1 Mile Behind Enemy Lines-Chapter 1 and 2

One Mile Behind Enemy Lines
By Andrew Norfolk

Chapter 1-December 14th, 1942

At approximately 8:34 PM, 21-year-old Alexander Hagendaas was kidnapped in his home in Neckargemünd, Nazi Germany. His kidnappers, after a close encounter with a squad of Americans, had come to a decision. “We can’t keep him any longer. We’ll have to throw him out of the truck ” said one of his kidnappers. “Why not kill him? It will be quick and nobody will notice,” said the other. “Are you stupid? What if someone finds him? How do you expect to kill someone without the Americans noticing?” replied the other man, in a rather annoyed and angry tone. “Its just my idea sir,” said the other. “Well, its my idea to put a bullet in your skull” replied the other, now furious.
After the two men found a spot in the middle of nowhere, they stopped the truck and threw Alexander on the side of the road. Scared and confused, Alex lay there without moving, as if the men were about to execute him. However, the kidnappers instead drove off until they disappeared into the gleaming night sky. In temperatures lower than 20°F, Alex was freezing cold and hungry. He thought he would not survive, until the most astonishing miracle occurred. About 45 minutes passed by when an American infantry transport truck stopped in front of Alex. “Well, what are you waiting for? Get in!” yelled the driver. Alex, more grateful than when he was in his own home, jumped in the back of the truck. Despite being German, Alex spoke fluent English and found it being easier to bond with the soldiers than he had ever imagined. Alex started talking about how he and his family were against the Nazis, and how he was found on the side of the road, abandoned by his kidnappers. The American soldiers were enjoying the conversation with Alex, and they told him about their life and families back in America.
“Yeah, I got a wife and two kids back in America,” said Private Richard Samuels. “Both of my twins are just a few months old,” continued Samuels. “Sounds like a nice family. How old is your —” said Alex, however, he was interrupted by the sound of gunshots and explosions. The driver yells, “Crap! It’s an ambush! We are taking on enemy fire! There are too many—” A gunshot rips through the truck, and it tips over. Alex, bracing for impact, ducked down and dodged the bullets tearing through the truck. After the truck continually tips over, it comes to a halt. Alex observed his surroundings, noticing that every soldier, including the driver, had been killed. In a matter of protection, Alex grabs Pvt. Richard Samuels’s Colt 45 M1911 pistol and places it in his jacket. Right when he is about to get up, a German Nazi comes running in and, finding Alex, yells, “Sehen Sie, was ich gefunden!” Alex recognizes the German language, and he knows that the Nazi said, “Look what I found!”


Chapter 2-December 16th

Alex was thrown in what looked like a prison cell. Later on, he overheard one of the American inmates talking about where they were. They were in a POW camp. Not able to even believe what he just heard, Alex began to tremble violently and uncontrollably. Alex’s knees gave way, and he had to sit down. Alex began to ponder about why he was there. Why would one German send a fellow German to a POW camp? He thought of how they would brutally slaughter him just like the other POW. He began to shiver, and he later heard an American screaming. He looked around the corridor in front of his cold, old, and foul-smelling cell in which there was a water leak in the corner below the bunk beds. Two POW camp guards were beating an American. “What did I do?” screamed the bloody and bruised victim.
After the beating, one of the guards pulled out a Mauser C96 Broomhandle pistol from his holster. Alex covered his eyes, and a gunshot was heard. He slowly opened and uncovered his eyes, only to see a dead prisoner being dragged away on the cold, hard floor. Alex was furious. He yelled at the guards, “Why would you kill him? You all think you’re so tough, and I have half a mind to shoot you myself with my pistol!” Alex was shocked in what he just said. A guard said to the other, “Don’t worry, I will handle him.” He walked up to Alex and started taunting him. “What, is the little teenager going to cry? Is it because he saw someone get killed?” The man went from poking fun to being serious, “What could you possibly do to me?” After that infuriating comment, Alex whipped out his Colt 45 M1911 and shot the guard in the forehead. “Simple, I just put a bullet in your head.” “Hey! Get him!” yelled the other guard. Alex thought quickly and reached for the guard’s cell keys. He unlocked his cell and ran into cover. He quickly thought, “If I free everyone, maybe they will help me!”
He unlocked some cells while managing to dodge incoming fire. “Can you help me?” He yelled to the inmates right after he shot the other guard. “Sure,” said the inmates. Alex overheard the guard he shot in the stomach. He was lying on the bloody floor, barking in his radio, “We need reinforcements! I repeat, we need reinforcements,” “What is your position?” “I am in sector—” Alex shot the guard again before he could give away his position. The other prisoners grabbed guns from the dead guards and started firing.
After hours and hours of fighting and unlocking cell doors, it appeared that the Germans were killed and that all prisoners were rescued (almost). Alex looked around for any signs of another wave of Nazis. After an hour of searching, no Nazis were found. “Hey! It’s the rescue team!” yelled one of the prisoners. Everyone looked at the rescue team. A squad of British rescue trucks were lining up in front of the POW camp. Everyone seized the trucks to get in. Everyone was cramped in such a tiny space that even some claustrophobics began to vomit. Nevertheless, almost everyone survived and it was now safe. Almost.