The Silver Ring

PREPARING FOR SEELOW/FAST FORWARD

It seemed like a I had just fallen asleep where I was aware of a great commotion going on around me. Curt was moving me along. Mattias, I have roll call. Come with me, you may have been added to the unit roster. If you are called and not present. He looked at me and laughed. What is so funny, I asked. Well, he said, other than being shot if you  miss roll call are they going to send you to the front? I guess you are right, I said. We headed into the ranks and I got behind Curt so that I could have some idea as to what was going on.

We were called to attention. The word was given to us-it was January 18, 1945, that the civilian population was being evacuated. We were to them assist in preparing additional defenses for the city. Curt and I went sent on a detail. We helped overturn trolley cars to make them obstacles for tanks.

The weather was extremely cold. The civilians fleeing out of the city had to deal with the fact that most transport by that time had been smashed by the Soviets. This forced them to walk in large numbers to the west.

Curt  updated me on the story. These people from Breslau, they are being evacuated to Dresden. The city will be encircled by the Russians on February 13th. Between February 13-15 the carpet bombing of Dresden takes place. Eighty Thousand dead, many were refugees. Others were Dresdeners including my mother. We are moved out  in early February and sent to the Seelow Heights. The Heights overlooked the Oder River. There were three lines of defense, Curt and i were in the last line further  back from the river. Curt and I walked forward. He pointed to the River. The Russians will try to cross here  he said. The first line of defense will be pretty much deserted. The flood plain will be a mess. The spring thaw  has turned in into a quagmire. The Germans also opened reservoirs to the north to make the area more flooded.

Curt said the battle will begin on April 16 with a tremendous artillery assault. This will be followed by planes dropping bombs. it will be a struggle, but the Russians establish a foot hold on the western shore and it becomes and hell on earth.

Just as Curt had predicted, the artillery assault began. It was unbelievable, the noise, and it kept going on and on. Then the planes came over dropping bombs. Shrapnel was flying very everywhere. I tried to keep under cover. There was constant shooting. I looked over and saw Curt on the ground. I ran over, and saw that his neck had been torn open and he was bleeding profusely. The juggler vein had been servered.

Curt, Curt, I shouted, let me help  move you. Helmuth, if you remember from the train, grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away. Mattias, he is dead. Get yourself out of here, retreat back away from the  heights. There is a group heading for the nearest town, fall in with them. Helmuth pushed me along until I came to this group that was evacuating on foot toward the west. I looked back one last time and saw Curt on the ground with his arms outstretched, and I could see the silver ring as plain as day.

We were evacuating to the west,  planes were flying overhead and strafing the retreating soldiers. Suddenly there was quiet.

I looked about and I was in my room in Verdun. Curt was standing there next to me. Now write what you saw. This should be an impressive paper. Now the next part will be more difficult in getting the ring back, but I will be helping you.

It seemed like my fingers were flying over the keyboard, and  it was done. I was exhausted, and fell into a deep sleep.

Monday, I went to school and handed in the paper. I was even early. The adventure was not over it has just begun.