he 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.

War is grim. War is serious. War is full of hurt and hate and pain
and heartache and loneliness and wounds, and mud and death and dearth;
but the American soldier spends more time laughing than he does crying;
more time singing than he does moaning; more time playing than he does
moping; more times shouting than he does whimpering; more time hoping
than he does despairing; and because of this effervescent spirit of
sunshine and laughter his morale is the best morale that any army in
the history of the world has ever shown.

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