Charred Remains of a Journal Entry by Private Jones Gristan.

Day 62: July, 19--

Jesus. Today, I had the closest brushwith death i've ever seen. I was doing regular sentry duty when i noticed a German civilian walking up. I thought this is normal, but following procedures I ordered him to stop and layu on the ground. When I walk up to him. Two men walk up from behind him with KAR 98k's and aim them at my face. There was only one thing I could do, had to do. I sprayed my Browning Automatic into their bodys and they dropped like stones. However, I could not stop to admire my handiwork because bullets were flying and missing by inches! I ran amd jumped for the alarm button. I felt my fingers brush it and all of a sudden the world turned as bright as daylight. We had the search lights on, and hundreds of Canadian, American, And British soldiers poured out to battlestations. Even a couple Sherman fireflys drove out. I was amazed at this. However, the lights revealed something even more scary. Hundreds of men, Panzers, and Half-Tracks came flying at us. I did the only thing i was taught to do, pull the trigger and kill the mother fuckers. The battlewent on with the germans advancing slowly but steadily. Our big guns had opened up and were smashing craters in the middle of the clusters. I heard from the screaming Lieutenents that we were surrounded from all sides. After around five minutes of intense fighting, we heard a low drumming of engines. Someone screamed "bombing run!" and we all jumped to the hard dirt, guns still blazing. For what seemed like years, bombs fell and made massive craters right around us. I saw one guy hit directly to the bomb. It was not a pretty site. Seconds later I heard a massive "BOOM" and saw as a 2 foot long shell crashed into the ground making a 70 foot wide crater. Someone screamed "Were Doomed!" and we kept on firing. There was only about 30 of us still fighting on our side of the base and there was over 100 Germans fighting. On our side we only had 1 half blown up firefly still using its turret and 3 MG 42's firing. The Germans were only 300 feet away! I drained the rest of my clip into a single halftrack where it exploded in a ball of flames. I had no more ammo! I dropped my bar down and ran to a dead soldier where a Lee Enfield sat. I grabbed it quickly and kept firing. Now they were only about 100feet away, some soldiers already dropped their guns and rushed in with a knife. I decided against this as i saw my comrade get tore up by a Machine gun. I reached in my service pack and grabbed my grnades, i threw them all. However, seconds later i saw my frags flying back at me. I ran and dove behind a sandbag pile. They were closing in the base. Thinking about it now. I made the stupidest idea in my life, I drew my knife, crossed myself, and charged at the leader. An SS senior officer. Before i knew it i felt sharppains all over my body and i collapsed in a heep knowing i was going to die. However, they kept advancing right around me! And best of all. There was a luger pistol right beside me. I aimed and fire 6 shots in quick succesion. At this four of the men dropped and one went own to one knee. I fired anothewr shot and killed him. Thats when about three of the soliders turned around and aimed at me. Just then they exploded into flame with about half of their ranks. I look up and around. Suddenly I see something that made me burst into tears. The Americans! Hundreds of Olive Green and Khaki uniforms charged in the battlefield. The Germans were torn into little bits! An American Medic ran to me and picked me up and dragged me out of the carnage. He dropped me off at the mobile hospital and ran back in.After about 5 minutes of this, the fighting stopped. I looked to a base, and there it was. The tattered Canadian flag raised up to the highest point. A German nazi flag burned on the ground in the middle of the battlefield. A large pitch of "O Canada" was sang by all. However, I almost burned up when I saw Colonal Peitro walk out of the building in a perfect greenuniform. Stepping over Canadian bodies like they were mice. Despite my leg and back wounds, i almost stood up and punched that officer in the face. The Medics had to hold me back. Today I rest at a hospital in England, hoping to return to the battlefield.