Freeman felt every eye move to him. For one strange second, his body resisted the order. Some deep old instinct warned him that walking into the center of white anger was never safe, even when a general had summoned him there.
Then training took over.
He crossed the mud and stopped before Patton.
“Second Lieutenant Ellis Freeman, sir.”
Patton looked him over.
“You saluted this officer?”
“Yes, sir.”
“He failed to return it?”
“Yes, sir.”
Patton turned back to the first lieutenant.
The man’s face had gone nearly colorless.
“Salute him,” Patton said.
The words cracked across the road.
The first lieutenant stared.
Patton stepped closer.
“Now.”
The man raised his hand. Stiff. Trembling. Humiliation burning across his face. Freeman stood with his boots sunk in frozen mud and received the salute that had been owed to his rank and refused to his skin.
Then Patton slowly turned toward Freeman.
And raised his own hand to his helmet.
Please like and share this post to help us finish the story.
Freeman felt every eye move to him. For one strange second, his body resisted the order. Some deep old instinct warned him that walking into the center of white anger was never safe, even when a general had summoned him there.
Then training took over.
He crossed the mud and stopped before Patton.
“Second Lieutenant Ellis Freeman, sir.”
Patton looked him over.
“You saluted this officer?”
“Yes, sir.”
“He failed to return it?”
“Yes, sir.”
Patton turned back to the first lieutenant.
The man’s face had gone nearly colorless.
“Salute him,” Patton said.
The words cracked across the road.
The first lieutenant stared.
Patton stepped closer.
“Now.”
The man raised his hand. Stiff. Trembling. Humiliation burning across his face. Freeman stood with his boots sunk in frozen mud and received the salute that had been owed to his rank and refused to his skin.
Then Patton slowly turned toward Freeman.
And raised his own hand to his helmet.
Please like and share this post to help us finish the story.
Freeman felt every eye move to him. For one strange second, his body resisted the order. Some deep old instinct warned him that walking into the center of white anger was never safe, even when a general had summoned him there.
Then training took over.
He crossed the mud and stopped before Patton.
“Second Lieutenant Ellis Freeman, sir.”
Patton looked him over.
“You saluted this officer?”
“Yes, sir.”
“He failed to return it?”
“Yes, sir.”
Patton turned back to the first lieutenant.
The man’s face had gone nearly colorless.
“Salute him,” Patton said.
The words cracked across the road.
The first lieutenant stared.
Patton stepped closer.
“Now.”
The man raised his hand. Stiff. Trembling. Humiliation burning across his face. Freeman stood with his boots sunk in frozen mud and received the salute that had been owed to his rank and refused to his skin.
Then Patton slowly turned toward Freeman.
And raised his own hand to his helmet.
Please like and share this post to help us finish the story.