We were quickly out of the rucks and tearing open C-rats. Everyone ate without saying much. Pink ate not at all. He took a swig from his canteen, swished it around in his mouth, and swallowed. While the marines carried three canteens each, the shooter carried only one. Also, while the marines carried the maximum amount of personal firepower, Pink only had a single-shot bolt-action carbine. The end was tapped for a silencer and there was a scope mount on the rifle. He carried his ammunition in a single pouch on his cartridge belt. He wore a bush hat and no flak jacket. While the marines ate, he pulled a small copy of the New Testament from his pack and read a passage from the Book of John. Then he spread a fresh application of greasepaint on his face. While Pink wore no dog tags, he carried eight morphine syrettes around his neck. I didn’t really blame him. I had been captured once and it had been one time too many. Eight syrettes would certainly do the job.

As soon as it got dark, we slipped through the bush and infiltrated the valley with little trouble. A cold rain began to fall, and after we established a rendezvous point, Ondine went over the plan with everyone again. After Pink got his shot off, he would beat feet to the second shooter’s position. That was me. I would be stationed south of the hospital where I had a clean shot at the General’s quarters. Together Pink and I would double-time to the rendezvous point. The rest of the fire team would be planted back in the bushes waiting to lay down cover fire. If necessary they could run an IM drill, where each member of the team would jump out into the speed trail and fire his weapon at full automatic. As soon as a man shot off a magazine, he would run to the back of the formation. like a quarterback that had just passed off the ball to a running back. The next man would step onto the trail and shoot, followed by the next and so on. Within thirty seconds a squad could put out the concentrated firing power of a fully armed infantry company. It invariably confused and frightened the enemy and gave the team our one chance to run. After running the drill, ammunition would be essentially gone. The element of surprise would be gone, and if the rain were to stop, the dogs would be all over us.