Courage

The ramps hit the sand and our men poured on to the beach. Darkness covered everything and the soft sounds of small waves tumbling onto the beach is all that was heard- besides the rustling of hardened woolen soldier attire and the rattling of the metal machinery.

Our commanding officer had earlier reasserted the significance of the clash at hand. "If we stop them here, if we block their channel, we will starve their main army of supplies..."

With iron determination and eyes set, with aspirations of routing the enemy, we were all advancing. As men before me descended from the ship to the beach, an ill-timed cloud hazed my thinking. "What if..."

Abruptly, the silence was broken and machine gun fire pierced the air! My haze vanished and cries of agony echoed over the beach. The men on the beach were bowing dead to the ground in groups.

My legs kept rushing forwards, but everything in me was pushing the other way. I heard my officer shout 'Courage!'

And like never again I pushed forwards.