‘He said baseball is being cancelled because of the war. I felt broken but I wouldn’t give up then. I decided to help. I got on the next boat leaving to England with the army.”
Part 1: The Great Voyage
Hi, my name is Chris Kamenstor and I just got drafted by the Montreal Expos. It is World War 2 and there is a lot of stuff going on. I am going to the majors, the Expos are playing the Yankees, but there is a huge crowd on the field and it’s very loud. I ask someone what’s going on. He said baseball is being cancelled because of the war. I felt broken but I wouldn’t give up then. I decided to help. I got on the next boat leaving to England with the army.
We started towards England but got pushed off track toward south. It started getting stormy and the sea level rose. I was scared but tried to control the boat. Soon it got better and calm. We all had our lunch and were trying to steer the boat towards north.
1:00 p.m. Antarctic border
It started getting chilly and hard to stay warm. We didn’t have any winter clothes so ten of the thirty-two people got frostbite. Our boat just turned away from ice of Antarctica and we started headed away from the winter air into the warm air of Africa.
3:15 p.m. South Africa
We were running out of food supply. Luckily we reached hot land and ran into South African people. They helped us prepare for the journey ahead of us. I felt weird in a new place where I had never been before. I was on the other part of the world. I could guess we would be traveling to new places where I had never been before. We were still far from the war but made some progress. We didn’t notice it but we were heading west. It was a very relaxing ride for most of it but we knew things would get worse and we were right.
6:00 p.m. Australia
We started seeing sharks biting at us and pushing us around. At least we made it to land quickly. We soon discovered we were in Australia. We stayed in Australia until daybreak. We got back on the sea and rode north. Soon we stumbled upon giant waves and we saw land.
7:00 a.m. Japan
We came towards Japan and realized they were on the other side. We started hearing a lot of gunfire; we tried to steer away from them. I started getting nervous, we weren’t prepared for this. We used everything the boat had and got away.
12:30 p.m. Top of Russia
For the second time of the trip it got cold. The first time I didn’t get frostbite. I hoped I wouldn’t get it the second time. Luckily I didn’t get it but 7 of the 22 people did. 15 left. It was still very cold as they got toward Europe.
2:15 p.m. Sweden
Finally we arrived in Europe but we couldn’t celebrate because we had to get to England. We got a car and started riding it to the Swedish border. We knew this trip would easily take a day so we took a plane.
4:30 p.m. England The Last Place
The flight only took an hour. We were all relieved we made it on a trip around the world. I didn’t realize it but we went to six of the seven continents. After I was told that, I thought I made history but we hadn’t done anything in the war yet still.
Part 2: The War
We’ve met before right? Well if you don’t know me, I’m Chris Kamenstor. Hold up, boom! That was a bomb. I’m in the army at the military base in England. I think the more I fight, the sooner the war is over. I’m with my new friend Jackson Whodil. It’s Tuesday, my eighth day at the camp. It will be my first war. I head with my group towards the war. We see the Germans shooting. We shoot. I killed a couple then the person next to me gets shot. More and more blood poured around me. Then a bullet hit me. My eyes were burning. My thigh was burning with pain like fire. I closed my eyes. I opened my eyes and I was laying on a comfy bed with other people on other beds. Then I saw someone. She said I was shot in the arm and they took the bullet out. I didn’t have the strength to ask who she was. “Hello, I am Leslie, the nurse,” said Leslie. It was like she read my mind. I wanted to get up but the nurse told me to stay in bed. I really want to get out of this hospital and see Jackson. How is Jackson doing?
I was in the hospital for another day. Then general Smith came and said, “Get up.”
“How’s Jackson doing?” I said.
“There are two Jacksons. What’s the last name?” he said.
“Who.”
“Jackson.”
“Who!”
“Jackson!”
“Yeah I know, Who is short for Whodil.”
“Oh,” he said. ”He’s doing fine.” I got back on my feet and hurried on to my group. I saw Jackson and he said, ”Hey, you’re alive, man.” I gave a little smile. Jackson was not an athlete but was a great joke teller and always made me smile. That’s what made me like him. I couldn’t really remember the first time we met but I know we had a lot of fun.
It was a bumpy road down the rough dirt path. There was tall green grass around us. Jackson and I were at the back of the cart ready for anything. We started to feel some rain. After a while it started to pour. Everyone made their own shelters for the night. I started writing to my parents with the writing materials I brought.
Dear Mom and Dad,
I am having a fine time.
I got shot but am healed.
Finally, I have made a new friend named Jackson.
Sincerely, Chris
I missed my parents but was confident that I would see them again. BOOM! A giant explosion doesn’t happen far away. The Germans are here this time they brought a whole bunch of them. I quickly grabbed my gun and found protection. Shots were getting fired, they were going like 9,000 mph. We took our cannons out shooting them. We had about 3,000 soldiers, they had 6,900 soldiers. Then someone next to me started talking to me. It was really weird I didn’t even know who that guy was. They retreated and I asked who he was. He said his name was Cole. If you don’t know him, you don’t know baseball. Cole Ross is the best player in baseball right now. We got back on our truck and I went with Jackson in the front this time. The same exact way as last time. Then we got in our tents and went to bed.
Then someone woke me. The Germans were attacking us in our base. We weren’t prepared. I started panicking, where was Jackson! Then I saw him lying on the floor. I knew what had happened and I knew what I had to do.
My plan:
FYI: Hospital destroyed so If I get shot i’m done for. |
I got into the plane and flew over the Germans and shot. I killed a lot of Germans and got shot in the butt but I wasn’t down. Then they retreated for the last time. Both generals met and Germany Surrendered.
We won the war. I was feeling melancholy. I went home to Montreal. The baseball season was coming in a week. I sat on my couch it felt much quieter and good to be alone with no more violence. I put the news on tv. Breaking news, there had been bombing in downtown Montreal. The baseball season for the Expos had been cancelled. Not Again!
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