I was rudely awakened by an abrupt bump. I scrambled out of my bunk, nearly tripping, as I wondered what was going on. I heard footsteps and Chik rushed into my room. 'We've hit a sandbar,' he said. I knew this meant we were near land. I ran up the steps four at a time to get to the deck. It was still the middle of the night. Everyone was running to the bow of our boat to board the landing craft. Amidst the confusion and chaos, I still managed to follow Chik and Cobra. I hopped into the landing craft, wishing that I was a confident as other soldiers looked. 'This is it, the real thing,' Lieutenant Sweet yelled at us. I nervously waited for our landing craft to come close to shore. 'Jerry may have staged an ambush,' he said. 'Jerry' was our nickname for German soldiers. 'Duck down low, so the bullets don't rip you to shreds.' Made sense to me- I planned on getting home in one piece. My gun's handle was slick from sweat.
Our boat made a clunk as it hit the sand, and my heart jumped as my body did onto the shore. Following Lieutenant Sweet, we ran onto the beach and crept down low, blending into the shadows of the night. He signaled for us to crouch. 'Raise your weapons and be alert at all times,' Sweet whispered. We did what we were told as he led us up the beach and for a few minutes the beach was unmoving. The only sounds were waves swishing on shore. All of the sudden, a shadow leapt out from behind a rock. Hundreds of bullets pierced the air. Sweet cried out and slumped down near me. Boiling blood rushed through my veins and I went berserk. Even though he had discriminated so much against us, right now he was my comrade and he could be dead. I screamed in anger and stood up. I shot into the shadow that was hanging in the night, hoping to kill the assailant. More gunfire erupted around our platoon and the next minutes passed in a blur of fire and gunshots. When I look back now I cannot tell how many people I killed.
As I gained control of myself, I looked up and saw a tank rolling over a hill. I heard a huge explosion but I was already diving onto the sand. Many not-so-lucky men fell to the ground, lifeless. I lay gasping for air in the sand as more gunfire rang out and grenades exploded. Then I picked myself up and rushed to my friends' aid. Seconds later, almost in slow motion, I saw Chik reloading his gun as a group of Germans aimed at him. I tried to scream but it was too late. A barrage of bullets ripped through him and threw him to the sand. This can't be happening! I thought. I almost tried to attack the group, but I realized that it was too dangerous to do such a thing. Instead, I stayed by Chik's side.
First I saw the crumpled bodies, and then an explosion returned my attention to the battle. I looked up to see the group of Germans had broken up. I stood up and fired till my gun was out of ammo. In my fury for Chik and Lieutenant Sweet, I hurled my gun into the darkness and picked up another from a fallen soldier. Machine gun fire rang through the night, but then' I was thrown back. I felt like someone had just hit me in the chest with a hammer. I felt it again, except in my arm. I looked down and saw with dread a crimson stain spreading through my clothes. I only had time to grip Herbie's good luck charm before the agony hit me like a train crash and I faded into a blissful darkness
I woke up in a hospital. I first heard someone saying 'He's waking! What are we-,' before being cut off. I opened my eyes and saw a nurse. I was lying in a pure-white bed. My first thought was food. I felt like I hadn't eaten for days. I asked the nurse for a meal. Strangely, she seemed eager to get out of the room. I then noticed pain in my arm and chest. I remembered my wounds from the battle. I was grateful to be alive but I still felt pain and stiffness. When she returned a few minutes later with a bowl of chicken soup she seemed reluctant to wait by my bedside. As I practically inhaled the soup, a feeling of dread suddenly overcame me and I choked. Where were Chik and Lieutenant Sweet?! Were they ok? 'How are Chik and Lieutenant Sweet?' I blurted out. 'Oh, the Lieutenant is fine,' the nurse said quickly. 'He was shot once, but there will be no lasting damage. Also, you will be getting the Purple Heart! That means you are going home!' She tried to smile. I was so happy. Then I remembered. 'But what about Chik?' I asked, not sure if I wanted to know the answer. The nurse opened her mouth to talk. 'He' he is' well' see'' Then she started sobbing. 'He is DEAD!' And she rushed out of the room. I fell to the bed, stunned. But I knew it was true. I replayed the moment in my head. Even then, I had known he was not going home. I started crying. How would I go home without him? What would his parents and Helen and Fumi think? I knew it would be years until I stopped missing him. But I could comfort them by telling them that he was no coward. He died for his country.