「他不在了」 - 古德明

「他不在了」 - 古德明

Robert Paine remembered rough tides and withering fire coming from the many Japanese pillboxes as he and other American marines landed on Tarawa on 20 November 1943. Many marines were killed trying to get to the seawall located 50 yards from the beach.
Paine zigzagged and then jumped the wall along with other marines to continue the offensive. Shortly after, he was locked in a deadly hand-to-hand fight with a Japanese soldier. When he described what happened, he raised his head and showed a scar along the ridgeline of his jaw that required 14 stitches to close. "Well, let's put it this way. I'm here. He's not. I thank God for broad shoulders."
The marines kept going and fighting for three days with no sleep before Tarawa was secured.
羅勃特.佩恩記得,他和其他美國海軍陸戰隊員一九四三年十一月二十日登陸塔拉瓦的時候,潮高浪急,沿岸日本碉堡槍火狠狠射來。海軍陸戰隊員紛紛衝往海灘五十碼之外的海堤,其間不少中彈喪命。
佩恩以忽左忽右方式衝前,和同袍一起,跳過海堤,繼續進攻。不久,他就和一個日本軍人短兵相接。談到這場肉搏戰,他擡起頭,顯示下顎一條長長傷疤,當時要十四針才能縫合。「嗯,這樣說吧。我今天還在這裏,他則不在了。我慶幸自己長得壯健。」
海軍陸戰隊繼續苦戰三天,連夜不眠,終於奪下塔拉瓦。