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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781463452841 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 08/19/2011 |
| Pages: | 156 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d) |
Read an Excerpt
The Shepherd
By Mario Martinez
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2011 Mario MartinezAll right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4634-5283-4
Chapter One
North Platte, Nebraska was aptly named due to its proximity to the Platte River. It was one of those cities that famously "sprang up over night." In the 1860's, the owners of the Union Pacific Railroad decided to make North Platte the location for a major division point across south central Nebraska and a tent city soon sprang up. The town's early residents were mostly construction crews hired to lay train tracks. They were paid a good wage and where there were men with money to spend there were gamblers eager to take that money. There were also saloons and a healthy stock of women of ill-repute. They were not just ladies of the evening they were ladies of any time of day or night. The town was wild and lawless and had its share of murders, hangings and unsolved crimes. This went on around the clock. Fortunately, this era was short-lived as the town moved on to the next end-of-the tracks location. By that time, permanent residents were beginning to take hold along with permanent buildings and new businesses. The saloon and store owners erected solid structures, no longer selling their goods in large tents. A hotel was built and the professional ladies, as they were called, rented rooms by the hour. North Platte started to look like a city. Soon after the Union Pacific completed its roundhouse and supportive structures, managerial-type jobs were now available. A school was opened for the children of those career oriented men who moved their families to be nearby. It was 1868.That fall, law and order finally arrived. A strong-willed sheriff was put in place to keep the peace. A county jail was built and it was soon followed by a courthouse, a bank, four churches, stores, shops, a land office and three newspapers. Being a town with a railhead, an end point for those needing to ship their products, North Platte was also the destination for most Texas cattle drives. The local stockyards were always full of longhorns and it was generally unsafe to walk the streets lest you be trampled by the large number of cattle tramping through the streets on their way to the stockyard holding pens. There they would be loaded onto trains for transport to destinations north, east and west. Travelers on their way to North Platte looking for work knew they were nearing the city miles before arriving. The scent from the cow pens was unmistakable and any light breeze carried the odor for miles. For some, it was the smell of prosperity.
Being located in the rich Platte River Valley, North Platte finally incorporated as a village in 1873. It was declared a second class city in 1875 and by 1910 it was classified as a first class city. The population was slightly less than 5,000 residents. By 1920, the population more than doubled.
Greenery was another subject. Until the cattle drive path commonly known as the Texas Trail moved west, it was useless for residents to plant trees or grass. The constant traffic of cattle through the town's streets made it impossible for grass seeds to take hold. After the move, people were finally able to plant trees and to fence in their yards. North Platte finally began to take on a permanent if not more attractive, less odorous and welcoming look.
Most up-and-coming cities were not without their own colorful residents. North Platte was no exception. Its most storied resident was none other than rodeo showman W.F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The local success of his rodeo shows prompted him to take his Wild West Show on the road. Despite the popularity of Cody and his extravagant shows, North Platte's greatest contribution came during World War II. The North Platte Canteen, with its headquarters in the old unused depot of the Union Pacific Railroad, was where hundreds of clubs and organizations served tons of sandwiches, cakes, candies, coffee and magazines to more than six million members of the armed forces. The canteen was open day and night for 51 months and served as many as 23 trainloads of servicemen in any given twenty-four hour period. Each train carried as many as 8,000 men and women. North Platte was a vibrant community.
Allan Thomas White was born in North Platte in 1920 and as a teenager he took a job as a messenger for the railroad. He was handsome, rugged and very athletic. Just under six feet tall, he had the body of a long distance runner. Seldom exceeding one hundred and forty pounds, he was lean and lanky. He had the ability to run long distances without tiring. During his morning runs he would often encounter some of the young men from the local Cherokee Nation. They would run together for miles without saying a single word then they would branch off to their respective neighborhoods on opposite sides of the shallow Platte River.
There were plenty of job opportunities in the local businesses but if a person wanted to advance quickly and travel cheaply, he signed on with the Union Pacific Railroad. Allan's grandfather, Charles, had started with the company as a "call boy", one who relayed messages from the main office dispatcher to the crew leaders to let them know when to release trains onto the tracks. This was the method used before the advent of the telephone. Allan's father, Ephram, also took a job with the railroad, first as a laborer. From there, hard work allowed him to quickly advance through the ranks. He was promoted to Foreman and finally settled comfortably into the position of Superintendent in the Omaha Field Office of the Union Pacific. He would travel home to North Platte every weekend.
Allan was unclear what he wanted out of life. As a young boy, he would wade in the shallow waters of the Platte River with his friends or ride the horses his father's high paying job allowed him to own. It was a life of privilege. Despite being born into money, he was not one to flaunt his family's wealth. His best friend was a Native American boy from the Cherokee Nation. His name was Harrison Wild Horse. His life was one of poverty and sharecropping. Two boys could not have been more different but they were like brothers. Allan's mother had died during childbirth and he was raised by his Aunt Bertie, which was short for Bertha. She was his father's sister. Being an only child, he was a little envious of Harrison who came from a family that included five sisters and three brothers. The Wild Horse family raised a small flock of sheep, two cows, one work horse and they grew a few acres of corn. It was sustenance living at best but they ate well. Despite their lack of material wealth, they welcomed Allan at all times and it was not unusual for him to spend most of his free time at the Wild Horse's homestead. It was the closest thing to family Allan ever experienced.
Allan, Harrison and Harrison's younger brothers Samuel and Isaiah would often sleep under the stars near the river banks. They built basic lean-tos which provided sufficient protection from the early morning dew and late evening winds. A small fire was all they needed to cook up the fish they caught and the small game they trapped. They all learned at an early age how to live off the land. Plus, they never caught more than they needed and they ate all that they caught. The boys had a symbiotic relationship with nature. They respected the land and they sensed that the land seemed to appreciate that fact by giving them what they needed to survive.
In his job as a messenger for the Union Pacific Railroad, Allan would see travelers every day and dreamed about their exotic destinations. "Chicago, San Francisco, New York—what exciting cities to visit" he thought. Then in 1939 he began to notice the increasing number of men and women in uniform passing through North Platte. This went on for several more years. The increased activity at The Canteen was not lost on him. He was now 22 years old. He wondered aloud to his friend Harrison where he thought they may be going. Harrison said, "My father tells me the war in Europe in getting more intense. More men are needed and we may be called upon to serve. He also tells me many Indian boys are being called to enlist. He said something about the U.S. Army using our native languages as some kind of secret radio code. They call our people wind talkers. I didn't really understand what he was talking about but it makes me curious. Father says that our language can be a type of secret weapon, largely because it is mostly unwritten and hard to learn or understand. And another thing: he says our family is too big and that I should consider the Army or Marines as a career. I think it was a subtle way of telling me to get out on my own. I may do it." Allan thought about it long and hard. "Tell you what Harrison. I have trouble shooting squirrels. I don't know if I could shoot a man. I think that if it came down to me facing down an enemy and both of us pointing guns at each other ... well, I'd lose. I know I would hesitate just long enough to let the enemy shoot before I had the chance to pull the trigger." Allan continued: "I learned to speak German in school. My mother's father was of German descent and before she died, she made my father promise that I would learn to speak German to keep it alive in our family, so I did. Maybe if I enlist they can use my skill as a translator or maybe some kind of office worker. It would sure beat having to carry a gun and shoot someone." Packing up a few necessities, the young men walked to the barn on Allan's family ranch to saddle a couple of horses. They rode over to the nearby Platte River for another overnight camping and fishing trip. The idle times were soon to end.
Chapter Two
During their overnight camping trip both young men decided to do their duty and serve their country. The nearest recruiting and induction centers were located in Omaha, two hundred and seventy five miles away. Harrison bid farewell to his family. Allan would rendezvous with his father in Omaha where he worked for the Union Pacific Railroad.Upon entering the induction center, Harrison was informed that the Marines were looking for Navajo Indians while the Army was interested in Cherokee and Choctaw speakers for the "Wind Talker" programs. "Looks like its the Army for me!" he informed Allan. Allan on the other hand had already decided upon enlisting in the Army but only as a conscientious objector. That was the only way he would serve. He cited his only reason by quoting one of The Ten Commandments, "Thou shalt not kill". He emphatically stated to the recruiter that he will serve his country but he refuses to kill another human being. The Army accepted his application for enlistment.
Allan was instructed to report to Grand Island Air Field, Nebraska for his training, one hundred and twenty miles from North Platte while Harrison was assigned to McCook Air Field in southern Nebraska. With the war escalating rapidly and tens of thousands of men dying, it was possible they would never see each other again. They nervously bid each other farewell.
Harrison spent twelve weeks at the language school. However, it was he who taught his instructors how to understand his native Cherokee tongue and its inflections and subtle nuances and meanings. Harrison was then taught about radio usage in the filed, communication skills and radio silence-when to use it, when to break it. Having learned how to hunt at an early age, he breezed through his weapons training. He attained the rank of expert. It was only later that he learned the true value of the Wind Talker Program. It was of such vital importance to the military that, if captured, it was up to his platoon leader to ensure that he, Harrison, not be taken alive.
Allan also spent his twelve weeks at the language training center learning to refine his ability to speak German and how to interpret its subtleties. His assignment was to include the interrogation of German prisoners in the field. It was not what he expected but he was assured he would not be put into the position of needing to carry a gun. He was relieved. Nevertheless, he was required to go through the Weapons Program for shooting military issued arms. He was proficient with a rifle and attained the level of sharpshooter.
Harrison Wild Horse was assigned to Iwo Jima where his "Wind Talker" training would continue. Allan, on the other hand, was re-assigned to the language school for an additional twelve weeks of training, this time to learn basic Italian. Allan thought it was a classic case of overkill but he was just the recruit. Plus he had no say in where he was sent and what he was to learn. He was content to follow orders.
The soldiers were encouraged to write letters home, even if in the field with no possible way of getting the letters mailed. It was a habit their superiors encouraged, not just for communication but to maintain some semblance of sanity. Most soldiers were eager to write letters while there was still some assurance that the letters would be mailed.
Allan wrote:
Dear Dad, I have been here at the language school for almost six months. I think by the time I get a real assignment, the war will be over. Don't misunderstand me I have not changed my mind. I still don't want to fight, more specifically, I don't want to kill. I just want a change of scenery. I've lived in Nebraska all my life and now that I've enlisted, I'm still just over 100 miles from home. It's kind of ironic. Harrison is half a world away and I may never see him again. The reality of adulthood is really kicking in. Well, they just announced "lights out" so I'd better close. I'll write soon. Bye Dad. Your son, Allan.
The writing of letters had a calming effect on most of the soldiers. It gave the men a sense of home, a sense of belonging to something solid. Many of the soldiers were from broken homes. Others had lost fathers in The Great War, now known as WWI. Naïve thinking led our politicians to believe that the first war was "the war to end all wars". Unfortunately, that was not to be the case as a mere two decades later, we were entering World War II. Now, they thought it wiser to number them. Wiser thinking would have been to eliminate war, not people.
Allan's orders finally arrived and to his surprise, he would be assigned to the media corps, a group of civilian and military reporters. There was currently no need for his services as an interpreter and it was time for him to accept a field assignment. With the Nazis and the Gestapo prevalent in most areas of Europe, it was safer for Allan to be embedded with the newspaper reporters. He was sent to Sicily following the Allied invasion of 1943. It was somewhat removed from the actual fighting zones but it was close enough to hear cannon fire. He found it unsettling.
Chapter Three
Italy had declared war on Great Britain and France in 1940 but was clearly a puppet regime of Adolph Hitler and the Nazis. The American/Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 proved immediately successful and they were able to force German and Italian military forces back onto the mainland. Sicily could now serve as a strategic staging area for the Allied forces. Allan and the newspaper corps were assured they would be safe from harm on Sicily. The plan was for the Allied forces to push on to the north and as ground was gained, Allan and his cohorts would bring up the rear. Allan took the time to write his father.Dear Dad:
How are you? I hope you are well. I am doing fine and eating well. We are in Messina, Sicily and our troops made quick order of clearing out the German and Italian armies. I can only hope all the battles go this easily. The plan is for us to follow closely behind as northward progress is made. I think the goal is Paris but that's far away so I won't even think about that. I wonder when they plan to use my language training. I guess I'll find out. I am told every day that I am on stand-by but so far that's all they tell me. I have lots of free time so I am able to just think and relax. Recently I've thought a lot about Harrison Wild Horse. All I know is that he is somewhere in the South Pacific. I was wondering if in your spare time you could visit the Wild Horse homestead and ask his dad if he has heard from Harrison. I have made plenty of new friends here but I practically grew up with Harrison and nothing can compare to that. I have been issued the standard M-1 rifle and a Colt revolver but I doubt I will ever have to fire either one. Everywhere I go I have to carry a fifty pound pack with all sorts of supplies. I have food, water, clean socks and underwear, a few hand grenades, a shovel and other items. I don't know why they issued me things I'll never need. Well, it's time for chow so I guess I'll close for now. I miss you, Dad. Your son, Allan.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Shepherd by Mario Martinez Copyright © 2011 by Mario Martinez. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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