Dancing-with-Baptists-Createspace-Final--A4

DANCING WITH BAPTISTS
“Man, you need to let that go for a bit. I mean loosen the bone Wilma! That stuff’s
gonna’ make you crazy. Stitch here is okay.”
“Now don’t sit there all U.N. on me and act like you aren’t bothered by the way we
are treated.” Franklin was becoming agitated again.
“Sure, it bothers me. But even Groucho takes the cigar out of his mouth
sometime.” “Tell Casper here about you in Korea.” “You served in Korea?” Greg asked.
“Oh man, it’s five in the morning. Why I have to go over all that now?”
Abidemi glared at J.L.
“All right. Yeah, I was drafted into the infantry back then.”
“Army?” Greg asked.
“U.S. Army?” Chap added trying to lighten things.
“Air Force came later.” J.L. explained.
“Tell him,” Franklin demanded.
“The part Cassius Clay here,”
“Muhammed Ali,” Franklin corrected.
“Wants me to tell- Have you heard this Padre?”
Chap shook his head “Don’t think so.”
“So, I was just a kid, barely nineteen, dumped in South Korea with no anger toward
anyone on that whole island; North, South, East or West. But I did have a want. I wanted to
be a part of the 24th. You know about the 24th?”
Greg shook his head.
“He don’t know nothin’,” Franklin added.
“Do you want me to tell this or not? And watch your mouth,” the older Black man ordered
the younger.
Then he turned back to Greg, “This is the story you don’t get in your oatmeal-boxlooking,
foundinghonky-fathers history classes. This was how it really was.” J. L. said.
Franklin smiled for the first time in Greg’s memory.
“Let’s keep the story going,” Chap cajoled.
“Well, back in the day, we’re talking early 1850’s, colored soldiers were put off to
themselves. Everybody thought we were too stupid to shoot or duck and might get some
Yankee boy’s fancy uniform all messy with blood.
After the Civil War before 1870, I think, the 24th Infantry Regiment was born. A lot
of the soldiers were either veterans from Colored infantry Regiments or freemen. Have you
heard of the Buffalo Soldiers?”
Greg wasn’t sure but he shook his head “yes” to not interrupt the story.”
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