The year was 1942, we just seized land in Japan for the first time but that all the way across the ocean. I’m up in Southern Germany training in the pouring rain. My unit is about to attack the city of… hell I can’t pronounce it. I was lucky enough to get stationed up here with my good friends.

They were my pals from my younger days- hell we were even a group in grade school. There’s Tristan, a head strong, no-rules-in-love-and-war type. Always rushing some bunker with his pump action shotgun, just making a huge mess for the rest of us to clean up. Josh… well Josh is a wildcard; he always said he would go out with a bang and he meant it. He was always throwing some sort of explosive at the enemy. Reagan is up next: the strategic man. He’s out on the field with rifles of all sorts taking out the groups of Germans with the strength of ten men. Well then there’s me, an eagle eye sniper perched on roofs and watchtowers doing my part by saving everyone. We are all so close. We watch each others backs on the field knowing we all have someone waiting for us back home.

As the team went up to the town I stayed back so I could get some shots in. As usual, Josh blew up some buildings and Reagan was dropping Nazis like flies. I scoped in to see Tristan through a window. I smiled to myself while he blew through the Nazis. But then it happened: a swift shotgun shell to the back and Tristan was down. I froze. I was petrified to see my childhood friend struck down. Just then a scream rang out. It was Reagan, he was on his knees crying to the night sky, pleading to God to bring Tristan back. As if on cue a thunderstorm started, so I threw down my sniper and slid down the muddy hill. I draw my knife and kill anyone in my way, with tears in my eyes, and I enter the building with Tristan’s lifeless body on the ground. Josh enters to tell me the camp is clear but stops when he sees me holding Tristan’s body. He opens his mouth to say something but only silent air escapes his lungs and the mercy escapes his conscience. “Who did this?” is all he mutters. I point to Tristan’s executioner then Josh grabs the body and stuffs a grenade in his mouth. He draws his revolver and cocks back the hammer. “This is for killing one of MY BEST FRIENDS YOU NAZI BASTARD!” He pulls the trigger and blows his enemy’s head off. 

After we say our goodbyes we bury him and, ignoring orders, we vow to dismember this entire war from the inside. I took Tristan’s shotgun. Using his dog tags as a sort of charm, we spend the next few days burning small camps and slaughtering those who inhabit it. It didn’t take long for us to find a stronghold but we were more than ready. “NOW!” I scream as we blow the wall open and instantly open fire on anything that moves. Bullets flew and I was struck but that wasn’t nearly enough to bring me down. After we disposed of everyone, we found a radio sending transmissions about the location of Hitler, the big man himself. We all knew what we needed to do: cut off the head of the snake.

—

Two years. It took two years to get to his station. But it was all worth it; the trail of blood and tears it took for us to get here was far too grave to give up. We snuck into the courtyard in Nazi uniforms and planted bombs, planning to blow open the walls with three entry points. We rush in all together but it doesn’t take long for the place to go on lock down. Soon there are too many to outrun and Reagan says, “GO! I’LL HOLD THEM BACK,” as he takes out a grenade. 

“LIKE HELL I’M LEAVING YOU BEHIND!” I shout back.

“You don’t have a choice!” as he pulls the pin on his grande and threw his dog tag at me.

Josh grabs my arm as I scream, “REAGAAAAAAN!”

Suddenly there is an explosion that shakes the whole fort and causes the amount of Nazis trailing us to dwindle substantially. It is just me and Josh now. As we run down the corridor, I see the room the snake is hiding in. Josh yells, “Go! I’ll cover you!” as he throws his dog tags in my hands. With tears in my eyes I run into the room. At last I’m face-to-face with the snake.

“You bastard, you’re the reason all my friends have sacrificed their lives. I’ll make you suffer.” I raise my gun to his head and at that moment I felt them with me. Tristan, Reagan and Josh. I clench all their dog tags in my hand and blow the snake’s brains out. Knowing there is no way out I clench the tags harder and shoot myself so that I may rest. I lay with tears in my soul and with my last breath I depart with my meaning.