In the little town of Mateur, 40 miles from the capital city of Tunis, a nationalist in a scarlet skullcap leaped atop a rickety table and proclaimed joyful news to a crowd. One by one, he haled 17 cleanshaven, tough-looking young men up beside him, and as each appeared the crowd yelled louder and hand-clapped rhythmically. The 17 young men wore faded U.S. Army Eisenhower jackets, adorned with the red, white and red patch of Tunisian independence fighters.
They were local boys, safely down from the hills, where they had been fellaghas (nationalist outlaws), hunted by posses of steel-helmeted French troops....
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