After The Last Full Measure (AU)

[jemhouston]

You mean ‘surviving the peace’, right?

Dunno. I have had some seriously sus peach pie...

Must’ve come from a fast food joint…

The Peach Pit?

[Wolfman]

Dunno. I have had some seriously sus peach pie...

Must’ve come from a fast food joint…

The Peach Pit?

Who knows?

[Poohbah]

You mean ‘surviving the peace’, right?

Dunno. I have had some seriously sus peach pie...

Must’ve come from a fast food joint…

The faster the drive thru, the faster it goes from inlet to exhaust

[Wolfman]

Dunno. I have had some seriously sus peach pie...

Must’ve come from a fast food joint…

The faster the drive thru, the faster it goes from inlet to exhaust

Or comes back the way it came (it happened to me once)…

[Poohbah]

Must’ve come from a fast food joint…

The faster the drive thru, the faster it goes from inlet to exhaust

Or comes back the way it came (it happened to me once)…

That was a compressor stall

[Johnnie Lyle]

You mean ‘surviving the peace’, right?

Dunno. I have had some seriously sus peach pie...

Must’ve come from a fast food joint…

Gas station. Between the nachos and the sushi.

[Poohbah]

23 March 1991
Kathy Barzanian's Townhouse
West Valley, UT

After a simple, relaxed dinner, they sat down on Kathy's couch. She took his hand in both of hers.

"Josh, it's been three dates now." She smiled. "Would you like to see my etchings?"

Josh smiled. "I'd like that very much, truth be told."

Kathy shifted slightly to begin getting up, and Josh said, "But."

Kathy settled back in.

"But?"

"I gave my word that I would abstain from certain things while a student and a faculty member at BYU. I do not drink coffee or tea. I refrain from using profane or obscene language."

"And you promised to abstain from sex?"

"Outside of marriage, yes."

Kathy smiled. "Who'd know?"

"I would."

Kathy let out a long sigh. "And that would be enough, wouldn't it?"

Josh nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Kathy sighed. "And it's one of those things I love about you--and I do love you. That said . . . I don't have a lot of time to wait around for marriage and children to happen. So I have to ask . . . where are we going?"

"Hopefully, to the altar. Because I love you, too."

Kathy blinked. "You want to marry me?"

"Yes. But I want to be sure. I want this to work, Kathy. Because if it doesn't . . . then we've both wasted time."

"Josh, it's more acute for me than you, you're younger than I am."

"Neither of us has time to waste, Kathy. I may die tomorrow. So I say we live while we can, and we see if we can be together as husband and wife."

Kathy asked, "Do you see any barriers?"

"Aside from getting my own head spacing right, no. That's on me. And I will do that."

"Well, I have some things to tell you."

* * *

After she finished, Josh was silent.

"Sireli, please tell me what you're thinking."

"Sireli?"

"It means 'beloved' or 'darling' in Armenian."

"Ah." Josh took a deep breath and said, "Kathy, darling, sireli . . . I probably couldn't have survived that at all. Either I would've eaten a bullet, or I would've broken completely."

"Can . . . can you live with me having lived through that?"

"If you can . . . whither thou goest, darling. And if you need me to carry you, I will."

* * *

25 March 1991
I-15, Southern Utah

The mixtape seemed like a time capsule of before.

It seems so long ago.

Night Ranger asked Sister Christian what was her price for flight, Don Henley sang about the boys of summer, Annie Lennox and the Eurythmics sang about sweet dreams, and Styx was rocking the Paradise.

The Subaru Amadeus sport wagon--what the cousins across the pond called a "shooting brake"--was new and extremely comfortable, but it just didn't feel the same as his trusty old Celica liftback. It was smooth, sure-footed, steady, without the quirks of understeering or the rear end breaking loose when he put his boot in it.

It was yet another reminder of Roberta; they'd ordered it while he was at Bragg, against the day they would have children. He'd taken delivery just two weeks earlier.

He'd kept the order because he wanted to believe in a future.

And now, maybe the future is here. So why am I so afraid?

He switched to the CD changer and was rewarded with Survivor's "Across the Miles."

When I'm all alone on a distant path
And my ticket home has been torn in half
Oh, I can hear your voice, girl I can feel your touch
Across the miles tonight

On the road again, will it always be
That the dream gets changed on its way to reality
Oh, but the thought of you, strange how it pulls me through
Across the miles tonight

And I am sending you this message through the wires tonight
Just close your eyes and hold on tight
And here I am, concentrating girl with all my might
Now the sound of your laughter trails off through the midnight sky

As the miles go by, cities come and go
When you close your eyes and listen to the radio
Girl, can you hear my song, the signal is clear and strong
Across the miles tonight

And I am sending you this message through the wires tonight
Just close your eyes and hold on tight
And here I am, concentrating girl with all my might
Now the sound of your laughter trails off
Across the miles

Mantell sighed. Give me a steer, Roberta, darling.

* * *

25 March 1991
Fullerton, CA

Karen Mantell answered the phone on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is Judith Levy. Is this Karen Mantell?"

"Speaking."

"I'm a friend of Josh's."

Karen felt her pulse pick up. "Is he okay?"

"We're not entirely sure."

"Who's 'we,' exactly?"

"Me--I was a friend of Roberta's from kindergarten--and Sophie Henrix.."

"What's going on?"

"He's headed down to San Diego. Look, he's probably fine, but he's apparently getting serious about another woman . . . but I do need to talk to him to be sure. Sophie Henrix is worried about him, and I know he can be a tad depressive if he lets himself dwell on the negative. Any idea where he's likely to go?"

* * *

27 March 1991
Cowles Mountain
San Diego, CA

The hike up in darkness had been familiar, even though he hadn't done it in years.

Mantell sat on the ground just below the crest of Cowles Mountain, the highest point in the city of San Diego. To the northwest, he could see NAS Miramar's runway lights, and watched a flight of four F-14s take off for BARCAP over the Imperial Valley, afterburners lit against the darkness to the west.

A familiar voice said, "Your sister said you'd be hard to find."

He turned and smiled at Judith Levy. "Usually, when I come here, I want to be alone."

"Usually?"

Mantell sighed. "I'm trying to . . . well, I'm trying to talk to Roberta."

He winced at how that sounded.

"She's not here, Josh."

"Define 'here,' my friend. She's not at Miramar Cemetery, that's for sure. Her body is . . . but what made Roberta who she is . . . well, she's somewhere." He chuckled lightly. "You're probably as close as I'd come to being able to talk to her. You guys were . . . you were like sisters."

Judith sat down on the ground next to Josh. "Fair enough, my friend." She sighed. "Sophie called me, I called your sister, she suggested I should here bright and early." She paused, then said, "Josh, we're all a little worried about you."

"Same here."

"What's troubling you?"

Josh was silent for a long moment, then said, "Judith . . . can you keep this under your hat?"

She smiled and said, "Absolutely." She pulled a kippah from her backpack. "I intend to become a chaplain, so I'm going to use you as my first case of learned rabbinic counseling."

She put the kippah on her head and her demeanor changed, growing both more serious and yet tender at the same time. "So, out with it."

"I'm feeling . . . some guilt."

"Would Roberta want you to be miserable? Or would she want you to find happiness?"

"The latter."

"So what's the guilt about?"

"Um . . . well . . . I was attracted to Kathy back in high school."

"Kathy?"

"The woman I'm dating . . . the woman I've fallen in love with. Kathy Barzanian."

Judith's jaw dropped. "Wait, you're dating Ol' Sugar Tits?"

"Seriously?"

"That was our nickname for her, especially those of us who are on the Itty Bitty Titty Committee. Look, let's get something straight, you and every other guy who wasn't an absolutely flaming homosexual was attracted to her, along with any girl who was a lesbian or even just slightly bisexual. Now, I understand you've got a right proper case of the Catholic guilts about looking on another woman with lust in your heart . . . "

Judith's voice trailed off as she stared at Josh. "Oh."

Josh sighed. "It wasn't just lust."

Judith's mouth worked, but no sound came out for a while.

Finally, she said, "Oh, Josh, honey, you do have a type, as frustrating as it was for any of us girls who weren't extremely smart and curvy brunettes . . . "

Josh blinked. "Wait, what?"

"Josh . . . did you really have no idea how many girls had crushes on you? Including, incidentally, me?"

"I'm not a ladies' man--"

"Exactly. You're Joshua Mantell. That's what made you so attractive to those of us who weren't interested in the bad boys. You're sincere, honest, loyal, intelligent, a gentleman . . . and ruggedly handsome, of course. Look, you were attracted to Kathy, but your heart belonged to Roberta and you didn't try to act on that attraction. And if you'd tried, I'm sure Sugar-Tits would've shot you down."

Josh said nothing.

Judith's expression grew concerned as she asked, "She would have shot you down, right?"

"She's none too sure about that. Because she was attracted as well."

Judith laughed, then shook her head. "Thank God you had some good sense, then. But that's all in the past, along with Roberta. Quit staring into the rearview mirror, Josh. Keep your attention on where you're going. Go and tell Kathy that you love her, and that you want forever."

Josh nodded. "Easy enough in theory. But am I moving too fast?"

"Josh, grief is not something that you do on a set schedule. Let me tell you something else about Josh Mantell. In your personal life, in your relationships with friends or the woman you love, you're never early, and you're never late. Joshua Mantell is always exactly on time."

Josh considered this for a long moment.

"Judith . . . thank you. I think you helped me get my head out of my fourth point of contact."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. "That's what friends are for, Josh."

[jemhouston]

Very heartwarming

[Poohbah]

A brief update:

27 March 1991
Fresno, CA

Kathy Barzanian sat in the familiar backyard, sipping iced tea and reading a book.

"Gadarene?"

Kathy set the book down and turned to her father. "Yes, Papa?"

"I hear you're dating someone."

Kathy nodded. "He's a good man, Father, and he's already decided that he wants to marry me."

Omer Barzanian sat down and sighed. "Great, you're marrying a Mormon--"

Kathy shook her head. "Raised Catholic, left for various reasons, including his pastor disapproving of his decision to enlist in the Marines, now he's in a non-denominational church. He commissioned into the Air Force right after the big armistice, jumped into Cuba, and he's an instructor with the BYU Air Force ROTC."

Her father blinked, then said, "Wait, is he the guy that jumped into the Holiday Bowl with the football?"

Kathy nodded.

"I watched the pregame show. He's been widowed not even a year!"

"Papa . . . if Mama passed away, would she want you to mope and be miserable one second longer than you actually had to?"

After a long moment, her father shook his head. "No, she wouldn't." He sighed again, then said, "Your generation has had to learn to say good-bye to your friends and spouses far more quickly than mine ever did. I just had to say good-bye to your grandfather and great-uncle when they went to fight the Germans."

He was quiet for a long moment; Kathy sensed he had something on his mind, and held her peace.

"Gadarene . . . do you love him? I mean, do you really love him?"

"I do, Father. I knew him when I was a teaching assistant--he was in a couple of my classes. Thank God he didn't have any game with women, because even then, he was kind of cute, and he had this . . . maturity . . . about him, the way he carried himself and spoke. I found him . . . rather charming, really. Thankfully, he was insanely shy and had already chosen Roberta, and thus barely noticed me--you know I'm not the best at resisting certain temptations. He's a Navy brat, and his father had done his best to make a proper man of him. A mutual friend set us up for his unit's dining-in, and . . . it was magic."

Omer said, "And you took him to bed."

It wasn't a question.

She chuckled. "Well, I tried to take him to bed last week, and he let me down gently. He's on the faculty of BYU . . . and he's a student, so he's signed onto the code of conduct twice. He doesn't curse, he attends church regularly, he doesn't drink coffee or tea . . . and he abstains from sex outside of marriage."

Her father rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Gadarene, who'd know?"

"I asked him that same question."

"What was his answer?"

"He said he'd know, and that would be enough."

Omer sat back and was silent for a long moment.

Finally, he said, "A man who keeps his word even when no one else is looking, and he loves my little girl. I suppose you could do a lot worse."

[jemhouston]

Yes, she could.

[Poohbah]

01 April 1991
Grace Assembly
Provo, UT

Pastor Dave Fluegel shook Josh's hand and said, "Always good to see you, Josh."

"Likewise, Pastor. I'd like to introduce Katherine Barzanian. Kathy, this is Pastor Dave Fluegel, who has the unenviable duty of keeping me on the straight and narrow."

Fluegel laughed and said, "I wouldn't say it's unenviable, just boring. Josh is a pretty straight and narrow guy."

Kathy smiled. "So I've learned."

After they took their seats, Fluegel said, "You asked for this meeting, you have the floor, sir."

"All right. As we say in the military, bottom line up front: I intend to marry Katherine."

Fluegel nodded. "I see. Kathy, if you could step outside for a moment, please?"

Kathy did so, a puzzled expression on her face.

Once the door had closed, Fluegel leaned back in his chair. "Josh, please accept this in the spirit of Christian charity it's offered in, but have you lost your fucking mind?"

Josh made a tsk-tsk gesture. "Language!"

Fluegel said nothing.

Josh said, "Dave, we do have a bit of history, going back to when I was in high school and she was a TA and showing the flag for San Diego State's Air Force ROTC program. There was a mutual attraction."

"Well, I can see the attraction she has. Stevie Wonder could see it, for crying out loud!"

"It was beyond the merely physical. I appreciated her--and still do, to this day--as an extremely intelligent woman. She speaks several languages, she's widely read in history, she truly appreciates the arts, and helped me better appreciate them. Now, we didn't act on that attraction--Roberta was in my life, however loosely, and Kathy was smart enough to not foul her own nest."

"What did she see in you?"

Kathy picked that moment to walk back in. "I saw a very mature young man who treated people with respect, and who was actually quite charming without even trying."

She pulled an earpiece out of her ear.

Josh looked at the purse lying on the floor next to Kathy's chair, then up at Kathy, a grin tugging at his lips. "You bugged your own purse?"

Kathy said, "Operator habits die hard."

Fluegel chuckled. "Got me good." He sighed. "I am worried that you guys are moving too quickly."

Josh said, "Roberta isn't coming back. I have to continue my journey here, and I've found a companion."

Kathy nodded. "Same here. We do love each other. Neither of us have time to waste. I just turned 30."

Fluegel shook his head. "Josh does have the luxury of time."

Josh laughed. "Dave, nothing but God's love for you, but that's the dumbest thing I've heard you say. None of us has time to waste. That's something the war, and losing Roberta, has taught me. I know not the day nor the hour. I earn my modest living in part by jumping out of perfectly good airplanes. I have been known to walk across 900 East during the morning rush. Tomorrow isn't promised."

"Point taken." Fluegel drummed his fingers on his desk, then said, "We have marriage prep classes. I expect you to both attend."

Kathy nodded, then said, "Absolutely."

Josh said, "I have a jumpmaster course at Fort Bragg in July, so I will need makeup sessions--but I will be there."

"Fair enough."

* * *

10 April 1991
Sophie and Marianne's Home
Provo, UT

Dinner that night was a simple, hearty chicken stew.

"Marianne, my love, that was perfect."

"Thank you."

They went to the living room and collapsed onto the couch. Marianne asked, "How was your day?"

"Debugged a network driver that was giving everyone fits. The problem was that one network card manufacturer changed their chipset, and a few of the commands are a little different. I figured out how to get the network stack to ask, 'What kind of card are you,' get an answer, then use the right commands for that card. How about you?"

"Well, the usual ER stuff--car accidents, one gunshot wound, a kid busted his leg on a BMX track."

Marianne's voice tapered off.

"And?"

"What makes you think there's more?"

"You have that look that says 'I don't know how to say this.' Don't worry, just say it."

Marianne took a deep breath, then said, "I attended a lunch-and-learn about foster parenting. There's a couple thousand kids that need homes."

"A couple thousand? As in a comma and three zeroes?"

Marianne nodded.

"Damn."

"Right now, they're living in the expansion barracks at Fort Douglas. Been that way ever since they closed the St. George and Cedar City Displaced Persons camps."

Sophie sighed. The DP camps had been wretched hives of scum and villainy that made Mos Eisley or Wellington look like a Latter Day Saints Family Home Evening.

"And the worst of it is that the youngest kids are 12 years old. They have a hard time getting foster parents."

Sophie was quiet for a moment, then said, "You think we should take in one?"

Marianne nodded.

"Then so do I."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. Marianne, my love . . . we can either be part of the solution, or we will be part of the problem. I want to be part of the solution."

[jemhouston]

Given what little I know about Mormons, I'm surprised any camp handling kids they were involved in weren't well run.

[Poohbah]

Given what little I know about Mormons, I'm surprised any camp handling kids they were involved in weren't well run.

It wasn't Mormons running things at St. George.

[jemhouston]

Given what little I know about Mormons, I'm surprised any camp handling kids they were involved in weren't well run.

It wasn't Mormons running things at St. George.

Figures, #critters need to eat.

[Wolfman]

Given what little I know about Mormons, I'm surprised any camp handling kids they were involved in weren't well run.

It wasn't Mormons running things at St. George.

Figures, #critters need to eat.

That they do…

[clancyphile]

Given what little I know about Mormons, I'm surprised any camp handling kids they were involved in weren't well run.

It wasn't Mormons running things at St. George.

Why do you think underage kids in the DP camps were willing to lie about their age to enlist?

[Wolfman]

Given what little I know about Mormons, I'm surprised any camp handling kids they were involved in weren't well run.

It wasn't Mormons running things at St. George.

Why do you think underage kids in the DP camps were willing to lie about their age to enlist?

Bad enough that dying in combat was preferable to dying in the camps?

[Poohbah]

22 April 1991
Brigham Young University

Professor Mark Baddley leaned against his desk and looked around the classroom.

Mantell recognized the signs of frustration.

Trying to explain family life--and the theology underlying it--to a bunch of young single men and women can be challenging.

"Mantell, you've been pretty quiet so far today. Let's hear your thoughts on what providential living means to you."

There was a round of chuckles as Mantell stood up.

"Well, everyone so far seems to think that providential living is not making any plans. And that couldn't be more wrong. Failing to plan is planning to fail."

Baddley thumped the desk. "Outstanding, Mister Mantell! Do go on."

"My father once told me to live as if I was going to die tomorrow--because, someday, every one of us will die--but plan as if you're going to live forever, because we do believe that we will live forever. Now, I've known I was mortal ever since June of 1985, when I fell out of a helicopter. Fortunately, my gunner's belt was hooked, and I didn't go splat. And, more recently . . . well, my wife passed a year ago. I didn't have being a widower at 24 on my bingo card, but there I was."

Everyone in the classroom was silent for a moment. Finally, Baddley said, "When you started this class, you weren't wearing a ring . . . but now you are."

"Providential living at its finest, sir." Mantell chuckled, then said, "A couple months ago, I was 'highly encouraged,' as only those of us who've served in the military can understand the term, to bring a date to the ROTC dining-in. A friend of mine set me up with a mutual acquaintance, and . . . well, the lightning struck. Again. We're now engaged. Yes, it was really fast . . . because we both accepted what was put before us. I accepted the sorrow a year ago . . . and that meant I was in a position to accept happiness when it appeared in front of me. Providential living isn't just riding out the tough times; it's accepting the good things that God puts before us with a grateful and ready heart. It may not be what you had in mind when you began the journey. Accept it anyway. He put it there for a reason. Don't let your vision of 'perfect' get in the way of the good that God offers you."

Baddley nodded. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, is what I have been trying to explain to you during the past week. Thank you, Mister Mantell."

* * *

As students filed out of the classroom, Baddley gestured to Mantell.

Mantell went to the professor's desk. "Yes, sir?"

"Thank you for the excellent answer. I didn't want to shut anyone down, and I was praying you'd pull a rabbit out of the theological hat."

"A fine example of providential living, sir."

The two men shared a laugh, and then Baddley's face turned serious. "How are you and your fiancée doing?"

Mantell said, "Well, we each have our own particular issues left over from the war, and we're talking about them."

Baddley sighed. "I was just too old for Vietnam--I did my three years in Fort Ord, changing oil on motor pool jeeps and staying out of trouble, got out in 1963. You're a combat veteran . . . if you don't mind, could you tell me what that's like?"

Mantell was quiet for a moment, then asked, "You ever notice that a lot of guys and gals my age don't like dense crowds, or that we move across the quadrangle kind of weird, in a start-stop fashion?"

Baddley nodded. "Yes, I've seen that."

"Not liking crowds is hammered into us because we're trying to stay spread out so that one grenade only kills one guy. The start-stop move is because we don't like crossing wide open areas, so we skulk from tree to tree to doorway, looking to have cover and concealment while we plan the next leg." He sighed. "I find myself studying fields of fire and cover . . . on what is probably the safest college campus in America."

Baddley nodded. "How do you deal with it?"

Mantell gave Baddley a lopsided grin. "Well, I thank God I'm still alive to have these issues to deal with, and then I pray for the folks who have it worse than I do--and I know there's a lot of those. And I keep asking God to work with me . . . and with Kathy."


* * *

13 May 1991
Children and Family Services
Utah Health & Human Services Agency
Salt Lake City, UT

The social worker had a name tag that read "FRAZIER." She looked at the two women and asked, "I'm Julie Frazier. I do have to ask, is your relationship of a permanent nature?"

Sophie opened her briefcase and handed over a file. "We're officially married in Nevada, and it's recognized as a registered domestic partnership here in Utah. Additionally, we have a living trust set up with durable power of attorney for medical and financial matters in the event that one of us is incapacitated, wills drawn up, et cetera, and so on, and so forth."

Frazier opened the folder and looked over the documents. "I see." She closed the folder and handed it back.

"All right, ladies, maybe tell me a little about yourselves."

Sophie and Marianne looked at each other, and Marianne motioned for Sophie to go first.

"All right. I'm Sophie Henrix. I'm 26 years old, I hold a Bachelor's in computer science with a minor in applied mathematics from MIT. I'm now a graduate student in computer science at the University of Utah, and I work 20 hours a week at Novell as a software engineer, but I will be going full-time soon. I'm also a drilling reservist in the Air Force."

"What rank?"

"Captain. I was a Warrant Officer during the war."

"And what is your job in the Air Force?"

"I'm a Special Reconnaissance Officer."

Frazier nodded. "And that means?"

"I'm in special operations; we perform various missions forward of the front line. Beyond that, I'm not really at liberty to discuss."

"I see." Frazier turned to Marianne.

"I'm Marianne Henrix, I'm 25 years old, I hold a Bachelor's in Nursing from UCLA, and I'm currently an emergency room nurse at Utah Valley Medical Center."

"May I ask what you did during the war?"

"I was an ER nurse at University of Nevada Las Vegas Medical Center, my position was considered critical."

Frazier blinked. "Were you in nursing college when the war started?"

"I graduated in June of 1985; my parents had me skip two grades, so I graduated high school just before I turned 16. I don't recommend that experience for anyone else."

Frazier nodded. "I see."

There was an extensive questionnaire regarding financial situation, mental health, any legal problems, community engagement, etc.

Frazier looked over the responses and said, "All right, the good news is that you seem to be excellent candidates for foster parenting, and we can get started with background checks and references immediately. The not-so-good news is that the youngest we have ready for fostering is already 13 years old, which is awfully old for a couple in their mid-20s."

Sophie said, "Hey, I'm not that far removed from being an awkward teenager. That might actually help."

Marianne laughed. "Same here! I'll just remember what my parents did and do the exact opposite. Sophie will just call her mom & dad in Salt Lake for expert advice."

Frazier started giggling. "Knock it off, you two! This is supposed to be serious!"

Marianne said, "It is seriously funny, you have to admit."

Frazier nodded. "Well, if you're up for the challenge . . . we really do need anyone who is mentally, morally, and financially qualified."

* * *

16 May 1991
Magistrate's Wing
Women's EPW Detention Facility
Fort Douglas, UT

The PFC manning the desk looked impossibly young. Her nametag said "MARTINEZ." She came to attention and saluted, as she was under arms and carrying a Beretta.

"Good morning, sir."

"Good morning, soldier. Major Joshua Mantell, United States Air Force, I have an appointment with Magistrate Goldberg."

* * *

Magistrate Rachel Goldberg was in fortyish woman with curly black hair, speckled with some gray.

"Major Mantell, the man, the legend, the guy who captured Fidel."

"Just shows that it's better to be lucky than good any day, ma'am."

"Have a seat."

Mantell did so, and Goldberg did as well. She opened the file on her desk. "All right, this is in reference to one Captain Natalya Simonova, with the Kommandatura in Langtry, Texas." She looked at the file and said, "Apparently, her people were brought in to clean up the mess made by the previous Kommandatura, and they were the one honest bunch of Soviet cops I've ever heard of, if you believe the locals."

"I would, ma'am. They rather efficiently disposed of the previous Kommandatura."

"So noted. So, if you could describe what happened?"

"Well, it started with me and my RTO, Sergeant Diane Copeland, figuring out where the East German commander would be likely to do his commander's reconnaissance . . . "

* * *

"Well, the Raiders got made as they were on the final approach to the Rio Grande bridge, and the Mexicans fired the demolition charges practically in their faces. A couple minutes later, one of the East German soldiers found me and told me Hauptmann Grauer wanted to see me at once. I got over to the air assault company CP and Grauer told me that the ALA and PSD had gone absolutely berserk when they found out there wasn't any way back to Mexico. My lead platoon confirmed it. And then a runner came from the hospital--some of the women from the Kommandatura, everyone from nurses with the field hospital to a few police officers and clerks--were holed up in the hospital with a few local civilian women, and they were expecting the worst."

Goldberg looked up from her notes. "What did you do next?"

"I called an audible to Hotel Company, got our LAVs into the town, and put together a plan of action. We drove east towards the hospital. You have to understand, Langtry was not a big town, and the hospital was really an oversized clinic. It wasn't a strongpoint in any sense of the word. Now, give my people twenty minutes, and you'd need a couple of companies to dig us out, and we'd mostly be dead along with a lot of your people. But these were rear services personnel and civilians trying to shelter from the fighting, not my Marines."

"I see."

"So, I get Hotel and Echo companies moving in what was essentially a dragoon hasty assault--"

"Dragoon?"

"Dismounted infantry, the term dates back to the days of horse cavalry and light horse units. We typically fought dismounted in urban areas, sometimes using the LAVs for fire support--we did in this case. We moved forward toward the hospital, and found that the East Germans were assaulting in parallel with us."

"Why?"

"Some of those women were girlfriends, and the East Germans were . . . shamed . . . by the ALA and PSD. By this point, the turncoats degraded into bandits--I'm sure the Mexicans would've ended up shooting them if they'd made it to Mexico with their loot." Mantell paused, then said, "Ma'am, you and I share a bond, however tenuous, as Americans."

Goldberg nodded. "Of course."

"Now, Hauptmann Grauer? Believe it or not, I have a bond with him."

Goldberg's expression was incredulous.

"Now, he was a member of the Socialist Unity Party, and a loyal East German patriot. What kind of bond could I possibly have?"

Goldberg raised an eyebrow. "A damn good question."

Mantell tapped his rank insignia epaulette. "This. We are both military professionals; my father was a Navy Captain, his father retired from the NVA--the East German Nationalvolksarmee--as a Major General. The family name used to be von Grauer. He wanted to . . . redeem himself . . . and his men. He asked for volunteers to step forward, and not a single man held back. So they joined our charge, working one block south of us, covering our flank."

Mantell smiled, and Goldberg winced.

"Sorry if that unnerved you, but it was probably the best battle I fought during the war. My people were sharp, they knew their trade, and it was glorious. We reached the hospital in fifteen minutes, wasted everyone shooting at us and the building, and did a multiple entry assault into the building proper. The people we were rescuing were holed up in one of the operating rooms, and we just ran right into the bad guys and shot them dead, then told the folks in the operating room to come out with their hands up."

"Which they did."

Mantell nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"And . . . Captain Simonova . . . kissed you."

Mantell nodded. "Rather thoroughly." He sighed, then said, "She's not my type. But apparently, a guy willing to risk death to stop the bad guys is exactly her type."

Goldberg smiled. "Well, that's true of a lot of women."

* * *

15 June 1991
Provo, UT

Marianne finished tapping numbers on the calculator and said, "If you go full-time at Novell with that promotion they're hinting at, I can leave my job and be a stay-at-home mom."

Sophie said, "As far as your job goes, the pay's terrible, but at least the hours are lousy."

The two women shared a laugh.

* * *

23 June 1991
Fort Bragg, NC

The Airborne School was still at Bragg--word was that sometime in FY92, they'd move the World's Fair jump towers, and the Airborne School with them, back to Fort Benning.

So the Jumpmaster Course was there, too. He'd gotten in through Pope Field that afternoon, and class started first thing on the 24th.

Mantell looked around the VOQ room and decided to do something useful. He sat down at the desk and began writing a letter.

Sireli,

Well, I made it safely to Bragg, and I start the Jumpmaster course tomorrow. Working with the Delta Company jumpmaster has taught me a lot, but this is going to be a very intense four weeks (assuming I actually pass instead of having to repeat the course--the first time pass rate is only 30%, and by God, that's how it's got to be when people are jumping out of airplanes), so I thought I'd write you this letter.

My love, I wish I could explain how I feel without resorting to cliches. Before you were in my life, I was just existing. I did my work, I went to social events, and I went back to Helaman Hall and went to bed, but it was mostly mechanical. You made things real again. I found myself looking forward to seeing you, I miss you terribly now, and I look forward to our coming together as husband and wife.

Give my love to Mrs. Henrix, and to Sophie and Marianne. Say hi to Pastor Dave for me.

Semper Tojours, My Love,

Josh

He put the letter in an envelope, addressed it, stuck a stamp on it, and went to bed.

[Matt Wiser]

Postwar life goes and goes...

[jemhouston]

Battle of Langtry will go down as WTF battle.

It actually makes sense