But, as often happened, the official and the real had only a nodding acquaintance with each other. — Harry Turtledove

As happened too often in politics, never turned out not to be so very long after all.

Only two promotions really mattered: the one up from buck private and the one to general’s rank.

Everyone marched everywhere at Fort Custer. Armstrong had begun to think Thou shalt march' was in the Bible somewhere right below Thou shalt not kill and Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain''—two commandments he was learning more about violating every day.