[4V50 Gary]

The other Smitty story:

"My friend E. L. Smith (of New Moon's fire fame) and I were involved in building crates and frames for shipping desks, gun sight and other items that had to be carefully protected in transit.

Smithy was placing 2x4's around a field desk. He seemed to be having difficult driving nails into the very hard lumber.

When out of nowhere, an irtate Major grabbed Smithy's hammer and snapped, 'What kind of a dumb son of a bitch can't use a hammer properly?' Smithy and I stood back as the Major proved he could wield a hammer. As he was putting on his exhibition of hammer proficinecy, I felt I should have told the Major that Private Smith did not take criticism very well. As he returned the hammer to Smithy, he stated the desk being crated was his and that it was 'an old English Army field desk used by many members of his family.' He stated it had to be crated to assure it did not move while in shipment.

The Major departed as quickly as he appeared. I saw in Smithy's eyes that look I saw when he returned from the New Moon's Bar and Grill's demise.

Smithy now entered into his work as a man possessed. He kept repeating the Major's last words, 'not move while in shipment.' He would lay a 2x4 across the 'old english army field desk' then drive a six inch spike trough the 2x4 into the mahogany top of the field desk. After appying six to eight spikes into the desktop, he administered a like number to each side and the bottom, continuing his chant, 'no movement in shipment.'

As we left for lunch, Smithy assured me that the desk would not move in transit. He reveled in the fact 'there are times when one gets a great deal of satisfaction in a job well done.'

I am certain the Major's questioning Smithy's family lineage drove Smithy's enthusiasm."

From Still a PFC by Eugene Peterson. It's a hilarious book. I suspect the Major was a New England blue blood used to mistreating the little fish.