28. Skeeter Vaughan’s Feat Has No Known Equal in Combat
Skeeter Vaughan slowly crawled out of the timber stand that concealed the Moccasin Rangers, then stood up, bayonet in hand. With the German sentry’s back still towards him, Skeeter drew a beat on a spot three feet above the enemy soldier’s head, and threw the bayonet in a high trajectory. As he and his men held their breath, the bayonet silently turned over and over in its long downhill flight, before it finally buried itself in the back of the German’s skull. He fell without a peep, face down in the snow.
Their path now clear, Skeeter and the rest of the Moccasin Ranger silently made it to the rear of the German bunker, surprised the enemy soldiers within, eliminated it and accomplished their mission. Later, his comrades measured the distance of the bayonet throw, and it turned out to be 87 feet. It was a feat of knife-throwing skill that has no known equal in combat. Skeeter Vaughan attributed the accuracy of the throw to luck and prayer. They might have played a role, but still: a skillful man is more likely to get lucky and have his prayers answered than an unskilled one.
