The Chameleon Soldier: NOW AS AN ALIEN BLUE HE CANNOT DIE. by D.B. Silvis

Americans fought equally fiercely, but this platoon too was eventually whipped by the vast number of Germans, who greatly outnumbered them.
    Killian, with the third platoon, had dug in by the railway. When the enemy appeared they engaged in ferocious hand-to-hand combat. This time, Killian and his men managed to hold the Germans back.
    At Dormans, several companies of the Pennsylvania Guard of the 28th Division made a heroic effort, but were too few in number to halt the German attack. Meanwhile, at Château-Thierry, the Germans took a terrible beating when they crossed the river. The French and American cannons had found their mark, and hundreds of broken boats and rafts, as well as thousands of dead German infantry, floated down the river. The gray hordes of the Kaiser’s stormtroopers, who did make it across, were met by the bullets of the Third Army Division’s 7th Machine Gun Battalion, and the Third Infantry Division, which included the 30th and 38th Infantry. They remained rock solid, and earned the nickname, in the Second Battle of the Marne, of “Rock of the Marne.”
    By ten o’clock in the morning, the Germans at Mézy realized they were defeated. Both the remaining stormtroopers and the Americans were exhausted as the Germans yelled, “Kamerad, Kamerad!” Their surrender was accepted. Some of the Germans began carrying their dead and wounded back to the river. The still living Americans, fifty-one men, and two second lieutenants didn’t object to their leaving. Killian wandered away from his men, looking down at the hundreds of dead bodies, both American and German. He did not want the men of the third platoon to take note of his own body, which burned and ached, as his many bullet and bayonet wounds began to heal. As he walked on alone, a weary German soldier stopped, and stared at him, his attention riveted by a bloody bayonet gash on Killian’s left arm. The man was stunned as the wound began to heal.
    “Mien Gott! Supermen!” he gasped, before hurrying away.
    The war continued until November 1918, when Germany surrendered. The Third Army remained on duty in Germany until it was disbanded in July, 1919. A month later, Killian returned home, to his ranch.

CHAPTER 5

    W hen Killian returned home he was still a strong, youthful-looking man of twenty-eight, though he was, in reality, now eighty-seven years old. As he entered the house he saw Martha in the kitchen. He lifted her off her feet and gave her a big hug. She returned the hug as tears of happiness ran down her cheeks. “Oh Killian, it’s so good to see you.”
    “Where’s Chester, out in the stable?”
    “No, Killian, he’s out back. I’ll take you to him.”
    Martha went out the back door. Killian followed her, and realized she was heading toward the cemetery, where his parents were buried. As she turned the corner, he saw that a small church had been built next to the graveyard. He felt nauseated. His emotions were mixed; he liked the church, but was sad at not seeing Chester. Then the church door opened, and Chester came out. The two friends rushed toward each other and embraced, patting each other on the back and shaking hands. It was evident that Chester was as happy to see Killian as the latter was to be reunited with his old friend. But there was no escaping the fact that Chester, who had always been a robust man, was beginning to show his age.
    Soon after Killian returned, Chester’s now large family of two grown sons, and nine grandchildren celebrated Chester’s sixty-fifth birthday. Martha, his loving wife, along with Peter’s wife Tillie and Jacob’s wife Rosita, made sure there was plenty of food, and cake for the happy occasion. Rosita’s father and brothers had a mariachi band, and many of the grandchildren had learned to play guitars, violins and banjos. So, after dinner, the birthday party became very festive, with music, singing, dancing, and present-opening. Killian waited until Chester had opened all his gifts