A VISION ABOUT MY BROTHER BEING WOUNDED

(Copyright 1990-1996 John A. Clack)

THIS STORY TAKES PLACE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA IN MAY 1945. A COMPLETE DIVISION OF GERMANS SURRENDERED,THE WAR WAS OVER AND OUR JOB WAS TO TAKE THEIR WEAPONS AND HOLD THEM. THE RUSSIANS WERE PUSHING THEM FROM THE REAR SO THEY WERE GLAD TO SURRENDER TO US. THE RUSSIANS WEREN'T TAKING PRISONERS.

I WAS ON POINT THAT DAY AND A FUNNY THING HAPPENED. THE GENERAL OF THIS DIVISION AND I WERE TALKING WHILE WE WERE WAITING FOR OUR C.O. TO COME UP. HE MADE A STATEMENT AT THIS TIME THAT I THOUGHT WAS KINDA WEIRD. HE COULD SPEAK VERY GOOD ENGLISH, HE ASK IF HIS MEN COULD KEEP THEIR WEAPONS AND HELP US FIGHT THE RUSSIANS BECAUSE SOME DAY WE WOULD HAVE TO. I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL LATER THAT HE PROBABLY KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. SORRY I'M GETTING AWAY FROM MY STORY...

WITH ALL THE ARMAMENT THE GERMANS HAD SURRENDERED TO THERE WAS ALSO A GOOD SUPPLY OF LIQUOR, OF WHICH WE CONFISCATED. OUR JOB WAS TO HOLD THE PRISONERS UNTIL THEY COULD BE SENT TO THE REAR.

THERE WAS A STREAM ABOUT A HALF MILE THRU THE WOODS AND WE WERE TO TAKE ABOUT A HUNDRED AT A TIME TO TAKE A BATH. YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT THE CZECHS HATED THEM WITH A PASSION. SO AS WE MARCHED THEM TO THE STREAM THERE WAS AN AMERICAN IN FRONT, ONE IN THE REAR AND ONE ON EACH SIDE. THEY WERE SAFE AS LONG AS WE DID IT THIS WAY, BUT IF ANY ONE OF US WAS TO CHANGE POSITION SUCH AS TO MOVE OUT OF THE WAY THE CZECHS WOULD PICK THEM OFF FROM THE WOODS. AND PROBABLY HAD GOOD REASON FROM THE WAY THEY WERE TREATED. WE EVEN HAD TO WADE OUT IN THE STREAM WHILE THEY BATHED OR YOU WOULD HEAR A RIFLE SHOT AND ONE OF THEM WOULD BE FLOATING DOWN THE STREAM. I THINK THE CZECHS WOULD LOOK FOR OUR HELMETS AND AS LONG AS WE WERE CLOSE TO THE GERMANS THEY WOULDN'T FIRE.

WELL BACK TO MY STORY, IT WAS MY BIRTHDAY MAY 19TH THE WAR WAS OVER AND I HAD REALLY TIED ONE ON. I GOT BACK TO MY TENT ALRIGHT BUT HOW I GOT THERE WAS A MYSTERY TO ME. I JUST PASSED OUT. ABOUT MIDNIGHT OR THERE ABOUTS. I WOKE UP IN A COLD SWEAT, SOBER AS A JUDGE. I SHOKE MY BUDDY AND WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT I HAD A FEELING THAT SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED TO MY BROTHER WHO WAS IN THE MARINE RAIDERS IN THE PACIFIC. HE TRIED TO CALM ME DOWN BUT THERE WAS NO USE. I CAN'T EXPLAIN THIS BUT I KNEW MY BROTHER WAS IN TROUBLE.

A FEW WEEKS LATER I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MY MOTHER THAT MY BROTHER HAD BEEN WOUNDED ON MY BIRTHDAY. I SHOWED THE LETTER TO MY BUDDY AND HE WAS ASTOUNDED AS WAS I. THEY SAY THESE THING DO HAPPEN.

FURTHER ON I HAVE ANOTHER STORY SIMILAR TO THIS AFTER THE WAR.

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