It is a point of (perverse?) pride that our soldiering tradition is marked by extreme laconic perspectives, attitudes and general disposition. Where that disposition irritated British officers the pleasure is refined. But Australian volunteer soldiers are not the owners of the laconic voice – I suspect that volunteer soldiers down through the ages have owned the same voice. It was certainly evident in the 20th Maine and I made Private Keegan an honorary Australian when I read (see below) the following exchange. During the US Civil War (and at other times) soldiers were issued a hard bread known as “hardtack. “Dry, nearly hard as granite, and sometimes wormy, the stony shingles could be chewed at length by those with good teeth…One Private was known for chewing hardtack most of the time and nearly drove his Captain crazy with the constant grind of his teeth on drill, dress parade or review. Unable to stand it any longer, the officer yelled, “Keegan, why on earth are you always crunching hard bread?” “The juice, sir,” the man replied with arch innocence. “I am very fond of the juice.”
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