American soldiers; a soldiers fears and concerns, a soldiers duties

American soldiers; a soldiers fears and concerns, a soldiers duties

fiction
Edward w Pritchard

Let us pause in our buying, selling, and consumerism this weekend to honor American young soldiers now and before who fought our battles, suffered our injustices and traveled far from home so that we could celebrate a very long Black Friday weekend over the next ten days of economic development and Holiday Thanksgiving Turkey in peace and serenity.

Here is a story I wrote before about an American soldier hitting the beaches at Normandy against a formidable Nazi German enemy and the fears and trepidations our young soldiers faced and what fears formed in his young mind. Be it WW2, the American Civil War or WW1, War is Hell as the Ohio General William T. Sherman said.


Sheila is a screamer

fiction
edward w pritchard

Sheila is a screamer. It's been four months, I know she misses my attention. She required it every day before I was drafted.

I can hear her. Hear her through the iron and metal of this battle ship, three decks down, on my narrow net hammock. Sheila's a screamer and if I am here alone on my swinging hammock she has to be with someone else. It's been four months and I know her needs. Why couldn't she wait for me, she promised.

I am so seasick. It keeps me from getting into a deep sleep and then I startle when I hear Sheila screaming in ecstasy back in Maryland. I finally risked the embarrassment and told Phillips. He says I am scared and stressed, like everyone terrified to land on the beach here at Normandy.

Now we are in the open air. These small boats are dashing toward the shore. Machine gunners await. With the breeze and the noises of battle I can't hear Sheila anymore. I am trying not to think of that. I have to concentrate on a soldiers duties.
end