The negroes stripped at order, but they
didn't like the idea of going into that cold ocean water. One captain
solved the difficulty. He took his own clothes off. He got in front
of his men. He lined them up in formation. Then he said: "Now, boys,
we're going to play that ocean is full of Germans. You stevedores are
always complaining about not getting up front, and you tell me what
you'd do to the Germans if you once got up front. Now I'm going to see
how much nerve you've got. When I say 'Forward! March!' it is a
military order. I'm going to lead you into that water. We are going
in military formation.
"'Forward! March!'"
And that company of black soldiers marched into that cold ocean water,
dreading it with all their souls but soldiers to the core, without a
quaver, eyes to the front, heads up, chests out, unflinchingly, up to
their knees, up to their waists, up to their chins, when the captain
shouted "As you were!" and such a hilarious, shouting, laughing,
splashing, jumping, yelling, fun-filled hour as followed the world
never saw. The gleaming of white teeth, the flashing of ebony limbs
through green water and under sparkling sunlight that Sunday morning
was full of a fine type of fun and laughter that made the world a
better place to live in, and certainly a cleaner place.
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