc Ninh and attack General Hay instead of us. It's okay, he wants you to." Why You Fight "I don't see what the Captain's so sore about," Private Drab said later to his friend, Corporal Partz. "If the General's looking for glory, he can have it. I don't want any part of it." "You're wrong there, Oliver,' said Corporal Partz. "Glory's a great thing to have. You get a little lit-tle and the broads fall all over you." "You mean you don't mind fighting fight-ing for it?" "What I mind," said Corpora Partz, ducking as a mortar she" burst close, "is fighting for SJI1lP' body else's." |