The Great American Soldier | Teen Ink

The Great American Soldier

January 5, 2012
By stoney626 SILVER, Wrentham, Massachusetts
stoney626 SILVER, Wrentham, Massachusetts
6 articles 0 photos 0 comments

“Good morning, I’m Sergeant Thomas Hope from the eighty-second battalion of the United States Air Force. I would like to show you all a film of a heroic man who died in the line of duty to save my life and the lives of many others. We are grateful that he is in heaven with his girlfriend who he chose not to save because he was under pressure and flipped out to get away as fast as he could. Ever since that experience he has been influenced to not do the best thing. Before I play the film of Sergeant Gregory Johnson’s last mission, I would like the President of the United States of America to say a couple words about my fallen friend.”
“I would like to say to our armed forces and to our nation that we all owe Sergeant Greg Johnson our lives and our freedom,” the president says. “He was a young helicopter pilot who, in a desperate time, died for his nation like all these men and women in our armed forces do every day. We never want to start a war but if our freedom is tested America will always prevail, thank you.”
Sergeant Hope steps onto the podium again and the film starts.

On the screen, Sergeant Greg Johnson, Captain David Cross, Sergeant Tom Hope, Major Day, and 2 privates step into a white room filled with computers and electronics at New York’s Stock Exchange. Sergeant Greg Johnson’s assignment is to bring the team to their objective; cover them from the air, and extract them from either from Battery Park or Ground Zero. Captain Cross’s assignment is to lead the tanks through New York and to pick up all the civilians and extract them from the city. Sergeant Hope must take the soldiers and clear the hostiles out of all the buildings he can. Major Day is to supervise from the base on the big computer screens. Sergeant Johnson and Sergeant Hope step into the gray, green, and brown camouflage helicopter with a red star on both sides and prepare to fly.

“Gentlemen how are you doing? Are you ready to be heroes?” Major Day says, with a devilish smirk and with a cigar in his mouth. “Yes, sir,” Sergeant Hope replies. “How about you Johnson?” asks Major Day. “Sir, I’m ready to fight but I’m not ready to be a hero. I do not want glory and honor. If I die protecting America’s Freedom I will be grateful,” Johnson replies. Major Day turns with a devious smile on his face. Once the alarm sounds, the mission starts and the two sergeants take off and head towards the Empire State Building. The spinning of the helicopter blades, the roar of the tank engines, the screaming people, and the constant gunfire is extremely loud.
“Attention ground forces, this is Sergeant Hope. The landing zone is too hot so you will be parachuting out of your helicopters to the ground. Jump on my count is that clear to every helicopter?” “Yes, sir!” the soldiers reply. “Go, go, go!” Sergeant Hope, shouts. “Is everyone on the ground Sergeant Hope?” Sergeant Johnson asks. “No we are still waiting. Oh no, enemy tanks hurry everyone go inside! Johnson take them out now or we are dead,” Sergeant Hope instructs. “Don’t worry, I’m on my way right now,” answers Sergeant Johnson. “I got them. It’s clear! Move out and I’ll follow you from the sky.” “Hostiles to the right on the second floor,” says Sergeant Hope. “Got them,” said Sergeant Johnson. “Move up, we’ve got to keep moving,” commands Sergeant Hope. Johnson went back to the base to refuel while Sergeant Hope clears the rest of the buildings near Battery Park. He went to Battery Park along with the other helicopters to pick up the ground forces. Once he got there, they meet up with Captain Cross. “Captain Cross, it’s Sergeant Johnson. Do you need any help?” “Yes please get these critically injured patients out of here,” requests the captain.
Sergeant Johnson brings the critically injured patients back to the base set up in New York’s Stock Exchange. He then went back to the tanks near ground zero and assists them through the city. Captain Cross asks for Sergeant Johnson to take him, Sergeant Hope, and two privates back to the base. With a hateful look on his face Captain Cross says there was something more important that they need to take care of. Once they arrive back at the base, Captain Cross instructs the others to follow him. They enter the same room they were assigned their duty. Captain Cross is extremely angry and says, “Major Day is working with the enemy. I know it but I can’t quite prove it. Johnson, I need you to help Major Day and get some proof then come pick us up and take us to him.”
“Affirmative,” says Sergeant Johnson. “I have one question about the plan.” “What?” asks Captain Cross. “Won’t Major Day think it’s suspicious when I show up without his authorization?” asked Sergeant Johnson. Captain Cross responds, “Major Day requests your assistance so investigate while you are there. Be back in twenty-four hours.”

Sergeant Johnson left at 6:00 AM the next day to assist Major Day with whatever he needs him for. Once he got to Major Day’s base, he is greeted by the Major and his soldiers. Major Day then tells Johnson his mission. Sergeant Johnson is there because Major Day suspects there is a spy in his forces. He wants Sergeant Johnson to look around and try and find anyone who looks suspicious so he can bring them in for questioning. Sergeant Johnson devises a plan so that he can sneak into Day’s office and try and uncover proof. While Day is teaching a group of recruits the basics of fighting, Sergeant Johnson sneaks into Day’s office and starts searching for anything that points to Day’s involvement with the enemy. He starts with the computer but it needs a 10 letter password. He begins to look through the file cabinets. He did not have luck and quickly left the office before Day returns. Johnson walks up to Day and tells him that he was unable to find anything. He also made it clear that he’s a helicopter pilot and not a detective. Sergeant Johnson learns, ironically, that he was one of the only people Major Day could trust.

Major Day gives Sergeant Johnson his computer code so when Day went back to continue training the recruits, Sergeant Johnson returns back to Day’s office and starts searching his computer again. Sergeant Johnson looks at all the files and sees one labeled “country destruction.” He opens the file and begins to read it. The file contains plans to destroy the country and make a new country out of the wreckage. Sergeant Johnson put in a flash drive to take the document. A notice pops up, which gives Sergeant Johnson the choice to make a copy of the document or take the document off of the Major Day’s computer. Panicked, Johnson chose to take the document from the computer.
When Johnson left the office, he told Major Day that he was needed back at the other base with Captain Cross, Sergeant Hope, and the others.

“I’m back,” says Sergeant Johnson as he walks through the empty hallway to Sergeant Hope’s office. Once he walks into the room, he quickly realizes that everyone was strapped to chairs and that their mouths duct taped. Soldiers stood behind them with guns to their heads. “What’s going on here?” Sergeant Johnson asks.
“So Greg how’s it going? I knew you were coming back here,” said Major Day. “I believe you have something for me.” Alarmed, Sergeant Johnson runs outside of the room and into a closet. He waits there until he hears the soldiers run by him. Once Major Day passes him, Johnson runs back into the room and frees his team. They all run to Sergeant Johnson’s helicopter.
Johnson and his team climb into the helicopter and notice that no one was chasing them. “Why is no one chasing us?” asks Sergeant Hope. “We escaped in a big helicopter.”
Captain Cross does not respond. He appears to be in shock. Johnson looks down to see what Cross was staring at. Captain cross says staring at the rocket, “That rocket is like the devil who takes human souls into a fiery place.” He quickly spots a soldier standing with a rocket launcher in his hands, ready to fire. The armed solider shoots his rocket launcher. Sergeant Johnson swerves and is able to avoid the explosive.
It is not over. Out of nowhere, Major Day pulls out a rocket launcher of his own and fires it at the helicopter. It struck the helicopter. The helicopter starts to spin out of control and Sergeant Johnson is forced to make the toughest decision of his life; he can save his life and watch his friends explode into a fiery wreckage, or he can hold the helicopter in the air long enough to save his friends. He knew that if he chose the second option, he would die.
The decision was even harder to make because he had a reputation of always making the wrong decision. He took a moment to a think it through; if he were to save himself, everyone’s families would be devastated. If he died though, he would be with his girlfriend in heaven. His girlfriend had died in a car accident not long ago. He instructs his team to jump out of the helicopter. Sergeant Johnson tells them that Major Day is after him and no one else. His team listens and jumps out of the helicopter. Shortly after everyone makes it onto the ground, they witness the helicopter crash. The crash kills not only Sergeant Gregory Johnson but it also kills Major Day as well.

“End the film,” says Sergeant Hope. “I hope you all remember this brave young man who risks his life… to… save us… all,” Sergeant Hope says in a voice that was full of tears.
“Let today October thirteenth, be known as Gregory Johnson Day. May we all spend our day at our home remembering this great American hero who died for our country to save us from sure demolition.”


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