Journal Entry, October 10th, 2552: Lieutenant Gates
I was on Reach. The Covies had moved into New Alexandria the day before. My Platoon was ordered to hold a strategic beachhead. We went in under fire and lost a Falcon before we even hit the LZ. The rest of us made it, but we got chewed up by the advancing brutes and hunters. We managed to push the Covies back to the water, but then they showed us how much they wanted that beach. Three Zealots dropped in from a Phantom flanked by six Rangers. The platoon was shredded in minutes. The only ones left were me, Lieutenant Miller, and Sergeant Baker. We secured an LZ for our extraction as we called in an orbital strike. The Falcon never made it to the zone, so we got really friendly with the dirt and hoped for the best. The strike hit, and we somehow managed to survive. We were all dazed. We got up, and next thing I knew, Miller was in the air and Baker was shouting and shooting. I looked at Miller and saw two bright blue spikes shoot out the front of his chest. His body was flung aside and the Zealot went for Baker. It ripped her apart just as she managed to take down its shield. I picked up Miller's shotgun, turned, and shot it in the face just before it got close enough to gut me. I was alone on the beach. I called in an extract and got out just as at least three Marine companies moved in. I found out later that I was being promoted from private to sergeant for "Showing Extreme Valor Against an Overwhelming Enemy Force." I really got the promotion, and the shiny new medal, for surviving. For being lucky. That's a damn bad reason to give someone a medal. The Marines that moved in after us were wiped out by a Covie Corvette. I'm surprised they didn't give me a medal for surviving that, too. I was reassigned after Reach fell. I haven't thought about that beach since until today. And I still know that I didn't deserve that medal. God as my witness, I WILL earn it. For Miller, Baker, and the rest of 1st Platoon.