Chapter 33

GENERAL MARVIN believed in what he called “keeping in touch.” He liked to know what was going on, both in the world and in the Army.

Accordingly he had his aide Lieutenant Byrd read to him for about an hour each morning. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, when the courier pouches arrived from Algiers, he had the Lieutenant read him Various things from the pouch.

That Monday morning, the Lieutenant read him Ernie Pyle’s colon. and Pup Tent Poets from he Stars & Stripes, an article on Teller mines and S-mines in the Infantry Journal, a condensation of birth control in the Reader’s Digest, three situation reports from A.F.H.Q., a handful of fan letters arising from an article about the General in some magazine, and a letter of commendation of the General from Secretary Stimson, referring to a battle in Tunisia. This last had arrived several days before, and without being told, Lieutenant Byrd had had the sense to read it to the General every morning.

By the time these things were finished, the General was in an excellent mood. But as always seemed to be the case, when Lieutenant Byrd started in on the memoranda from Various officers, the old man gradually got angry.

Memoranda always seemed to be written about things that had gone wrong. This morning there was one about how some signal corps telephone wire had been lost on an LST, so that one unit was Very badly off for communications; there was another about the need for gasoline dumps to be established closer behind a certain division so that trucks would not have to run so far for fuel; a third about the way close air support was occasionally attacking friendly troops... and so they went.

After some of the memoranda, the General would bellow directions to Colonel Middleton, sitting in the next room. After others he would roar: “The hell with ‘em. They’re no worse off than all the others. The answer is no.

Lieutenant Byrd picked up one of the memoranda and read: “To General Marvin for information etcetera etcetera, routing address, and so forth. Subject: mule carts, town of Adana.”

The General rumbled: “Goddam mule carts.” Lieutenant Byrd read: “On July 19, orders were received from General Marvin, 49th Division, to keep all -mule carts out of the town of Adana. Guards were posted at the bridge over Rosso River and at Cacopardo Sulphur Refinery. Order carried out...”

The General said: “Goddam right, stop the goddam carts. Lousy Italians trying to hold up the whole goddam invasion. They better carry out the goddam order.”

Lieutenant Byrd droned on, hardly noticing what he read: “On July 20, guards were removed on order of Major -’

Lieutenant Byrd suddenly realized what he was reading. He put the memorandum down and picked up the next.

But the General roared: “Finish it, goddamit, finish it.”

The Lieutenant read: “-were removed on order of Major Victor Joppolo, Civil Affairs Officer, town of Adano, because carts were essential to town and town was =‘

Now the General had forgotten about finishing the memorandum. “Joppolo,” he shouted, and his face was the color of distant mountains. “Joppolo.”

General Marvin’s memory worked in a peculiar fashion. “Middleton!” he shouted. “Come in here, Middleton.”

The Colonel came in.

“Middleton, remember the name of Joppolo, a lousy sonofabitching little wop named Joppolo?”

Colonel Middleton said, with a tired face: “Yes, sir. The carts.”

General Marvin bellowed: “I just remembered something. That goddam wop was out of uniform that day. You remember? He had on pinks and a goddam khaki shirt. You remember that, Middleton?”

Colonel Middleton said: “No sir, I had forgotten that.”

The General shouted: “Well, I remember it. I’ve had enough of that goddam little upstart. You know what_ he’s done now, Middleton?”

Colonel Middleton said with a tired voice: “No sir.” “Goddam him, he had the nerve to let the carts back in that town, what the hell was the name of that -” Lieutenant Byrd said: “Adano, sir.”

“Adano. Goddam upstart.”

Colonel Middleton said: “Perhaps there was some reason why he had to -”

“Goddam you, Middleton, you’re getting too goddam independent minded. “

Colonel Middleton said: “Yes sir.”

Lieutenant Byrd said: “It goes on to say here, sir: `carts were essential to town and town was in bad shape without same.”‘

The General stood up: “Goddamit,” he said. “I’ve had enough of that little wop. Middleton.”

“Yes sir,” the tired voice said.

“Make out an order recalling that Italian wop from that town, goddamit, what’s the name -”

Lieutenant Byrd said: “Adano, sir.”

“Order him to report back to Algiers for reassignment. Make out a separate report to Algiers explaining why. I’ll fix that little bastard. Get it off today, too, goddamit, none of your goddam delays, Middleton.”

“Yes sir,” the tired voice said.