“As of tomorrow. I’ll tell the company in the morning, but I wanted to alert you leaders first. It’s important that you help keep things running while your new CO gets settled in.”

“Has Captain Hakes come from another camp?” I asked.

“Nope. The CCC’s as new to him as it was to you when you came on. But he’s assured me he’s eager to make this the best camp possible, and I’m counting on you leaders to assist him.”

“I’ll do my best,” I promised. “But I think the 597th is already pretty good.”

Major Garrett smiled. “That it is,” he said, “because it’s made up of a good group of young men. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching all of you pull together into a unit.”

A knock sounded on the door, and Sergeant Ruffino stuck his head in. “Bill Compton is here, sir,” he said.

“Tell him I’ll be a few minutes more,” the major said. “Moss and I are just finishing up.”

When we were alone again, he said, “The camp’s been fortunate to get off to a smooth start. But sooner or later problems are bound to come your way. When they do, remember you don’t have to handle them by yourself.

“If it’s work related, you’ve got the LEMs to turn to. An education adviser will be coming on board soon, and one of his jobs will be advising the enrollees about training opportunities. And fellows with personal problems can always turn to one of the chaplains who rotate in to give Sunday services.”

“And the new CO,” I added. “Captain Hakes. I guess he’d help.”

After the slightest pause, Major Garrett said, “Yes, of course.”

Chapter 23

Captain Hakes didn’t waste any time letting us know camp was going to be a different place from then on. The first evening after he took over, he turned the five o’clock flag-lowering ceremony into an inspection where he picked apart everybody’s appearance.

And the next day he conducted a barracks inspection a lot different from the ones the major had held. The new CO ordered pictures taken off the walls and made guys with phonographs stow them away. “Personal items can come out during free periods,” he said, “but they’re to be in your lockers at all other times.”

Cal began, “But running the cords—”

“Don’t answer back,” the captain told him. “And don’t speak without permission.”

He continued down the barracks aisle, pausing to rip the covers off Nate’s bed because the corners weren’t square.

“What’s your name, enrollee?” he demanded, even though LUNDGREN was plain to see on the name tag on Nate’s shirt. The captain didn’t wait for an answer. “The next time I do an inspection, your bed had better be tight enough to bounce a quarter on.”