Звездный десант

           Witheightcompaniesthatgaveusnotquiteadropeachweek,andthenitgaveusalittlemorethanadropeachweekasattritioncontinued,whereuponthedropsgottougher—overmountains,intothearcticice,intotheAustraliandesert,and,beforewegraduated,ontothefaceoftheMoon,whereyourcapsuleisplacedonlyahundredfeetupandexplodesasitejects—andyouhavetolooksharpandlandwithonlyyoursuit(noair,noparachute)andabadlandingcanspillyourairandkillyou.

           Someoftheattritionwasfromcasualties,deathsorinjuries,andsomeofitwasjustfromrefusingtoenterthecapsule—whichsomedid,andthatwasthat;theyweren’tevenchewedout;theywerejustmotionedasideandthatnighttheywerepaidoff.Evenamanwhohadmadeseveraldropsmightgetthepanicandrefuse...andtheinstructorswerejustgentlewithhim,treatedhimthewayyoudoafriendwhoisillandwon’tgetwell.

           Ineverquiterefusedtoenterthecapsule—butIcertainlylearnedabouttheshakes.Ialwaysgotthem,Iwasscaredsillyeverytime.Istillam.

           Butyou’renotacaptrooperunlessyoudrop.

           Theytellastory,probablynottrue,aboutacaptrooperwhowassight-seeinginParis.HevisitedLesInvalides,lookeddownatNapoleon’scoffinandsaidtoaFrenchguardthere:"Who’she?"

           TheFrenchmanwasproperlyscandalized."Monsieurdoesnotknow?ThisisthetombofNapoleon!NapoleonBonaparte—thegreatestsoldierwhoeverlived!"

           Thecaptrooperthoughtaboutit