The memory of the bivouacs at the front with... The memory of the bivouacs at the front with their covered foxholes and duckwalks through the mud had depressed him more than once; it spoke with such finality of the men sitting down to rest permanently, implacably
He knew now he was wrongThe lessons learned from every campaign were different, and he had absorbed an obscure but basic axiomIf the men settled down long enough they became restless, ennuied to the point of courage again by the drab repetition of their daysIt's a mistake to relieve a company which has not been advancing, he told himselfJust let them sit in the mud long enough, and they'll attack through their own volitionIt was fortuitous that his battle orders had been launched at a time when the men were eager to move ahead again, but deep in his mind he knew he had been luckyHe had misjudged their morale completely
If I had a few company commanders who were perceptive, the whole process would be simpler, more responsive, and yet it's too much to ask sensitivity of a CO besides all the other things he
rolex watches on sale has to haveNo, it's my fault, I should have seen it in spite of themPerhaps for this reason the early success of the attack gave him little elationHe was pleased, naturally enough, because his greatest burden had been removedThe pressure from Corps had relaxed, and the fear that for a time had colored everything -- that he would be relieved of his command in the middle of the campaign -- had retreated now, and would expire if the advance continued favorablyStill he had substituted one dissatisfaction for anotherCummings was bothered by a suspicion, very faint, not quite stated, that he had no more to do with the success of the attack than a man who presses a button and waits for the elevatorIt muddied the edges of his satisfaction, angered him subtlyThe odds were that the attack would bog down sooner or later in any case, and when he left tomorrow for Army, this present success was going to hurt his chances of getting naval support for the Botoi Bay operationIn effect he would have to commit himself, claim that the
chanel replica handbags campaign could be won only by that side invasion, and there would be the ticklish business of having to undercut, disparage the advances he had made already
Nevertheless, things had changedReynolds had sent him a confidential memo that Army might not frown completely on the Botoi idea now, and when he saw them he could maneuver itThat type of favor was manageable
In the meantime he had been playing the fraud with himself, he knewAll day as he had sat in the operations tent, reading the reports that had come in, he had been a little annoyedHe had felt like a politician on election night, he thought, who was watching the party candidate win and feeling chagrined because he had tried to nominate another manThe damn thing was unimaginative, stale, any commander could have mounted it as successfully, and it would be galling to admit that Army was right
But of course they weren'tThere was going to be trouble ahead, and they refused to accept itFor a moment Cummings thought of the reconnaissance patrol he had sent to the other
cheap rolex watches side of the mountain, and he shruggedIf that came off, if they brought back a report of some value, if indeed he could manage to send a company over their route, and pull off the Botoi Bay invasion that way, it would be fine, impressiveBut there were too many chances against itThe best thing was to dismiss Hearn's patrol from his calculations until it returned
Despite all his internal objections he had been busy, he had given all his attention to the advance, concentrated on all the reports that came inIt had been exhausting, demanding work, and by nightfall he was tired, needed some diversionAlmost always when the division was in action he found it stimulating to tour the front daily, but at night now it would be impossible for him to inspect the infantry positionsHe decided instead to visit his artillery bivouacs
Cummings phoned for his jeep and driver, and about eight Phe set out on the roadThe moon was almost fullHe relaxed in the front seat of the jeep, and watched the play of the headlights against the jungle
chanel handbags for sale foliageThey were far enough behind the lines to avoid blacking out, and the General smoked idly, feeling the wind wash pleasantly against his faceHe felt drained, yet still tense; the passing sentient traces of the ride, the sound of the motor, the jouncing against the seat cushions, the smell of his cigarette, lulled him, caressed his nerves like a warm lapping bathHe began to fell cheerful and pleasantly empty
After a fifteen-minute ride, they reached a battery of 105s off the side of the roadOn an impulse he told his driver to turn in, and the jeep jounced over a crude culvert made by aligning empty gasoline drums in a ditch and covering them with earthThe wheels sloughed through the mud of the motor pool, and they came to a halt on a stretch of relatively dry earthThe guard at the entrance had phoned the Captain, who came up to the jeep to meet the General
"Sir?"
Cummings noddedHow's the battery coming?"
"Fine, sir
"Service battery was supposed to bring up two hundred rounds about an hour agoYou get them?"
"Yes,
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