User:Hollywood101x/Purple Heart Bridge

Purple Heart Bridge
“Let it be known that he who wears the military order of the Purple Heart has given of his blood in the defense of his homeland and shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen.” The words said to those who received the Purple Heart, a medal created by George Washington during the Revolutionary War for the independence of the United States of America. That same medal passed through the centuries and used by the United Nations Space Command. Never before in human conflict had such a medal been given to so many.

“Baker! I want that bridge! If we don’t get it than the attack will be held off! Now get me that bridge. Best of luck!”

Captain Travis Baker rubbed his eyes; the transmission from the radio had brought him a bad feeling. The young twenty-five year old Captain grabbed the back of his radio man, the small blonde haired boy handed him the handset and Baker spoke. “Jamie, take Third Platoon on point we’re heading towards the bridge keep your eyes up. First in the middle with Second Platoon taking the rear.” Baker received three acknowledgements from his three lieutenants. They walked through the open street, ten minutes before they had fought their way into the city with somewhat ease. Something that appeared to only happen in their sector as the other areas had heavy fighting. Now Baker commanding Delta Company made their way through the city of Hanabira.

“Captain Baker, we’ve got eyes on the bridge, nothing’s happening.” The lieutenant of Third Platoon reported, he had stopped his platoon twenty meters short of bridge. He looked at the area. In front of them was the street, a center divider filled with plants and trees; on the opposite side of the street was a four feet high wall that dropped off into the Han River. The base of the bridge connected to an intersection. The opposite side of the river had the same look, a line of buildings lined along the street; one large building towered over the rest at twice their height which only was six stories. The large building was surrounded by a line of trees; it seemed like a hotel to him and would have made a nice place to stay.

Baker made his way up to Third Platoon and stood next to the Lieutenant. He eyed the area than spoke. “Alright Jamie get your guys spread out among that wall. Get Second Platoon into these buildings covering the bridge and First Platoon send a squad across one at a time.” The radiomen spoke into handsets and the company moved to their positions. Third Platoon raised weapons above the small wall in kneeling positions while Second Platoon took up the windows on the first and second floor of the buildings. First Platoon sent in their first squad.

Jon Chin scanned the windows of the building with his heavy M247 S.A.W. the rest of his squad moved up ahead of him as they made their way across the bridge. They split into two groups each group sticking to the sides of the bridge, their weapons at the ready. Jon swept the weapon left and right seeing nothing. Soon first squad was at the end of the bridge when second squad came up too early. Second had made it half way across now. Jon dropped to a knee at the end of the bridge as his squad did the same waiting for second squad.

Baker watched the two squads, the second had moved too soon and he was worried. Than those worries became a nightmare. The opposite buildings glowed blue and green as a hail of plasma fire swept across the two squads on the bridge. Immediately his company returned fire.

Jon dropped to the ground as asphalt and cement erupted around him. He hadn’t seen it, just heard the reports of plasma weapons firing and he immediately dropped down on his stomach with his S.A.W. at his side. He looked around half his squad was hit, second squad was even worse. The two ten man squads were pinned. Already eight were dead with six wounded. Jon saw his staff sergeant gripping his side, a plasma wound. Bringing the M247 to his shoulder Jon let a long burst roar from his weapon as he swept it left and right than left again. Windows were shattered and peppered with his rounds as well as the covering fire from the company.

Jon got up to a knee and went to his staff sergeant still firing the weapon from a half crouched position. With one hand he held the weapon up and fired in short bursts and with the other he tried to drag his leader. The staff sergeant kicked his legs trying to help push while empty shell casings dropped beside him as Jon kept firing.

Third squad ran across the bridge, half of them knelt and gave covering fire while the others ran without weapons towards the wounded and began to pull them back. However the men were completely exposed and they fell themselves. Jon kept pulling, he let the weapon drop and hang from his shoulder by the strap and grabbed another wounded marine with the other hand. The ground around him erupted with fire as he was now halfway across. His arms burned and legs grew sore but he kept pulling them.

“Get some rockets into that building! And call for a medic!” Baker yelled as he raised his M7 submachinegun and fired. Even they on were receiving fire from the Covenant. His radioman dropped onto his back, a carbine round dug into his shoulder and blood flowed openly onto the carpet. “Goddamn it where are our medics!?”

Jon finally made to the “friendly” side of the bridge where four marines grabbed the two wounded he brought and took them to the rear. Jon shouldered his M247 again drew a breath and ran across again as he fired a long burst into the buildings. He jumped than came to a sliding stop besides on of the marines lying on his back, dead. Jon crawled to the next one, a hit in the knee, the plasma had burned most of it away, the shin only attached by a small sliver of skin. “Sorry bud.” Jon said than quickly withdrew his combat knife and cut the small piece of skin. The marine was unconscious and Jon began to pull on his shoulders. He saw white contrails of rockets sailing across the sky and into the windows of buildings. They detonated giving him a moment of peace as the fire slackened. He made it back and was about to cross the bridge once more when another squad joined him. They ran but were pinned down across the span of the bridge. Too much fire.

“Goddamnit. Isaac give me close air support on that building!” Baker said as he ran into the street from a blown out wall, his new radioman followed and yelled into the handset. Soon two Hornets swept down and hovered above the bridge firing rockets into the large building. The Hornets two machineguns rattled and sent empty shell casings down like rain. They began taking small arms fire and pulled out to make circles above the battlefield and fired rockets and machinegun fire onto the buildings.

“HUNTERS!” Jon yelled as he saw a bright green blob arc towards the bridge. Jon watched the green blob and grew wide eyed as five others appeared. “HEADS UP!”

The bridge shook heavily, the ground seemed to slap Jon in the face. He looked around when he felt it stop and saw a third of the squad he was with gone. One marine lay at the edge of a crater his arms extended outward with his face in the ground, he was missing his lower half.

Baker watched the men on the bridge being shredded to bits by the plasma fire. Another squad went up trying to bring back the wounded but it failed as they two became pinned. Only a few soldiers were still able to move and fire their weapons. Two were on the opposite side of the bridge and were soon to be joined by a third that sprinted in a zigzag up the bridge. “Isaac! Get me Major Stewart!” Baker said as he reloaded his M7. A marine walked past him as he carried a wounded comrade on his back.

“It’s a turkey shoot out there Captain! And we’re the turkeys!” The marine said than went past.

“Major! I’ve got heavy resistance on the bridge with heavy casualties, I’ve got at least a platoon out there pinned with KIAs and WIAs I’m gonna need reinforcements, heavy weapons!” Baker yelled almost desperately into the handset. “I’m gonna need more medical supplies as well.”

“Alright Travis hold tight I’ll have Echo Company send in their weapons platoon. Sit tight Baker!”

Echo Company’s Second Platoon finally made their way to the bridge, one building had been turned into a field hospital as wounded were being treated by only a few medics available. The platoon ran across a small sign written on cardboard and hung from a broken assault rifle “Welcome To Purple Heart Bridge”


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