A SHORT ADVENTURE
By Philip Arnold
(continued)
"Just hand'em a blind fold Captain!" Horvath said as he moved back to the firing position he was earlier.
"Well if you do they're gonna die. Covering fire!" Miller commanded. The crew kept up the suppressive fire with Miller and Horvath a little extra. "Go go go!" the Captain said pulling back behind the concrete structure.
Short was off before the Captain finished the first 'go.' He was almost down one side of a gully when he heard Parks say, "Move goddamn it!" There was no doubt in Arlen's mind that Parks wanted to get the hell out of this also. Short was trying his best to make it up the cliff alongside the pillbox but trying to climb and trying to watch for a German to jump out and open up on them was not all that easy. He began using his left hand to help climb the cliff in hope that would speed things up. He was about 4 yards from the entry trench when a kraut with a sub-machine gun, looked over his sandbags and fired upon them.
Arlen dove into the trench and army crawled further to let the others in. He turned to see that Pate and McDonald had made it fine, but Parks wasn't has fortunate. Short looked up the trench and saw the first four still battling it out in the same trench. Arlen got to his feet but stayed below the sandbags that topped the trench. He moved down to where Debanardo was exchanging fire with several Germans taking cover in an impact crater.
"Hey!" Debanardo yelled over the gunfire reloading his carbine, "you got any extra clips?"
"Can't say that I do." Short said popping above the trench firing off three quick rounds at the Germans in front of them and dropping below the trench again. He looked around just for some sign of hope. Debanardo popped up and fired several rounds erratically across the battlefield. Then an idea came into his idea.
Short reached down to his pack harness and pulled off a grenade. He looped his left index finger in the pin and took a deep breath before he pulled it from its place. Debanardo looked over and horror washed over his face.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he cried. Short looked at him confused but released his finger from the pin. "You realize don't you that if you throw that thing, they're just gonna throw it right back?" he continued.
Arlen honestly did not think of it that way and hurriedly put back the grenade. He looked back down the trench line and saw men streaming in. Short shot his head up and saw soldiers running up the cliff, someone must have taken out the machine gun nest. Arlen smiled, looks he was going to make it off this alive after all.
He turned his attention back to the war going on in front of him and for some reason, Arlen got to his feet and moved down the trench and jumped in a nearby impact crater. He looked over the crest of the crater and saw some 12 to 15 Germans coming his way. Arlen leveled his rifle and fired shot after shot, till his M-1 ran out of ammo. He had shot five rounds and hit one German.
Short felt something nudge against him when he reached down for another bandolier. He looked to his and saw Richard Reiben himself squatting next to him, looking over the crest at the approaching Germans. Short noticed that Reiben hadn't open fire on the Germans and then realized that he was waiting on Arlen.
"Hurry up Corporal!" he said raising his B.A.R.
Arlen slammed the breech shut and raised himself above the crest of the crater. They both fired in unison at the Germans, mowing them down to the ground. Reiben took most of them out himself but said nothing. He reloaded his weapon, jumped out of the crater and went after Captain Miller and the others. Short also reloaded his weapon and stayed back to cover them just in case. He watched Reiben and Sgt. Horvath throw grenades, followed by Caparzo and Mellish checking and shooting several Germans. Arlen then watched them jump down to finish off whoever was still inside.
Short did another quick look see, jumped out of the crater and headed off in a similar direction as the others did. He looked to his right and saw one of the giant gun emplacements that was meant to do battle with the Allied navy but had been for the most part taken out by the Air Force. Arlen ran up and took cover behind the front wall, a few feet from the big guns.
He hesitantly took a peek around the corner and saw a door with a concrete walkway. He turned back and took a deep breath. Before Arlen had built enough courage to turn back around the corner, he heard the door open and shut. His eyes went wide, knowing he would have to act fast. Short spun around the corner and saw the back of a German running away.
Arlen was instantly confused. He was use to the Germans facing the other direction towards him, guns blazing, but this one was running for his life. He truly did not know what he should do, but he was certain he was not going to shoot this Kraut in the back. It would be cowardly and wrong to do something like that.
Instead, Arlen raised his weapon and yelled, "halt" as loud as he could. The German froze and stood completely still. Short then ordered the Kraut to drop his weapon and turn around. At first the Kraut hesitated, probably because he didn't understand what Arlen was saying. Then he started turning slowly towards Short, continuing to hold his weapon, putting Arlen in a hell of a position.
"Drop the goddamn gun!" Arlen yelled at the top of his lungs, taking a large step forward. The command left him breathless and shaking just a little bit. The German was now completely facing him, even though his gun was pointing away from Short, he was still telling the German to put it down. But the Kraut didn't listen and stared into Arlen's eyes, scared. Short repeated himself one more time, slowly, pointing his own weapon, motioning for the German to put down his gun. The German stood there, staring, then blinked.
Gunshots rang out, blood sprayed and both the German and Arlen hit the ground. For the first time, there seemed to be perpetual stillness before reality began to creep back. Arlen raised his head and looked behind him. A lieutenant with a smoking Thompson stood there, with his gun trained on the dead Kraut. He lay there, full of holes and bleeding. Lifeless.
"Get on your feet Corporal. We still have to secure the beach west of this position." the lieutenant commanded. Arlen slowly came to his feet and his senses. He looked at the officer, cold, remorseless, soulless. Short knew that if he was given the chance, he could have had that German drop his weapon and as a prisoner. He knew he would have surrendered.
"He was surrendering sir. He could have been helpful to the invasion." Arlen said, stepping way outside his bounds as a soldier.
"Like hell he was gonna! Besides, not one of these bastards should be allowed to live for what they did here today." the lieutenant said motioning back to the beach with his gun. Arlen hadn't looked back at the beach for quite some time now. He moved passed the lieutenant, walking to where he could see the carnage that happened below. Short could hardly comprehend the madness, which took place as far as the eye could see. He almost broke down to cry, to cry for all those who had not made it on this horrible day.
"Come on Corporal," said the lieutenant in a far away voice, "there's a job waiting to be finished." Short turned and saw the dead German one last time. He also saw his fellow soldiers going through the bodies of the dead, claiming some of the spoils. Arlen looked down a ways and saw Captain Miller and the others, alive and breathing. The lieutenant called for Short again.
Arlen ignored him and headed for his company. He didn't know what the lieutenant's job was, but Short's was to take the beach and he had done just that. Corporal Arlen Short was alive, well and finally dry.
By Philip Arnold
(continued)
"Just hand'em a blind fold Captain!" Horvath said as he moved back to the firing position he was earlier.
"Well if you do they're gonna die. Covering fire!" Miller commanded. The crew kept up the suppressive fire with Miller and Horvath a little extra. "Go go go!" the Captain said pulling back behind the concrete structure.
Short was off before the Captain finished the first 'go.' He was almost down one side of a gully when he heard Parks say, "Move goddamn it!" There was no doubt in Arlen's mind that Parks wanted to get the hell out of this also. Short was trying his best to make it up the cliff alongside the pillbox but trying to climb and trying to watch for a German to jump out and open up on them was not all that easy. He began using his left hand to help climb the cliff in hope that would speed things up. He was about 4 yards from the entry trench when a kraut with a sub-machine gun, looked over his sandbags and fired upon them.
Arlen dove into the trench and army crawled further to let the others in. He turned to see that Pate and McDonald had made it fine, but Parks wasn't has fortunate. Short looked up the trench and saw the first four still battling it out in the same trench. Arlen got to his feet but stayed below the sandbags that topped the trench. He moved down to where Debanardo was exchanging fire with several Germans taking cover in an impact crater.
"Hey!" Debanardo yelled over the gunfire reloading his carbine, "you got any extra clips?"
"Can't say that I do." Short said popping above the trench firing off three quick rounds at the Germans in front of them and dropping below the trench again. He looked around just for some sign of hope. Debanardo popped up and fired several rounds erratically across the battlefield. Then an idea came into his idea.
Short reached down to his pack harness and pulled off a grenade. He looped his left index finger in the pin and took a deep breath before he pulled it from its place. Debanardo looked over and horror washed over his face.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" he cried. Short looked at him confused but released his finger from the pin. "You realize don't you that if you throw that thing, they're just gonna throw it right back?" he continued.
Arlen honestly did not think of it that way and hurriedly put back the grenade. He looked back down the trench line and saw men streaming in. Short shot his head up and saw soldiers running up the cliff, someone must have taken out the machine gun nest. Arlen smiled, looks he was going to make it off this alive after all.
He turned his attention back to the war going on in front of him and for some reason, Arlen got to his feet and moved down the trench and jumped in a nearby impact crater. He looked over the crest of the crater and saw some 12 to 15 Germans coming his way. Arlen leveled his rifle and fired shot after shot, till his M-1 ran out of ammo. He had shot five rounds and hit one German.
Short felt something nudge against him when he reached down for another bandolier. He looked to his and saw Richard Reiben himself squatting next to him, looking over the crest at the approaching Germans. Short noticed that Reiben hadn't open fire on the Germans and then realized that he was waiting on Arlen.
"Hurry up Corporal!" he said raising his B.A.R.
Arlen slammed the breech shut and raised himself above the crest of the crater. They both fired in unison at the Germans, mowing them down to the ground. Reiben took most of them out himself but said nothing. He reloaded his weapon, jumped out of the crater and went after Captain Miller and the others. Short also reloaded his weapon and stayed back to cover them just in case. He watched Reiben and Sgt. Horvath throw grenades, followed by Caparzo and Mellish checking and shooting several Germans. Arlen then watched them jump down to finish off whoever was still inside.
Short did another quick look see, jumped out of the crater and headed off in a similar direction as the others did. He looked to his right and saw one of the giant gun emplacements that was meant to do battle with the Allied navy but had been for the most part taken out by the Air Force. Arlen ran up and took cover behind the front wall, a few feet from the big guns.
He hesitantly took a peek around the corner and saw a door with a concrete walkway. He turned back and took a deep breath. Before Arlen had built enough courage to turn back around the corner, he heard the door open and shut. His eyes went wide, knowing he would have to act fast. Short spun around the corner and saw the back of a German running away.
Arlen was instantly confused. He was use to the Germans facing the other direction towards him, guns blazing, but this one was running for his life. He truly did not know what he should do, but he was certain he was not going to shoot this Kraut in the back. It would be cowardly and wrong to do something like that.
Instead, Arlen raised his weapon and yelled, "halt" as loud as he could. The German froze and stood completely still. Short then ordered the Kraut to drop his weapon and turn around. At first the Kraut hesitated, probably because he didn't understand what Arlen was saying. Then he started turning slowly towards Short, continuing to hold his weapon, putting Arlen in a hell of a position.
"Drop the goddamn gun!" Arlen yelled at the top of his lungs, taking a large step forward. The command left him breathless and shaking just a little bit. The German was now completely facing him, even though his gun was pointing away from Short, he was still telling the German to put it down. But the Kraut didn't listen and stared into Arlen's eyes, scared. Short repeated himself one more time, slowly, pointing his own weapon, motioning for the German to put down his gun. The German stood there, staring, then blinked.
Gunshots rang out, blood sprayed and both the German and Arlen hit the ground. For the first time, there seemed to be perpetual stillness before reality began to creep back. Arlen raised his head and looked behind him. A lieutenant with a smoking Thompson stood there, with his gun trained on the dead Kraut. He lay there, full of holes and bleeding. Lifeless.
"Get on your feet Corporal. We still have to secure the beach west of this position." the lieutenant commanded. Arlen slowly came to his feet and his senses. He looked at the officer, cold, remorseless, soulless. Short knew that if he was given the chance, he could have had that German drop his weapon and as a prisoner. He knew he would have surrendered.
"He was surrendering sir. He could have been helpful to the invasion." Arlen said, stepping way outside his bounds as a soldier.
"Like hell he was gonna! Besides, not one of these bastards should be allowed to live for what they did here today." the lieutenant said motioning back to the beach with his gun. Arlen hadn't looked back at the beach for quite some time now. He moved passed the lieutenant, walking to where he could see the carnage that happened below. Short could hardly comprehend the madness, which took place as far as the eye could see. He almost broke down to cry, to cry for all those who had not made it on this horrible day.
"Come on Corporal," said the lieutenant in a far away voice, "there's a job waiting to be finished." Short turned and saw the dead German one last time. He also saw his fellow soldiers going through the bodies of the dead, claiming some of the spoils. Arlen looked down a ways and saw Captain Miller and the others, alive and breathing. The lieutenant called for Short again.
Arlen ignored him and headed for his company. He didn't know what the lieutenant's job was, but Short's was to take the beach and he had done just that. Corporal Arlen Short was alive, well and finally dry.
