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1945 The war was coming to an end, a bad one for us Germans. I was stationed at the last Military Airport still open. But, alas, the enemy’s bombers came every day and every night. The sirens would sound loud and clear, piercing the air with an unforgettable noise I still remember to this day. I just happened to lie down on the straw mattress, infested with bed bugs, yet to exhausted to care. The droning of the bombers overhead was the catalyst of the explosions that certainly followed. I looked up and there were cracks in the ceiling above me. The windows had all been blown out. It felt like I was right in the middle of an air raid. I was, pinned to my cot, unable to move. In Berlin and Oschatz we experienced so many air raids I was numb to them by now, except this time I was trapped. A few prayers were mumbled, and then, silence. The others, who made the run to the trenches, finally came and helped me out. The flames were as high as skyscrapers and raging fires surrounded me in every direction. The brazen scene encircled the airport like a fiery lasso and explosions from the plane fuel still shook the ground. I looked at the burning hangers, my heart sunk, the last of our wonderful German planes destroyed. It was November 1945, the end of our Airforce, the end of our department (which was in charge of all the pilot testing and medical records), and soon, the end of the war. All of our officers were medical men in real life, drafted to their current positions. It was decided by my boss, Dr. Dr. Herbst, we would all go home. Dr. Dr. Herbst, a brilliant surgeon in private life, drove us each home in an old Sanka truck. The truck was fuelled with wood and coal. There was no oil or gas due to the embargo’s and blockades of the allies. All we saw on the ride home was those stinking trucks; a wood stove burning in the back and a horrible yellowish smoke polluting the air around us. Dr. Dr. Herbst drove the other doctors and some Stabshelferinnen (medical aids), like me, to various destinations. I was dropped off in my hometown of Weilheim, Germany. What a joy to finally be home! I had nothing to do at home so the next day I was already out looking for work.
Approximate Word count = 1593
Approximate Pages = 6.4
(250 words per page double spaced)
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