The Storm

officers’ quarters. Leavenworth would've sounded better than this!” Henry laughed and countered with, “You wouldn'ove missed this for the world, Gunny.” At whi ch Gunny replied, “But for a dollar I would've!” “Let’s take a break. I’m tired of talkin',” Henry said. And with that we retired to another living area with war pictures and such on the walls. Gunny discussed his arrival at this place and the arrangement of the compound and how he had built upon it during the years. "Great stuff for the publication," I thought. "Front page stuff and a series. Senior star reporter and recognition, and a new car with leather seats, with compliments from a grateful editor." I could see the fanfare in the office, and the jealousy as well, and the proud look on Delores’s face. “You day - dreamin', Son?” Gunny’s stern voice awoke me from my visions of grandeur, and we headed to a large, round table in this new living area. Gunny spoke up, “Okay. That night we all loaded up our gear and went aboard that black C-130 and buckled up to the air frame of that beast. Everyone was pretty quiet, as I recall, thinkin' about our briefin' and what we were expected to do. Here we were, flyin' across some ocean, guessin' it was the Atlantic, all sittin' in our little, uncomfortable, fold-down seats, like pigeons on an electric line. Our Captain was lookin' really serious under the dim overhead light, eyein' papers he'd dragged out of a manila envelope. I was thinkin', 'What did we get ourselves into?' For the first few hours of the flight, we were just quiet, and some of 'um found some duffel bags to get some shut eye. Eventually, we started some loud chit-chatt'n, 'till our

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