Marines Read Online Free PDF Page B

expanded the ground fortifications, digging trenches and building bunkers everywhere.  We provided the strong backs for the engineer platoon that arrived a week later with a freighter full of ground-to-air defense systems.  These were emplaced not only around the developed area, but also near what looked like an entrance to a large mine, where we built a veritable fortress.
    By the time the relieving force arrived, every one of us was exhausted, and we were in line and ready the morning the shuttles from the Guadalcanal landed.  While waiting for the order to board, I watched the new garrison troops unloading and forming up.  They were marines, not assault troops, but marines nonetheless.  And there were a lot of them.  From where I was I couldn’t see all of them, but they landed in at least a dozen ships and there were a good 300 already formed up in the center of the landing area.  I guessed there must have been seven or eight hundred in all.
    Extensive prepared defenses and a reinforced battalion as a garrison?  It seemed like a lot of effort to defend a small, relatively insignificant mining colony.  Of course, that was up to the high command and they didn’t ask my opinion.  If I'd known then what I know now, I would have understood, but at the time I had no idea.  One thing was certain – if the CAC wanted to take this planet again they were going to need one hell of a bigger force than they sent the first time.
    A few minutes later we boarded the three transport shuttles and headed back to the Guadalcanal in a considerably more comfortable and leisurely fashion than we'd departed six weeks before.  The ships were designed to evac a full platoon plus wounded, medical personnel, and equipment, so there was plenty of room for the 28 of us.
    After docking we had to hang around the landing bay until we got checked out by the doc.  There were two other newbies in the company.  We'd actually landed with five, but one was killed and the other evac’ed with a partially severed spine.  The three of us were last, so I had about three hours to kill.  We’d been in the field for six weeks, so the captain gave us a break and cut back on the discipline.  We were pretty much had the time to ourselves.  I played a game of chess with Vergren, the platoon's sniper, but he was really good, and I lost pretty quickly.
    A lot of the guys had been pretty standoffish since I joined the unit, but now people who had barely said two words to me in the past four months were coming up and asking me how I was and congratulating me on the mission.  A few of the privates from the first squad invited me to play poker while we waited.  I won about 15 creds. 
    After my examination I headed down to my billet.  It was about midnight, ship time, but there was a message waiting.  I was to report to the landing bay in full dress uniform immediately.
    My mind raced.  What had I done?  I figured I must be in trouble.  My heart was racing as I threw on my dress blues and hurried down to the bay. 
    I was in the corridor outside the bay when the lights went out.  I felt at least two pairs of hands grab me from behind and someone threw a sack over my head.  They dragged me into the bay and threw me down to the deck.  Someone pulled the sack off my head and then the lights snapped on. 
    The entire platoon was standing in a circle.  Sergeant Harris was standing over me holding a small container.  No one said a word.  He leaned over and poured a few drops of the contents on my forehead.  At first I didn't know what it was, but then I realized it was blood.  I figured it was animal blood of some kind.  I was wrong, but I didn’t find that out until much later.  Everyone in the bay started cheering.
    The sergeant reached out his hand and helped me to my feet.  The blood ran down my face as I got up.  I nearly retched when a few drops trickled down to my lips, but I held back the impulse.  I was beginning to understand.