The Green Light

I stared at the red light by the door for the past few hours. It seemed like an eternity as everyone aboard waited. Everyone was apprehensive about what would happen once the green light turned on.

I looked across and above the noise, asked Tommy what he was reading. Tommy replied that he was reading a Western. I asked what the story was about, and Tommy said it was about the gunfight at the OK Corral. I told him that was an interesting choice considering what we were about to do when the green light went on.

I looked around to see what the other guys were doing. Jimmy was sharpening a knife while smoking a cigarette. Jimmy had cut his hair to look like a Mohawk Indian the night prior and joked he was ready to scalp the enemy.

Dennis sat nearby talking to Frank about the baseball and football games they were missing. Dennis from Pittsburgh, and Frank, from Philadelphia discussed the unusual merger of the Steelers and Eagles the previous season because neither team had enough players. Dennis and Frank joked whether they should buy “Steagles” hats when they returned home.

I was a baseball fan from Brooklyn. I remember going to the Brooklyn Dodgers games and seeing the players on the field while enjoying hotdogs and peanuts. It was hard to imagine how far away from home I was and much further away I would be going. Tony sitting across from me, asked what I was thinking about, and I said baseball and the beautiful girl that lived down the block from me in Brooklyn. Tony, an avid Red Sox fan, smiled and said, “I can’t wish you luck in baseball as a New Yorker but stay focused, and hopefully, you’ll get to see that girl again.”

I thanked Tony and asked what he was thinking about as well. Tony said, “I am thinking about Boston, my family, and how I wish for a bowl of clam chowder of all things.” I smirked, thinking maybe I should say that his life would be better if he tried Manhattan clam chowder but opted to avoid the typical New York-Boston friendly competition.

As I looked around, I could not help but be amazed how this collection of individuals became a team from everywhere back home. Guys from the deep south talking blues music with guys from Chicago. Guys from Texas sharing stories about ranching and BBQ with guys who were lumberjacks in Maine. We may be different and have different backgrounds, but we were all on the same side at that moment. It was beautiful to see.

Suddenly, things became tense. Outside we could hear loud explosions and felt the heat. All of us knew we were close and that the green light would go on soon. The sounds of the explosions and gunfire were inescapable. We watched as the side doors were open. From my seat, I could see the darkness and the flashes of light coming from the ground. The flashes of light were artillery and machine-gun aimed at us. Things became bumper as the pilots flew to avoid the ground fire; however, they had to keep things level and steady to commence the operation.

I stared as the jumpmaster looked outside. Then, he gave the signal for everyone to stand up and hook up. I stood up and hooked to the line. I looked around and saw Tommy’s, Dennis’s, Frank’s, and Tony’s faces as a mix of fear and determination cross their faces.

The jumpmaster gave us the signal to check our equipment. Everyone checked the persons’ in front of them and gave the OK signal. As we did this, we could see things getting more intense outside. We saw an aircraft burst into flames and watched as it fell to earth.

Above all the sounds, we heard the jumpmaster give the one-minute warning. My mind flashed with images of home. I thought about my parents, my friends, and that beautiful girl down the block. I prayed to God that I would be allowed to see them again. Next, I heard the thirty-second warning. Everyone began shuffling forward.

I looked ahead and saw the light turn green. Immediately, everyone began shuffling forward. As I got close to the door and saw the green light, I realized that was the moment of truth. As I exited the plane, I saw thousands of fellow paratroopers floating down.

That night, the green light meant we were on a crusade to save the world, and I thought to myself, “For God, Country, and the Liberation of Europe.”