"I once had everything in the world."
Said the old man.
"Everything anybody could ever ask for.
A best friend, a beautiful wife, a healthy body."

"Until they sent yellow-tinted, government official letters.
They sent me and my friends to fight their battles.
Over the violent sea.
Torture and blood in every direction.
I will never forget the day.
The day of destruction.
It was a Tuesday, I recall.
June 6th, 1944.
The skies were gray and dreary.
My best bud to my left.
The doors opened and we sloshed our way up to land.
I saw it, he didn't.
I was too late.
He stepped on the ground-demon and flew into the sky.
I rushed to help my wounded friend.
He was far from wounded.
There was absolutely nothing I could do.
He was gone.
Defeated."

"I hadn't been gone for all that long when I got the telegram.
The telegram from home.
My wife.
My heart fluttered.
I will never forget the day.
'I miss you, come home soon. Love, Jill and BABY.'
It read.
I would soon be a father.
The way my future looked, I would be home soon.
Within the next couple months, I hoped anyway.
I would soon be back in the violent sea.
On my way home to my future family.
Once back on land I rushed home.
My child was due any day.
Coming up to the house, I could hear the blood-curdling screams.
Labor had beaten me there.
I busted through the door to find my wife on the floor.
The doctor was already there, helping her.
Jill screamed again.
The doctor asked me to leave.
I waited, listened, paced.
Finally, after about an hour, the doctor comes upstairs.
'I'm incredibly sorry, sir.'
She didn't make it.
There she lay.
Defeated."

"Nearly two decades later.
I parked the car and stepped out, in to a puddle.
I slowly walked in the doors.
The receptionist greeted me.
I will never forget the day.
I didn't like the doctor.
Never really did.
He walked in the room with clipboard in hand.
He solemnly informed me of my condition.
A deadly disease.
Months lingered on.
Life got increasingly difficult with every passing day.
The day came where I couldn't live alone.
The hospital bed is uncomfortable.
The food is horrid.
And now,
Now I lay here, dying.
This is my death bed.
With everything taken from me.
Here I am.
Defeated."

"I once had everything in the world."
Said the old man.
"Everything you could ever ask for."
And closed his eyes.