DISCIPLINE
Account by Quartermaster Second Lieutenant Dardo José Forti. The second lieutenant took part in the Malvinas campaign as a member of the quartermaster section of Infantry Regiment No. 3 “General Belgrano”.
Malvinas: Historias de Coraje
A delicate issue in war is discipline. From my humble point of view, and without being a specialist, I believe there is one way to maintain it: by example. It is quite easy to write that; the difficult part is putting it into practice. Once again, Colonel Tocagni warns about this matter: “Discipline must be strengthened. A certain limitation of activities, the short duration of the day, the harsh climate, a monotonous landscape, shortcomings in accommodation, failures in equipment and food, all tend to cause a relaxation of discipline and fighting morale, against which timely and energetic measures must be adopted.”
Thanks be to God, I did not find it too difficult to lead my group of men in Puerto Argentino. Without setting out to do so, perhaps because of my personality, I liked to be present in every task, both those related to our work and those involving recreation. Just as I could carry supplies, I would also join in when it came time to tell a joke or recite something. Besides, as I have already said, those soldiers and non-commissioned officers had their own drive; they were committed to the task. Under those circumstances, leadership becomes much easier.
What else is discipline? Jorge Vigón, in Estampas de capitanes, quotes a fitting answer by Bocaccia: “Discipline is solidarity in action for the common purpose.” Even today, so many years after those events, one of my former soldiers will still remind me of some anecdote from those hours of shared conversations. I believe that, should I be able to leave you one piece of advice, it is this: personal example carries people along, mobilises them, enthuses them. Try it, and you will be surprised.
However, as is usually the case, there are exceptions. One night I asked about one of those souls, and he was not there. Still not losing my sense of humour, I mobilised my aide and right-hand man, Gustavo De Vincenzo, so that he could go around the sector and ask whether anyone had seen Private Donda.
—No, my second lieutenant, he is nowhere to be found.
Donda was adding one more ingredient to this war: he had disappeared.
Only when I had exhausted every means of finding him did I have to report the news. I felt a little calmer; that is what always happens when one shares a problem with another person. From another point of view, that person offers a possible solution — and the solution was given to me.
—Forti, find him! —Lieutenant Colonel Comini ordered me.
So, with my jeep and three volunteers, we went out to look for him. It would not be simple; many hours had already passed. We began in the town. Four pairs of eyes examined every place as we moved forward. Every soldier we crossed seemed to be him, but each sighting turned out to be a mirage that vanished when we got closer and saw their faces. We discovered that everyone looks alike from a distance if you put them in a green uniform. The more time we spent searching, the more our anxiety grew, and anxiety manufactured Dondas in every corner of the town.
—Let’s go towards the Sapper Hill area —I told the driver.
We kept moving, now along the road. The time to hand out dinner was approaching, and I wanted to be there. But returning without Donda, and with night falling, would not be good.
—There he is! —shouted one of the searchers.
—Donda! What the hell are you doing here, for f…’s sake?
—I went to see a friend, Sergeant First Class Edgardo Taylor. He needed cigarettes.
—And you crossed half the island for that?
In reality, he had walked a little over ten kilometres.
—Well, yes… I left at dawn.
—Get in the jeep. We’ll talk when we get back to the ranch.
In truth, I did all the talking. Donda paid for his adventure with the much-hated “run to the sea, hit the ground”, breaking the frost every now and then as he crashed against the ground. Much later, when I remember that action, I think of the loyalty of those men: a simple soldier putting himself in danger because a comrade needed something.
As for Private Donda, he stayed with us. The war was not such that we could leave him without work.