my name is dodge but then you know that it s written on the chart there at the foot end of the of the bed they think i m blind that i can t read it i ve read it every word and every word it says is death so confession is that the reason that you came get it off my chest before i check out of the game since you mention it well there s thirteen things i ll name thirteen crosses high above the cold missouri waters august 49 north montana the hottest day on record the forest tinder dry lightning strikes in the mountains i was crew chief at the jump base i prepared the boys to fly pick the drop zone c47 comes in low feel the tap upon your leg that tells you go see the circle of the fire down below fifteen of us dropped above the cold missouri waters gauged the fire i d seen bigger so i ordered them to side hill we d fight it from below we d have our backs to the river we d have it licked by morning even if we took it slow but the fire crowned jumped the valley just ahead there was no way down headed for the ridge instead too big to fight it we d have to fight that slope instead flames one step behind above the cold missouri waters sky had turned red smoke was boiling two hundred yards to saftey death was fifty yards behind i don t know why i just thought it i struck a match to waist high grass running out of time tried to tell them step into this fire i ve set we can t make it this is the only chance you ll get but they cursed me ran for the rocks above instead i lay face down and prayed above the cold missouri waters then when i rose like the phoenix in that world reduced to ashes there was none but two survived i stayed that night and one day after carried bodies to the river wondering how i stayed alive thirteen stations of the cross to mark their fall i ve had my say i ll confess to nothing more i ll join them now those that they left me long before thirteen crosses high above the cold missouri waters