31701-0239-0004

4Xp
jogged down the home stretch - sliding,
slipping, miserable, [word crossed out] till they
let down their Xmas cheer on [word crossed out] a
mounting pile. You spoke to them -
they were too miserable to stop to
listen. I raced to our front line
camp with them to dry off, drink
hot coffee, & get under blankets with
the telephone. The sky was clear
again before that inspiring caval-
cade ceased to file in. Beyond
the general run of fevers & colds
no regretable illness befell them
in their role as Santa Claus.
In no way does it class with the
work they'd been doing. Quite
unemotional (usually) officers have
wandered into Sentimentalism
over those achievements. One
unit days surrounded, cheered them
emotionally, though I for one was too
frightened at the time to appreciate
it - you see we had yet to return
past those uncertain miles of jungle