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Description
The night came quietly over the landscape, chasing away the terrible heat which had smothered us like the grit in our clothes since the sun rose in the morn. It would have been calm there, were it not for the adrenaline coursing through our veins. It was mission time. My M16A4 Assault rifle was loaded with fresh bullets, and a dozen more magazines sat heavily in my backpack. The commander was giving his last pep talk. I was fearless. Yeah, this one could be my last time, but I was ready. I felt no fear. I was 'invincible'. Then those words. Those last magic words.

"Do your work, soldiers. If you die, die honourably in the name of the United States of America, Land of the Free. God bless you, men. GO!!!"

We burst into the compound, the gate torn to shrapnel by eager grenades. I shot one, two, three enemies. Some people call this a war crime, but this ain't no crime. This is survival. A bullet whizzed over my head as I ducked behind the barricade. I shot its sender.

A scream came from my right, one of that pain that no man of the United States army should ever have to know. Nothing is as shocking as that first scream from your own; from your friend, your brother. I had left my fear behind as we crossed the line into danger and entered the compound, but his howls chilled me to the bone. His faith had been left though. It leaked out of him like the blood flowing from his back, and his legs trailed uselessly behind him as he clawed his way back towards the gate, back towards the illusion of safety. He got so close, God, he was so close, but then he turned. It was as if he knew. The bullet hit him square between the eyes and he fell back like butchers' meat.

It shook me, but then I thought of my daughter, my lovely, sensitive daughter, who had barely begun to live. She is at home with my wife, both waiting anxiously for the phone call to tell them I was okay. I had to keep my faith. I will survive! We have to win this battle, so that they can grow up in freedom, and so that America will forever remain the Land of the Free. Too many talk down on America, but they'll never know how it feels to be an American citizen. They don't know of the honour, the passion it brings. The colours of Her flag will always remain imprinted within my heart. Red, white and blue; the most noble colours in the world! Yeah! Even if they take me, they'll never take us all!

I pop my head up from behind the barricade, fire off a few more shots and dive towards the next bit of cover. But as I roll, a fire tears through my chest, like white-hot barbed wire. The world goes black and I tumble behind the concrete blockade like a puppet with severed strings. God, nothing in the world could have prepared me for it. I am screaming, but I'm not in control of that. I'm not in control of anything. Before, when I thought that only our men should be exempt from this, I was an idiot! No man should ever have to bear this suffering, this agony. My faith deserts me, and I wish that I could crawl to safety like Dan had. I thought he was a coward, but now I've been there, I know. I want out of this war. I know how it sounds, but I am no coward. Or maybe I am now. I have been reduced to nothing.

And then my memories assault me, the laughter lightening the pain, and the pain lessening the laughter. It makes me remember why I am here. I can feel the world around me now, and the fury passes. I lie in a pool of my own blood. I never thought I'd lie in my own blood....

I can feel my strength drain from me as I suck air into my one intact lung, gasping and gaping as it escapes from the other. This damage is far beyond repair. I never really believed in God, only in the sense that America was sacred, but now, I hope someone's up there. I need someone to be there. Tell me this isn't the end. Tell me this isn't the end.

I never meant to leave like this. I can hear their voices already crying in my mind. I never meant to hurt them. I thought I'd get to see my daughter grow up and that I'd grow old with my lovely wife. I thought that this was my right; that this world was fair.

But no one ever said it was fair. Just tell my baby girl that I love her. Tell my beautiful wife and comfort them both. Please make them understand why I have done this. I have joined the ranks of my forefathers. My last song has been sung, and it was the sweet anthem of Mother America. Just remind the Lord to leave his light on. It's dark here and I cannot see.

The noises of battle fade from my mind and a warmness fills my soul as I float to oblivion.

I'm free.

Description
The night came quietly over the landscape, chasing away the terrible heat which had smothered us like the grit in our clothes since the sun rose in the morn. It would have been calm there, were it not for the adrenaline coursing through our veins. It was mission time. My M16A4 Assault rifle was loaded with fresh bullets, and a dozen more magazines sat heavily in my backpack. The commander was giving his last pep talk. I was fearless. Yeah, this one could be my last time, but I was ready. I felt no fear. I was 'invincible'. Then those words. Those last magic words.

"Do your work, soldiers. If you die, die honourably in the name of the United States of America, Land of the Free. God bless you, men. GO!!!"

We burst into the compound, the gate torn to shrapnel by eager grenades. I shot one, two, three enemies. Some people call this a war crime, but this ain't no crime. This is survival. A bullet whizzed over my head as I ducked behind the barricade. I shot its sender.

A scream came from my right, one of that pain that no man of the United States army should ever have to know. Nothing is as shocking as that first scream from your own; from your friend, your brother. I had left my fear behind as we crossed the line into danger and entered the compound, but his howls chilled me to the bone. His faith had been left though. It leaked out of him like the blood flowing from his back, and his legs trailed uselessly behind him as he clawed his way back towards the gate, back towards the illusion of safety. He got so close, God, he was so close, but then he turned. It was as if he knew. The bullet hit him square between the eyes and he fell back like butchers' meat.

It shook me, but then I thought of my daughter, my lovely, sensitive daughter, who had barely begun to live. She is at home with my wife, both waiting anxiously for the phone call to tell them I was okay. I had to keep my faith. I will survive! We have to win this battle, so that they can grow up in freedom, and so that America will forever remain the Land of the Free. Too many talk down on America, but they'll never know how it feels to be an American citizen. They don't know of the honour, the passion it brings. The colours of Her flag will always remain imprinted within my heart. Red, white and blue; the most noble colours in the world! Yeah! Even if they take me, they'll never take us all!

I pop my head up from behind the barricade, fire off a few more shots and dive towards the next bit of cover. But as I roll, a fire tears through my chest, like white-hot barbed wire. The world goes black and I tumble behind the concrete blockade like a puppet with severed strings. God, nothing in the world could have prepared me for it. I am screaming, but I'm not in control of that. I'm not in control of anything. Before, when I thought that only our men should be exempt from this, I was an idiot! No man should ever have to bear this suffering, this agony. My faith deserts me, and I wish that I could crawl to safety like Dan had. I thought he was a coward, but now I've been there, I know. I want out of this war. I know how it sounds, but I am no coward. Or maybe I am now. I have been reduced to nothing.

And then my memories assault me, the laughter lightening the pain, and the pain lessening the laughter. It makes me remember why I am here. I can feel the world around me now, and the fury passes. I lie in a pool of my own blood. I never thought I'd lie in my own blood....

I can feel my strength drain from me as I suck air into my one intact lung, gasping and gaping as it escapes from the other. This damage is far beyond repair. I never really believed in God, only in the sense that America was sacred, but now, I hope someone's up there. I need someone to be there. Tell me this isn't the end. Tell me this isn't the end.

I never meant to leave like this. I can hear their voices already crying in my mind. I never meant to hurt them. I thought I'd get to see my daughter grow up and that I'd grow old with my lovely wife. I thought that this was my right; that this world was fair.

But no one ever said it was fair. Just tell my baby girl that I love her. Tell my beautiful wife and comfort them both. Please make them understand why I have done this. I have joined the ranks of my forefathers. My last song has been sung, and it was the sweet anthem of Mother America. Just remind the Lord to leave his light on. It's dark here and I cannot see.

The noises of battle fade from my mind and a warmness fills my soul as I float to oblivion.

I'm free.