A good soldier never gives up

To accept one another

As we all took a seat around the table, everyone was silent. Not a single child cried, teased, or even spoke a single word. Parents would only glance at me with curious glances, waiting for someone to break such an awkward silence.

"So William, what's it like to work with grandpa?" one of the little boys, Eddie, asked with a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"The jobs I receive are similar to the ones I have completed before. I have little difficulty handling the weaponry and fighting, but when it comes to a great man like grandfather, I'm afraid I'm still learning. As a soldier, I am honored to serve under his command." I answered. "If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here right now."

That got all of the children's attention, even some of the adults.

"How so, William?" Uncle Brian asked.

"If I was never given the opportunity to meet him, I would probably be sitting in a prison or worse. My father... The man who raised me would have locked me away in his camp for the failure of an important mission." I answered. My heart wasn't in to retelling the story, but I knew they were all curious. I knew I had gained everyone's attention.

"Deep in the desert where the guerrillas laid in hiding, one man, Damien Ashton, decided to ambush the United States Military during an important delivery. Using all the soldiers capable of fighting, we all fought along side each other. My friends, Sam, Johnathan, Mason, Janet and I were all sent into battle. We all fought as ordered, shooting at the good soldiers only doing their job, until we were finally given the orders to retreat. Janet was shot on her shoulder, but to prevent her capture, I made her continue. I'm the one who fell several feet down to the hard ground due to the loose gravel and from there was taken prisoner." I caught my breath and made sure I still had everyone's attention. When I was sure I did, I continued the story.

"I wasn't sure what was going to happen to me, especially after irritating Sergent Freedman. Meeting General Kingston showed me the difference between a truly kind person and a person wanting destruction. General Kingston helped me discover the truth about myself, that I wasn't the son of a mad man, and in return, I gave him the location of my former family. Along side the brave soldiers, I fought the only family I've known to undo the wrong I helped commit and freed several children and their mothers. This is actually how I freed my own mother."

All around, everyone was staring at me with open mouths. Even Grandmother didn't have anything to say.

Alicia was the one to break the silence. "This kid could have gotten himself killed hundreds of times since I met him, but somehow he survived. William may seem like a strange kid, but in reality, he's just a caring boy who didn't deserve to be raised in the way he was." With a smile at me, she said, "he was even crazy enough to run into a burning building injured, and jump through a second story window only to save a little boy from being blown up."

"That's not possible. The United States doesn't allow minors to go on such dangerous missions or even join the military. He couldn't have done something like that because the boy is not eighteen." Aunt Catherine put down her fork and took a sip of her water. "It's impossible for your claim to be true."

Her daughter, who mother said her name was Lily, asked, "did you really jump out of a window to save a little boy? Do you have any scars?"

I nodded before standing up and pulling up my shirt. Scars of old and new injuries were revealed as the children said in unison "cool" just as their parents sucked in their breaths. Mother gestured for me to drop my shirt and sit down, so I did as ordered.

"My scars is my history. Everyday I see them, I am reminded of the ones I have lost, the ones I have taken, and the ones I have left with nothing." I looked up, staring at no one in particular as I said, "they are reminders of why I must keep fighting. Until I can make up for what I have done in the past, I am to continue fighting until I earn an honorable warrior's death."