Location: Alabama, in so deep you can almost hear the banjos
Posts: 541
You get the high ones I'll get the low
This story was told by my father a retired Marine Lieutenant colonel about Guadalcanal when I was was taking history back in highschool, a whim had me call him up and ask about it again and I'm here to share it with you.
Guadalcanal was a hell of a fight, the Marines were shipped in and things got so bad the Navy had to bug out leaving us in the thick of it. Hard, dirty, brutal fighting and by the end of it every man was as tough as steel. Ninety percent of us had malaria or dysentary by the time the boats came back with a shipment of Army boys to garrison and have their go at what was left.
What came off the landing craft was about as far from these gnarly Marine vets laying under the palm trees, relaxing after having gone through hell, as possible. Utilities bleached from sweat and torn in a dozen places, ragged scruff and scarred bodies and boots to a man all staring at the clean shaven, freshly polished booted Army soldiers walking from the boats. Halfway through unloading their supplies a 30 minute air raid warning siren sounds and the Army guys hit the deck, diving into ditches, taking cover anywhere they can with the ragged Marines still laying back, chuckling.
When the 20 minute warning sounding the hit the ditches just as fast and the chuckling coming from the palms got louder.
Ten minutes sounded and a hard faced Army Sergeant major stood on a 55 gallon drum, dialed the sights on his M1 carbine all the way out started taking pot shots at the Japanese planes just visible on their approach yelling at his men between shots before pausing and looking down. A Marine private holding his rifle by the barrel was in a batting stance swinging away beside him and what was said is still remembered to this day.
SGM: "Son, what in the sam hell are you doing?"
Private: "You get the high ones Sir, I'll get the low."
