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.Lowell gavehim a wink.Greer gave Lowell a mocking, but friendly salute, and lowered hiseyes to the instrument panel as the engine began to run.He told himself the worst part was over.They'd all gotten through Christmaswithout anybody bringing up what was to happen to Lowell as of 1 Jan 1959.Ithad been decided among the women that they would spend Christmas eve andChristmas morning with their families (which meant that Lowell was with theParkers) and then get together for Christmas dinner.At first, Barbara Bellmoninsisted on having it at the Bellmon quarters, but she lost out to Dr.Parker,who pointed out that her quarters in the hospital (hers, as Contract surgeon,with the assimilated rate of colonel, not Captain Parker's), were much largerand better able to hold everybody.There had been an enormous turkey, a standing rib of beef, a ham, and lots ofbooze.All Greer had been able to drink, however, was a glass of champagnewhen they got there and a glass of wine with dinner.He would be flying theBig BadBird today.Everybody else had gotten pretty well sauced up, and evenGeneral Jiggs had appeared uninvited, with his wife."Can any old cavalryman come in here?" he had asked, when he walked in."Ordoes being able to read and write disqualify me?"Nobody mentioned what was about to happen to Lowell, but Jiggs came prettyclose when he handed Lowell a Christmas wrapped package."What the hell is this?" Lowell asked, embarrassed.It had been decided amongthem that there would be no exchange of gifts."One could reasonably presume it's your Christmas present,"General Jiggs said."Open it up."Page 276 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlInside the silver foil imprinted with scenes of a White Christmas in OldEngland was a battalion guidon, a small flag bearing a unit's number.Guidonshad come into use on battlefields before the telephone and radio as a unitidentifier the troops could "guide on." The only place they were still usedfor that purpose in the modern army was flying from a tank radio antenna toidentify the tank of the unit commander.The guidon General Jiggs gave Major Lowell was frayed and stained.It was fora tank battalion, the 73rd, and someone had lettered on it, crudely, with agrease pencil: T/F LOWELL."I thought you should have that," General Jiggs said.Major Craig W.Lowell looked very much as if he was going to cry."Paul," Mrs.Jiggs said, quickly, "tell them what WonderBoy said to the colonel from X Corps.That's a marvelous story.""Yeah," General Jiggs said."Yeah.Well, I got the story from his operationssergeant.Let me set the stage.Lowell and forty M46s had just gone up theKorean peninsula to link up with X Corps, which had landed eleven days beforeat Inchon.With his well-known modesty and reticence, he'd modified the guidon he hadflying from his tank.That one.I mean, what the hell, if you're going to bein the history books, make sure they spell your name right, right?"Well, he went a little further and a little faster than theOPSORDER called for.I'd just found them myself, in an oldL-4.He was a hundred miles further than he was supposed to be and aboutthirty-six hours ahead of the time he was supposed to be a hundred miles back,if you follow me.X Corps is nosing around just south of Suwon, when all of asudden, balls to the leather, around the bend come a half dozen tracks, withmultiple.50s and 20 mm Bofors, chased by the first of theM46s."The tracks were shooting at anything that moved or looked like it could move,and that included the people from X Corps.So they waved some flags, and Task Force Lowell stopped shooting at them.Lowell drives through the tracks, and rolls up to the people from X Corps.Atthe time he was a major with about two hours' time in grade."Well, the colonel from X Corps consults his OPSORDER and announces, You'renot expected here, Major, and you're not expected for another thirty-sixhours.' So you know what the Duke says? What would you have me do, Colonel? Goback?"'They had all heard the story before, but they all laughed, and it took some ofthe tension away.Then Mrs.Jiggs handedLowell a Christmas-wrapped tube.Lowell unwrapped it, glanced at it, and thenstarted to roll it up again."Pass it around, Duke," Mrs.Jiggs said."Some people haven't seen it."Page 277 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm
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