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The 26 eclectic-genre
short stories for my #AtoZChallenge are excerpts from travelogue notes by
novel character Gahlen, who first appeared in SHARDS OF MEMORY – Oral History in a Heartbeat.
novel character Gahlen, who first appeared in SHARDS OF MEMORY – Oral History in a Heartbeat.
Each A-to-Z daily post is a
stand-alone tale - partly true, partly fiction.
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Albert Reich [Public domain]
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AlbertReich_(1881–1942)_–_Sanitäter_(WW_I).JPG
HORRORS of WAR – PROVINCE OF PRUSSIA
Genre: European Conflict
(326 words)
“When Austria decided the June,
1914 assassination of Archduke Franz
Ferdinand
and his wife required political retaliation,” Georg continued, “it opened the
gates of hell. By July they had a lengthy list of intentionally unacceptable
demands. They presented them on 23rd July and succeeded to provoke
war. Countries drew up sides, some decisions based on results of past wars.
Along with so many of my countrymen, I was conscripted into the battle at age
eighteen.”
He paused a moment before
continuing.
“The deaths I witnessed were many.
Destruction of property and forests was unimaginable. So many of us were young farm
boys suddenly conditioned to become fighting soldiers. Even after lengthy field
training, we remained mostly inexperienced. Some considered their new role romantic;
others glorified the expected outcome. But none of us were prepared for what came.
“The personal discomfort I
experienced occurred when both sides started to use poison gas. Our unit was
exposed to the sulfur mustard spray multiple times. It smelled like rancid
horseradish but burned like white-hot fire. Those unlucky enough to get caught
unaware with their arms and necks exposed immediately showed signs of
blistering. Medics were unable to keep up with the injuries, unprepared for the
instant devastation, and several men were hospitalized.”
“I managed to stay fairly well
covered all the time.” He rolled up one sleeve of his shirt, drawing attention
to a faded patch of scaring. “That’s how I avoided the worst effects. My
caution only served to keep me on the front lines of the war longer, drawing
the poisonous air deep into my lungs.
“Shortness of breath from
inhaling the gas became a problem that haunted me later. Eventually, my lungs would
not work properly. That is why I could no longer work in the local coal mines.
Maybe there was more moisture in the Bavarian salt mines, allowing me to
continue working below ground. Mere speculation, and small comfort from the
memories of war.”
*****
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