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Airborne Assault (Re-Post)
| Open Poetry #45 |
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Airborne Assault (Re-Post) |
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Goldenrose Member Elite
since 2003-05-30
Posts 3665
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Approaching the French coast, tracer fire rising in streams. One minute to go, then the red light, followed by green four seconds later. Hands sticky with sweat, then red light on. Red gone, then green on, clutching harness, i rush into the slipstream. Feeling a gentle tug at my shoulders, the clack of the opening canaopy, through the dark midnight i sailed, below me lay i knew not what. No moon rose in the night, our eyes already accostomed to the dark. Hitting the ground with a thud, i punched my quick release until it dropped free. Ready for what lay ahead, i stole myself for action, the night strangely quiet. We must be one of the first, no gunfire. My fellow soldiers were soon with me, we scrambled into a ditch, to await the bombing Lancasters. Humming above our heads, they came. Tearing through the air, the bombs began to fall, screaming shattered silence. Hurling ourselves to the ground, taking cover from explosions. Shaking ground and falling trees, clods of earth and opening craters. Hands on necks and arms over ears, we lay in anti-blast positions. Suddenly silence was all around, our planes gone into the distance. Now smoke and dust clung to the air, obliterating everything. Feelings of being killed at any moment, courage to overcome the fear so strong, mine fields and deep lagoons. Friends hit by machine gun fire. Loosing granades, then taking prisoners. Moaning wounded laying all about, Sten guns firing, killing the enemy. Firing until all went quiet. Shooting at close range, using bayonet, the battle moving at speed. Rising smell of cordite, thick on the air, stomach churning odour of torn flesh. This is war for freedom, war for liberation, war for good. Evil defeated, future secure. Never forget the sacrifice. This is a re-post as we remember the dead at this time of year. Dedicated to the men and women who died during World War Two. Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,while loving someone deeply gives you courage. Lao Tzu 6th century BC. |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
Fine writing...I used to work with a World War 2 veteran and he told me when he first hit the beach he was scared but the fear and the reality of the situation evolved into a determination to get the job done and go home...James |
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