The Reaper  

March 1st, 1945

Captain stated “could you fix any wiring any slower” 

Smitty said “I am fixing it as fast as I can. Alright Carlos crank her up.” The tank turned over slowly and the captain stated “Smitty why the hell is this not starting!” 

Smitty yelled back “condensation on the pump!” the pershing fired to life. The caption opened his hatch and heard the bombs falling and said “the rain is coming let’s go Carlos. Leave him be! He’s dead.” 

Smitty yelled “It’s your fault!” 

capton retored “here we go again.” The gunner Mike said “it isn’t the captions fault it’s the Germans.” 

caption yelled at carlos “let's get the hell out of here”

Back at the military camp near the German city of Cologne

“Be careful with him” said Carlos “are they sending him home?” 

Mike stated “I don’t know I wish they were, but probably not.” a guy that looks like a 12 year old appears out of no where he said “is this tank 204” 

the captain siad “who wants to know? No you are not assigned to my tank.” 

Justin retorded “yes i am”

 captain yelled “BS! Who the hell assi-”

 Justin said “the Sgt with the clipboard”

 the caption accepting his fate siad “done much killing? No you will. Boys teach him to run that grease gun.” 

Smitty handed him a german grease gun “open the cover no you're killin, close it now you're not.”

Anthor tank member Eric remarked to the caption “you’re alive?” 

The caption said “the devil protects its own” 

Eric said “it’s awful hard to believe we are winning the war, when we send out 5 tanks and only one comes back.” 

the caption stated “let’s not worry about yesterday's battle and more about todays. Sergeant, what is our target today?” 

Eric replied “The town of Hurth from there it will be a straight shot into Cologne then from there is the Rhine River.”

“The town of Hurth?” said Justian 

“then into Cologne, isn’t that city the most heavily defended?” the captain sighed then said “yes it is right next to Berlin on most defenses. Only the military has cars so if you see one blow it to shreds. We have been doing bombing raids during the day and, British at night, But these people defending it are the SS or what remains of them. There ready, let's get going.” 

18 miles outside of Hurth a Panzer mark II sits and waits Patiently then the crew starts to hear metal on metal squeaking they focus the gun on the road and wait. Meanwhile the first tank appears. The German caption says “wait until the last one then we can trap them because our armor is stronger then theirs we will win.” 

The last Sherman tank rolled out of the trees “Take the shot” said the german captain the big gun boomed and the aim was true. Meanwhile the back tank exploded the captain screamed “we need a smoke screen!”

 smitty yelled “your clear!” Mark exclaimed “firing!” a massive of white smoke appeared burning at about 12000 degrees hot. Caption got on the radio and said anyone see him? Carlos back the hell up!”

 Eric screamed into the radio  “STOP! We are going to drive off a cliff if we keep going.” 

Justin knowing he has no outcome on this with his 30 cal machine gun said “It’s a panzer! The thing is a beast”

 Caption “load API (armor pententarting Insecadry) let’s see if we can get this guy.” 

the german commander stated “diver forward, shooter pick your next target” 

Smitty “you’re clear”

 Mark “on one!” 

Eric “ maybe we should leave this guy.” 

captain “no unless he drives himself in a ditch he’s our problem tanks advance!” The Germans kept picking us off one by one until there were only two tanks left to win. Captain “let’s get around him Eric you take left i will take right Carlos get on that stick” the German commander “choose the left target swing the turret fire when you have a shot these are what we have left for rounds so be careful.” Eric's tank armor stood no chance against the massive three inch armor his tank went up in flames no one survived.

Caption “It’s only us now we must win Carlos listen to me I will tell you when to back up” 

The panzers gun kept backing swinging around the german commander screamed put it in reverse don’t let him around us if we let him around we die remember that” the panzer boiled in reverse caption “take the shot now”

 Mark “on one! 

Captain “Be ready to reverse do it… Now reverse” the gun swept passed them The German commander “Shoot the guys!” 

caption “fire fire now” the gun bombed and put on hole in flames arises from the tank put another in it 

Smitty screamed “you’re clear” 

Mark said “on one” the gun bombed again and the flames rose faster and faster until they engulfed the tank.

Justian “Jesus that was closer than crap we survived, you know I was meant to be a clerk typist in the army right?” 

Captain “you were supposed to be writing letters home to people?” Justian “Yes I was''

 Caption “well that is bad luck so I guess this is the first time ever seeing the inside of a tank yes well let's get to the town of Hurth'' It was a long bumpy ride there until about 3 miles outside of the town we would meet up with infantry support at the town there hiding in the trees was a 10 year old holding a luger left there to die and maybe take a few with him. He aimed the gun and fired and missed then he hit the captain just a graze but still a hit the captain picked his STG 44 and filled him with lead he did what he had to do. Crawled off the turret and beat the hell out of justian 

Justian stated “he was just a kid” 

captain said “Do you see what a kid can do? I don’t care if you ever see a young kid holding a butter knife you send him to the promised land you feel me?” 

 Justian retorted “yes he was only a kid” 

Captain “ever heard of Hilters Youth? They train them to die like suciude squadrons of kids, and make them believe if they die they will save Germany from this crap”

 With my head held high above the little hole in the tank about a mile out of Hurth 

Smitty looking for an argument “Do you believe in Jesus Christ?” 

Mark said “you know where I stand we have had this conversation for four years now I know you’re doing this to rile me up.” 

Smitty “Do you believe Jesus loves Hitler huh” Mark “I do but that isn’t going to save him from man's justice.” 

Captain “knock it off, knock it off we’re here.” There stood about 100 men with a scared look on their face Justian heard one say “only one tank?” 

the captain screamed out “Form up behind me.”  the tank slowly turned forward and it kept rolling over until they saw an old man he looked slim looked like a piece of paper he was that thin on the street he waved his cap all he did was pick up his cane and pointed as soon as he did that he dropped like a sack of potatoes dead with a bullet that went through his head. Captain “load a FMJ” (full metal Jacket) 

Smitty “you’re clear” 

Mark said “On one” the gun boomed and the entire wall fell off revealing 30 SS soldiers.  All turned around and dropped their guns after all they were only scared 15 year olds. So the tank rolled forward and turned the corner to an anti tank gun. Fire FIre the anti tank fired first. It bounced off the top of the tank hitting a building behind the tank. Load WP you’re clear on one fountly the pershing shot first appearing with a white smoke cloud burning at 1200 degrees. After that they came out of the cloud burning alive and screaming. Justian grabbed the machine gun and hit the trigger he hated to see people in pain he figured he would put them out of their misery. Caption “nice shooting kid keep stacking them up. Alright Carlos keep going forward.” a German guy walks out of a building with a white flag “The soldiers want to surrender, we are tired of fighting, the war is over thank god.” caption “tell them to come out with their hands held high so we can see them. Smitty load up a WP in case these people want to test us.” Smitty remarked “my pleasure” here they came out one by one Justian said “they are all just kids.”  they loaded them up on a pickup and shipped them to a POW camp.

Since they had taken the town they had to break it was like a congrats for surviving. 

The commander said “Justian come with me, I want to show you something.” The captain walked in a house up the stairs in a room 

Justian said “why are there dead people that look like they were high up the chain?” 

Captain went “they knew we were coming so they got drunker than lords then killed themselves.”

 Justian “why are you showing me this?” 

the captain said “Ideals are peaceful but history is violent. You know I never have told anyone this before. I had a good life, a woman that loved me, a younger brother my parents died when I was young. One night I got drunker than five Indians, and I got in a Bar fight and my brother and lady were there.  Someone called the cops and I knew it so I left with both of them in a truck like I was running from a fire. I rolled the pickup killing both of them and letting me live, so the judge said you will fight until you die. I started killing nazis in South America than France and now Germany this war will end soon but a lot more people got to die.”

Norman said “well since we are telling secrets I was never a spouse to be a tanker, I was taught to be a clerk typist. Just a scared 18 year old that wanted the most safe job where I had no chance of killing anyone and a safe job where I couldn’t be killed. Now I am working the most dangerous job on the front.”

Captain said “That’s enough time in here come with me”

We went down the stairs and out into the street to look up and see a curtain close with an eye right behind it. 

Justian said “Captain come with me.”

As we walked up it felt like the fight was 100% over the stairs to a locked door.

Captain yelled “Come out right now!” they weren’t listening so he just kicked in the door and raised his rifle at a 5’6 woman Captain stated “are you alone?” 

She replied “yes”

Captain said “BS” he searched around and found an 18 year old girl hiding behind a door. Caption yelled at Justian “close the door! You understand you could have got her killed right you know that?”

The woman “I was scared”

Captain said “sit down, Justian set down the gun your starting to scare me with it”

I had set down the gun on the ground and watched walked over and pulled out a possibles bag and handed the seconded girl 8 eggs he was able to sneak somehow and a roll of sausage for them to cook for this evening meal it would be the first hot meal I would of had in months.the captain sat down in a chair and asked what the second girls name was she replied Addision.

“Well Addison how long have you been in hiding?” asked the captain

Addison stated “ever since they started to hang kids that wouldn’t fight is when I disappeared off the face of the earth. What’s your name?”

The captain replied “John and Justian don’t you dare call me that in the tank otherwise I swear to god I will kill you.”

“Alright wasn’t planning on it” said Justain

I sat down at the table and started to take a nap for the first time in months but before long I woke up screaming I had dreamed a bad dream. We were stuck in a tank with Nazis surrounding us then there was only me left.

Captain remarked “bad dream?”

“Yeah” stated Justian

The german women came in and set the table then brought in the eggs and sausage. Filled up the plates then passed them out to everyone. Before we could start eating there were harsh knocks at the door. The tank crew just busted down the door with a bottle of whiskey.

“Justian time for to be a man” said Smitty who had a gone look in his eyes.

“She looks a little bit like a but best thing we got around here” said Carlos

“So you all are eating like kings and queens and we weren’t invited, I see how it is you have a favorite.” said mark

“No I never had a favorite out of all you animals, Justian dosen’t kill everything unlike everyone standing there.” remarked the captain

“Well I think it is the perfect time to stay and watch them eat” said Carlos

We had all started to eat and then a simple question came up: Carlos asked “Justian do you like horses? Smitty does, I do. Well right after Normandy, we had linked up the Canadians and British and we trapped a horseback division in a valley. We just started to shoot them. It was like shooting fish in a barrel. When the killing was over it wasn’t truly over. The horses we had no use for and they were all hurt so we just started to kill them. Do you know how to kill a horse? You walk up to it and pet it’s maine, give it some pats on the head and put the gun right behind the ear and pull the trigger, But you weren’t there.” 

“Aboutly wonderful meal time talk. No matter how much you want to ruin this meal for me you’re not. 

“Sorry we’re drunk” Carlos stated

“I don’t care Get out” said the captian 

They had walked out just then we had heard that the baker company we got a new job for. 

“Justian let’s go” stated the captain

The german woman said “where are you headed?”

The captain said “to the next town then the next until your people surrender.”

Walking out there was a good feeling knowing we were back on the move and we had always been good on the move just it is a lot scarier 

Captain said “what’s our mission?”

“This intersection there is a german force moving through if you don’t stop them they will massacre the cooks and doctors here you are the rock to break the wave.”

We had fueled up rempleinsed our ammo supply and refueled. We were off to the races to get the intersection. The time we had arrived there was a little white house off to the side all the sudden the ground explored knocking off the track leaving us powerless.

The captain said “it's mine calm down Smitty can you fix it?”

Smitty stated “why not”

The captain pointed at justian and mark and said “clear that house”

We had walked into a house that smelled like it was rotting. It was an old German med station that was abandoned and all the patients with it left to die.

Justian there isn’t going to be anyone here I just want you to know maybe we are bad, but you’re a good man” said mark 

We both walked out of that house and I said nothing in there 

Captain said “go up to that ridge and find a seat at the base of the tree and come down”

I start up the road and find a good tree to lean my back up and open my MRE and start to eat before long I start to hear singing I lean around the tree to see a wall of men that looks like it extends forever so I get up and run luckily I am not noticed I ran and ran until I had finally reached the tank.

“Justian good evening why did you shed your post” said the captain 

“There coming” replied justinian

“Whose coming?” replied the caption

“The germans” 

 “Probably just a couple of bums looking to surrender” said the caption

“No they were singing and marching and they had trucks listen” replied justian

“It’s an entire SS battalion  get your crap we can get out of here and live.“ said Smitty

“Get back on the tank we are holding this cross road” the caption yelled at his men

“The tank is busted.” stated Smitty 

“We got a cannon” stated the caption 

“STOP! Arguing what is your plan?” said mark

“I don’t know, all I know is that this is my home after three years of living in it. You all get to the tree line, you will slip away and live.”

I was the first to step forward “I will stay”

The captain said “good, I will need you to load” 

The next to step forward is Mark then Carlos and finally Smitty we were moving around ammo and finally the stage was set the the ammo was in place all we were waiting on was them until the captain had pulled out a bottle of whiskey and said “well we best get a little drunk we aren’t going to be around for the hangover” he flipped of the cap took two drinks of it and passed it around the tank it was looked like the last supper in the tank in passing out of cigarettes and whiskey until I had looked out my little mirror and said “there coming” I had grabbed my grease gun and pointed it at my solid steel hatch.

“No one fires until I say” the caption instructed

As all things go it was too late there was a loud thud and they were crawling up the tank. The first had gone to the captain hatch but, the one that had opened my hatch released the gates of hell upon them. I had done a short burst right into his chest watching him fall back deader than a doornail. 

The caption screamed “Now! throw the grenades”

They went off one by one leaving an hole in the ground. What I did was grabbed the cold slek handle and fired and kept on firing. Watching my tracers go through people made feel like I was doing something wrong. In the end I was here to kill them and they are here to kill me. 

“There all running in that house light up and load up an explosive round.” the captain screamed

“You’re clear” said smitty

“On one” said mark 

“The was beautiful give me another” said the captain 

“You’re clear” remarked Smitty

“On one” said Mark 

“That’s right burn to the ground.” said the captian

Meanwhile I was just kept firing destroying MG42 nests, people, and everything down range until the belt just stopped. “I’m out, do we have any more ammo here?”

The captain said “Don’t get your painties in a bunch, we have more ammo on the roof and we have the 50 Cal, now who is with me?”

The enemy waited outside the tank, noticing we weren’t firing; they knew we were out so we lifted up the hatch just enough to throw out the smoke grenades and provide a cover. The smoke started to trickle up through the can. Then we had fully opened our hatches then all hell cut lose the caption was running for the ammo he grabbed an ammo can under fire he ran back dropped it down and then grabbed the final can then jumped in and closed the hatch. The firing had stopped, we knew what they were doing, retreating. After a while, not that long like thirty minutes. We had heard footsteps, we didn’t see any actual people yet. “Then Panzerfaust 4:00” screamed the caption 

He had fired and missed, but the thing was they didn’t just send one panzerfaust with one company of SS soldiers. Right after that THUNK a panzerfaust head hit the tank side. Sending through creating a massive hole it was a dud but it had taken smitty. His lifeless body fell to the floor of the tank Mark ran over holding his body praying, cruising and crying all at the same time. After Smitty had died I just started laying down the bullets not really feeling anything until the belt stopped coming. Then I had realized we are all dead.

“The captain said we have hand weapons and the 50” said the caption we all threw open our hatchs caption got on the roof and got on the 50 that’s when all hell cut loose on us since we no longer had the protection of the pershing. Mark had run out of ammo, he was stuck on ammo duty bringing up gernades and ammo and so what. I needed to reload and fell back into my seat, pushed the button, grabbed the next mag sticking it in the well and then a grenade had fallen in the hatch, without thinking twice about Carlos through his body on the grenade. 

The german commander said “they are out the tank, finish this fight”

He had walked out till the point he had to crawl all he saw a head and fired and his aim was true. Mark had fallen back down into the tank with half his head blown off but caption thinking nothing of it just kept firing. The sniper reloaded and set his sights on the captain but he didn’t do a lethal shot. He slumped down on the tank, stood back up and fell into the hatch.

“John?” I had stated

“Yes son” the caption replied 

“I’m scared” I remarked 

“Me too” he had stated 

“Should I surrender” I had asked 

“No, they are going to kill you real bad If you want to live there is a hatch go down and hide by the tracks” stated the caption 

The hatch had opened he had lifted his pistol and shot twice watching the hatch fall close caption said “now go” I had opened the metal door and fell down through once I had hit the ground I had felt a sudden wave of heat and I knew captain was dead I had just acted like I was dead the sun had rose the next morning just to hear footsteps I had crawled in the tank grabbed the cold pistol and pointed it at the hatch preparing to die just to have the hatch to open with an American saying “easy boy easy, one of them survived.”

A medic came to look at me and said “you don’t have a scratch on you, your a hero buddy let me take that pistol” he had reached for it and I had swung it around my back I had hoped on a truck one guy said “you’re going home for good, the war is done with you.” I had loaded on the ship to home. We had docked in New York bay. I was met by no one. I was a foster care kid with no actual parents, no place to go. I had worked and got an apartment. Only in my nightmares do I think of that tank on the cross roads. I feel bad for not dying with my brothers but they gave up their lives so I may live. I like to believe they are still with me inwoven in my soul and just a part of me.