Once there was a war

“THE LIEUTENANT WALKED SLOWLY

up the hill toward the German positions.

He carried his white flag over his head,

and his white flag was a bath towel.

Last night when he had argued for the

privilege of going up and trying to kid

the Jerry into surrender he hadn’t known it

would be like this. He hadn’t known

how lonely and exposed he would be.

The lieutenant knew that if he were hit and

not killed he would hear the shot after

he was hit, but if he were hit in the

head he wouldn’t hear or feel

anything. He hoped, if it happened, it

would happen that way…”

One of the Unforgettable Stories John

Steinbeck Tells in Once There Was a War