The Best Moment In My Life

Bullets flying through the air right over me, my knees are shaking, and my feet are numb. I see familiar faces all around me dodging the explosives illuminating the air like lightning. Unfortunately, numerous familiar faces seem to disappear into the trenches. I try to run from the noise, but my mind keeps causing me to re-illustrate the painful memories left behind.

The storm clouds were dark, gloomy and grim like a graveyard. They were near the surface of the earth. It was going to rain. They were lingering on. The soldiers’ uniforms were repeatedly buffeted by the howling gale. The sky was as black as a devil’s soul. A large boom echoed across the crimson battlefield as the lighting returned the thunder’s call. Endless calls for help could be heard. Then, the rain started pouring down, filling up the battle field, like a flood, as the constant sound of the rain pounding on the metal could be heard. Heavy boots pressed down on the wet mud, which would not be dry for the next week, due to the trenches. The trenches were six-foot-deep and reeked of dead bodies and human excrement.

I arrive on the shores of Gallipoli my heart beating like a gun I hear the cold deafening screams of my brothers jar into my hear like a whistle. Through the mud filled trenches I walk my legs feeling impossibly cold.

All bullets were counted, beds made, uniforms cleaned, this occurred until suddenly 03:45 arrived. “Men, the time is nearly here,” my words choked as self-hatred flooded my body, “What we do here today will be remembered for generations to come, we fight today not only for ourselves, but all who we know. All our mates and family who live back home!” A faint cheer followed my speech as I steadied myself for what was to come. “We charge in 5 minutes. We charge not only for our freedom but for the freedom of our country. For the freedom of the world!” Spit filled the air from the cheer which erupted from my unit this time. A unity formed over the men, a cold malevolent sweat captured me. Who was I to send these boys to their death? A resolve set inside me, I would fight alongside my men, their lives are worth the same as mine. 04:00 “THIS IS IT MEN! WE FIGHT FOR THE WORLD!” I screamed as I led the charge. Vaulting out of the trench I saw no man’s land clearly for the first time. Death was everywhere, flies swarming the pools of blood. The land so barren of life no greenery was seen. A cold resolution set over me, it was the Germans fault, they caused

I remember the smell, the sounds, the taste of blood. I remember seeing my comrades fall beside me, the sting of the cuts. The numbness as I fell alongside them, the sadness, the tears. The price of war, I believe my father said that to me before he died. I remember being lifted and carried, I remember a laugh. Then I felt my mind slowly becoming numb, and soon my mind was consumed by the darkness. Like a wildfire it spread from the farthest of places, destroying everything in its’ path. It was over, the war was lost, hope gone; at least until today….

We all sleep and rest and eat in the trenches, but it’s not paradise. One night, the sound of loud booms woke us up. We were being attacked by some very dangerous artillery. We could feel every boom and every crack in the dirt above us. Many soldiers were not prepared for this and got sick. The attack come out of nowhere and frightened all of us.

Blind to the truth of what really happens. It’s times like this where I am forever grateful for the experience I have already been faced with gruesome events. Yet that hateful feeling of dread continues to tower over me each and every day. It’s challenging to recall what it was like for me the first I set foot on the battle field, as it seems like a lifetime ago. I suppose that I have lived a lifetime in these trenches. I wish that with every enemy I shoot it shall not say with me. A constant reminder of our sacrifices, I’m on edge as it feels like a continuous want for death. Bewildered as to when it will strike again shaken by the fact that it could be me carried away, or left in the barbarous

Even though the drill sergeant told us to keep our heads down, I couldn’t help but peek my head up just to see what is out the window. All I saw was the beautiful blue sky with no clouds in site, and the sun just smiling down on us. The bus stopped at the destination, and I felt my heart stopped as if it was the last time I ever get to see the world. Out of nowhere the same drill sergeant with the mega phone was outside of my bus and started yelling at us with all his might. We could sense fear and terror in the atmosphere as the drill sergeant started pull us out of the bus one by one. The closer I got to the drill sergeant the clearer I got to see every vein and artery throbbing out of his neck and for every word he said you can see them pumping a heartbeat. Once I was able to get my focus from all the scatterings another drill sergeant was yelling at me to run up this hill that look as if it was Mount Rushmore but covered in grass and surrounded by privates but in a far distance look like ants. So I ran to the top acting like it was the end of my life and that I running away from the bulls like how the Spaniards do when they have their annual running with the bulls. Running to the top of the hill was harder than excepted. After finally reaching the top I stopped to catch my breath for my lungs felt as if they’re balloons and someone squeezed all the air out of

I feel a cold chill as I slide my helmet down my greasy black hair. As I rub my right hand over the smooth metal of my handgun. I listen to the crashing water bashing into the side of the boat. Suddenly it stops, to create an eerie silence. We’re here. I kneel down and tighten the laces of my boots. As I let go of the laces, I realise that my hands are shaking unbearably. I still can’t believe that this is happening and a part of me wishes that I was back home or that I could just stay on the boat as everyone else invades Cobblers Bay. The sound of the heavy thud of boots echoes throughout the room as my comrades climb up the ladder. Christian quietly sobs as we prepare are gear. We met at school and have been friends ever since. He never wanted to join the army but he had no other choice as he was a conscript like me.

I stiffened in horror, I felt the blood in my body just pause out of sheer terror of what was coming. I could hear my beating heart in my ears when the soldiers looked up as well, it almost seemed in slow motion when the bounty hunter lifted his gun. And shot the very branch I was standing on down, I was lucky to not have been hit with the bullet. But I was very, very unlucky getting caught. I felt the cold, harsh grasp of the metal shackles hug my wrists. The warm hunter's hand pressed on my small back, and I was forced forward. The other hand had hold of the shackle's chain. Everything I promised... Everything I hoped for, I felt it melt away into all but a sad dream as I was pushed the other way. I knew what was coming; a welcome back "home"... for

A bitter coldness whips around your face in the harshness of the battered war. A snap of wind turning your already paled and dirt splattered face a frozen, cold red. Battered men bid to live on to the next battle.Vital blood that once was contained in a soldier’s body, now lingers, dryly splattered across your dull green colored uniform. Smiles of your once alive brother drills itself into your head. Their memory hitches onto your brain like a remora catching a ride with a shark.

Shells exploded all around us, peppering us with shrapnel. Over the past months, I’d watched friends, enemies, and innocent bystanders die. Every time someone fell, I felt the briefest flicker of guilt. Had it been my bullet? Was more blood on my hands? Some nights I yelled, hoping more than just God and the stars would hear me; some nights I cried, praying no one was listening. Around me, I saw grown men falling to bits, their nightmares screaming them back to reality as they echoed through the trenches. Reality was no better than their nightmares.

I sprang up ran outside only to see everyone standing around at the bottom of the tower smoking and talking; it was just a test fire. Later that day we received a brief from the platoon that we were replacing about how things in the area had been going, and how much contact they had been taking lately. I turned to one of the privates from the unit we were replacing and asked him, “How much contact have you guys been taking lately?” He looked at me and smiled as he walked off. Our brief included a tour of the COP and all of the watch towers that we had to man at all times during the day as well as dismounted patrols through the neighboring ridgelines and villages. As the day drew to an end, I saw the guys we were replacing start to put on their plate carriers and grab their weapons to go sit near the towers. I was confused, so I asked, “Are you guys heading out now?” One of the team leaders looked at me and explained how they had been taking contact every day for the past few months at sundown. As soon as he told me I ran to go grab my plate carrier and go wait near the mortar pit with my rifle. As the sun began to set back behind the ridgeline that faced us, there was an eerily calming breeze that filled the air. For a moment I almost began to think Afghanistan would be a nice place for camping up in the mountains with your family. My short mental vacation was abruptly ended by the sound of automatic machine gun fire followed by the north tower yelling, “Contact!” before unloading into a mountainside across from him with the M2 .50 Caliber machine gun that was mounted on a tripod. My mind was overwhelmed with different reactions and feelings all at once. I was scared, pissed off, excited, and confused all at the same time. I started to panic for a second until I took a deep breath and remembered what I has been trained to do. I ran to the mortar pit and

At 6:30 a.m, I started my morning off by listening to my favorite Fifth Harmony song while brushing my teeth. I was singing at the top of my lungs because I was so pumped for what was to come. Nothing and no one could take this moment away from me. All of my blood, sweat, and tears were about to finally pay off. Today was the day that I signed to Midwestern State University with no regrets. The countdown was on. Seven hours until the biggest moment of my life. Five years. I had been cheerleading for five years. My parents had invested every ounce of time and money into my cheer career and this was my chance to show them that it wasn’t a waste. I couldn’t wait to see my parents reaction as I sign the paper, knowing that their only daughter was going to be the first to go to college on scholarship. The entire day was a blur except for 3:00 p.m. I had my own little section decorated with Midwestern gear. I had my high school cheer uniform to represent my past, and my Midwestern State University uniform to represent my future. There were pictures of me scattered across the table with my letter of intent in the middle. It was time. I was so excited, there was a huge smile plastered on my face. I had all the people that meant the most to me in the room to watch me make the biggest decision of my life. As I sat there in anticipation of what was to come, my coach was giving a speech about what I had done for the program, and how I had grown over the years. When she was

Not too long ago, I was high in the sky looking down at the white fluffy clouds below me wondering where my life was headed next. My decisions and everything else that came to mind, mainly wondering if being there in that moment was best for me. I kept looking around at others, maybe someone to talk too just to get my mind off of things, but instead told myself that nobody wants to talk about here. My mind doesn’t stop, I’m constantly thinking about the good, bad, and the ugly. So I pressed a button, then a lady appeared with a ginger ale and pretzels. I snacked then decided to sleep it off until we landed.