An Unsung Hero [ARCHIVE]

A story I wrote a few years ago. I seem to have loved using ‘he’ in these old stories. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Tom’s eyes narrowed as the harsh gales blew away his cap. The young soldier tightened his grip on his semi-automatic rifle. It was July 10, 1945, and the Allies were mounting an invasion in Sicily, to topple Hitler’s Nazi empire. The Allied boat carrying Tom was rocked by the unforgiving waves of the grey ocean. The distant sound of gunfire revealed that the other forces had already docked and launched the attack. Tom gulped hard, his ship docking into the port, Nazi swastikas visible everywhere. His hard-bottomed boots sank into the soft soil as his regiment marched onwards. Spotting enemy forces, he quickly moved to take shelter behind a cragged rock. He hoisted the cold steel body of his rifle onto the rock. Rising ever so slightly, he pointed the barrel at the clearly visible brown hat of the soldier directly in front of him and pressed the trigger. A sickening thud rang out, as the now lifeless body of the Nazi hit the blood-spattered ground below him, his unholy grave decorated by bits of brain matter and quickly-drying flakes of blood. Tom breathed hard, a thrill of adrenaline coursing through him, as it unfailingly did every single time he shot true. He dashed ahead, seeking to flank the enemy and catch them unawares. Tom’s eyes widened as he realized the enemy had noticed him. The Nazi soldier raised his gun and fired, multiple shots piercing into Tom’s body as they left trails of blood across his shirt. Tom realized the inevitable, and a defiant glint entered his eyes. With the last reserves of strength left in him, he pulled the clips of all the grenades he had, and holding them, he charged at the enemy ranks. He managed to enter the Nazi outpost before the grenades exploded. As the outpost was enveloped in flames and the enemy soldiers were torn apart by the force of the explosion, Tom’s eyes closed in accomplishment. With Tom’s brave sacrifice, the entire course of the war was changed, and the Allies managed to break down the last pockets of Nazi resistance, successfully dousing the flames of war.