The Reunion

The temperature was into the seventies and the humidity was close to unbearable even though the sun just started over the horizon. It was unusually peaceful this morning and the only things moving were the birds starting to feed along the beach. The palms rustled in the slight breeze coming off the ocean, offering no relief from what promised to be another sweltering day in the jungles of the Philippines. Just beyond the tree line, in the first of a series of palm groves, the rows of green tents began.

The encampment nearest the beach belonged to company A, first battalion, 162nd Regimental Combat Team, 41st Infantry Division, United States Army. They landed on a beach the previous March, not far from where most of them now slept. First Lieutenant Raymond Summers, freshly relieved from his duties as officer of the day, made his way back through the small green city of tents. He headed towards the beach and the last group of tents in a double row. His home away from home. He walked to the last tent overlooking the beach. The flaps were all open and inside you could see two cots. One cot contained a sleeping soldier, the other was empty. Summers quietly entered the tent, walking over to the empty cot. Next to the cot was a makeshift field desk containing pens, pencils, paper, and other items used by both the tent’s occupants. He took off his WEB belt removing his Colt 1911 from the holster. He put it in the waistband of his pants near the small of his back. He threw the WEB belt on the cot. He stripped off his uniform shirt and threw it on the cot next to the belt. He opened a footlocker and pulled out a clean tee shirt. He fumbled through some items on the top of the desk until he found a pencil and a large pad containing drawings. He left the tent as quietly as he entered.