Soldiers stood still and looked as Man was approaching down the path.
They all knew him, he was one of them, he was a man that gave the meaning to all the medals that he had earned throughout the years, because as you know, medals don’t define a person, a person is the one that defines the medals.
He wasn’t carrying any one of them, he was in his combat suit.
Now he is in front of the soldiers and addresses them.
“SOLDIERS, ARE THESE YOUR LAST LETTERS?” –pointing at the pile of the envelopes that are on the table
--“YES SIR!”
--“HAVE YOU ALL WRITTEN THEM?”
--“YES SIR!”
--“SOLDIERS, WE ARE ABOUT TO CONFRONT THE STRONGEST MILITARY FORCE IN THE HISTORY OF WARFARE.
ARE YOU AFRAID?”
--“NO SIR!”
--“IF ANYONE OF YOU IS AFRAID AND WANTS TO GO AWAY, NOW YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO DO THAT.
STEP FORWARD AND I WILL SIGN YOU A RELEASE RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW AND YOU ARE FREE TO GO AND YOU WILL NOT BE PROSECUTED!”
He waits a little
Everybody stays in their places
“IN LESS THAN THREE HOURS FROM NOW THEY WILL BE ON OUR BORDER AND WE ARE ON THE FRONT LINE
WE ARE THE ONES THAT WILL TAKE THE FIRST HIT
AND IT WILL BE HARD
THIS IS WHERE THEY’LL HIT US AND THEY WILL DO IT WITH ALL OF THEIR MIGHT
ARE YOU AFRAID?”
--“NO SIR!”
--“AGAIN, IF ANYONE DOESN’T WANT TO BE HERE, YOU ARE DISMISSED AND FREE TO GO
THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE”
He waits a little
Everybody stays in their places
“OK, I WILL CONSIDER THAT AS YOU ALL WANT TO BE HERE
LET THEM COME
WE WILL SHOW THEM WHAT WE WERE PREPARING OURSELVES FOR ALL OF THESE YEARS
LIKE THE COUNTLESS TIMES IN OUR HISTORY
IT IS NOT OUR HIGH COMMAND THAT GIVES THE ORDERS
IT IS OUR MOTHERLAND
THE SAME ONE WHERE WE HAVE SPENT OUR MOST BEAUTIFUL DAYS
LET US NOT PUT THE SHAME ON OUR NAMES
BEHIND OUR LINES ARE OUR CHILDREN AND WIVES
OUR MOTHERS AND SISTERS
OUR VILLAGES AND CITIES
THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GIVING US THE ORDERS
I KNOW, MY SONS, THAT TODAY THE HARDEST THING IN THE WORLD IS TO BE HERE
THE HARDEST … BUT THE PROUDEST
WHAT WE ARE GOING TO FIGHT FOR IS THE QUESTION OF PERSONAL HONOR
AND THAT IS A MISSION GREATER THAN LIFE
BUT DON’T BE RECKLESS, WATCH OUT FOR YOUR LIVES
BECAUSE FAMILIES DON’T NEED DEAD HEROES
I CANNOT GIVE YOU BETTER PAYCHECK OR BIGGER FLAT
ALL THAT I CAN GIVE YOU IS MY WEAPON ON THE FIELD OF BATTLE
FOR THE PRIDE OF OUR PROFESSION
FOR THE HONOR OF OUR MOTHERLAND
TO THE POSITIONS, FOLLOW ME”
He salutes and everybody salutes back
