The Old Breed

Chapter 69

Motobu Peninsula, Okinawa

August 15th, 1945

Things seemed to pass by in a blur. A very drunken blur. Captain Brand, on hearing the news of Japan's surrender, quickly dispersed us, allowing us to enjoy the night of celebration, surely going to celebrate also. The mess hall had become quite popular, big crates of bottles of booze shipped in for who-knows-what at the time, now the perfect opportunity to use them in celebration. The line had been long to get a bottle, but Lanky and I were okay with waiting, still trying to get all of our emotions and thoughts in check.

I'd cried - no, that would be an understatement - bawled for a good five minutes straight, the emotions of everything racking my body and heart, the tears the only way to get it out of my system. But even that didn't work completely. I didn't think it would. It's impossible to describe the feelings you got after two straight years of war and heavy training for another one. The nerves and fear of getting ready for another massive battle, only for it to just... stop. Everything happened so fast, so damn fast, and my heart could barely handle it. Everything drained out of me through the tears: the anger, hate, fear, desperation, grief, love, happiness. When the tears finally stopped, my eyes unable to make any more, I was left with no emotion just a feeling of... emptiness. That was the word to describe it. I felt empty inside. As if everything was now in the small muddy spot where my tears had landed and there was nothing left inside.

In the line for drinks, Lanky and I had said little, no words able to amount to the turmoil inside our souls. That was fine with us. Some of the best moments were ones without talk. But I had began feeling something again. Love for the tall Marine beside me. Brotherly love. This Marine had truly become my brother, had shared some of the most intimate moments of my life with me, this war, something my real brother never would. Not even Jen would ever be able to imagine the things I had seen, the emotions I had felt, the deeds I had done. But Lanky would. He had seen the same things I had, felt the same things I felt, done the same deeds I had.

Jen. That name brought more thoughts. The image of her brought even more. Now that the war was over, I guess I didn't have to worry about dying. Sure, things could happen, but I knew they wouldn't. With the war over, I had accomplished what I wanted in the Marines. Now I was ready to go home. To finally see my Jen, and now my son Sammy. It had been much too long. Too long since I had seen the gold in her eyes, the watery blue of her eyes, her perfect smile and laugh. The way she seemed to look good no matter what she was wearing, no matter what she was doing. I was ready to come back to that Jen.

And I would have so many things to see. Was Sammy blonde, or did he have my brown hair? Did he look like his mom or me? Did he laugh a lot? Cry? When I had just began high school, my uncle and aunt had had a baby, and, since they lived just across town, I had often spent my free time playing with the little boy. Would it be kinda the same? Geez, I hadn't thought much about being a father. The war had occupied all my thoughts until now. But now that the war was over, I had time to think through all of these things. I was almost a little nervous now. I had proven myself as a Marine, now, what about a father?

On finally getting our drinks, Lanky and I trekked our way over to a wide hill in the middle of the base, the only hill not bulldozed to make barracks and the other buildings necessary to support the division. We weren't the only ones with this idea and we made our way through the other people, finally finding a more secluded place behind a large rock. We could see down onto the parade ground from here, could see the large bonfire in the middle, scattered groups of Marines lolling around it, more scattered throughout the parade field. Towards the far edge, someone popped off another flare, the shell arcing through the air before exploding in dazzling white. Someone cheered.