Both Sides of the Story

Paul Reynolds was waiting in the assignments office for what felt like years. As he sat there his mind drifted off. He drifted back to the old days of his early childhood.He remembered back when he was seven. He was sitting at home in early December he anticipated his father’s return from the iron foundry. He could he could hear his father’s footsteps outside the door and he came in. He brought home a toy fighter pilot made out of metal. Paul took it and played with it for years he couldn’t remember where it was now,but before he could think about it any longer a voice came from the office in front of him.
” Reynolds.”the voice said with profound clarity.


Paul got up and walked into the office. His C.O. was sitting at a desk. Paul walked and sat down.

“Paul,”the commander said “ your training records are pristine,and you graduated summa cum laude in your class at West Point.”

“Yes sir thank you”said Paul

The commander said” Okay now lets get down to business. You have been assigned to a bombing squadron that ships out to London tomorrow. The mission will be dangerous. You will be bombing the factories the Germans are using to make a new weapon called a V2. They are using them to destroy buildings in London from their launch site on the Northern French coast.” They stood and saluted each other and Paul left to go pack his bags.

Alex Von Buren considered himself one of the best fighter pilot in the German army. He grew up in Berlin and his father fought in world war one. That is what inspired him to join the Luftwaffe(the Air Force of Germany during World War Two)

He had been assigned to the seventy-third air battalion that was assigned to defend the new V2 rocket manufacturing factories and distribution centers from England’s Royal Air Force and the American bombers . Alex was bored with his post all he ever did was patrol the skies and report back to base. He wanted to be apart of the action he wanted to be bombing London. He waited until the day when he would finally get the chance to fight air battles on the front lines.

He cherished his fighter plane he always made sure it was in the best condition it could be in. Every day he always checked: the wings,rudders,the engine,the gun,the tail plane,and the gear box.

Paul arrived in London the next day. He rode on a truck to the air strip he was stationed at. He got of the truck and was directed to his barracks. His Commanding officer was getting ready to brief him and his squadron on their mission. His C.O said that they were going to fly over north western Germany.
“Your targets,” he said” are seven key manufacturing compounds that the Nazis hold near and dear to their hearts. You will start by flying across the English channel ending up over belgium; you’ll move in a loop from factory to factory. You leave at o eight hundred tomorrow,and a good tip is to always watch your six.”
Alex was walking into the operations office at his post. He asked if there were any notifications for any pilots that day. The woman working there flipped through her communications logbook and said
It says all pilots are to be on continuous stand by for the next week because intelligence in Berlin he has intercepted a transmission that said there will be an American air raid on missile factories.” After that he walked past her further into the office and took a door in a corner and walked up a staircase to a balcony above the airfield as he did every morning. He looked out towards his plane it looked pristine among the others he was proud of his plane and he was ready for those Americans he thought to himself “ I prove I’m the best pilot here. The Fuhrer will want to meet me and i will be deeply honored.”
Paul and his other squad members got to their planes. The planes were: refueled,There engines were checked and they were cleared for take off. Paul accelerated and lifted of the tarmack. After takeoff they reached cruising altitude and got into formation. They flew over London, or what was left of it. All Paul could see was rubble and smoldering wreckage. He flew over the English channel keeping close eye on where he was if strayed too far out he might get lost or separated. He and his squadron some hours later flew just below the cloud cover. scouting their first target. He spotted it and he radioed the others. They took the position to bomb Paul pulled a lever and his payload was sent hurtling towards Earth. They dropped and smoke erupted from the factory followed by flames billowing out of the sides.
Alex was reading the daily newspaper when a loud high pitched wail sounded from a horn. He knew immediately that the Americans had bombed a factory nearby. There was an announcement that said,
” All pilots immediately get to your fighters and prepare to counter attack.” Alex ran to his fighter climbed in and started the engine. The airstrip was cleared and Alex took off. He grouped together with four other fighters to form a plus sign he ascended into the sky and flew towards coordinates that the bombers were reported to be. He saw a group of large planes in the sky, and he fired.
Paul was on route to his second target when he spotted a group of small dots flying towards him.Then he saw little lights flashing and heard the sound of lead piercing steel. He looked back and saw smoke rising and a bomb technician lying on the floor with a sickening dark red pool expanding across the floor. There was another flash and there was an explosion they had hit the bombs on board. An eerie alarm sounded he looked down and saw that his third engine was failing. He tried with all his might to keep the plane up. He saw the enemy fighters circle back around and he felt as though his stomach turned to lead.
Alex saw the plane on fire and shot at it for a third time and shrapnel fell down to terra firma. He saw the back of the blane beginning to buckle under the dead weight of the tail plane. He was filled with adrenaline and fired again he hit an engine and it erupted into a stream of smoke and flames.
Paul heard another explosion and he saw his second engine get shot to pieces from the cockpit. He ordered his tail gunner to fire on the Luftwaffe. he looked back and saw that his tail gunner was gone and so was the entire tail in the heat of the moment he hadn’t heard the ominous groaning of the metal as it twisted and dropped off the plane. There was one open gun left and no one on the plane. He abandoned the wailing sirens in his battered cockpit,and ran to the gun.
Alex circled around the bomber and tried to see if there was anybody left on board,and saw no one in the cockpit. He heard what sounded like cards being shuffled quickly. He saw a streak of orange and confetti of shrapnel. There was some one on board. he had to avenge the pilots death.
Paul felt immense satisfaction watching the pilots of the enemy fighters scramble. It was then he realized he had successfully lured the pilots away from the other moving bombers he now had one last thing to do if he was going down he was taking these fighters with him. He was shooting up anything he saw moving around him. He had killed all but one pilot who pelted the shell of his former bomber.
Alex was now enraged he thought to himself
“How on EARTH did this American kill the rest of my squadron.” He fired at the plane again and this time the plane started to collapsed in on itself.
Paul gave up on his plane. He grabbed an emergency parachute and walked to the edge of what was left of his plane. He took one long look at his plane before readying himself to jump just as the pilot circled back around he wondered why the pilot was back because the plane by now was descending rapidly.
Alex circled around one last time. He took a long look at the the burning plane and saw the soul survivor. The American fighter pilot looked up at him. They both stared for just one second at each other.
In unison they both saluted each other as if to say to each other “Well, you really gave me a run for my money.”
Alex peeled away from the plane and returned to base. He always remembered that day and after remembering sometimes after he would feel he was young again.
Paul ran off the plane and jumped and landed in neutral Switzerland. He got home and always remembered that day and wondered whatever happened to the German fighter pilot.