Wake me up when September ends
Normandy invasion
Chapter 3
If you’re wondering whether I got into the army… I did. They don’t suspect. Most of them are young boys. They think I’m sixteen and suspect that I’ve matured. So I have to be cool. It’s been two weeks since I got in and we have been doing a lot of training with guns and grenades. Lots of explosions and I get shellshock a lot; they say it’s normal for guys in the war to have. I don’t like it, it makes me feel like I’m dieing like the world is going blank but I carry on.
Today we are going to actually fight in the war because Hitler has started to invade more. We’re travelling on boats to Normandy. I’m starting to get scared now. Most of the guys around me are talking about their wives and I’m like…
“Yeah, I have a girlfriend” I don’t but I’ll pretend Maddie is my girlfriend.
Everyday I think about her. It’s like I love her or something. Wait a minute! What did I just think!? What am I thinking? Do I love her? I-I think I do. But I unless I survive this war, I will never be able to tell her. Someone smacked me over the head.
“Come on Ward!” Yelled a guy.
He was running with his gun and his backpack towards the truck. I grabbed my stuff and followed him. A few other men followed, we crammed into the back of the truck and it started. It was really bumpy.
“I’m James. James Manning. Who are you?” Asked a guy opposite me.
“Mikey Ward” I said to him. He nodded and looked to the other guys in the truck.
“Sean Corpling.”
“Robert Downs.”
“Patrick Fox.”
“I guess we’re all in the same team then. Ready to fight the Germans?” James said. I nodded along with the rest of the guys.
It was a long silent journey, everyone was tried so most of them slept. Except me, I couldn’t sleep a wink because of the thought of what I had done in the past and what I was about to do in the future.
“Okay guys, out of the truck” said our captain from the front. We all got out.
“Stand at attention,” we all did immediately
“I am your captain, Christopher J. Hopkins, but you will refer to me as captain. We are taking this boat (he pointed to it) across these waters to Normandy where we will invade. Along with captain John Davis’ group, there is enough room in the boat for us all. Okay? Get in the boat” I gulped and got in right at the very back.
Sean Corpling was next to me. I adjusted my helmet and got ready for the ride. My motion made me feel sick but what can you do? People were being sick in the boat, which made me feel worse.
Sean was looking over the boat edge I looked at him. He has longish black hair underneath his helmet and was very pale. Maybe that was just because we were in a war and he was scared. I know I am.
“Sean? Are you okay?” I asked him. He looked at me and nodded, he looked away. So did I.
“You know Mikey,” he said I looked at him “I came here out of choice. I wanted to do this. My family cried for me and my girlfriend was torn to pieces just at the thought,” he said to me.
Same, but my family doesn’t know.
“I know what you mean. I came out of choice, I mean I shouldn’t have” I said. He looked at me.
“Why?”
“Between me and you…” I said and leaned close to his ear so he could hear me and no one else could
“I’m under age,” he looked at me startled.
“Why would you want to come then?” He asked
“Why does the sun rise in the morning? Because it has to” I said.
“You’re a brave kid Mikey. You remind me of my brother Callum, just like you he is.” He said and smiled at me and at the moment I knew I had a friend.
My breathing was heavy and deep. I closed and remembered September 1933 and the holidays were coming to an end. Maddie and I were at Hellfords Park having a picnic. I told her no matter what happens we would always be friends.Can I keep my promise?
Please Lord get me through this.
“OKAY GUYS. GET READY!” The gate lowered and water scooped up into the boat.
Lord Jesus Christ, protect my soul.
If you’re wondering whether I got into the army… I did. They don’t suspect. Most of them are young boys. They think I’m sixteen and suspect that I’ve matured. So I have to be cool. It’s been two weeks since I got in and we have been doing a lot of training with guns and grenades. Lots of explosions and I get shellshock a lot; they say it’s normal for guys in the war to have. I don’t like it, it makes me feel like I’m dieing like the world is going blank but I carry on.
Today we are going to actually fight in the war because Hitler has started to invade more. We’re travelling on boats to Normandy. I’m starting to get scared now. Most of the guys around me are talking about their wives and I’m like…
“Yeah, I have a girlfriend” I don’t but I’ll pretend Maddie is my girlfriend.
Everyday I think about her. It’s like I love her or something. Wait a minute! What did I just think!? What am I thinking? Do I love her? I-I think I do. But I unless I survive this war, I will never be able to tell her. Someone smacked me over the head.
“Come on Ward!” Yelled a guy.
He was running with his gun and his backpack towards the truck. I grabbed my stuff and followed him. A few other men followed, we crammed into the back of the truck and it started. It was really bumpy.
“I’m James. James Manning. Who are you?” Asked a guy opposite me.
“Mikey Ward” I said to him. He nodded and looked to the other guys in the truck.
“Sean Corpling.”
“Robert Downs.”
“Patrick Fox.”
“I guess we’re all in the same team then. Ready to fight the Germans?” James said. I nodded along with the rest of the guys.
It was a long silent journey, everyone was tried so most of them slept. Except me, I couldn’t sleep a wink because of the thought of what I had done in the past and what I was about to do in the future.
“Okay guys, out of the truck” said our captain from the front. We all got out.
“Stand at attention,” we all did immediately
“I am your captain, Christopher J. Hopkins, but you will refer to me as captain. We are taking this boat (he pointed to it) across these waters to Normandy where we will invade. Along with captain John Davis’ group, there is enough room in the boat for us all. Okay? Get in the boat” I gulped and got in right at the very back.
Sean Corpling was next to me. I adjusted my helmet and got ready for the ride. My motion made me feel sick but what can you do? People were being sick in the boat, which made me feel worse.
Sean was looking over the boat edge I looked at him. He has longish black hair underneath his helmet and was very pale. Maybe that was just because we were in a war and he was scared. I know I am.
“Sean? Are you okay?” I asked him. He looked at me and nodded, he looked away. So did I.
“You know Mikey,” he said I looked at him “I came here out of choice. I wanted to do this. My family cried for me and my girlfriend was torn to pieces just at the thought,” he said to me.
Same, but my family doesn’t know.
“I know what you mean. I came out of choice, I mean I shouldn’t have” I said. He looked at me.
“Why?”
“Between me and you…” I said and leaned close to his ear so he could hear me and no one else could
“I’m under age,” he looked at me startled.
“Why would you want to come then?” He asked
“Why does the sun rise in the morning? Because it has to” I said.
“You’re a brave kid Mikey. You remind me of my brother Callum, just like you he is.” He said and smiled at me and at the moment I knew I had a friend.
My breathing was heavy and deep. I closed and remembered September 1933 and the holidays were coming to an end. Maddie and I were at Hellfords Park having a picnic. I told her no matter what happens we would always be friends.Can I keep my promise?
Please Lord get me through this.
“OKAY GUYS. GET READY!” The gate lowered and water scooped up into the boat.
Lord Jesus Christ, protect my soul.