The Untold Story of Frederick Michaelis

Sufferings

The shock of icy cold water dragged the air out of my lungs. The current pushed me down as I clawed at an invisible enemy. I forced my feet to move even though they felt as if the skin was being torn off. My fingers and arms were going numb; I slowly stopped moving altogether. I became tired and began to drift off to sleep. All I saw before I closed my eyes was the dark blue color of the water around me. I could see the light bouncing off the surface of the river but it seemed too far away from me. I let my eyelids close and I felt myself sink. For the first time in a long time I do not hate the cold but I instead welcome it.

My last thoughts were of my family. They would never know what had happened to me. All my parents would know is that their son died for a cause that they did not believe in. I died without accomplishing anything in the war for America's freedom. My name is not in a text book and no one knows of me but my suffering was real.