they used to shout my name (now they whisper it)

epilogue: 1946

A/N: Yo this is gonna be super short and kind of ended a bit weird (cliffhanger lol), because it's the epilogue and I have more planned post this. Some of it has already been hinted, but I'm not saying anymore until I'm ready. For now, though, I will mark this complete. Hope you all had a great time reading this story...and sorry that I killed Matt lmao.

* * *

The war was over.

After months of hard fighting and loss, the war was finally over. August 15, 1945 was the date that the Japanese Army surrendered.

Even with the war over, most of K Company were not able to go home until the beginning of February. They were stationed in China for their plus sixth months of duty. After they did time in China, Sledge, Burgin, and Snafu were sent on a train home, running through the southern states.

Sledge watched as Snafu had failed to pick up a girl. To be fair, Sledge wouldn't want to get with the man, either, if someone used that pickup line on him. Snafu and Burgin joined Sledge at the table.

"Snafu got pinked on the train home," Burgin said, as he placed the bottles of beer he had picked up on the table.

"If we'd been here six months ago, that broad would have given us all blow jobs," Snafu stated. Then he shook his head. "Lied to again. This entire division didn't do that "plus six months" horseshit we did."

"They got home a week after V-J--" Burgin was explaining to Sledge, "parades, pretty girls. 1946, the party's all over. Not so much as a complimentary beer. Somebody had to stay and clean up after the war."

It was silent between the three marines. They knew that Burgin's words held on to some truth. The war had officially ended sixth months ago, and they were just now getting home. There wasn't much of a celebration for them.

"I suppose I'm gonna have to get a job, too," Burgin added a moment later as he began to eat.

"Doin' what?" Snafu asked. Burgin shrugged.

"I don't know. Anything between digging ditches and owning a bank!"

The men laughed over that.

"First, I got to get Florence home."

Snafu and Sledge stopped and stared at the man.

"Florence from Melbourne?" Sledge asked.

"Mhm," Burgin nodded.

Snafu was in disbelief. "You shippin' her all the way over here, and this is the first we hear about it?"

"Come on, Snaf. That was in Okinawa. Figured it would be bad luck to talk about it then," Burgin explained. Alright, fair enough.

"Well, when is she coming?" Sledge asked.

"I cabled her, but we've been at sea," Burgin answered, a worrisome edge started to creep in his tone. "I guess we'll find out soon if I'm getting married or not. What about you, Sledgehammer?"

Sledge briefly pondered on it as he spread butter on the bread roll he had picked up not too long ago. "I'm just hoping that this Florence girl comes to her senses," he joked.

"Got a job lined up in Mobile?"

Sledge shook his head. "No. No job, no girl, no plans."

"How long do you think that's gonna last?" Snafu asked.

"As long as the sheriff lets me," Sledge replied, as he gnawed on his bread roll.

Snafu would have said more, but he began to eye the girl that he was trying to pick up earlier.

"I'm gonna get that girl."

Sledge rolled his eyes. "Leave her alone."

Snafu was determined. "You boys watch. I'm gonna get that girl."

"You've been saying that about every girl since San Diego," Sledge retorted. They all chuckled over it, before Burgin became somber.

"I'm thinking about visiting Matt's family," he said. Snafu and Sledge looked back up to him.

"In Ohio?" Snafu asked. "So soon when you just got home?"

"I wrote to them a few months back, telling them that we knew him. Mrs. Klein offered for me and any of us to go up to visit. I just need to ring them first to let them know," Burgin explained. He stopped for a moment, remembering their fallen comrade. "I miss that man."

"We all do," Snafu said. "As much as he was annoying with his good morals and shit, the kraut was a good man." He looked towards Sledge. "Say, didn't you write to his sister?"

"The one in Europe," Sledge confirmed. "Haven't heard from her or nothing." He couldn't help but feel disappointed, but there was nothing he could do about it. Maybe she didn't want his sympathy, that was fine with him.

Burgin must have sensed it. "I'm sure she's been busy. After all, she's a corpsman. She may have not have even gotten it yet, or you haven't gotten her reply."

* * *

Sledge was able to say farewell to Burgin when they stopped in Jewett, but he was unable to say the same to Snafu when they had reached to Louisiana. He had fallen asleep during the ride and Snafu didn't wake him up. He couldn't help but feel hurt. They would not talk to each other again until almost forty years later.

Sledge didn't let it bother him too much when the train pulled into Mobile. When he stepped out of the train and onto the ground of Mobile's train station, he was just grateful to be home. Especially when he saw his best friend, Sidney Phillips, standing next to his car waiting for him. Sledge grinned, throwing his bag to him.

"You gonna take this for me or what?"

"Good to see you, Eugene."