Still Another Act of Bravery

Tuberculosis

During the war, a patrol squad of soldiers consisting of fresh recruits and new in the area came upon a guerrilla camp of a local resistance group, their allies and decided to camp there for the night. As they were raising their tents, the colonel came dashing in somewhat troubled and whispered out loud. ““Men, we better get going. This camp is sick. Most of them spit blood…their teeth stained with blood…Tuberculosis! It’s contagious!!!” not knowing that most of the guerrillas chew betel nut that when masticated produces red color.

To the Last Breath

A commando unit was organized consisting of natives to raid an enemy prison garrison holding  soldiers captives. It was to be a surprise attack at dawn. The guards were silenced by knife-wielding smaller men of the group as another platoon entered the quarters to prepare the prisoners for the breakout. Marksmen took position by the escape route with machine gunners a few meters away to provide fire cover just in case. It took quite a while than planned to whisk the prisoners out as daybreak was approaching.

Slowly but surely, the prisoners were escorted single file to their freedom. As the sun peeped in the east it stretched it’s neck, amazed to what it was seeing providing illumination to what was happening. With this, the prisoners and soldiers alike rushed through the cut barbed wires. Shots sprang out as the enemy came out one by one. Soon almost a hundred of them were shooting and shouting as the marksmen and machine gunners responded. To view their targets, the marksmen and machine gunners stood up shooting as the escapees rushed passed them. A few minutes later the camp was bombarded from atop a hill where another unit was posted that night before. Ten out of fifty prisoners didn’t make it while sixteen of forty commandos died.

At a ceremony in the army camp, the major gave his speech commending the bravery and dedication of the soldiers. “…Should it have not been for your bravery, we shouldn’t have been here…and to those who died and gave their last breath for us, the gunners, who provided fire cover, who, though shot and wounded, with mouths bleeding, yes,.. spitting out blood due to their wounds probably in the chest and dying, gave their last, shooting while they can…”

A few moments later, he realized that the gunners were betel nut chewers. They chew like some smoker who smokes to ease anxiety.

Image by National Library of Scotland via Flickr