Pure Luck: The Story of Phillip J. Butler

  I never truly understood how these men survived. It was an experience that I'll never forget. 

 We were just ordered to help evacuate the soldiers in Dunkurk by boats. We got all the boats we could, rushing just to save them. I was lucky enough to get on one of the naval vessels rather than a pleasure or fishing boat. As we were crossing the channel towards the stranded soldiers, I couldn't help but notice several strange objects floating in the water. Then, I realized, when we were closer, that they were bodies. The bodies of those soldiers that we were sent to save. I knew I needed to work fast now. There wasn't much that I could do besides pulling bodies of the ones that looked alive still. I felt helpless almost. Oh well, it was better than feeling useless, unwanted, and out-casted back at home. The explosions that were sounding made everything go by so quickly. It felt as if I wasn't really there. It made everything seem more like a nightmare. I kept thinking that if I just killed myself, I would wake up. I couldn't believe the amount of blood I was seeing, the missing faces from bodies, arms, and legs. You couldn't tell what was what. Everything was a blur. A quick, soundless, blur. 

  I never planned on doing what I did, saving all those soldiers. Back when I still lived with my parents, I was only sixteen years of age. My father was never home, always claiming to be working. He was never working. My mother used to work at a factory nearby, that is until she passed away three years ago. I hated my dad. I was abused when I was younger for just being born. My mother never found out about this. I hated everything about that man, so I decided to run away from it all. I had no idea where to go, then I stumbled upon a poster on the ground that said soldiers were needed for the war. This was my new beginning, my chance at a new life to just forget it all and start over.

  

   As I was taking in my the last soldier that I could, he managed out of his barely breathing body, a simple look of thankfulness and gratitude. You could see in his eyes how there was once fear in them but that fear had turned into hope. After taking him on the ship, we had to evacuate. I couldn't help but look back as we were leaving, watching all those men who were still alive try to swim themselves toward us. It was pointless, to just stare, but I couldn't help myself. I had experienced nothing like what I was that day. It will live with me for the rest of my life, maybe flashing back to me at any given time.

   But right before leaving, with all the soldiers that we had saved, my general, who was a brother and best friend to me, decided to jump into the water to try and save another survivor. I didn't want him to do it, not only because I didn't want to lose him but also because I knew he wasn't going to make it. Well, he proved me wrong, almost. As he jumped into the water towards that last survivor, I yelled at him. He was the only one that actually kept my senses together. Paddling back to the boat, you could see the determination in his eyes, and almost a look that seemed as though it came from his father. He just had a look that wasn't himself. Then, coming up to me still in the water, he handed me his pin, tears in both of our eyes, and barely said, “I hope you can be as good a general as a soldier.” And then he just let go of me, as if something was slowly dragging him away. He was gone. It felt as if I had something ripped right out of my heart. He was the closest I had to a new life. And then to just see him go, it's just something I can't bare to explain. I'll never forget that man, General Hugh Colt.