G.I. Combat Vol 1 108

"The Wounded Won't Wait!"

Cover

The Wounded Won't Wait!

Private War!

Editors

Robert Kanigher

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G.I. Combat # 107	G.I. Combat # 109

Lt. Jeb Stuart's a real Reb cavalryman... He'll get you to a hospital quick!

— Sgt. Frank Rock

G.I. Combat #108 is an issue of the series G.I. Combat (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1964.

Synopsis for "The Wounded Won't Wait!"

The ghost of General J.E.B. Stuart appears in the sky before the Haunted tank, commanded by the General's descendant, Lieutenant Jeb Start. He tells his namesake to keep his eyes open for "a rock that's going to turn steel into ashes". The ghost fades away, replaced by the flickering of lights from artillery fire at the front not far away. Jeb ponders the General's words, but then a Panzer tank appears from the side in the woods and attacks. Jeb orders Rick to set off the smoke pot, and Slim skids around to make it look like they've been hit by enemy fire and skidded off into the woods. They come around behind the enemy Panzer and fire, blowing off its turret and destroying the enemy. Now coming back out of the woods, Jeb believes the General's warning must have been about the tank, and that they were the rock that turned to enemy into ashes.

Later that night, under the cover of a tree, the Haunted Tank and its crew stop from some needed rest and rations. Jeb climbs back into the tank to look for some pepper for his meal, when they are attacked from above by an enemy plane. Jeb watches from the porthole while Slim is hit in the back and goes down. Coming back up, he can see that all three of his crew are down, wounded from the rain of bullets. Jeb hops behind the machine gun and fires into the night sky. Just as the enemy plane is overhead, Jeb lets loose with the machine gun and destroys the German plane. Jeb quickly begins to help his men back into the tank, as the fiery pieces of destroyed plane begin to rain down over the area. Jeb begins to think that maybe this is what the General meant with his warning, and begins to drive the tank back towards their lines and the field hospital.

As dawn begins to appear in the horizon, the Haunted Tank is struck by the impact of a shell hitting the ground beside them. A German anti-tank gun has spotted them, but there is nothing Jeb can do while he's driving. Then, to Jeb's relief, they are saved by the appearance of Sgt. Rock and Easy Company, who rush the enemy and destroy their machine gun nests. Now out of the line of fire, Sgt. Rock helps Jeb bandage up the wounded from Easy Company and strap them to the side of the Haunted Tank along with the Jeb's own wounded who are inside. Climbing atop the tank, Sgt. Rock keeps guard as Jeb gets inside and drives the tank towards the field hospital. It's a bumpy ride, which makes Rock and his men laugh.

Within the hour, the Haunted Tank pulls up to the American field hospital, only to find it under attack from enemy shells. Sgt. Rock jumps off and tells the Major in command about their wounded aboard the Haunted Tank, but the Major has his own problem, and his own wounded, to worry about. Rock holds his ground, and finally the Major relents and tends to the wounded on the tank. He tells the sergeant that the hospital is on the move, and will be pulling out and away from the enemy cannon's range soon. As the hospital trucks begins to line up to roll out, two German fighter planes appear in the sky and attack. Jeb jumps behind the cannon controls and aims just as one German plane enters his sights, destroying it. Sgt. Rock tries to use the tank's machine gun, but can't get the elevation he needs to shoot. With shells bursting all around them, Sgt. Rock unslings his own tommy gun and fires relentlessly at the enemy plane flying directly overhead. The pilot is killed, and the plane bursts into a fireball in the sky. The Major then pulls Sgt. Rock down to the ground with him, and tells him that his men need surgery. He gives the coordinates where they will be setting up the field hospital, and tells Rock and Jeb to get them there as quick as he can before they start to die. As the Major hops into the last truck leaving the site, Sgt. Rock and Jeb climb aboard the Haunted Tank and take off for the coordinates.

A ways down the road, Jeb believes he knows a shortcut and steers off the road and into the woods. As the tank reaches the top of the hill, they can now see the site for the new hospital ahead of them. They made it there before the truck convoy. As the Haunted Tank moves out of the woods, they are bombarded by enemy fire, forcing them to retreat back into the woods. The Germans have already occupied the new site, and there is no way the Major and his staff will be able to set up the new hospital and operate on their men before it is too late. Jeb and Rock come to the same decision, they have to take out the enemy before the convoy arrives. Jeb and Rock unload all the wounded from the tank, placing them under the cover of the woods, and then the two climb aboard the tank again and take off towards the enemy's position. As soon as they exit the woods, the tank comes under fire from enemy shells, but they continue to charge towards them. Then, one shell hits the side of the tank, destroying its treads and toppling the Haunted Tank onto its side. As Jeb climbs out of the smoking tank, he's close enough to see the enemy now. It's one German Panzer, dug into the ground so that its turret and cannon are the only thing sticking out, and giving them the perfect cover against attack. The enemy soldiers begin to spray the area around the Haunted Tank with bullets. Then, from behind help comes in the form of the wounded! The Germans spot the men coming from the trees, and they start to move their Panzer from its hole to get a better shot. Jeb and Rock take advantage of this, and charge the tank. The wounded join them, and a few well-placed grenades destroy the Panzer and its German occupants inside.

The men sit in the grass and wait until the truck convoy arrives and pulls up alongside them. The Major gets out, and sees the wounded waiting there, along with the now wounded Sgt. Rock and Jeb Stuart and the smoking enemy tank. Sgt. Rock tells the Major that "Now he knows what Easy Company's fight is like". And Jeb finally realizes exactly what the General meant by "a rock turning steel into ashes". He meant Sgt. Rock and Easy Company!

Appearing in "The Wounded Won't Wait!"

Featured Characters:

Haunted Tank

Supporting Characters:

General J.E.B. Stuart

Antagonists:

Other Characters:

Easy Company
American Infantry soldiers
American Field Hospital doctor

Locations:

France

Items:

Mk 2 grenade

Vehicles:

The Haunted Tank
German Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter plane
German Panzerkampfwagen Tiger Ausf. B
American Field Ambulance

Synopsis for "Private War!"

Two men, Lieutenant Phil Baker, a pilot, and Sergeant Joe Taylor, a Doughboy, are in love with the same woman, Tammy. Both are enamoured with her, and both want to marry her when they return from the war. Tammy can't make up her mind, though. She loves both of them, and decides to let the war make her decision for her. She tells them that she'll marry the man who becomes the biggest hero.

Months go by, and Phil begins to worry. He's been flying over France pulling simple patrols and reconnaissance, with nothing exciting and nothing that could make him a hero. He's certain that Joe will beat him to it, and become the hero that will marry Tammy. Unknown to him, Joe's been squatting in a trench for the last few months, and hasn't even seen the enemy since he arrived in France. Then, a few days later, fate brings them together again. While getting ready for his morning patrol, the C.O. informs Phil that he'll be taking a representative of the Infantry to show him how pilots fight the war, and the Doughboy chosen for ride with Phil is Joe! As they take off, both brag about how they're the better man and plan on marrying Tammy.

Later on the patrol, as they begin to fly over the front lines, the plane is attacked by a squadron of Fokkers coming out from the clouds. Phil is certain that this is his chance of becoming a hero, but during the attack his machine gun jams. Phil wants to return to base, but Joe takes out his rifle and begins to fire at the enemy planes. One, right behind them, is taken out, but a second moves in for a kill. Joe tells Phil to fly over them and flip over upside down. Just as they are passing over the enemy plane, Joe drops a grenade into the cockpit of the enemy plane, destroying it. Feeling the hero of the day, Joe tells Phil to fly him back to the alter. When they return to base, they are met by a swarm of reporters who want to hear all about Joe's heroic actions in battle. Phil walks away grumbling, feeling beaten.

The next day, it's Phil's turn to visit the front and get a taste of what it's like to be fighting on the ground. He flies his Liberty to the area where Joe's outfit is and lands behind them. Just as he enters the trenches to meet with Joe, the unit is shelled and the trenches begin to fill up with mustard gas. Joe hands Phil a gas mask, telling him that he wants him alive so he can see him crying at his wedding. But the gas is too strong and begins to penetrate the men's masks. Phil climbs out of the trenches and runs towards the back of the line. Joe and the men think he's turned a coward, but then they see Phil's plane rolling towards them with it's propellers spinning on high. He revs the engine and the gas begins to change direction blowing right back towards the enemy! With the gas cleared, the Infantry attacks and Phil becomes the hero of the day. When he returns to his base, the reporters move in on him this time, wanting to hear all about his heroics. That night Joe lies up awake, thinking about how Phil may have beaten him to Tammy's heart.

Weeks go by, and now Phil is once again back in the skies, alone this time. He's now on a mission to hunt down enemy tanks, a mission he's sure will win him Tammy's hand in marriage. He lets his mind wander, and is surprised by a barrage of FLAK. His plane is damaged, forcing him to make an emergency landing. As he's coming down, he spots a soldier on a motorcycle heading right in his path. The two collide, and when the men get their bearings, Phil discovers that the motorcyclist is Joe! With enemy tanks closing in, Phil tells Joe to climb aboard his plane. They can't take off, but they can still taxi on the ground. Joe climbs onto one of the wings, and both men move across the ground in the plane firing their weapons. Two tanks are destroyed, but the third comes right at them. The two men aboard the plane tell each other to jump and save themselves, but they both refuse and Phil pulls Joe into the cockpit. Phil moves the plane in to ram the tank, while Joe readies his grenade to throw. They both make the kill together, arguing with one another who gets to claim the day.

Later, the two men lie in bed at hospital, recovering from their injuries in the crash. The room is full of reporters, and both give their stories about how they were the hero and how they defeated the German tanks. Then, a courier delivers the day's mail, and both receive a letter from Tammy. She has let them know that she's changed her mind, and has married a man back in the States that works behind a desk! The two soldiers throw the letters down together, and walk out of the hospital room arm-in-arm, comrades in rejection!

Appearing in "Private War!"