Private Bedros Sahakian

Journal Entry 33

July 15, 1932, Friday

Last night was the worst.

The enemy came at us from both entrances simultaneously. This time they were even more numerous than before.

No doubt some new comrades joined them earlier while we were playing cat and mouse with their snipers.

Their cover fire, while limited, proved effective because they had fire teams in all of the closest buildings and opened up on us in concert when their fellows began their big push.

We barely got any shots in before the Reds closed in on the plant halfway.

They even brought in a few ladders to climb up the windows. All in order to stretch us thin until they find a gap and exploit it.

I kept shooting and reloading so many times with my gun I lost track. Michail was a beast with the Browning but he finally ran out of ammo for it and switched to a shotgun he got for himself as a second weapon.

Allen fired his last grenade from his rifle's launcher, in the center of the attackers on our front, killing the commander leading them with the Syndicalist banner. He may have a big mouth but Al sure did good there, I need to give him more credit.

Modercai and Hector kept throwing grenades down below at the ladders that reached our windows. Felton, despite how exhausted he was by this point, didn't flinch, shouting encouragement to us while in the midst of shooting targets of opportunity.

Gad actually grabbed a large brick with both hands and threw down on a Red climbing up to his spot. It certainly crushed that Syndie's skull because he fell out dead before my New Mexico friend went back to his rifle.

We knocked down those ladders whenever we could. Only for the Reds to put them back up and we repeat the process in a deadly back and forth contest.

Meanwhile our machine gunners at both entrances were keeping the hostiles in check below. If it wasn't for them this would've really turned into another Alamo.

One ladder group actually escaped our attention from the left flank until Modercai spotted them, warning us. By that point he did however, one of them was inside.

He immediately threw a grenade that landed in front of me. I froze in fright but Corporal Felton knocked me away and without hesitation threw himself on it before the explosion.

Michail roared, blasting the Red who did it out of the window. I rushed over to John's side and turned him over.

What I saw was horrifying, a massive wound in the gut and chest filled with sharpal. Yet somehow Felton with his mouth spitting out blood whispered a name in a longing tone.

"Joyce"

Then he was gone.

I stared down at him, his eyes now closed forever as the battle raged on. Immediately Michail dragged me, shouting at me to keep fighting while Al and Hector gunned down the hostiles climbing up the new ladder.

Getting out of my trance I helped them knock it down then went on to shooting again, pumped on sheer rage.

Even so we were about to be overrun when Gunny rushed in bellowing for us to put on our gas masks. Realizing what he intended, we did as he ordered.

One of the latest things we found in this cache was one small crate of tear gas and a riot gun. Gunny had been saving that stuff and now was the time to use it

He fired down at the Syndicalists taking cover on the wall below. We immediately heard screams and coughing when that ugly cloud came into being.

Once that happened they broke ranks and began to scatter. They had fought stubbornly but they weren't counting on tear gas.

We gunned down any we could as they struggled to get away. Gunny rushed over to the opposite side and did the same thing for squad A.

Within minutes it was over with the survivors falling back to their original positions.

The gas lingered forcing us to keep the masks on longer. Finally all of us rushed over to Felton's body.

I held his right hand, firmly grasping it, hoping against hope he would live again but it wasn't to be. The mask covered my tears and I tried, again and again to apologize to Felton but words failed me.

Hector crossed himself in the Catholic manner, paying last respects.

Michail threw his helmet cursing aloud and punched the wall. The rest said nothing but sat there looking down at our fallen squad leader.

Finally after a few minutes Gunny told us to move him downstairs with our other death, including Robert. Gad and I carried his body to that destination.

Not gonna lie it was unbearable but had to be done.

Corporal John Felton had always looked out for us from Boot to here. Thinking back, it's amazing how patient he has been with our squad, given the trouble we often go into.

He made us into a real team.

Unlike that rat Dewitt, Fetlon never did an unfair thing. Not to any of us at least.

He did everything to keep our team together even while dealing with his own personal demons.

Felton was a true marine and a good man.

Since then I haven't eaten and drank anything all day. If I hadn't frozen up he would still be alive.

His family would still have their son, their brother. He's dead because of me.