大象传媒

The young sometimes ask we old ones who fought in the war, "did you kill anyone?" and "what was it like?" Knowing nothing at that age they do not know what they are asking.
But there is a prfound difference in attitude between war and peacetime. In peacetime one sees people as individual human beings with family backgrounds aspirations hopes, fears and freedom of action.
In war one sees in front only THE ENEMY and one aims and fires at them as if at a target. If the target falls one rejoices. There is also the background feeling that IT IS EITHER HIM OR ME! and if your shot is successful, relief is mingled with your triumph. Soldiers who have to fight face to face with bayonets may feel differently- I do not know.
Yet, in the killing one has an underlying mercy. One's blow is aimed to be accurate and complete, taking out the enemy figure with swift certainty. No ordinary soldier would seek to impose suffering by aiming for a lingering death.
And one can change one's state of mind from one to the other with surprising ease and swiftness. Enemies can become friends almost overnight. Those one aimed to kill a month before one now works to save. The humanity of the figure before you overtakes any hatred.
One must be grateful that this is possible.

This story was submitted to the People's War website by a volunteer of the Stoke CSV Action desk on behalf of John Pound and has been added with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.