A Walk in the Sun

This book tells a story

that happened long ago, way back in 1943,

when the lead platoon of the Texas division

hit the beach at salerno, sunny Italy.

It tells of sergeant tyne,

never had much urge to travel.

Providence Rhode Island may not be much as cities go,

but it was all he wanted.

A one-town man.

Rivera, Italian American.

Likes opera and would like a wife and kids, plenty of kids.

Friedman, lathe operator and amateur boxing champion.

New York City.

Windy, minister's son.

Canton, Ohio.

Used to take long walks alone and just think.

Sergeant ward, a farmer.

Knows his soil.

Good farmer.

Mcwilliams, first aid man.

Slow, southern, dependable.

Archambeau, platoon scout and prophet.

Talks a lot, but he's all right.

Porter, sergeant Porter,

well, he has a lot on his mind.

A lot on his mind.

Tranella speaks two languages.

Italian and Brooklyn.

And a lot of other men.

Here's a song about them.

Listen.

J " it was just a little walk j"

j " in the warm Italian sun j"

j" but it wasn't an easy thing j”

j " and poets are writing j"

j" the tale of that fight j'

j " and songs for children to sing j"

j" let them sing of the men of a fighting platoon j“

j" let them sing of the job they've done j“

j" how they came across the sea j“

j" to sunny Italy b

j" and took a little walk in the sun b

j" they took a little walk in the sun b

Douse that light.

Douse that light!

Dear Frances,

I'm writing you this letter relaxing

on the deck of a luxury liner.

On shore, the natives have evidently just spotted us

and they're getting up a little reception,

fireworks, music and that sort of stuff.

The musicians in our own band

have also struck up a little tune.

The gentle waters of mare nostrum.

That's really good.

Mare nostrum.

Hey, tinker, hey, tinker.

Hey do you spell mari nostrum?

What's that?

Mediterranean.

That's what the eye-ties call it.

It means our sea.

I want to know how to spell it.

Why?

I'm writing to my sister.

- What do you mean, you're writing to your sister?

You're packed on a landing barge,

bouncing on your mare nostrum,

waiting to hit the beach like the rest of us slobs.

That's what you're doing.

I'm writing the letter in my head, see.

When I get a minute I put down what I remember in my head

and the letter's all written.

It's the best way.

What a system.

Does it work?

Sure.

- You just make up the letter in your head,

then write it down later?

That's pretty good.

Maybe |'|| try it.

- Works, huh? - Every time.

Suppose you've got a bad memory.

- Have you got a bad memory? - No, I've got a good one.

Then why are you worrying?

I'm not, I just wondered.

What was that word you wanted to spell?

Mare nostrum.

- I never learned it just in the city of Saint Paul.

Still up there.

You're going to get killed.

Pull one, too high.

Those shells ain't interested in us.

And vice versa.

When a shell's looking for a guy,

it don't whine, it snarls.

You kill me.

You guys kill me.

At messina they pitched a few strikes.

Here, no control.

What's so funny about messina?

- Lost a lot of good Joes there. - What do you want us to do?

Cry about it?

That's a lot of cocky chatter.

Better than having the jitters.

Would it make you feel better

if we told you we had the jitters?

Yeah.

It would.

Well, we got them.

Bet that new lieutenant's got them bad.

- Don't load your pack on the other guy's shoulders.

I'm not.

His first time out leading a platoon

he's never worked with before.

Boy, I wouldn't want his job for anything.

Nobody's giving it to you.

It's a fine time you picked to go to sleep, soldier.

Anything the matter, sir?

Mary and Joseph, all gone.

Hey, Pete.

What's the matter?

Shell splinter got the lieutenant.

Smashed his face all to...

- I can't see anything. - I can feel it, it's messy.

I think it took his whole face away.

Where's your flashlight?

You can't shine a light out here, Pete.

- I can shine a light if I have to shine a light.

Where is it?

Cover over.

Take a quick look.

Told you.

Left cheek and his eye, covered with blood.

Can't even tell whether the eye's there or not.

Douse that light!

- Go get the first aid man, what's his name?

- Mcwilliams. - Yeah.

- He might as well start earning his money.

Where is he?

Down at the stern.

I saw him down in the stern.

Where's mcwilliams?

Where's mcwilliams, the first aid man?

- Who's that? - Sergeant Porter.

Oh, here I am, sergeant.

You want me, sergeant?

Lieutenant's hurt up front.

Sergeant halverson said for you to go up.

What's the matter with him, sergeant?

Get up there and see.

You want me to bring him down here?

Just asking.

What is it, Mac?

What's up?

The lieutenant.

That last shell, uh?

Don't know.

Going up to see.

Well, what do you know?

I told him.

- What's the matter with the lieutenant, sarge?

Old rocking-chair get him?

He had his head over the side.

Looking through the binoculars.

What was he looking at?

Is he dead?

Not yet.

What do you know.

- It's a purple heart, sure as little apples.

- How'd you like to have a purple heart, Jake?

Depends on where I got the purple heart.

In the legs, okay.

In the guts, no.

- Purple heart means a nice quiet trip to Jersey city.

I would like a nice quiet trip to Jersey city.

I'd like a nice quiet trip anywhere.

Haven't had a nice quiet trip since this war started.

Jersey city would do fine.

- I should go back and see if I can do anything.

Why don't you?

- Lieutenant's going to die, he's going to die.

Nothing I can do about it.

Nothing in the world.

Blew a hole out the side of his head.

In the head, no.

I don't want a purple heart in the head.

- Joey sims got a purple heart in the head.

I'll bet he'll look better

when they're through with him than you do now.

I don't want a purple heart in the head.

- Is sergeant halverson in command now, sergeant?

He knows what to do.

He always knows what to do.

Shut up.

- What did the lieutenant do before he went in the army?

He was a businessman.

He worked in an office.

- Well, I worked in an office, but I was no businessman.

The whole army's made up of businessmen.