The T.V. show Hogan's Heroes belongs to Bing Crosby Productions. No ownership of the Hogan's Heroes characters is implied or inferred, and no infringement is intended.
The Other Side of The Story
By Marty Miller Breedlove
Looking at his watch, he became anxious. Come on you two, you're running out of time
"Colonel, there they are!" the Frenchman whispered. Both men, waiting in the shadows, had their guns drawn, ready to cover their comrades if necessary.
The two black clad figures were bent low, as they came running from the building with a purpose. Seconds later a lone German soldier ran out, gun in hand, searching the darkness, followed shortly by two more guards.
"HALT!" the first guard called, paused, and then called again.
Hogan and LeBeau, held their fire, no shots had been made by their enemy…yet. Why hasn't he fired? Hogan wondered.
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Moments earlier, patrolling inside the warehouse, a young German had become watchful. It was quiet, nothing had alerted him, but yet something was different. He felt, rather than saw, movement in the shadows. As of yet he had not had to fire on an enemy, this was his first assignment. Turning in the direction his inner senses aimed him; he gave a tenuous command, "Step out into the light." Please, don't let there be anybody there, he prayed. His innocence had made his voice crack and his hands were shaking. Please, I don't want to kill anyone. He brought his gun to bear on the silence.
Suddenly, there was the sound of running feet and then the sound of the warehouse door bursting open. The young German soldier ran in the direction of the commotion, calling to the other guards as he went. Cold air smacked him in the face, when he exited the building and looked for movement in the night. Seeing two black shadows running, he called out, "HALT! I should shoot! He thought. Instead he hesitated and called out again. What am I doing here holding a gun, when I should be home with my friends, celebrating? The other two guards ran up to him; as he raised his gun to fire and at the same time pray that the shadows would make good their escape. This is not how I pictured this day, standing over the bodies of men I had killed.
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The glint of the moon off of the rifle, as it was being raised, caught Hogan's eye. Still there was no shot. Hogan began to lay down cover fire, as the other two guards raised, and fired their weapons on the fleeing phantoms. LeBeau joined in. All three German guards standing at the factory lowered their weapons, and then the two later arriving guards, ran to shorten the distance prior to firing again. Before they could raise their guns, a horrific explosion roared up behind them knocking them to the ground.
Carter and Newkirk arrived puffing and smiling, as they turned to see the fireball begin to shrink back to earth.
"That was close Colonel," Newkirk said, still feeling the exhilaration of accomplishment.
"Good job fellas, let's get back to camp." Hogan paused as his men entered the woods and looked back to where the enemy soldier had stood just moments earlier, not firing his gun. His weapon must have jammed. Lucky for us, he wouldn't have missed at that range.
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The young soldier, that had been left standing at the warehouse when his two companions ran after the fleeing enemy, had lowered his unfired rifle and thought, I can't kill just as, simultaneously, the explosion ripped through him bringing his anguish and his eighteenth birthday to an end.