Final Stands

My name is “Final_Stands” because my best friend’s grandfather was an airman during WWII and I am obsessed with outnumbered battles that are won by the unfavored. These are such as: King Arthur’s final stand and the 300 Spartans versus the 10000 Persians. His grandfather used to tell these stories about constantly taking “final stands” in every battle he fought. Here is a story I will tell in third person:

Jack. Let’s call him Jack. He was an airman - although he never revealed in which military section/division. He was a Corporal and after witnessing the start of the 2nd World War, he was devastated by both the start of a war and what Hitler was doing. By chance or fate, he was in Pearl Harbor doing some military routines when Japanese bombers and airplanes attacked. He said that he saw the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and USS Pennsylvania sunk at different times from above. He watched from a tower, but he barely survived, because his friend tackled him onto the floor before the bullets came running down. That didn’t mean they were bulletproof. He got shot twice (grazed on the arm and a bullet lodged in his other arm), none fatal, but all the same, they were injuries. His final stand in the battle was running (he called it foolish patriotism) straight for a machine gun on a rooftop and began firing. There was so much smoke the Japanese didn’t even notice it. He told us that he was the worst shot in the world, but he managed to shoot down a bomber and damage a few others. This was his final stand at Pearl Harbor. He is, and will always be - an unsung hero, but awfully brave.