It was 1950, his name was Corporal Bill.

The army had routed him to this God Forsaken Hill, that they called ‘ Pork chop’, for God alone knows why! He was new to the Unit’s Love company and had already been shot at and almost blown up during the earlier mission. This assignment was surely going to be another nightmare.
Arriving on the hill was no picnic. He was told to get ready for the next wave of North Korean troops, expected at any time. With 150 men, they knew they were outnumbered because the enemy always came in thousands.
He sat in his tent looking at the picture of his wife and their first baby that was coming. She was so lovely and he was so excited about their first child. He missed her so much. Holding the picture so tightly to his heart, he wondered if he would ever see his wife and their new baby. Thinking about her he said a silent prayer,
“Dear Lord would You please watch over them. Watch over us here in this unknown land where we fight a battle for an unknown cause. But since we are here, Lord so do please protect us.”
At that moment he heard warning shouts. Grabbing his gear he ran to the nearest foxhole. He jumped in and started shooting, shot after shot. It was as if a hail of a thousand bullets whizzing past everywhere. There was no time to think. The priority was just trying to stay alive. All around him he could see friends dropping off like flies.
Finally a lull in the shooting and the meds were swarming, trying to get to the injured, knowing that the next wave of the enemy would soon be upon them.
A miracle…!! Reinforcements arriving, another hundred men from Mike Company showed up.
‘Well at least that is something,’ Bill thought to himself.
It was the moment to catch their breath. Where ever they could lay their heads. Just trying to rest and eating out of their sea rations. They were all starving and so tired but afraid of going to sleep.
Then the voice from the loud speaker came on. Telling them how they were going to be killed, since they were outnumbered. If they surrendered, their lives would be spared.
‘I wish it would stop’ thought Bill. He looked around to see so many scared and petrified faces.
Then it was night. It was so dark one couldn’t see a hand in front of his face.
Bill found a place away from everyone near the cliff and settled in, wondering what was going to come next.
He must have dozed off, when he heard warning shouts. As he ran he heard the staccato of bullets firing. An offensive had been launched by the North Koreans. They were everywhere. He was being attacked caught off guard without his rifle; he fought them in a hand to hand combat and rushed to where his rifle lay. Stabbed in the hand he shot three enemy soldiers in quick succession. He didn’t know where to go since the enemy was everywhere. Jumping off the cliff, he held onto a branch for hours.
It was hours later and the sun was coming up. Bill pulled himself up with tired strained arms and bloodied hands. As he looked over the cliff, he saw bodies strewn everywhere. No enemy was in sight. As he was gathering his wits about, he saw movement and froze. Watching cautiously then he realized the four were his co-combatants of Love Company, badly bruised and shot. The five of them looked at each other and walked down the hill. Airlifted by helicopters, only five men out of two hundred and fifty survived the battle of Pork Chop Hill.
Corporal Bill
You are alive
By the Grace of God
You are alive.
Just wait Bill, there is more to come.
Your life is only starting
You have so much to do
The brave men of so long ago still
Spells out today.
He leads out of the fire
He gives His blessed assurance.
He gives His grace.
Oh enemy you cannot keep them down
They will be back and back.
With the Grace of God;
They will be back.


©Copyright 2014 by POET DEBORAH BROOKS-LANGFORD
Debbie