A Marine

Staff Sergeant James Loftin's platoon is heading into enemy territory and he struggles with flashbacks from months before.

It was late October and Staff Sergeant James Loftin was very tired. His platoon was moving into the southern parts of the Middle East. The air was filled with smoke from the burning of oil from the tanks that were blown up the day before. General O'Lam of the Nationalist group ordered his troops to attack all U.S. personel just a week ago.

          James still could hear the screams of his fellow Marines and the dead were implanted in his mind. The blood covered face of his good friend Sergeant Frank Donal still haunted him after three months. Every night James saw his friend alive and then his guts fly out in front of him from the .50 cal bullet that sliced through him like butter.

          Frank had a wife and kid back in the states. The expression of Frank's wife, Kassy, when James told her that Frank wasn't coming home for Christmas bothers him when he thinks of his friend. Kassy had smothered her face in James' shoulder that day...

          "Hey, Loftin!" James' commanding officer, Captain Wallons, yelled from the front of the transport truck. "Get ready, we're going into enemy territory!" James picked his M4 off the wooden floor of the bed of the truck, and placed a fresh mag in the rifle. Flashbacks of four months ago sent chills through his body.

          It was in a town in the northern parts of Iran. More than half of his platoon died in an ambush. James' platoon was sent to give reinforcements to the platoon of Marines that were stationed just south of the town. When James' platoon had landed in the dusty, desert town, no one seemed to be of threat. James and a squad of about seven men were sent to secure the eastern half of the town.

          The building James had cautiosly entered had enemy intel just laying around with many AK-47's and RPG's. James had notified Captain Wallons and James was instructed to stay there. Just few minutes had passed and hundreds of bullets flew through the windows and weak walls. Nationalist troops stormed the building and most of the Marines outside fought their way through the building. James grabbed some of the most inportant intel he could find.

          A Black Hauke had been called in and by the time the chopper was able to get James and his men out of there, less than half of the platoon still lived. As he boarded the helicopter, he could see many of the men fly forward as they were shot down. All James could do was to watch his friends die a few feet away. "Shoot! Damn it, shoot!" Captain Wallons shouted at him, bullet casings dropping to the ground. Nationalist troops were coming through the door way, blood thirsty, their guns shining in the sun light...

          "Loftin. Get your head in the game!"  Wallons shouted. "Enemy troops behind us! Open fire!" James turned his head and bullets flew past his head. James put the M4 up and focused into the red dot sight. He pulled the trigger and bullets flew through the windsheild of the run down truck that was chasing them. Blood from the driver spewed on the windshield and the truck swirved off the road and burst into flames.

          James let a sigh of relief out and Captain Wallons faced him. "Thanks for getting your head back in the game." To James that sentence was not a compliment. James lowered his head and watched the dirt fly behind the truck.

          "Hey, Loftin. It's ok. I remember the first time my commanding officer did that to me." Lieutenant Brandon Vensil said from across the truck. James still stared out the back of the truck, not feeling any better. He missed his family back home, especially Cheyenne.

          James met Cheyenne the week before he was shipped out months ago. Her face flashed in his dreams at night. Every day he thought of her when he wasn't in battle. Last week he received a letter from her. James thought back to that very day when he opened the blue envelope.

  

"Dear James,

I'm doing well and I want to be in your arms every night I lay down in bed. I find myself crying my eyes out. I talked with your mom a couple of days ago about you. All of us here in Texas miss you so and appreciate your willingness to protect this great nation.

          Everyday when I lay out on the porch swing I see you walking up the road home, but then you fade when I look up. I hope your safe and that you're making friends over there. Please be careful and come home safely.

Love,

Cheyenne. xoxoxoxo"...

 

          The truck stopped at the gate of a base. When James had hopped off of the truck, Lieutenant Jacob Walling walked up to James with some papers in his hands.

"Staff Sergeant Loftin. Your resignation has been accepted. Prepare to move out." Lt. Walling said to James, handing him a white envelope.

"Thank you, sir." James said taking the papers.

          James signed up for the Marines for two years. It seemed like yesterday that James was just a recruit and getting yelled at. Now James was going home the next day. He had no idea what to feel.

 

THREE DAYS LATER...

          James walked out of the gate and stood there for a minute or two. He noticed many people rushing to get to their flight and what not. Then he hears the softest voice he hadn't heard in months.

"James." Cheyenne said behind James. He turned around and standing there, in a white, sundress and heals, was the one he'd waited forever to see.

         She had brown, grunged hair and her green eyes sparkled in the sun light. Her arms wrapped around him and she held him close. James squeezed her tight and when their faces saw each other again, James' lips pressed againts hers. As they walked away from the gate, James wrapped his arm around her.

 

Author's Note

The events and characters in this story are coincidental.

Picture is from http://www.spmcl.org/mcl/images/united_states_marine_corps.jpg

Reviews

[Dean Kuch®]

I found myself wanting more! This story could have been longer and the characters fleshed out a bit more. But what little you did write really captured the guilt and horror that one gapples with when preparng for battle, as well as the deep sadness after having lost a comrade in arms. Just wish it were longer, and I mean that as a compliment!

[Narcissus]

Good story! I didn't regret reading it. I brought sparks of emotion. I liked the ending, I was expecting him to make it home and have Cheyenne with another guy, or not there, or something, but it ended on a happy note. Keep Writing.

[∠( ᐛ 」..]

I think that this is a beautiful story my friend :)
100/100

[Dean Kuch®]

Now THAT'S a story! Awsome job on the rewrite and edit. Made me want to shout, "OOOO-Rah!" Outstanding...

[Spolodin]

I really liked it, I'm going to post a war story I wrote in a few, but it's not as detailed as this I hope you like it!

[J. F. Charleston]

Thanks. I look forward to reading it.

[Sujash I. Purna]

Gripping story! It felt real.