The Soldier

Part title

I wasn't in college. I wasn't rich. I lived on an old, run-down farm, and I had just been drafted. I was terrified, mostly because I was only 18. My life hasn't begun and I have to go to war. When I received the letter, I was told me I was picked because I was born in 1947, and unfortunately anyone born from 1940-1950 was off to fight in the war.
"Now Ken, if you run off to avoid war, you will be labeled a coward." explained my mother, I don't know how she always knew what I was thinking.
"Mother, I don't want to fight, I want to leave!" Every time I tried to reason with her, she would just neglect to listen. What she said was always final.
"Have you told your father about the draft?"
"Not yet, I have just received it."
"Well, come on," she urged, "I will take you to the draft board."

As we proceeded to the draft board, I was terribly nervous. I was afraid of what was to come during the war. Would I return home, would I become eternally injured, or would I die in this horrid war.
"And what's your name, sir?" I was completely zoned out.
"Sir?" I could clearly hear the secretary, but I couldn't respond. I was numb. Scared.
"Kenneth!" My mother finally shouted while jabbing me in the side, "She asked you a question!"
"Oh right, sorry." I apologised, "My name is Kenneth Abney."
~~~~~~~~~~
"Alright now, everyone in a straight line. All of you have been drafted to the navy, so all of you will be on that aircraft carrier." My RDC said in a deep, intimidating voice while pointing to a huge ship with an airplane on it. I have never seen anything like it.
"I assume the draft board told you we are fighting North Vietnam after they invaded South Vietnam to spread communism. It is our duty to stop it. We are going to be watching for submarines and any other non-American ship or boat. Now, any questions?" He almost seemed bored, constantly repeating himself.

We all boarded the fascinatingly large boat as I wondered how me being here would help. How could I, one person that spent his whole life on a farm, possibly be useful in a war. I. Am. Petrified.
~~~~~~~~~~
I was given a backpack full of supplies and a rifle. I was told to walk until I see an enemy camp and fire upon them. Twelve others and I were crouched down behind bushes when we saw the enemy camp. They didn't look scary or vicious or cruel, like I had been told. They looked hungry and tired, like me. About that time, the others started to gun down fatigue looking servicemen. I wanted to stop them, how could they deal with murder of these people for the rest of their lives? Sure they were fighting against us, but still. Maybe I shouldn't have volunteered to go to combat. I'm not cut out for this. I can't do it. I turned around to walk away when I feel a firm grip on my arm. "Abney, where do you think you are going?" One of the others say, chuckling to himself. Even though the shooting is still happening, the gunshots ringing in my ear, all I can hear is my heart beating in my chest. My blood pumping in my veins, and I begin to get very dizzy. "I..um I... was uh just... taking a break." I couldn't even form words, much less a sentence. The firing had finally stopped and I noticed the blood, the bodies, dead bodies. I may not have fired a gun at them, but I did participate and i feel awful. "Alright, hurry up we have to leave before they start to retaliate. I'm sure more of their men will show up to see what happened." He said coldly walking away and I just mindlessly followed him. ~~~~~~~~~~
It had been 2 year. It was now 1967. The war was still happening. I felt as if the longer I stay here fighting, the more tired, hungry, and possibly delusional I got. When the food supply started to plummet, us soldiers were being fed less and less. One night, I was so hungry I pathetically tried to hunt for anything to eat. I stumbled around for what felt like hours when everyone else was sleeping. Right when I was about to give up, that's when I saw it, flying squirrel. It was sitting quietly in a tree looking ready to jump to another tree. I silently raised my gun, careful not to disturb the creature, I began to aim and squeezed the trigger. After the gunshot, I heard the small animal plunge to the ground. Thankful that I was finally going to be able to eat, I turned around and noticed the other soldiers that were fighting alongside me. They were just staring, looking down with hungry eyes. I followed their eyes down to my hand, were I remembered the squirrel. "I'll skin the squirrel!" One man shouted excitedly. "No, I want to!" Another yelled. I just looked at everyone, arguing over food because they were starving. I started to feel bad. "I'm going to skin and cook the squirrel. Just go sit back down and I will holler when it's finished." I say calmly. Everyone looked at me reluctantly, but left anyway and I got to work. I know that this isn't the ideal life to live, but I have grown accustomed to it. These people hear are becoming my family.

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