--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The men digging in on both sides of me…" description: "\"“The men digging in on both sides of me cursed the stench and the mud. I began moving the heavy, sticky clay mud with my entrenching shovel to shape ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/eugene-b-sledge-36387_digging-deep_the-men-digging-in-on-both-sides-of-me-c_2759129.png" --- # The men digging in on both sides of me cursed the stench… ![“The men digging in on both sides of me cursed the stench and the mud. I began moving the heavy, sticky clay mud with my entrenching shovel to shape out the extent of the foxhole before digging deeper. Each shovelful had to be knocked off the spade, because it stuck like glue. I was thoroughly…” quote by Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/eugene-b-sledge-36387_digging-deep_the-men-digging-in-on-both-sides-of-me-c_2759129.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/eugene-b-sledge-36387_digging-deep_the-men-digging-in-on-both-sides-of-me-c_2759129.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c7/eugene-b-sledge-36387_digging-deep_the-men-digging-in-on-both-sides-of-me-c_2759129.png) > ““The men digging in on both sides of me cursed the stench and the mud. I began moving the heavy, sticky clay mud with my entrenching shovel to shape out the extent of the foxhole before digging deeper. Each shovelful had to be knocked off the spade, because it stuck like glue. I was thoroughly exhausted and thought my strength wouldn’t last from one sticky shovelful to the next. Kneeling on the mud, I had dug the hole no more than six or eight inches deep when the odor of rotting flesh got worse. There was nothing to do but continue to dig, so I closed up my mouth and inhaled with short shallow breaths. Another spadeful of soil out of the hole released a mass of wriggling maggots that came welling up as though those beneath were pushing them out. I cursed and told the NCO as he came by what a mess I was digging into. ‘You heard him, he said put the holes five yards apart.’ In disgust, I drove the spade into the soil, scooped out the insects, and threw them down the front of the ridge. The next stroke of the spade unearthed buttons and scraps of cloth from a Japanese army jacket in the mud—and another mass of maggots. I kept on doggedly. With the next thrust, metal hit the breastbone of a rotting Japanese corpse. I gazed down in horror and disbelief as the metal scraped a clean track through the mud along the dirty whitish bone and cartilage with ribs attached. The shoved skidded into the rotting abdomen with a squishing sound. The odor nearly overwhelmed me as I rocked back on my heels. I began choking and gagging as I yelled in desperation, ‘I can’t dig in here! There’s a dead Nip here!’ The NCO came over, looked down at my problem and at me, and growled, ‘You heard him; he said put the holes five yards apart.”” [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A soldier endures the brutal, disgusting realities of trench warfare, confronting death, disease, and psychological strain while following orders. **In simple terms:** War forces soldiers to dig through mud, rot, and fear under extreme pressure. Key Takeaway Persevere despite overwhelming horror. Themes war survival psychology Mood grim intense Type historical testimonial When to use this quote - battlefield digging - mental resilience - enemy encounters Key Concepts combat trauma military obedience Questions to Reflect On - What coping mechanisms helped you survive? - How does this experience shape your view of war? A Different Perspective The narrative may glorify suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cursed Stench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cursed-stench-3156183/) [Digging deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging-deep/) [Digging Deeper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging-deeper/) [Dug Hole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dug-hole-231231/) [Foxhole Digging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foxhole-digging-3156185/) [Horror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/horror/) [Revulsion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/revulsion/) [Stench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stench/) [Stench Mud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stench-mud-3156184/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) ## Related quotes > [“I believe in aristocracy, though—if that is the right word, and if a democrat may use it. Not an aristocracy of power … but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-n-aron/i-believe-in-aristocracy-though-if-that-is-the-right-word-and-if-a-2/) [Elaine N. 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And when you are discouraged, dig…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-kimball/life-is-brimming-with-things-to-be-discovered-and-known-skills-to-be/) [Christopher Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-kimball/) > [“Hunger" Digging into the apple with my thumbs scraping out the clogged nails and digging deeper refusing the moon color. Refusing the smell of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-gilbert/hunger-digging-into-the-apple-with-my-thumbs-scraping-out-the-clogged/) [Jack Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-gilbert/) > [“Writing, like life itself, is a voyage of discovery. The adventure is a metaphysical one: it is a way of approaching life indirectly, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/writing-like-life-itself-is-a-voyage-of-discovery-the-adventure-is-a/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [I had never really liked the music by Gabriel Faure, but just by chance, listening to some pieces by him, I got very interested.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryuichi-sakamoto/i-had-never-really-liked-the-music-by-gabriel-faure-but-just-by/) [Ryuichi Sakamoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryuichi-sakamoto/) > [My theory in anything you do is to keep exploring, keep digging deeper to find new stuff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blythe-danner/my-theory-in-anything-you-do-is-to-keep-exploring-keep-digging-deeper/) [Blythe Danner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blythe-danner/) > [You want to figure out how you want to play the guitar; what your niche would be. Well you just start digging deeper. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/you-want-to-figure-out-how-you-want-to-play-the-guitar-what-your/) [Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/) > [A songwriter's heart is pure when they have the desire to keep digging deeper into music. And invariably, when you dig deeper it always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/a-songwriter-s-heart-is-pure-when-they-have-the-desire-to-keep/) [Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/) > [“That’s why growth in Christ is never going beyond the gospel, but going deeper into the gospel. The purest waters from the spring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-greear/that-s-why-growth-in-christ-is-never-going-beyond-the-gospel-but/) [J.D. Greear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-greear/) > [“But when you start talking to the hurting people around you, digging deeper to learn how you can love and serve them, that’s when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/but-when-you-start-talking-to-the-hurting-people-around-you-digging/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [“It’s critical to know that our bodies don’t attack themselves. Here is the truth: the inflammation in the joints is there to protect you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-william/it-s-critical-to-know-that-our-bodies-don-t-attack-themselves-here-is/) [Anthony William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-william/) > [“Every philosophy is a foreground philosophy — that is a hermit's judgment: "There is something arbitrary in his stopping here to look back and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-philosophy-is-a-foreground-philosophy-that-is-a-hermit-s/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Balancing the complex point of view in the edit room was mostly a matter of challenging ourselves to keep digging deeper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marshall-curry/balancing-the-complex-point-of-view-in-the-edit-room-was-mostly-a/) [Marshall Curry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marshall-curry/) ## More by Eugene B. Sledge > [“Lying in a foxhole sweating out an enemy artillery or mortar barrage or waiting to dash across open ground under machine-gun or artillery fire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/lying-in-a-foxhole-sweating-out-an-enemy-artillery-or-mortar-barrage/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [“Your soul may belong to Jesus, but your ass belongs to the marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/your-soul-may-belong-to-jesus-but-your-ass-belongs-to-the-marines/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [War is brutish, inglorious, and a terrible waste... The only redeeming factors were my comrades' incredible bravery and their devotion to each other. Marine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/war-is-brutish-inglorious-and-a-terrible-waste-the-only-redeeming/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [I asked God "Why, why, why?" I turned my face away and wished that I were imagining it all. I had tasted the bitterest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/i-asked-god-why-why-why-i-turned-my-face-away-and-wished-that-i-were/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [“I think the Marine Corps has forgotten where Pavuvu is," one man said. "I think God has forgotten where Pavuvu is," came a reply.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/i-think-the-marine-corps-has-forgotten-where-pavuvu-is-one-man-said-i/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [“As the sun disappeared below the horizon and its glare no longer reflected off a glassy sea, I thought of how beautiful the sunsets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/as-the-sun-disappeared-below-the-horizon-and-its-glare-no-longer/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [I am the harvest of man's stupidity. I am the fruit of the holocaust. I prayed like you to survive, but look at me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/i-am-the-harvest-of-man-s-stupidity-i-am-the-fruit-of-the-holocaust-i/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [“And I didn’t neglect to point out to my Yankee buddies that most of the high shooters in our platoon were Southern boys.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/and-i-didn-t-neglect-to-point-out-to-my-yankee-buddies-that-most-of/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [“The other veteran said "Listen, mate, everybody gets scared, and anybody says he don't is a damn liar”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/the-other-veteran-said-listen-mate-everybody-gets-scared-and-anybody/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [“Would the war dehumanize me so that I, too, could "field trip" enemy dead with such nonchalance?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/would-the-war-dehumanize-me-so-that-i-too-could-field-trip-enemy-dead/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [“I concluded that it was impossible for me to be killed, because God loved me. Then I told myself that God loved us all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/i-concluded-that-it-was-impossible-for-me-to-be-killed-because-god/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) > [“Kick him in the balls before he kicks you in yours”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-b-sledge/kick-him-in-the-balls-before-he-kicks-you-in-yours/) [Eugene B. Sledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) [Explore all 13 Eugene B. Sledge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-b-sledge/) ## More Digging deep quotes > [ The Ancient One, as you know, is the master, is the Sorcerer Supreme, and \[Doctor\] Strange comes to learn how to heal himself and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tilda-swinton/the-ancient-one-as-you-know-is-the-master-is-the-sorcerer-supreme-and/) [Tilda Swinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tilda-swinton/) > [“I believe in aristocracy, though—if that is the right word, and if a democrat may use it. Not an aristocracy of power … but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-n-aron/i-believe-in-aristocracy-though-if-that-is-the-right-word-and-if-a-2/) [Elaine N. Aron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-n-aron/) > [“Every philosophy is a foreground philosophy — that is a hermit's judgment: "There is something arbitrary in his stopping here to look back and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-philosophy-is-a-foreground-philosophy-that-is-a-hermit-s/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“It’s critical to know that our bodies don’t attack themselves. Here is the truth: the inflammation in the joints is there to protect you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-william/it-s-critical-to-know-that-our-bodies-don-t-attack-themselves-here-is/) [Anthony William](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-william/) > [In this sport, in this life, I think heart takes you a lot further than skill and technique... Just digging down deep will take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clay-guida/in-this-sport-in-this-life-i-think-heart-takes-you-a-lot-further-than/) [Clay Guida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clay-guida/) > [Don't fall too deep for someone..It will be like digging a deep hole but in the end it's not easy to get back out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nr7/don-t-fall-too-deep-for-someone-it-will-be-like-digging-a-deep-hole/) [Nr7](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nr7/) > [“Yes, the Americans and the British were alike in some things. They were surface people, skimming over past history, picking out the interpretations that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-macinnes/yes-the-americans-and-the-british-were-alike-in-some-things-they-were/) [Helen MacInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-macinnes/) > [The process changes slightly from role to role. Obviously, there are different things you're called on to do. You're not digging deep for Basher…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-cheadle/the-process-changes-slightly-from-role-to-role-obviously-there-are/) [Don Cheadle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-cheadle/) > [Emotional truth is the reward of digging deeply enough to find the truth about how one really feels, but in order to convey this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-schultz/emotional-truth-is-the-reward-of-digging-deeply-enough-to-find-the/) [Philip Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-schultz/) > [“But when you start talking to the hurting people around you, digging deeper to learn how you can love and serve them, that’s when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-chan/but-when-you-start-talking-to-the-hurting-people-around-you-digging/) [Francis Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-chan/) > [“That’s why growth in Christ is never going beyond the gospel, but going deeper into the gospel. The purest waters from the spring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-greear/that-s-why-growth-in-christ-is-never-going-beyond-the-gospel-but/) [J.D. Greear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-greear/) > [“Easily he had turned studying my least favorite subject in history into my now most memorable one. Then there was his want to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-marie-morales/easily-he-had-turned-studying-my-least-favorite-subject-in-history/) [Christina Marie Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-marie-morales/) > [A songwriter's heart is pure when they have the desire to keep digging deeper into music. And invariably, when you dig deeper it always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/a-songwriter-s-heart-is-pure-when-they-have-the-desire-to-keep/) [Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/) > [You want to figure out how you want to play the guitar; what your niche would be. Well you just start digging deeper. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-white/you-want-to-figure-out-how-you-want-to-play-the-guitar-what-your/) [Jack White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-white/) > [I can't spell or do grammar, but I'm smarter and more serious than people think. I'm no featherweight when it comes to digging deep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cher/i-can-t-spell-or-do-grammar-but-i-m-smarter-and-more-serious-than/) [Cher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cher/) [Browse all 45 Digging deep quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/digging-deep/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The men digging in on both sides of me cursed the stench and the mud. I began moving the heavy, sticky clay mud with my entrenching shovel to shape out the extent of the foxhole before digging deeper. Each shovelful had to be knocked off the spade, because it stuck like glue. I was thoroughly exhausted and thought my strength wouldn’t last from one sticky shovelful to the next. Kneeling on the mud, I had dug the hole no more than six or eight inches deep when the odor of rotting flesh got worse. There was nothing to do but continue to dig, so I closed up my mouth and inhaled with short shallow breaths. Another spadeful of soil out of the hole released a mass of wriggling maggots that came welling up as though those beneath were pushing them out. I cursed and told the NCO as he came by what a mess I was digging into. ‘You heard him, he said put the holes five yards apart.’ In disgust, I drove the spade into the soil, scooped out the insects, and threw them down the front of the ridge. The next stroke of the spade unearthed buttons and scraps of cloth from a Japanese army jacket in the mud—and another mass of maggots. I kept on doggedly. With the next thrust, metal hit the breastbone of a rotting Japanese corpse. I gazed down in horror and disbelief as the metal scraped a clean track through the mud along the dirty whitish bone and cartilage with ribs attached. The shoved skidded into the rotting abdomen with a squishing sound. The odor nearly overwhelmed me as I rocked back on my heels. I began choking and gagging as I yelled in desperation, ‘I can’t dig in here! There’s a dead Nip here!’ The NCO came over, looked down at my problem and at me, and growled, ‘You heard him; he said put the holes five yards apart.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Eugene B. 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