Sent To War Too Late

 

Sent To War Too Late

 By Paul McCann

   

Two young bucks just out of school couldn’t wait to enlist for the war . Gerry and Colm were given a uniform and a gun and stood like heroes on the street as crowds had begun to gather and to watch the soldiers make their way through the town to trucks and armoured cars that would transport them to the ship and aeroplanes that would take them to where the war was being fought .

As Gerry and Colm marched side by side with men who had experienced war before. They looked a little bit cute among those of high repute who were quite astute about what had to be done . In the blink of an eye Gerry and Colm realised that the fun was over and that there was a serious job to be done . So, they entombed themselves , within their fears of fighting the enemy in a country far away from their own.

They knew nothing about war ; they had no instructions . All they had was a wanting to be soldiers with a cause that was gallant .So they carried their guns and marched one by one through the town as their mothers offered prayers for their safe return . The two young soldiers kept their heads up and showed no fear as they marched behind the flag they flew . They marched all the way to the trucks and jeeps and armoured cars that awaited on the barracks where the shadows of war had fallen .

The commanding officer asked them to come to his office ; both went there wondering what he wanted to say . They knocked on his door .

“Come “

Came the answer .

“You wanted to see us sir “

He said.

“Yes , come in a take a seat  “

He said .

There were two chairs in the corner beside his desk .They both sat down and waited . The CO looked at them for a few moments and said nothing .

‘Did we do something wrong sir “?

Colm asked .

Gerry sat twitching nervously and the CO spoke softly from his chair ,“

“You two lads have never been to war before and I’m amazed at your eagerness to enlist and part of me is thinking is it because you’re needy for some action or is it because you’re greedy for glory , seeking medals to be put on your chest”.

One of the lads answered .

“We just want to be part of the force and go and fight “

The other lad added .

“ Yes sir , to the death if we have to “:

 

“I need you both to listen to me now like you would to your father . I don’t want either of you to be falling on a sword or trying to claim martyrdom . What I need is for your understanding of what a soldier is. “

‘Yes sir “

They both replied.

So, I want each of you to tell me in your own words what you think a soldier is ?”

Colm replied first .

“ A soldier is brave and strong and someone who refuses to bow down to anyone and someone who would never show fear in the face of danger “

Gerry continued ,

“A soldier is someone who would stand strong and fight with all his might .”

Colm added ,.

“A soldier is someone who carries the flag and is proud to serve his country “

Colm added.

“ We want to be trained to kill .“

Thet both started adding in words and short sentences ,

:

” We want to learn how to fly planes “

“And be sharpshooters “

“Yes, and drive tanks “

“Wait a second lads , Listen to me now . Soldiers are people with dignity and they have a value system that is honourable . They have a camaraderie and an ability to show restraint . They are more than a weapon of war . So, I need you to be a soldier like that I need you to understand something about discipline and moral code , that is what a soldier must have .  ”

” Yes sir “

They both replied again ‘

 The CO smiled and saluted them both saying .

“Excellent , now I want to need to know is that both of you can be the kind of soldier that makes me proud to be in the army.  So remember at all times to show respect to all and have dignity about what you do “

The two lads saluted and replied.

“Yes sir “

 The CO continued.

“Tomorrow morning you will be taken in a truck with the other soldiers to a ship that will transport you to the battlefields and there you will see many things you have never seen before . Learn to accept everything that surrounds you night and day .”

“Yer sir “

The CO Continued ,

“ You will find some who are persecuted and others being executed . You will hear the sound of gunfire and bombs exploding . You will smell the terrible stench of death and be touched by sadness and misery but at all times keep your dignity and remember you are a soldier “ Do I make myself clear ?”

“They two lads again replied ,.

“Yes sir “

‘“ There will be times when others will surrender and fall down on their knees and there will be time when others will be knocked down or shot  down . Some will , some would be survived . I want to know that you two will stay alive and return home again with memories of the battles you fought and the dignity that kept you strong as a soldier with the thought of what makes a soldier the person he or she is :

“Yes sir :

They replied .

“Go now soldiers and fight your battles and stay safe “

They went out the door with some of the thigs he said still running through their head.

At the dawn of the day, they were on their way in a truck to the docks .

At the end of the journey, they were told to run from the ship and take cover anyplace they could because the enemy could be waiting for them ready to open fire .

Gerry and Colm run with the other troops from the ship . There was the sound of gunfire as they ran and there were soldiers who fell but Gerry and Colm kept running and found shelter on the beach . They pointed their rifles and fired at the hill with no idea if their bullets hit anyone . Suddenly above their air force planes arrived and began dropping bombs on the hill where the enemy had been firing from . The attack lasted for ten minutes relentlessly pounding the hilltops around the beach . When the bombing had finished all the troops on the ground made their way up to the hill . Behing them came the armoured cars and tanks and jeeps and other transport vehicles that came from the ship .

The troops met all gathered and saw the devastation that the air force had left , Dead bodies lay scattered everywhere . Then from above more planes arrived with paratroopers in parachutes falling to the ground . Unknown to many troops on the ground Vetoes were being reshuffled from hand to hand . No news came in and nothing got out until the deadlock had been broken and with each tick of the clock
soldiers were hearing the news about a possible ceasefire and an end to the war.

Many soldiers were hearing reports and were banging their heads up against a brick wall trying to make sense of it all .

Some reports were of cities that had fallen and the allies talking control .

The two new lads who had just left school were being taught new lessons about the surprises of a war that had been fought for much longer than they had been told .

Gerry and Colm were approached by the officer in charge that the final assault had begun and that most of effort was over and done and that the battle was just about won .

Gerry and Colm were expecting to be away for years fighting for their country in a war so what a shock it was for them to find themselves standing there among these well-trained soldiers on a distant land with no idea of what was going to happen next .

The next time the officer in charge spoke to them , he informed them that their mission now was to march into a town three miles from where they were to take control of a camp where some of their soldiers were held as prisoners of war .

At that moment came the news of another attack that was happening at the headquarters of the enemy . They had been surrounded with no means of escape .

Everyone was in good spirits and they sang as they matched along to the camp.

As they all marched together , they carried their guns and fired bullets into the sky with victory in their grasp , as they approached  the prison camp, they heard the sound of a bell that rang warning the enemy that troops were approaching .

By the time Gerry ,  Colm and their regiment arrived at the camp most of the enemy soldiers had already dropped their weapons a fled . There was rejoicing when the news came telling them the  enemy had surrendered and the war was over . Gerry and Colm felt happy to have seen a little bit of action and that night in the camp the soldiers who had been held a s prisoners told stories  about how many graves they had dug and all their comrades who were buried in graves on  foreign soil and as the cold wind blew from the battlefields beyond there was a sign of relief that there would be peace and that the was over and done .

That night as they all sat there memories returned for many as the last post was played and their flag flew over the camp ,

The two young lads listened to old soldiers telling stories of the towns were they had fired bullets and watched comrades fall while snipers perched on the roof tops and hills with killed targets on the ground where innocent children played on the street .

Other stories about the houses that were burned as buildings demolished by rockets and missiles , The two lads were listening to other stories from soldiers who had been sent in to fight against all the odds , day and night as tempers flared as scream were heard from their enemies who fell all around them .

Colm and Gerry returned back home to a welcome parade  and their commanding officer was there to meet and greet them  . He saluted them and said ,

“Welcome home brave soldiers . I’ve never had anyone your age who wanted to  enlist to fight in a war . Somehow, I did forget to mention that the war was almost over but that made no difference  to me and I’m proud to have soldiers like you in the army .

The End