Our Army at War #213

Our Army at War #213 (On Sale: October 2, 1969) has a Sgt. Rock cover by Joe Kubert.

We begin with Sgt. Rock in "A Letter for Bulldozer" by Robert Kanigher and Russ Heath. Just as mail is being opened by Easy, a squadron of Stukas attack and Bulldozer is slow to respond, almost getting Easy killed. When the attack is over Rock tears into him for being so careless. Bulldozed says it is because of a letter he received. He recounts how he got a job in the Chicago Stock Yards and how he was attacked on his first payday by a group of men in search of his paycheck. He fought back and was knocked out. When he came around he found of his attackers was dead and as the police showed up he high-tailed it.

Later he started to receive letters, blackmailing him and he payed. He figured once he got in the army he would get away from the blackmailer, but in the mail was a letter from the same person, which he is afraid to open. Rock tells him to open it, but just then, a couple of Nazi tanks arrive and Bulldozer leaps into action, taking them both out with his bazooka.

The action over, Bulldozer opens the letter to find it full of money. Inside a note says that their son was one of the hoodlums and pretended to be dead then blackmailed Bulldozer to keep quiet. He never killed anyone and the person was returning all his money. When a group of Nazis come at Easy from over a hill, Bulldozer lays them low, saying it is much easier to fight now that he is a free man. Not a great story, but typical for Kanigher.

That is followed by "The Ghost Bayonets" by Robert Kanigher and Sid Greene. During World War I a group of French fighters attach bayonets and are prepared to charge when they are buried by an explosion, only the points of their Bayonets visible. During World War II, an American fighter is shot down over the field of bayonets. He misses them when he lands, but is attacked by a Nazi on the ground. he defends himself using one of the bayonets then pushes the Nazi to his death in the field of blades. Another turd of a story from Kanigher and some uninspired art by Greene.

We end with Great Battles of History, "Kadesh" written and drawn by Ric Estrada. I usually like the Estrada history tales, but this one is not so good.

Edited by Joe Kubert.