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Two hours later, as Rio lies in bed beside a dozing Strand, staring up at a bug on the flaking ceiling and wondering whether she has just done so very stupid, a siren wails
Air raid?
But no, not an air raid, becausepunctuated by explosions—she hears a loudspeaker She goes to theand looks out onto the street There’s a jeep driven by an MP co into a microphone with the loudspeaker mounted on the windshield
“All US ned posts immediately”
The time for romance, sex, and possibly love is over
The war is starting again
She retrieves her kouhtstand
And isrelieved
PART II
OPERATION HUSKY
THE INVASION OF SICILY
This is our war, and ill carry it with us as we go fro some of us behind on every beach, in every field We are just beginning with the ones who lie back of us here in Tunisia I don’t know if it was their good fortune or their uess it doesn’t one Medals and speeches and victories are nothing anymore They died and the others lived and no one knohy it is so When we leave here for the next shore, there is nothing we can do for the ones underneath the wooden crosses here, except perhaps pause and murmur, “Thanks, pal”
—Ernie Pyle, war correspondent
JOURNALS AND LETTERS SENT
JENOU’S JOURNAL