My Remembrance Day

The air was cold and smelled of the death of our Canadian soldiers that have fallen. I awoke to the gun fire, of our war! The war my friends and I are fighting!

I haven’t killed a man till this very day! I was watching my friends back, until my brother turned back and yelled at me “Jason!! Behind you!” I turned around and saw an enemy running straight for me while he got his M16A2 Rifle ready to fire!!! I pulled my gun up and fired, BANG was the only thing I could hear. I fell onto the ground and screamed “Jonathan are you alright?” My brother Jonathan yelled back at me while smiling “Jason I’m fine, just promise me you will try to watch yourself for once!” “Ha ha I will try bro” I smiled back. Jonathan and I ran down to the trenches to see if our brother James was alright.

As we ran back to the trenches we dodged enemy gun fire and fired back with all we had, taking some of the Germans down. When we got to the trenches we found our brother James. James smiled at us a joked around saying “I can’t believe you two have made it this long!” Jonathan replied back “ha ha you’re so funny James” and nudges him. I laugh under my breath and smiled at both of my older brothers!

It was late that night me and my brother Jonathan were asleep until we heard our men yelling as loud as they could “GET UP NOW” we all got to our feet unprepared for what was happening. “Get the guns ready! The enemy is trying to attack!” yelled our general. So we all grabbed are guns loaded them, are general yelled “FIRE” so we all did what he said. Gun fire back and forth was the only thing any of us could hear! My brothers and I saw so many people fall in injury! Jonathan yelled at James and me “Jason, James! You both better be careful! We all promised mom we would come home! And we keep are promises guys!!” James yelled back “I know! I know! And by the way! I’m the careful one! You shouldn’t be talking!” Jonathan went to argue back but I cut in “Jonathan I know you’re going to argue with James! But this isn’t a place to argue, not now!” “I know” Jonathan said while looking down at the ground.

After the battle we all went back to our base to rest for awhile and we would all take turns keeping watch. My Brothers dozed off to sleep, while I stayed awake writing mom a letter. The letter said “Dear mom, James, Jonathan and I are fine as can be, we have managed to not get injured yet and we`ll try to keep it that way mom! So there is no need to worry about your boys, we will all be coming home again soon! Will write again as soon as we can, we love you so very much mom! From James, Jonathan and Jason” I gave the letter to the general so he could take it home for me, I watched him leave with my letter and hoped mother would be fine! I lay down and finally went to sleep.

I woke up the next morning seeing both of my older brothers fighting. I screamed for them, but they didn’t hear me! So I started running for Jonathan, I screamed his name he turned around and saw me running as fast as I could for him, he grinned at me and said “Jason I’m fine don’t worry yourself so much!” I saw behind him an enemy with a rifle in his hand! I screamed as loud as I could “JONATHAN BEHIND YOU! NOOO!” while running to him I tripped, looked up and saw the German shoot my brother in the back of the head! My brother James saw me on the ground screaming and crying! He ran over killed the enemy and took me to safety, he gave me a hug held me tight in his arms and said this while holding all his tears back “I’m so sorry you just saw that Jason! I’m so sorry! I didn’t want this to happen to any of us! I won’t let anything happen to you, IF MY LIFE DEPENDS ON IT! NOTHING WILL HAPPEN TO YOU JASON!” I just looked at him crying, and screaming. Wondering why in hell did this just happen!!!

Late that night we were all asleep but me. I laid awake crying silently to myself! I just got a letter from mom it said “Jason I’m so glad to hear that you all are alright and safe! I can’t wait till you all come home! Dad has been asking about his three boys!!! When you all get home we are going to throw a party, okay!? Love you lots, Mom!” I cried after I read that letter! It was so heart breaking to tell her that we will all be home and then Jonathan was just killed. I can’t believe this happened! If I didn’t scream and distract him and he wouldn`t have been killed! This is all my fault!!! I thought about writing a letter back, maybe not, not yet at least! I stayed awake all night, as I stayed awake I saw a Germen soldier sneaking up on us. I got up grabbed my gun and ran straight for him!

Screaming as loud as I could with anger, I shot at him with all I had! I saw the fool fall to the ground; I shot at him one more time to make sure he was dead as could be! I was still so angry! I screamed on the top of my lungs. James woke up seeing me on my knees in front of the soldier, he came running to me, when he got to me he made me look at him and said “Jason what are you doing! WAIT, what are you thinking?!” “I killed him! I was so mad James!!! And plus he was coming to spy or maybe plan an attack! James I couldn’t let that happen!!!” James looked at me and smiled “I’m not mad at you!! I was just worried you would get hurt and you didn’t, thank god!! Good job kid!” I smiled at him and felt proud of myself!!

The next morning it was raining hard as it could!!! I looked at my brother and said “Do you think there will be fighting today!?” James laughed and said “Jason! Of course there shall be fighting this is a war we are in!!” I smiled and laughed “your right! What a silly question to ask you.....” As we waited for someone, anyone to start a fight it never happened until my brother went for his walk about! Soon after a soldier of ours came and tapped me on the shoulder and said to me “Jason.... Your brother James.... Went for his walk about and was killed.... by this dirt bag!” he pointed to the man that was held captured by my general! I went to throw a fist at him but some men stopped me and pulled me back! I was so mad! So angry! I wanted my revenge on the Germens who have killed my brothers! I looked at the letter mom wrote me, I decided to write back..... My letter said “Mom... I need to tell you something..... James and Jonathan won’t be coming home any more.... Mom I’m sorry! I will make sure that I come home! NO I promise you that I will come home!!! I love you lots! Jason”

After months of fighting this gruesome war!! I learned how to kill a man in many ways! My anger and rage still bottled up inside of me!! But.... I knew my brothers were up in heaven watching over me, making sure I would come home!! And I did!!! I got off the airplane and seen my mother crying and waving at me! She ran to me with opened arms and hugged me with all her might and said through her tears “Jason I’m so proud of you and your brothers! I’m glad at least one of you came home..!” I smiled at her, hugged her back and said “I’m glad to be home too! I only wish my brothers were here beside me!” tears started to fall down my cheeks, I whipped them away! “We are wishing the same thing Jason!!” So we walk to the car and drove home. When we got home all I could do was gaze around the house and remember that my brothers will never be here again!! But I also remember that they are watching my mother and me so we shall never feel this pain again!

It’s now 2 years after my brother’s death! I still walk to their grave and say thanks for everything they did for me throughout my life! When I’m there and saying my thanks I tell them “If you can’t save one life, you can’t save any at all!” They both saved my life and many others! They have always been good people, and shall always be remembered as that!!