The war had been underway for some time now, and the first "new" recruits were making their way to the front. As was to be expected, they were incredibly inexperienced, and required extensive care before they became effective.
One recruit stood out, however. Thin and poorly kept, his accent betrayed that he was not long out of the hills. While the soldier was the target of incessant teasing and criticism for his lack of proper decorum, when the enemy were sighted he distinguished himself from among the entire company. Utterly fearless, the recruit handled his rifle with the eagle-eyed precision for which hill folk are noted.
"How'd you learn to shoot like that," queried the sergeant. Have you ever been in combat before?"
"Well sarge," drawled the boy, ever mindful of the criticism to which he'd been subjected, "To be honest, this is my first public war ..."