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 by James Jones Charles Scribner's Sons 1958 Language: English  Order now at amazon.com Return to |
The Pistol A Novel Author James Jones enlisted in 1939 in the U.S. Army, 25th Infantry Division (25th ID) "Tropic Lightning", 27th Infantry Regiment "Wolfhounds" at Schofield Barracks on Oahu in Hawaii. He served prewar, witnessed the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and Oahu and the aftermath of martial law in Hawaii. The novel is a work of fiction, but the location described on Oahu are all real and the main character, nineteen year old Private First Class (Pfc) Richard Mast, a high school graduate represents Jones himself. Chapter one begins with Pfc Mast eating breakfast in his company mess hall at Schofield Barracks and wearing a Colt Model 1911 .45 caliber automatic pistol in a holster after 24 hours of guard duty on the eve of the Pacific War. Guard duty was the only occasion when a lowly private was allowed to carry a pistol, as they were in short supply and strictly checked in and out and carefully regulated in the peacetime Army. "Mast's enjoyment of wearing, handling and possessing, for twenty-four hours at least, a pistol. But for Mast, who was nineteen and imaginative, there was an even greater pleasure in it. Wearing a pistol on his hip made him feel more like a real soldier, seemed to give him an unbroken lineal connection with the Army of the days of the west and Custer's Cavalry..." During the meal, explosions were heard in the direction of nearby Wheeler Field that initially were dismissed as dynamiting until a plane flew low over the quadrangle and began strafing. Before jumping into action, Mast was careful to finish his half pint of milk. Outside, he considered using the pistol but quickly realized it "obviously wasn't much good against strafing airplanes, but just the same it felt good to have it. It gave Mast a sort of swaggery confidence." In the confusion of the day and preparations to deploy, a supply clerk did not want to be bothered with formalities of accepting the firearm. Instead, Pfc Mast had "The pistol still rode his hip heavily, a weight pregnant with compressed power, symbolic of an obscure personal safety. No wonder everyone wanted pistols. And he himself could not be held accountable for thievery: he had tried to give it back." The second chapter begins with Pfc Mast's squad deploying from Schofield Barracks by truck to Makapuu to defend the eastern edge of the island from a potential Japanese attack. The location is described as the "worst position in the company sector", dubbed "Makapoo" without any civilian homes and was the furthest point from the chow line meaning all the food received arrived cold and it was impossible to pitch a tent due to the hard volcanic rock and constant wind. As the intial fear of invasion begins to subside, soldiers in Mast's squad covet his pistol and make offers to buy it, steal it while he sleeps or pressure him to give it to them. Review by Justin Taylan Return to Book Reviews | Add a review or submit for review |
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