D Day on Monday.

It has been a dawn of terror for the men in green. Against such odds and under a baptism of fire which no one impliedly signed up for, the men wait with nothing but sheer helplessness. The wait seemed to last for eternity and under persistent incoming shrapnel, the brothers' faith diminished without mercy. "The adrenalin's killin me, sir!" said the private from Texas. I kept my cool and remained silent like a stone - It was nothing more than a calm appearance, we were in the middle of a war, dammit! I could be a casualty in moments to come. Still, I had to remain the poise of a commanding officer.

Under the disguise of calmness, I cleared my throat and spoke in a firm voice:" listen up lads, the moment this bridge sets its teeth on the very beach your eyes are on, you will find cover, inch yourself up that son o' a bitch anthill and rain hell. Do you get me?". In unison, the men on the top of their voices yelled " Sir!Yes, sir! ". Morale was the key here, as a matter of fact, it was the key to any battle. The challenge in it lies in keeping it high.

I must admit that Okinawa isn't a forgiving territory. It is a cursed and wretched mountain that nobody would want to risk their lives conquering. Still, orders prevailed.

Soon, time shifted forward and the moment of truth arrived. The winch that controlled the pontoon fell loose and the amphibious vehicle came to a rude halt on the beach. As soon as I gave the "go" signal, the men in front of me fell followed by the corporal on my right. The neighbouring vehicle, Roosevelt-46, had been disintegrated by a direct mortar hit. "Damn! I just saw them seconds ago", I thought. I turned around and gave the "charge" order when my eyes noticed that the men were stunned in their tracks.

I ran for cover and was fortunate enough to find one barely enough to cover my stature. "Gosh! It could have been me", I sobbed. That corporal just had a baby boy two months ago. "Shit! that made another widow", I cried. With no moment of peace to mourn, Jensen the 1st class private came up to me and said "orders, Lieutenant?". "Flank em! Flank them! Get 2nd platoon to go with you.....and find Sarge", I replied. Everything was in a total mess-bloody hell. Bodies everywhere, machine guns whirling and artillery bombardment that sounded like the thunder god, Zeus, himself. It was a fight no one could understand. Japs(Gan Jo Ee), Allies..... we are not so different after all.

Okinawa wasn't an ideal place for a picnic. But for now, my orders in priority are to gain control of the mountain and to escort the 16th Battalion (Praetorian Signal Corps) to the summit. Once all of these are done, I shall have a little siesta on the tip of the enemy-controlled territory.

I will prevail. Till then, "FORMATION! CHARGE!".