![download.jpg](https://ipfs.busy.org/ipfs/QmXkRL6EQQDrNcJiiR9L6WoW297Y7xgKBXiTpKXHJiGSaa)

## For all Veterans of War
.
.
The last **speaker** was finally coming to the podium, this was who we had all been patiently waiting on. A few months ago we had been in a major battle and casualties had been extremely heavy on both sides. We were all still coping, dealing with the loss of our friends, our brothers in arms, men that we would have given our own lives to save. We also remembered those that we had killed, too many to count. It had been hard at first to take a life, then we became indifferent, in the end, we were all wanton killers just looking for a next target. Could we ever enter back into a normal life?

Our commander started out slow, and the audience leaned forward to hear. It was like the beginning of the battle, a shot here or there in the distance that grew louder and closer and became more intense with every breath. He told of the shock of war, the fog of battle, the smell of death, and the sounds of the dying. He held nothing back even as we heard gasps from the audience at the reality and truth in his words. As he spoke it all came back to me, I had been shocked by a mortar shell that had landed near my position and was sitting there mentally unconscious but my eyes were open and I was seeing the battle raging all around me. It was like I was there but paralyzed. Captain Mitinger (Mighty Mite) grabbed a strap dangling from my body armor and slammed me up against the perimeter wall, his eyes locked onto mine and I snapped out of my funk, he lifted my rifle into my hands and simply said, find a target son as he was walking away seemingly impervious to the bullets and mortar rounds impacting all around us. How many did I kill that day? I had fired hundreds of rounds, but could only count two that were for sure kills.

Back to reality, the Mighty Mite was making it real to the mixed crowd of military and civilians. Our family members were there to see us receive our medals and awards, if they knew the whole truth would they be as proud of us as they seem to be right now? What would they think if they could see the carnage and the devastation? What did I think of myself? I was certainly proud of the members of my Company, I loved each one of them. But could I ever love myself, could I live with what I had done and what I had seen? Captain Mitinger was adding his closing remarks, his eyes scanning the audience as if he wanted to look each individual right in the eye and wake them up like he had done for me not so long ago. Then he looked over to us, the men who had fought for him, and with him. And he said these words; "Our day is done and the dust of battle has settled over the land, now mixed with the blood of our dead. Soon the wind will blow that dust away, and it will rise up high into the sky, and fall back to earth again with the cleansing rain. There to once again be brought to life in one form or another. These bodies that we dwell in came from the earth and they will return to the earth, so let us remember our fallen by honoring the living, and by praising the one who gives life even to the dust of war."

.
.
.
**Disclaimer: I often use the freewrite prompt to tell a story instead of doing a pure freewrite, so they sometimes take longer than 5 minutes and usually have some editing. But I try to do my story straight through at one sitting without any unnecessary breaks.
.

Free for use photo by [HG-Fotografie](https://pixabay.com/en/flour-dust-flour-hand-baker-food-1910046/)

Over 20 Club Graphic by the ever so talented @fireawaymarmot and personalized for me by @snook
Old' Steem by the most wonderful @snook
.
.
Prompt: speaker

Set your timer for 5 minutes.
Start writing
Use the hashtag #freewrite
Publish your piece (include a link to this post if you wish)
Copy and paste your URL into the comment section of the prompt post.
Or, if you don't want to publish your freewrite, just copy and paste as a comment under the prompt post.
If you don't know what a freewrite is, here is a link to the introduction post.

[Introduction to freewrite](https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/writers-or-wanna-be-writers-wanted-be-free-freewrite)

Thank you @mariannewest

<center>https://i.imgur.com/ytMjXiX.jpg</center>

<center>https://images-ext-1.discordapp.net/external/uwUlbHySl22Kb3GOqSP3znC7IzpL0gIJ0cb7ssXPt-c/https/steemitimages.com/DQmcMHALMDxCWzHwCq3MMpJaBysm39LZ7YcLfsT2w9Z5eBv/FamilyPhoto2.jpg?width=400&height=272</center>

<center> [![Freewritehouse-footer-500px.png](https://steemitimages.com/DQmY73bhwxZbFPVvGvGshKPCtEzK7fseuHjaxCDEW4fB6Pe/Freewritehouse-footer-500px.png)](https://steemit.com/@freewritehouse)</center>
<center><sub>Click the graphic to join the fun</sub></center>
### Exciting things are on the horizon, visit the [Freewritehouse](https://steemit.com/@freewritehouse) to find out more!


<center>https://steemitimages.com/DQmSti5xWr432Hv2jtN25RijMaPuzWX4r2Np3SW99jKxJWa/thealliance2.png</center>