Three weeks after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Bobby Halverson sat with Reuben Springer at the little chrome dinette set in the kitchen of their apartment.  They had finished dinner and Bobby was smoking a Camel and drinking a beer.  Reuben sat across from him with his own beer, looking morosely down at the tabletop.

“Reuben, I’m going down tomorrow to enlist,” said Bobby, getting right to the point.  “I went over to the Marine Corps recruiting office in Akron yesterday, and they seem to think that I’m a suitable candidate for ‘grunthood,’ so I’m going in for a physical and then it’s off to Parris Island.  You’re welcome to stay here while I’m gone.  I’ve already talked to the landlady and she’s fine with that.”

“Bobby, I—”Reuben started to say.

“Don’t try to make me change my mind, Reuben,” cut in Bobby.  “I’ve made it up and ain’t nobody gonna change it.  What they did to Pearl Harbor was wrong, and I’m not going to sit here and take it.  I can tell you this:  the Japanese have underestimated the will and anger of the American people.  The guy at the recruiting station told me that hundreds of men have come in to—”

“Bobby, will you just shut up and listen for a moment!” Reuben growled.  He took a deep breath and then began to talk quickly and earnestly.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said a few weeks ago; thinking long and hard.  I still feel that killing other men is not a good thing, and I think if everybody really did what Jesus says in the Bible, there would be no killing in the world, and everybody would get along, or at least just leave each other alone.

“But I’ve come to see that in every group of human beings there will always be someone who tries to get it over on everyone else.  And there are all kinds of ways that we do it to each other, from talking behind people’s backs to crushing another country with an army.  I think people are just born that way.  As long as there are men like Hitler and Tojo, there will be wars because tyrants think they should be in control of everyone else and they’ll do whatever it takes to achieve that.

“I know that there are bad men in America too, but for the most part, this is a free nation with lots of room for everybody.  And you were right; it stays that way because some men and women are brave enough and care enough about the people who live next door that they willingly lay down their lives so their neighbors can stay free.  I said that I believe there are some things worth dying for, and when I said it I was talking about Jerusha.  But your questions made me see things in a different light.  It occurred to me that if the Germans or the Japanese got their hands on America, the first thing they would do is to take away our rights and make us all slaves.  Then there would probably be no Reuben and Jerusha.  So I had to make a decision, Bobby.

“It was a hard choice because it went against everything I’ve ever known.  I don’t know if Jerusha will ever understand, but I have to go and fight these guys who want to destroy our country and our freedom.  I beat you to the punch.  I’m already signed up.  I’ve been accepted for the Marine Corps, so it looks like we’ll both be headed for Parris Island.  I’m hoping that if I make it back alive, I can make Jerusha see why I did this.”

“Well, my friend, that’s the longest speech I ever heard out of you.” Bobby said as he smiled and leaned forward to take Reuben’s hand in a grip of friendship.

“I don’t know what’s ahead for us, Reuben, but I’ll do my best to make sure you make it back to that gal of yours …”

 

… It seems as though that was the day that your troubles really started, Reuben.  The war did something to you.  It wounded you inside, and later you made choices that hurt Jerusha and Jenna.  I wish I had kept my mouth shut and just let you stay in Apple Creek …