TELLING TRUTH TO THE DEAF

 

Major Richard Blaine attempts to reach the conscience of hardened generals to spare lives.

TELLING TRUTH TO THE DEAF

“Isn't it strange how people areselective about the truth they want to see or hear?”

– Helen Keller

 

The best and most beautifulthings in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with theheart.

Sadly, the faces in thisauditorium reflected callous hearts. How was I going to reach them?

Simple. I was not. But I nevergave up.

I probably would have made itacross the English Channel, too, even if that patrol boat hadn’t found me. Iwasn’t brave. Just stubborn.

It was how I survived St. Marok’sOrphanage before Sentient could finally speak to me.

Character cannot be developed inease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul bestrengthened, the heart inspired, and inner peace achieved.

Merde. One day I might even getEisenhower to listen to reason. No. Miracles had stopped in the 12thCentury.

But then, again, maybe it wastime for one now?

I glanced at the stony, grim faceof Eisenhower.

Then, again, maybe the 21stCentury would have a better shot at the coming again of miracles.

General Patton grunted, “Allright, soldier. You seem to have spotted flaws in our invasion plans. Spillthem!”

“Flaws?” I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.

I gestured a thumb at Eisenhowerand flinched at the pain of doing so. “Generalissimo over there ….”

“General Eisenhower,soldier! Show some respect.”

Sentient boomed from above us:

“RESECT IS EARNED. ALL THATTRIBAL CHIEFTAN HAS EARNED FROM ME IS CONTEMPT.”

Patton’s left blouse pocketswelled, and I knew what it held. “Don’t read those pages, sir. I can prove mypoints without them.”

“Soldier, you have onlyguaranteed that I will read them.”

He ripped them out and began toread, glanced at Eisenhower, and then to me. “This was after you’d been beaten byRommel’s men, jumped out his 3rd story window, hit the ground,managed to stagger to the coast, and began swimming the English Channel?”

“Yes, sir. But I had the goodfortune to land on a guard below the window and then, later being picked up bya patrol boat.”

“Halfway across thechannel, soldier.”

He fixed me with hard eyes. “Doyou think you would have made it all the way?”

I shrugged. “Sir, when you haveno choice but to do something, you sometimes surprise yourself.”

He glared at Eisenhower. “Irecognize your handwriting.”

“F-Forged,” forced out thegeneral from stiff lips.

Patton growled, “Like that knifewound on the back of your right hand?”

“But that doesn’t matter, sir.”

He gaped at me in astonishment.“That this man tried to have you killed in your hospital bed while he watched?”

“No, sir. It’s what was in thefile I stole from Rommel’s desk. Pointe-du-Hoc is a needless death trap.”

While Eisenhower franticallyshook his head “No,” I continued, “The big gun emplacements atop Pointedu Hoc are empty!”

I sighed, “The 2nd RangerBattalion, commanded by Lt. Col. James Earl Rudder, will make a terrible ascentof a sheer 100-foot precipice while being picked off by grenades and sniperfire. Sentient says they will lose fully half their number … HALF! ... only to find thoseguns have been replaced with telephone poles!”

“Lies!” Eisenhower managed toforce out of his frozen lips.

I shook my head. ‘Sentient ismany things. But a liar she is not.”

‘Such flattery. It would go to myhead … if I had one.’

“Worse,” I said. “A second independentintelligence report that cost the lives of six French Resistance Fightersconfirms the same thing.”

I rubbed my face with throbbingfingers.

“If Generalissimo had juststudied the aerial reconnaissance photos with a magnifying glass, he would haveseen the drag marks leading to an orchard some miles away.”

“Lies!” gutturally forced outEisenhower.

“Not to worry,” I said. “I willdeal with them and make a trench up that cliff to protect those Rangers. I knowGeneralissimo will send up them up anyway out of his hate for me.”

“How?” asked Bradley.

“If I tell you, Generalissimoover there would just throw up roadblocks. Besides, it gets worse.”

“Worse?” gasped Lucy.

{ Alliedforces used two gliders in the invasion: the Waco CG-4A and the Airspeed Horsa.These were not the modern sail planes of today, but cargo and troop carriers.The CG-4 carried a pilot and co-pilot, 13 soldiers and their equipment, or ajeep and two or three soldiers.}

I glared at the assembled luminaries.“Who was the moron who approved the Gliders?”

All eyes turned to Eisenhower.“Figures. Well, did it occur to anyone here that the hedgerows here in England….”

I made jumping motions with theflat of my throbbing right hand.

“ … that your British elite jumpyour horses over in pursuit of terrified foxes might just be a little SMALLERthan the ones in Normandy’s countryside over which you intend to land yourequipment and soldier filled Gliders?”

“Did you?!” I roared, enraged at this lapse of simple common sense.

I clenched my fists and squirmedin agony as Montgomery sneered, “Laying it on a bit thick, are you not, lad?”

He suddenly began to scream,holding up his hands.

I smiled crooked. “Thank you.Sentient decided to halve my pain by giving the other half to you.”

While Patton did his own sneeringat Montgomery, I added, “You had those brave Resistance Fighters over there.You could have safely sent a few to do a rough estimate of their hedgerows’heights from a distance.”

I mocked a terrible French accent… which having been born in New Orleans was no easy thing to accomplish.

“Mon Dieu! Zey iz az tall az unman! Zee gliders zey will crash un kill everyone in zem!”

Lucy giggled, then stopped as shemust have realized she was laughing at the needless death of hundreds of bravemen who trusted their commanders to be intelligent.

I sighed, “Then, there is thefiasco of the paratroopers and worse  …Omaha Beach.