report that the other platoon is just lying in their position and curs-ing the commanders. Midday arrives without any sign of the enemy, apart from an armored car coming from the direction of Qawuqji’s camp. It quickly leaves the area under our heavy fire.
The chickens are cooking on the Primus.27 We each get a quarter. It is true: on the foundation day of the state we ate really well.
The main road now looks like Allenby Street in Tel Aviv. Buses bring reinforcements and drive here and there. Non-commissioned officers, quartermasters, the medical service, and other institutions establish themselves.
But naturally we are not left to enjoy life for long. We are relieved from our duties at the roadblock and sent to another position where we should remain with the rest of the company. They get us to dig trenches for protection from artillery. The day before yesterday, in Latrun, we learned to appreciate that. But that doesn’t mean that we enjoy the work involved. The jokers see that as a sign that we will soon be leaving this position. It has happened to us so often already that we were ordered to dig trenches, and no sooner was the work complete than the order came to move elsewhere. Lo and behold - the jokers were right. The order arrives for us to collect our equip-ment and leave the village.