A single C-130 flew low over the base dipping its wing in salute to the fallen. A fitting salute from the air force for this plane had carried the third off to war, and it had brought them all home again that sad day so long ago.
Guy Lahaine let his gaze drop from the aircraft as he stepped down from the podium, first towards the crowd and then towards where his family and the direct families of those that had died gathered. Then past them, to the six gravestones set behind the statue.
He knew the epitaph on each by heart and yet it was Lamaires' that was now carved over the door what had been her squads' barracks.
On this hill we make our stand,
For all that is right and true in this world,
Evil climbs over their fallen to reach us,
We will not fall,
We will not falter,
For all that is pure,
For all that we stand for,
Let it guide my hand,
Let it flow through our arms like the blood in our veins,
We stand-alone against overwhelming odds,
With everything to lose,
No matter how many come,
No matter how many fall,
This evil will always exist,
Its in all of us nesting in our core,
No matter how pure the soul,
No matter how pure the heart,
Evil will always exist,
We will make our stand regardless,
Because I refuse to believe that darkness can block out the light,
I refuse to believe all is corrupt,
I refuse to believe that anger, and hate is the answer,
So here I will stand against overwhelming odds with everything to lose.
She had reportedly written that at evacuation point number 374. It was translated from her preferred language of German to English by the same man that translated the other poem on the statue. A private from a unit calling itself 'Hunter two actual'
Walking away from the crowd he slowly moved over to the barracks.
The third's barracks had remained unchanged, unoccupied for since the day they left, nothing had moved. Sighing he moved over to a particular bunk laying a picture of his son on the pillow.
"We all miss you Luke, you will never be forgotten" he muttered.
He could hear the families of the other soldiers saying similar things; one caught his attention more than the others.
"Why did you have to go Genève? What made you think you could make a difference?" A sigh emanated from the man before he continued "No doubt I will simply be told some story about you on your feet defending thousands before you fell if I asked."
Walking over to the man Guy put a hand on his shoulder.
"She didn't die on her feet; she died on her knees, like a soldier."
The man looked up at this startled and looking almost angry; Guy continued forestalling anything the man had to say.
"She died on her knees fighting to survive, cut off from all hope of relief, knowing she was going to die. But she kept fighting, are you going to shame her by giving up so easily on your country?"
Hope you like it so far, this is the last of the 'present' moments I'm afraid.