The seas were rough and rolling hard, anxious soldiers were heaving and retching as their landing craft approached the beach. Not a man among them wasn’t consumed by thoughts and feelings of fear, dread, and panic. Bullets screamed toward them from the dark and unseen shore they were nearing. Many of the men mumbled prayers in the face of the horrors of the moment. The craft transporting them was to be first in line to lower it’s ramp and disgorge it’s contents upon the beach.
Not a man present had any illusions about the scenario they were motoring toward. They’d been ordered to invade, and good soldiers follow orders, no exceptions allowed. Their deaths, disfigurements, amputations, and shattered psyches were for the greater good, the bigger picture, the noble cause. Yet there were some in the vessel who felt compelled to minister to the terrified men among them, as the craft rode up and down the rollers and breakers.
“Why? Why the hell are we here?” one man shouted. “This is a suicide run! And they know it! We’re cannon fodder while the generals sip cognac and stick pins in charts.”
Another man yelled, “This is bullshit! The arms merchants set this up! We should be back home being carefree and happy. God how I miss my woman!”
“It’s the will of god,” the landing craft chaplain preached, standing on an ammo box and waving his bible. “The lord works in mysterious ways, and it’s not really for us to question or doubt his wisdom. He sent us here to do an important job, and giving our lives for country and freedom must be part of his plan! We’re in a battle with satan! Chin up boys, heaven awaits many of us on that beach! God takes us when the moment’s right!“
Another man shouted, “Most of us are factory workers, farmers, bakers, tradesmen, and the like. Yet here we are on the cusp of certain slaughter, alone with our fears and assured of the good in what we’re doing. Don’t our leaders know how to negotiate better deals to honor the wishes of folks like us?”
“It’s the bankers, arms merchants, and politicians we can thank for it all!” a soldier screamed. “Simple greed and lust for money, legacy, and power!” he yelled in anger. Just then a bullet passed through his helmet, and he dropped, silenced, to the floor.
The lieutenant shouted, “Two minutes to ramp down! Godspeed men, the war will be won because of our sacrifices! Make your mama proud!”
“Our task is to destroy the evil that waits beyond that beach,” a grinning soldier uttered, his lips embracing a lucky strike. Some among us may survive, no doubt. This is another war to end all wars! Our job is to kill the bastards so our women and children can live in peace! It’s really that simple. We’ll be remembered as heroes by our kinfolk!”
Their vessel now closer to shore, men were vomiting and releasing their bowels into the bilge water sloshing wildly beneath them. More than a few of the soldiers were calling out, crying out, “Mama oh mama, oh mama.”
The rumbling belly of the landing craft grounded on the beach sand, the ramp dropped like a guillotine, and man’s fate spilled forth.
CP Butchvarov
2023