The Death Knell

The United States' participation in the war aroused enthusiasm from all walks of life, and people enthusiastically joined the army.

Some did it because they wanted to avenge their loved ones at Pearl Harbor, while others did it because military pay was a sure guarantee.

Of course, there are also people who fight for pure beliefs, such as Steve's father. In order to help people on the other side of the world fight against the brutal oppression of Japan, he quit his leisurely job in Su Ming's shipyard and joined the army. , was sent to the European battlefield.

Of course Bucky's father wanted to come with him. They joined the Army's 107th Division together and are currently stationed in the UK. It is said that they were bombed by the Germans every day.

Many workers in Su Ming's factory left and chose to go to the battlefield. Most of the workers at the rear became women, and it was strange for adult men to stay in the country.

War has such a strange charm. People go to the same battlefield with different ideals.

Although it was a bloody prospect, many people did not hesitate and crossed the ocean, braving strong winds, waves and the risk of being besieged by submarines, to go to a strange land.

About three months later, Bucky and Steve received obituaries from their fathers. Bucky's mother died of excessive grief, and Steve's mother also died of tuberculosis infected by a patient.

They were all orphaned and felt the real pain of the war.

.............................

"The U-boat sank the Virginia."

"The Nazis retake Zhytomyr."

"The U.S. military lost 32,000 troops."

...There is no good news in the newspapers. Steve doesn't want to read such news at all, but he needs the newspapers to cover his figure.

He is now in Paramus, a small town in New Jersey, and this is his fourth draft.

Since the United States entered the war, recruitment points have been set up in all cities and even villages. The Second World War focused on population and production capacity.

Logically speaking, the United States needs soldiers.

In the poster on the wall, "Uncle Sam" wearing a red and white hat and a blue tuxedo pointed at everyone passing by and told them, "I want you!" ’.

But Steve was rejected in the first three drafts because his health was so bad.

Sometimes he feels as if he has been cursed. He has so many illnesses that the doctor's hands feel sore when writing medical records. Although they are not serious illnesses, they make him extremely weak.

The recruiting point was a hospital, and he was sitting in the hall with a group of shirtless strong men waiting to be called. Compared with him, normal people were taller and stronger, and he could only reach other people's chests when he was standing.

He was so thin that his thighs were not as thick as other people's wrists.

As before, all kinds of physical examinations have been completed, and now he is just waiting for the results.

"O'Connell."

"Henry."

"Kaminsky."

The doctor at the counter called the names of the subjects one by one and stamped the recruitment files with their qualified stamps. Those who passed the test would receive a notice and go to the recruit camp for training.

Now in the middle of a war, this training often lasts only four weeks or less. As for whether what they learn can help them save their lives on the battlefield, that depends on different people's opinions.

"Rogers?" The bald doctor lowered his head to sort the documents and called his name loudly: "Steve?"

The strong man sitting next to Steve was friendly, but also nudged him with his elbow a little unkindly. When Steve didn't respond, he raised his eyebrows and motioned Steve to read the article in the newspaper in his hand.

"A lot of people died there. Did this shake your determination to go to the battlefield?"

Steve took a breath, put down the newspaper and walked to the counter. Surrounded by a group of muscular men in the dark room, he felt like he was suffocating.

"No, I won't waver."

Even though he said this, he still stood in front of the counter with some worry, watching the doctor look back and forth at his physical examination report, feeling anxious.

Strictly speaking, it was only legal for him to participate in the physical examination for the first time. After that, he lied about his identity and participated multiple times. If he was found out, he would go to jail.

"Rogers..."

The doctor flipped through the report, raised an eyebrow, and looked up at the man who was about 1.5 meters tall in front of him. His tone was a little strange.

This man is shorter than some women, not to mention that just by looking at him, you can tell that he is too thin to carry a gun.

Lifting up the name list in front of him, the doctor lowered his head again. After all, visual inspection was not rigorous. Maybe this little man came from the circus and was a thin and strong man?

But the family information on the second page stated that both parents were dead, which made him suspect that this little man had a family history of inheritance.

"How did your father die?"

Steve could also guess the reason why the doctor asked this, because he was not the first doctor to ask this.

"Mustard gas poisoning." But no matter how many times he recalled it, the answer still made him uncomfortable. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and answered with difficulty: "He was serving in the 107th Division of the Army at the time... I really wish I had been drafted at that time."

The doctor lowered his head and said nothing.

"Where's your mother?"

"Before she died, she was a nurse in the tuberculosis ward. She was infected by a patient. No medicine could save her."

Steve answered sadly that he felt that the war had brought too much misfortune to people, so he wanted to join it, hoping that it would end in his own hands.

The doctor did not raise his head. He had heard too many tragic stories since the war began.

The father went to join the army and died on the front line. The son also joined the army for revenge and then died in battle. Next came another son, or the son's son.

There is no reason for war to take human lives. On the battlefield, you can only pray for good luck.

He sighed inwardly and continued to look through the physical examination results, but the long list of disease names immediately attracted his attention.

Asthma, scarlet fever, rheumatism, rhinitis, chronic colds, hypertension, heart disease, anxiety disorders...

Such a person should go to a sanatorium, not the front line, where a wound infection could easily kill him in a war-torn place.

"Sorry, kid."

The doctor raised his head and gave a formal reply. He could not let such a person go to the battlefield. This was irresponsible for life.

He was ready to stamp his veto.

"Wait, I just want a chance." Steve was a little anxious. Is he going to fail again this time?

The doctor understood why he wanted to go to war, and his reason for avenging his father was impeccable, but he reluctantly told him the fact: "Just because you have asthma, you can't join the army."

Steve took a few steps forward and lowered his voice: "So, maybe you can 'help' me?"

As long as the doctor raises his hand, he will pass. The United States now recruits tens of thousands of soldiers every day. Who can notice a small man like him?

He stared into the doctor's eyes. Maybe his sincere eyes could make the doctor understand his determination to join the army?

However, the doctor only saw a lunatic who was dazzled by hatred and planned to put his life in vain. With this kind of physical condition, let alone going to the battlefield, he might die on the way to England by boat.

"I'm just helping you." The doctor shook his head, raised the unqualified '4f' seal, and stamped it on the physical examination report: "I'm helping you save your life."

Steve's heart was filled with darkness.