Lieutenant McLaughlin was different though and he knew it too. He had seen the front line before. He had shoot in action. He had men die under him. He had been hardened to the coldness of this strange war. He had even taken hits before. This made him different and it gave him an edge that Gates didn't have. He not only had the education needed to be a leader, but he also had the experience.
This, however, didn't mean that he was better than Gates at everything he did. McLaughlin was quite sure he wasn't. Gates had certainly been in the service a lot longer than he had and that stood for a lot. When it came to organizing the camps defenses for a major attack, McLaughlin wanted Gates on the job because he knew he would be better at it.
Good he was too. Gates had the whole platoon at his fingertips. When he spoke things got done and now McLaughlin had him motivated. McLaughlin didn't watch much of his work. He mostly stayed inside his room, writing up reports. He went to work setting up radio codes and false transmissions that would be sent to their headquarters. In case the VC was monitoring the airwaves, which he thought likely, he wanted them to think they were undermanned and desperate for help.
McLaughlin did peek out of his room from time to time and walked around the embattlements. He would say much, and even then just word of encouragement to the men going back and forth. There were mortar emplacements, machine guns, mines, sandbags and everything else that could be set up was being prepared. Men were being assigned and things were beginning to shape up rather quickly.
McLaughlin walked up to Gates. He waited, at a distance for him to finish talking to one of the corporals. He then walked up, "Sergeant."
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