“Cobbler”, spoke Stanislaw. “Come on in” said the voice in the dark.

We walked at a crouch forward until we saw the others. The small group of soldiers in the Observation Post were camouflaged in the dark. They lay in hollows below the crest of the ridge. The ground too frozen to dig a proper fighting position.

“Is that you Davis?” Sgt. Stanislaw asked.

“Yeah. Looks like you are the last ones to get out.”

“The Chinese were right behind us. We almost didn’t make it back.”

“Looks like they stopped to pick up a few things in our camp. They’ve been tearing the place up, but haven’t come any closer.”

“Where’s the CP?”

Davis pointed with his thumb rearward. “Just follow the phone line over the crest. You will find the command post at the other end. The LT. and what is left of everyone else is on the reverse slope.”

Dulles had a cigarette in his mouth. He was about to light it with his Zippo when Sgt S. grabbed his hand. “Do you REALLY want to let every Chinese in sight of this ridge know where we are?”