There is no greater bond on earth than the comradeship created under battle conditions. The common soldier fights for his friends first, followed by his unit, and then his country. When under fire, very few first-line combat troops consider or even care what the cause of the war is. Fear, not anger, is ruler on the battlefield. All any combat infantryman desires is for his friends and himself to go safely home.
Following the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, a story was told which illustrates this bond. After a short advance, a platoon of American troops was forced to return to their starting trench. Running over the shell-scarred terrain, all of the troops, save one, reached safety. The wounded casualty lay where he fell; unable to move. His close friend, upon seeing the distress of his fellow infantryman, started to leave the safety of the trench when his lieutenant grabbed him. "Where are you going? Are you crazy! You'll be killed!" the lieutenant said in rapid succession. The soldier's simple reply was, "He's my friend" as he bolted into "No-Man's Land." Running through a hail of lead, the soldier reached his friend and began dragging him to safety. Just as they reached the crest of their own trench, the previously unwounded soldier was hit and slid, mortally wounded, into the trench. His lieutenant asked, "Was it worth it?" The dying soldier looked up and replied, "Yes! When I reached my friend," he said, "I knew you would come."