The Unsung Heroes

The dull gray transport boat rocked violently as a wave crashed into the boat torrents of water flying into the boat. Several men vomited from sea sickness as the boat steadily continued on. Sergeant Ryan S. Mcnale took out a crumpled photo. It showed a beautiful blond women with a clean row of white teeth. He closed his eyes and wondered if he would ever return. He looked forward across the sea. The wind whipping his face. Omaha Beach....the so called walk in the park the talk in the mess hall was the defenders would probably wet their pant when they arrived. He doubted that as he saw the towering hundred feet high fortresses it was like they were emitting an evil aura there was something different about this battle he just couldn't remember what. HE coughed and look up. He wiped some water as he look at his men They were dirty and were drenched from head to toe. HE started talking.

"Alright we'll rendezvous at the beach. Find cover and get a move on don't let those Germans see you or else your dead. As soon as you clear the stretch regroup and wait for those Sherman to bust through the wire." The 5 men saluted and looked back anticipation in their eye. The men had been waiting for months for a crack at those Germans and that chance was finally here as the sailor screamed

"CLEAR THE RAMP!!!" The ramp dropped and the first wave of troop suddenly ran down the clang of metal as dozens of heavy boots cleared the ramp. He heard the steady fire as a machine gun let it loose. He waved his hand forward and the men ran for it taking cover behind the tank barriers. HIs eyes scanned the beach quickly always looking for another place to take cover. Bullets flew right next to him throwing sand every which direction all around him as a German had his sight on him. He heard terrible screams for home and for their moms as soldiers took agonizing hits but did not die. Blood seeped through the sand and made their mark on his shoe he wiped his forehead nervously looking up wondering if he would survive. A deafening sound was heard behind him as an artillery shell hit not 3 feet away causing a huge explosion making a pitch black crater. He flew through the air his helmet went flying while his arms swung around aimlessly. He landed feeling like he had broken every bone in his body. He got up and groaned picking up his rifle and wiping some sand off of it. He looked up the sound drained away from his ear as he steadily got up blood dripping from a scratch on his face were a piece of shrapnel has skimmed through. He saw a man his chest wide open covered with blood. A medic sadly closed his eyes whispered something softly and injected a needle. The man went limp and the medic moved on. He looked to the other side a trembling man in a crawling position eyes closed holding a cross between his arms sobbing and silently praying for forgiveness. He got up and sound returned his men were waiting

"----do sir" He quickly thought.

"Take cover damn it!!!" he screamed. He dove forward his men not far behind. He looked at a nervously sweating boy fumbling with his large and clumsy radio. He screamed.

"Were are those Sherman we were promised!!"

"Sir those Shermans were permanently delayed we aren't getting any heavy support anytime soon!!"

"Just great" he muttered as he looked at the hundred of dead and mangled corpses of men on the field and wondered how human beings could do this to each other.

"So no tanks huh?" he muttered He would have to suffice for the next best thing

"Bandoleers we need some Bandoleers front and center"
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Private Frank S.O'Patrick looked up from his position and took a peek from the top of the tank barrier and grabbed his stick of dynamite. A man grabbed him and quickly pulled him down

"Get your head down moron or their gonna shoot it off they already got Freddy" He silently looked away from the lifeless corpse shaking he remembered that horrifying moment where Freddy was just taking a peek and before they knew it his head was blown off. He discarded that thought and looked at his friend Chuck and grinned.

"Showtime, were in business" Chuck grabbed another end of the long thin bright red and surprisingly heavy stick of dynamite and in the other hand clutched a pistol. He ran for it chaos going on all around him. The target was close a group of men huddled behind the barbed wire. They sprinted forward Chuck emptying a few .45 clips at the machine gun emplacements hoping to get a lucky hit. He dove down behind a mound of sand behind the barbed wire holding back puking as he saw a man dieing his arm blown Medics were all over him. He was screaming for his brother and mom holding a crumpled note. He let go of the dynamite and let Chuck take over as he watched the scene mesmerized. He watched as a senior medic screamed at his accomplice

"Morphine damn it more Morphine." He injected a needle and wrapped a cloth around the arm

"We stopped the bleeding sir it stopped!!" They silently cheered but blood suddenly spurted through damping the cloth red.

"He a goner" muttered a medic sadly he wiped away a tear from his blood covered face and injected a small needle into the man's leg. The man lay on the ground shaking for a few second coughing up some blood saying a few last words and then went limp soon after. Frank readily turned around but was consumed by a explosion of blood sand and shrapnel. Apparently he hadn't heard the FIRE IN THE HOLE cry as they lit the dynamite.....

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"Lets move!!" Mcnale said waving his hand forward. He let a couple of soldiers run in front of him and sadly watched as tripped on several mines causing a huge explosion. He felt some blood and sand spray on him and wiped it off disgusted as he realized there were chunks of bone mixed in. He watched as a man was blown in half and there was that 1 agonizing moment when he was still alive screaming. They dove against the wall of the fortress. His breath came in short gasps as he started walking to wards the corner. They were right under the machine gun emplacements that were 100 feet up. A few men hooted with laughter as they shot their gun up and watched as a few voices screamed something in German. He steadily continued on to the corner and glared at the men ordering them to conserve their ammo. Mirror he screamed. A man held out a glass on a stick. He looked around the corner and held up 5 fingers and made an oval with them. The men understood. 5 Germans in sandbag cover.

"Alright Hoover, Harrison and Haverson you’re up!!!" The men readied themselves clutching their rifle ready to spring in an instant around the corner to wards the German sandbag emplacement.

"COVERING FIRE!!" he screamed as he put his rifle around the corner and fired blindly at the Germans. The men instantly sprinted around the corner clutching their rifles tightly and panting. He flinched as he heard several machine guns open fire on the soldiers.

"Yukos, hey you over there ya you, you guys are up next." he said. The men braced themselves.

"COVERING FIRE!!!"

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Sheer terror gripped Private Harry J. Hoover as he ran clutching his M1 Garand in his arms. The steady crunch of his boot on the sand. The steady sound of the machine gun. The sound of officers trying desperately to get control of their men. Those were sounds he hoped he would never hear again. He silently cursed as he tripped on a rock bullet flying over his head where he had just been second ago he didn't have time to recover and rolled to the side as a machine gun took aim. He got up as the German was reloading and ran silently clutching his helmet making sure it was on his head. He silently kissed the cross tightly wrapped around his knuckles as he sprinted. Bullets slammed into the sand next to him. He was terrified as he imagined those bullets digging into his flesh painfully and slowly not letting him die. All he ever wanted to be was a normal person not a soldier. He ran and dove behind a mound of sand hidden from the German view. His hand was shaking. He steadied his hand as he brought up the M1 Garand and aimed. He was sweaty and wiped his hand on his ragged and dirty uniform as he tried to will himself to shoot and kill a man. He looked for a target and saw one a short man screaming something leaning against the sand bag. He just couldn't do it. He recited a verse he had learned in church to try to give him strength.

"But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head." He said the final word closed his eyes not bothering to aim and fired the recoil kicking him in the shoulder. The bullet struck true hitting a grenade resulting in the sandbag emplacement exploding in a fireball of flame and shrapnel he heard the screams and just sat there silently wide eyed not believing what he had just done. The men cheered and ran from cover the final obstacle to victory breached.