[RandyShughart]

Kamerad

“Nein! We can not hold much longer! The Americans are breaching our defenses! Bring the panzers up to the beach now!!!”

“We cannot move the panzers without the Fuhrer’s direct orders! Hold your post Captain!”

“Dammit!” I yelled as I threw down the radio microphone.

“Captain! We have to get out of here! The MG42s are badly overheated! We’re practically out of ammunition!”, Private Klaus yelled as he fired his machine gun onto the beach.

I walked over to the firing window and looked out onto the beach. What must’ve been thousands of Americans were storming up the beach and through our minefields, seemingly oblivious to the carnage around them.

“They’re not afraid sir! They keep coming!” Pvt. Wagner screamed over the deafening gunfire.

I remained silent for a few seconds. Then I gave the order.

“Retreat! Move into the hedgerows!”

I moved to the radio room to advise headquarters that I was pulling back. When I got there, I heard one of my countrymen in another sector on the radio.

“We are totally out of ammunition! Our machine guns are exhausted! We ask that the panzers be brought…”

Static interrupted him, but then he came back on.

“Americans are in the bunker! They are in the bunker!! Can anyone hear me?! Please he…”

I heard more static, but the radio operator never came back on.

“WN HQ, this is WN 62. We’re falling back. We’ve taken over 75% casualties.”

“WN 62, we urge you to stay. But we understand your situation.”

“Thank you WN HQ.”

“Good luck, mein freund.”

I looked over to my men, who were covered from the dust shaken from the ceiling by the American naval shells.
“Alright” I said to them solemnly, “Follow me. Stick to the trenches. Do not get out.”

Another artillery shell landed near the bunker, showering us with more dust. I began leading my men out of the bunker. Gunfire was still coming up from the beach and Americans were beginning to reach the bluff. We followed the trenches until we came upon an exit that was about 100 yards away from a forest, where we would be able to set up a good defense position. I told the men,

“Okay. We have about 100 meters of open terrain to cross before we can get to the forest. Move fast. Don’t stop or turn back, and, for God’s sake, don’t bunch up. If you follow my orders, you should be able to make it. Are you ready?”

They looked tired, like they had been through hell. In some ways, they had. They looked down the barrels of those American naval guns as they fired a volley of truck-sized shells towards them. They fired endless amounts of bullets into American landing craft with no effect that we could see. Their friends were dead; their spirits broken. The only drive they had was to stay alive.

We broke for the forest. As we were running I kept yelling,

“Spread it out! Don’t bunch up! Keep moving, don’t stop!”

Suddenly, explosions from the ships off shore blanketed the area. The first few shells were hitting in the woods, but then came closer and closer to us. Then, one shell hit a small squad in front of me. Nothing was left of them. More and more shells were raining down, then stopped. At that time, American infantry began cutting my comrades down with heavy small arms fire. One squad made it to the woods and was encouraging those of us left in the field. I was almost there when I felt three hard shoves from behind me. I couldn’t breathe. I feel to my knees. When I looked down, my hand was covered in my own blood.

“Kamerad! Don’t shoot!” I heard from some of my comrades who were also wounded.

“Medic! We need a medic up here now! We got a wounded Kraut!” an American yelled.

When the American medic reached me, he eased me onto my back. Another American, who I would assume was their commander, walked up to me, knelt down, and grabbed my blood-soaked hand as pain began to spread through my body. I began choking on something that was coming out of my mouth. I reached up and discovered it was blood. I thought it was a good time, so I pulled out my rosary and began to pray. Soon, I felt as if I hadn’t a care in the world and I closed my eyes. This was the end of the war for me.

It may not be totally historically accurate, but I did my best. I tried to make it entertaining as well. Tell me if ya like.