AT WAR WITH HATE

A Story by Eagle Cruagh (John Crowley)

This incident took place during
a stretch along the equator.

The story follows:





AT WAR WITH HATE



Lieut. Florin was a loathsome, egotistical, smirking,

Greek god type. A typical ladies man, bronzed,

tall, flat belly`d and more than adept at hitting a silly punching bag.



On a crowded troop-ship, near the equator and in the

middle of the South Pacific, we sailors stood in each

other`s shade in a futile attempt to stay out of the

scorching, blistering sun --------- and we listened to

the unending rattle of the punching bag.



The boat deck, not sure why it was called that, but it

was, was officer country, all enlisted men were banned from officer country. "They were special".

Day after breathless, stink`n day we would stand in

the sun and hate those bastards.



Unaware that the Marine Corps officers aboard ship

were planning a boxing tournament, the bag bounced

and rattled it`s annoying chatter.

God, I hated that bastard---- then the break came.

Charlie the steward remarked, "Why don`t you go down to the Marine`s newspaper office and challenge

that s.o.b. to fight you in the tournament.



No sooner had the idea germinated than I was in the

Marine`s office volunteering to fight the

officer who kept pounding that idiot bag.



The very next day the paper appeared with the by-line , Lieut. Florin has graciously condescended to

fight a young hospital apprentice (me) in the coming

boxing tournament. "Graciously condescended !"

What a lot of gall.



The officer and I were both over six feet tall, but where

he was lean, muscular and tanned, I was skinny and

pale.



Coming out of the chow line Chief Smith grinned at

me and commented, " You`re going to fight in the

tournament I see". Yeah, guess so, Chief.

"Have you ever fought on a ship before ?" No.

"Well, there are just a couple of things to remember.

Keep your back to the sun and when the ship rolls from side to side, you always stay on the upper side"

that way when he tries to hit you he has to swing up

at you and the sun will always be in his eyes."



Under my breath, I`m thinking , he`s gonna die.



After day after day of insufferable punching bag racket

and seeing this Greek god strutting about the boat deck the day of the big fight arrived.



Before we were called to the ring, Lieut Florin came

down to peasant country and invited me to come up

to the boat deck and have a cold one. I felt it coming.

The old psych game. So I went up and sat in the cool

shade in officer`s country and enjoyed a cold beer

while the officer confessed that he had been Captain

of his boxing team at Yale. After 29 fights he had been cited for superior sportsmanship and excellence

in athletic ability.



I hated him even more. He was obviously trying to

con me into a loser state of mind.



We were called to the center of the ring, given instructions. Retired to neutral corners and at the

bell we came out with blood in our eyes. All the days

of suffering that annoying rattle of the punching bag,

the strutting god-like, superior officer--- it all came

out of my boxing gloves in rattling, hate filled punches.

Just like Chief Smith had said--- I rolled up with the

ship and kept the sun at my back and dared him to

fight . In a short time it was over, The Marine Capt.,referee

raised my arm as the victor and I felt nine feet tall.



THE SPOILS OF VICTORY



The following day I spotted Lieut. Florin at a distance

both eyes were swollen and black, his face was red

with angry red marks . Somehow I did not feel that

victorious.



The next day Lieut . Florin was to be assigned a fighter plane on the main island, then join his unit on

Guadal Canal.

As we stood on deck of the ship in the early morning

a lone plane came in to view. He immediately started

dipping his wings in the traditional salute of "goodbye to my friends" as he passed over our heads.

Just then this plane struck the mast of a tanker anchored just behind us. As the plane struck the mast it burst into fragments---- not a piece of the plane or the pilot were ever seen again.



The voice on the loud speaker announced, "that was

Lieut. Florin who just left this ship."



----- Eagle Cruagh