the life of an American war hero

         In 1942 the Japanese had struck the United States of America. We were devastated after that attack After Pearl Harbor we went to war with japan for three years. After we declared war on japan we declared war on Germany. In 1943 the Allies had invaded normandy. Follow Jonathan Lawson as he serves his country during the war.

         I was on a train heading for boot camp when we stopped to pick up some more people who signed up. Three people came back and set next to me. They introduced themselves as Ben, Alex, and Josh. I introduced my self back. Ben asked me where I was from and I told him "Coalgate, Oklahoma". Alex and Josh were playing checkers and gambling with each other over who would win that match. I asked Ben where he was from. He said "I am from Oklahoma City." Josh and Alex laid head to toe so they could go to sleep, but Ben and I stayed up all night talking. The morning after we left, we started to pass some dessert area. The heat from outside made it burning up in the train.
         We traveled all the way to Los Angeles. From L.A., we marched to a bootcamp near San Francisco. At the front gate we met the D.I. or (drill Instructor). The D.I. was mean as the devil himself. The D.I. introduced himself as SGT. Josh. Sgt. Josh told us to march to the mess hall where we ate breakfast. No one warned us that we had to eat all the food we put on the tray until Alex got caught dumping some grits, and the kitchen chef maid him eat it off the floor like a dog. After we left the mess hall we went to the bunk room. Sgt. John told us that we will have to take care of our room and keep it clean, and if we didn't that we would have to jog 10 miles. A few months had passed and then we finally went to the rifle range. We were handed the Springfield 09. I wrote to my mother and she wrote back but she was ticked that I had joined. She told me that she is having a hard time keeping up with my little brother Cris. Next thing I knew, we were sent to a camp to learn Ju Jitsu.
         After a week, we were sent home for a seventy two hour period. Ben and I went to my place two visit my mom because his mom is in a mental hospital. When we got to my place, my mom was standing outside with Cris. She didn't look like she was sad, but rather happy I was home. When we got inside, she had a big home cooked meal on the table. So we ate dinner then we had some vanilla cake. It was so good we ate all of it up. Later Ben and I went back and met up with Alex and Josh. Alex and I went to a night club and met up with two girls. One was 21 the other 22. The 21 year old was my date. She had long, thick black hair. She told me that her name is Katy and she had previously won Miss America.  Katy and I talked for hours. I told her I was in the United States Army Rangers. Katy told me she was in the W.A.T.S..
         The next day Ben, Alex, Josh, and I all shipped out. Ben and I were down in our cells playing blackjack. Alex and Josh were up top on the deck sea sick. After a few days we were at Okinawa, finally the wait is over or at least I thought so.
         Turns out that I was going to Normandy. It was no surprise to me that I was going there. I was loading up on a ILS aka infantry landing ship when I tripped and fell.
Dear mom
      To my surprise I had learned that we were were going to England to help with the invasion of Normandy. It was a very big shock to me to find this out. I thought I was going to help with the Japanese campaign. It never dawned on me that I might end up fighting in Europe, but I guess it can't be any worse than the Japanese. From what I hard the Germans are way easier than the Japanese. Well we just set off for the beaches. Someone told me that the next time we will see land is when the Germans are firing on us, but I bet we will see just one German U Boat. From what Ben told me you should be worried if you see one. I have to end this letter now mom.
your always loving son Sgt. Lawson.
P.S. please send some cherry pie.
         I woke up today and then I started to take a walk when my platoon leader told me to stop. He told me that if I started to walk alone I could get ambushed by the Germans. So I turned around and started to walk back to the safety of the beach camp. But while I was walking back two Germans jumped in front in front of me, but they were running from something but what. I found out that it was just an American M4 Sherman tank. I kind of thought it was funny till the m4 Sherman was blown up. A piece of shrapnel came millimeters from hitting me. I started to run away from whatever had blown the M4 Sherman.
         I turned around and looked and it was a Tiger tank. It was so massive it made a Sherman look like an ant. Its gun was huge, and it made me want to scream mommy. I ran away from the tank. It started to chase me and then the front right track broke and there apparently there was only one person which was in it because he was the only one to get out. When the German got out he took a pistol and started to shoot at me. I took a Browning 30 cal. I shot him with three shots and took of his legs, and used another shot to finish him. That Tiger tank had really scared me, but I knew I would have over come my fears if I was ever to be really good at being a soldier.
         Later that day we started to march down a road along beside the tanks. The tanks made feel safe, even though I saw how easy it was blown up by the mighty Tiger tank. We stopped at a small town were we had to wait for the artillery bombardment to stop. It took hours for it to stop. My platoon leader said it was because the Germans were stubborn and dangerous, and they like to lay ambushes in the streets.
Just today I finally saw Alex. He had been killed by a MG42. I saw him and I bursted out into tears. Ben got moved to my squad which was good for me so I had a close friend to talk to, but Ben did not talk to me much because I was usually giving commands because I was nearly a Corporal. Which was good because I watched over the whole platoon including Ben. This is good because I had the authority to keep Ben with me.
I woke up this morning wanting to see John because one of my superiors told me that I would have John in my platoon along with Ben and someone else named Shan. So I halted my platoon today because the tanks ran out of fuel so I could help protect them. Finally when they started to advance it was dusk and since all my guys were on foot we had to make a choice to stay or to march on with the rest of the platoons. We voted to stay till Dawn.
         I told the men that we would march double time to catch up to the rest of the platoons. So while they were marching once we got caught up to the rest of the platoons I got a Jeep. Of course since Ben and John were my closest friends here they got to ride with me. John was on the 50cal in the back and Ben in the front. We were driving down the road in front of the rest of the platoons when we came under fire. It looked like a giant wall of yellow. It killed three of my men, if it wasn't for the tanks that were there at the time I would have watched more men. I found out why we did not see it coming was because two of the men who was suppose to have been paying attention to the Left side of the road were not doing nothing but talking. I bet they thought I was the devil after what I made them do for not doing what they were suppose to have been doing that cost

me three men.
         This morning was so cold I told my men to get a fire going since we were 70 miles farther than the rest of the army. The reason why we were so far ahead was because we had marched all night. The Germans tried to ambush us but I had split my platoon to cover the camp in a circle. This was an ideal formation for me because everybody in my platoon is armed with two types of weapons. They are armed with the browning 30cal and the m1911 aka the colt 45. The Jerries tried to attack from the south but everyone in there squad was ether KIA or captured. So far we have captured 900 germans in a month. A squad from the tank core (lead by my friend General Patton was) was sent to meet up with us to establish connections. This surprised me at first because no one told me. Since I did note know that it was our tanks I almost radioed in a air strike on the tanks. I was glad I didn't because, if I would have I would have been court marshaled.
         This morning me, Ben, and Josh were riding in my Jeep when Ben on the 50can seen a lot of Germans. There must have been at least twenty of them all in one line. Ben let the lead fly down range at the Germans. They scattered like fly to get to cover. The started to fire back but there was only one German to survive Ben's onslaught of bullets the first time. After he saw this he started to run. Sadly he was running right n front of me. My one of my platoon sergeants shot him down cold. I started to walk down the rode with a couple of my men when we saw are second Tiger tank. We came up from be hind it. The drivers must have been asleep because no one noticed. So we opened the hatch and through a flash bang down inside the tank. When we heard it go off we came in and shot the to drivers who were walking around in circles. There was bullets bouncing left and right. One of the bullets came within millimeters of hitting my eye. So I commanded my men out of the tank for a bit. So we all got out.  Later that day I met up with General Patton were he ranked me up to general, but while I was on my way up there I heard gun shots. I went over there were the gun shots were, and I dropped crying. John and Ben was captured with twenty other men, and I took a casualty of a close friend that I didn't really think that much of because I thought he was indestructible, which was Jack. After that day I vowed to get revenge I would one way or another. I spent months planning how to get Ben, John, and the other twenty men I lost and how I would get them back, and how I would avenge Jack's death, and make sure he did not die in vain. I remember how Jack was my first Sgt. He kept me alive and how I didn't return the favor. I wanted to return it but how I couldn't. I told myself that I would not ever forgive the Germans who killed Jack. I told myself that I will find Ben, John, and all the other men of mine who where captured. I told my self how I will avenge all my men and friends who died in this darn war. I told myself that no price of money can every replace even one man. When I told my self these things I mad sure I done them. I told myself that I would avenge Jack and get all my men back or die trying.
         
A month later

         To day I was ranked up to brigadier general. They told me I could stay with my troops on the battle field, and I jumped on the chance to stay on the battle field with my troops. I was told I was commanding 300 tanks, 1,738 infantry, 390 p-51 mustang, well over 13,000 flying fortes bombers,5,934 recon planes,700 p-40s, 900 heavy bombers,500 anti tank guns,578 Bofor AA gun, 1,756 large range, 492 medium range, and 70 short range howitzers for bombarding towns before I send the infantry into the towns. They told me there giving me this much to handle because I could keep them motivated, and I could keep them alive. It was a big challenge for me but I think it is a good challenge for me. This time I knew I was up to the challenge. I also went to talk to each of my new men, and you could never guess who one of my platoon leaders was. One of my platoon leaders was Alex. I hugged him and told him that Jack had got killed, and Ben and John was captured with twenty other men. He asked me what had happened and I told him. He asked me what had happened and I told him that Ben, John, and twenty other of my men doing there rounds when they were ambushed. He punched me telling me that it was my fault that they were dead. He said that it was my fault that the Germans even came within range to kill them. I told them there was nothing I could have done. Then he tripped and he fell right in front of the way of a ambushing Panther tank who probable thought our base was a small base and got blown up within seconds of killing Alex. I felt like it was my fault that he died. If I would have never told him he would have never ran and tripped in the wrong place at the wrong time. I went to my tent and cried so hard that I fell asleep.
          Today we started to march to some small town in France that I don't know the name of. I told the howitzers to let loose. Then I sent one tank in and there was a few mg nest. I told the tanks to  go though the town. One of the tanks took heavy mg fire. It blown a hole the size of a bus getting through it. Then I sent all my forces through the town to push through to the next town. I got in one of the 700 captured Tiger tanks that we had captured at the lose of 2 men who got ran over when one of the Tigers suddenly backed up. The Pentagon told me they would be putting more troops under my command. I told them that I could handle them if they were not stubborn and that since I have lost only 23 men out of over 23,000 men, and those losses weren't from combat, they were from capturing tanks.

"Dear mom
         I have been doing good. I hope you have been ok. I have a feeling that I am about to have more men under my command. I hope I do because from what I heard some of the other generals are more of a risker types of generals than I am. I also know that the more men I get under my command the more men I am saving. I feel kind of bad because I have lost 21 men from a few weeks of combat. I think they would still salute me if they were to somehow magically come back to life because I was one of the generals that did not care about the amount we take out or the amount of victories we have, all I care about is wining this war and the amount of men I return to there families. In my opinion the best victory to this war is returning the men back to there families. I would rather die than have any casualties. Well how is Cris behaving? Write me back once you get the chance.
Your loving son
brigadier General Lawson."
         After I got done writing my letter to my mom since I don't have a girl friend I went to my cabin. We was In the worst place at the worst time. It was like a giant snow wall outside. So I told my men to get in there tents and figure out a way to stay warm. I had a mobile wooden cabin so it had a chimney. I started to think though and realized that it was a perfect time to go father behind enemy lines and maybe catch a German POW camp off guard since we never move in this weather so I commanded my hole ground force to move on the base after putting on white coat and pants that I had people put on in there spare time. After that we moved in on a German POW camp I had counted my loses. I had lost 1 man and had gained 900. Out of all of them I had found Ben and John. I was so happy I asked out one of the female nurses. She told me yes and slapped me for not asking her sooner because she said she had a crush on me since 1943. I was so happy, but my face hurt, it felt like a fire was burning on the left side of my face. Despite how bad the left side of my face hurt I was still happy. I went over to Ben and John and hugged them both. I told them how know I was a brigadier General. I told them how know they were now from this day on Sgt.Ben and Sgt.John. I still to this day think that I was lucky to find them. After why got done celebrating we started to set up defenses and went into cabins. An hour later I hear Boom Boom Boom. The Anti- tank guns were firing on a Tiger. The first shell had hit the track and tore it up. The second hit the front armor and pinged off. The third shot hit the Tiger's side armor because the Tiger was spinning since we hit it's track. The Tiger caught on fire, like a pile of wood with gasoline lit by a match.  I went over to the Tiger where the men were getting out. Out of the whole 4 men in the Tiger only two  survived. We took him as our POW and went back to camp. When we got back to camp Ben told me that the Jerry we captured was the one who killed Jack, and the other who drove over Alex. Just think of what this made me want to do. So I went into the cabin we was holding one of them in with Ben and John and we beet him to the point he was almost dead. The only reason why we did not beat him to death was because a MP officer came in and got us off him. Remember when I told you that I told myself that I would not let the person who killed Alex get away with it.  So we went to the other cabin were the person who ran over Alex get way with it and then told him to fess up with the plans they were about to do. He told us that he would never tell us so we beet him up so bad we almost put him in coma, but they good news was that he told us everything. Since he told us everything we could set up our defenses in that particular particular area. In the particular area that they were suppose to send the tanks I put 5 of my anti tank guns but I spread the rest of them out. And just as I predicted the prisoner had lied. The germans sent 90 Panzers to attack and he told me 7 panthers. Even though they had 90 tanks I had  501 anti tank guns so we destroyed them. They last few tanks started to retreat, but ever since I saw what they would dew if they got the chance I told my men if they see even one German still living capture him or kill him. So we destroyed the tanks so they did not get away and live. Some of my men told me it was very cruel so I told them "You think it is cruel that I am making all of them pay for killing my friends, your friends, your family, your families friends? So you think that I am cruel for giving them a taste of there own medicine? They show no mercy so why should I?" And he said."Because you don't need to bring yourself down to there level. Your used to be better than them now your so cruel you kill any of the Jerrys that are in the German Army. Thats why I am telling you your cruel and this is just wrong sir. Do you see what I am saying sir." I told him he was right and that it was cruel to do what there doing to our men, but we were not that low of men and that we never should be. By the time I got to bed and laid down it was nearly midnight.
         When I woke up Ben was cooking and the rest of the men was eating except my new girlfriend Gatara who shares a cabin with me. I woke her up and told her it was time to eat. She woke up changed and went to the dinning hall. I decided that all my men would wait and build a airfield so we could launch planes. We build a dirt part on top with a wooden cover so when it rained it would not wash away. It took us 5 hours to build it but it was worth it. First thing I did was launch one hundred fighters to escort 1,000 Flying Fortress. I told my bombers to destroy one of the German tank factories to help secure a chance for all of our men to move in. I flown back to Washington to confirm it with the Pentagon about my plans to bomb this tank factory. They told me it was ok as long as it was not on the Russian's side of Berlin. I told them it was right on the border and that my men would have to fly on there side to turn around and head back to our airfield. They told me I would have to ask Joseph Stalin. So I flew back to my base to find our that the Germans tried to kill me but killed John thinking it was me. I told them that they should have put the Germans down before they even had a chance to kill John. They told me it was a spy. Worried for my life I told the men to check identities before letting anyone see me. I told Ben that in an assassination attempt against me the Jerrys had killed John and that it was just me and him know. I offered to send him home, but he told me not to just to stay. So I told him that I would not send him to combat because if I loose him I have lost my one last true friend over hear, and that I would never have a friend thats been my friend as long as him if I let him survive. So he told me that he seen my point and wanted to stay so I appointed him as my chief cook. Later I went to Russia, but before I left I told my men to shoot anything wearing German uniforms. I left for Russia after I got some food. The flight to Russia took me three hours. I left at 1:00 p.m. and got there at 4:00 p.m. I started talking to Stalin and he told me I could perform the bombing raid as long as I kept my men from going even a mile in his territory. So we shook hands and I left for my plane. I got on the plane and was about to leave when Stalin made me a undeniable deal.He told me I could become his lead general if I joined his army today. I told him the only way I would was if Ben could come to, and if he would give me a translator. He told me no absolutely not. So I told him I would not join him, and then I left. It was 7:30p.m. before I got back to camp.
         Today I gave the command to my some of my bombers and over a quarter of all my fighters to go bombard the tank factory in Berlin. After I gave the command to my bombers I went outside because I heard gunshots. I saw that a squad of Wafin SS had penetrated through seven miles of camp. They saw me and started to shoot at me. They hit me in the left leg and the right foot. I still got in the cabin though. I pulled out a  B.A.R. and started to shoot. I shot two in they head one in the thigh and the other in the ribs. I think I hit the who I shot in the ribs heart because he dropped dead. I had lost several men. I after I saw this I told my fighters not to leave a single Axis plane they saw in the sky.
         ...to be continued...