As I cast my mind back to the first years of war, to the best times of my entire career as a chaplain, I am still filled with deep piety, with profound gratitude and awe at the recollection of one remarkable, rather remarcable, recurrent course of events that came to pass and shed its light in my workaday life in those halcyon years. Warfare is rough play, as we all know, and in the manly and mera- less martial turmoil surely all of us, even the merest Negro, the lowliest Japanese or Jew, are equals in the sight of the same Gawd; indeed, I wish to emphasize this!- Well, as I was saying, it is with intense emotion and profound humility that I recall those months of May, days when the first ripe cherries would be fresh off the bough; sitting; there in the dull humdrum of the Officers' Mess we would naturally be pleasantly diverted by questions such as- would we like some cherries! However, it became virtually a point of tradition, yes,, hearing that innocent query rather more lusciously worded: a couple of "Gerries"? How about some Gerries! At this, and blushing almost openly, the officers would proceed to rape the waitresses in full view and afterwards shoot them on the spot. And so, as the afflicted blood of these possessed women crimsoned the drab floor out our mess, my turn would come to step forth and perform my own assignment in this Extraordinary, this quite extraordinary, colorful drama! - Those fallen souls laid to their last rest before the scorching pains of flaming hellfire, we would fold our hands upon the familiar words of my esteemed colleague - words that so frequently during my career have intrigued me and brought me succor - inscrutable are the ways of the Lord..and how can we mortals be expected to mind and master every turn, a-men.