Звездный десант

           Wedidgoforwardforguardduty,becausetheRodgerYoungwasamixedship,femalecaptainandpilotofficers,somefemaleNavyratings;forwardofbulkheadthirtywasladies’country--andtwoarmedM.I.dayandnightstoodguardattheonedoorcuttingit.(Atbattlestationsthatdoor,likeallothergastightdoors,wassecured;nobodymissedadrop.)

           Officerswereprivilegedtogoforwardofbulkheadthirtyondutyandallofficers,includingtheLieutenant,ateinamixedmessjustbeyondit.Buttheydidn’ttarrythere;theyateandgotout.Maybeothercorvettetransportswererundifferently,butthatwasthewaytheRodgerYoungwasrun—boththeLieutenantandCaptainDeladrierwantedatautshipandgotit.

           Neverthelessguarddutywasaprivilege.Itwasaresttostandbesidethatdoor,armsfolded,feetspread,dopingoffandthinkingaboutnothing...butalwayswarmlyawarethatanymomentyoumightseeafemininecreatureeventhoughyouwerenotprivilegedtospeaktoherotherthanonduty.OnceIwascalledallthewayintotheSkipper’sofficeandshespoketome—shelookedrightatmeandsaid,"TakethistotheChiefEngineer,please."

           Mydailyshipsidejob,asidefromcleaning,wasservicingelectronicequipmentundertheclosesupervisionof"Padre"Migliaccio,thesectionleaderofthefirstsection,exactlyasIusedtoworkunderCarl’seye.Dropsdidn’thappentoooftenandeverybodyworkedeveryday.