The Crucible of Fire and Steel

My Darling Wife,

I apologize for not writing or telephoning for several weeks now. We were given strict orders not to communicate with the outside world for fear of Nazi spies. I hope that by the time you receive this letter, another one is shortly to follow, informing you that I have lived through the initial invasion of mainland Europe. We do not know what awaits us on Mainland Europe, but General Eisenhower is certain of victory.

I cannot tell you where it is that we will be landing, however, I can tell you a few things. My company is ready. My men and I have spent these last few months in England training day in and day out, for what is to come tomorrow. We had very little down time. But with the small time we did have to ourselves, we were not allowed to go anywhere besides the homes we stayed in, and our base. Communication with civilians was ordered to be kept as minimal as possible. We were not even allowed to have alcohol. Command wished to keep our plans as secret as they could. So to say I have much to tell about our time in England would be a lie.

I have great news regarding my armor! I have managed to get a custom suit made for myself! My father helped with the money to have it made with a more than generous birthday present. Though he doesn’t understand why I felt the need to give up the law to come here, my father has at least been extremely supportive. I think he finally understands all we are fighting to save. God forbid Hitler is allowed to leave Europe and North Africa. I have enclosed a picture of me in the armor. Unfortunately, it had to be painted in our olive drab and tan colors. Hopefully this set survives this war, so that I can have it blued the way I wanted originally. I chose to go with a more gothic look. Like the the armor we have at home.

Luckily, unlike my family’s armor at home, armor has improved significantly since the medieval ages. Hell, it’s improved since World War I. This modern metal is treated in such a way that it can stop even the hardest hits, and will not shatter or crack easily. Yet, it is half the weight of steel of the same quality. And I can run miles in it with ease. I do not know how they do it. Some of the local armorers call it Titanium, but I have no idea what that is. They say it’s better than steel which to me, is astonishing.

The gaps in the armor are far smaller than in the older sets, and the places where there are still minor gaps, they have managed to cover it with some special riveted titanium chain mail, or extra plates which are attached via leather straps. The rings are tiny, and made of very light and thin steel, but made in such a way to where they are harder to break than some plate armor. The armor overall is green, but I managed to get the chain and some accents painted in black so that I do not look like a giant piece of broccoli. Though I am ecstatic about my armor, I do fear for my enlisted Soldiers. The majority cannot afford decent armor. So they are stuck with the issued equipment.

They’re given the standard GI uniforms and boots, along with a padded gambeson. The gambeson is beige and rather long, extending as far down as the knees. From the waist down, the gambesons are parted in the center at the front and rear to enable better movement. The gambesons are made with a new material. The Military is calling it “Kevlar.” It is light, and made of textile, but somehow it is strong enough to withstand even the strongest arrow, or the strongest thrust from a spear. I don’t understand how it works, but it does. The downside is that it won’t protect them from the blunt force impact of objects, but it will at least save them from thrusts. Some of the men were also issued a green breast plate. Their heads are protected with a steel helmet, and a very plane looking set of pauldrons for their shoulders, all of which are painted green. The pauldrons resembled something similar to a shallow bowl over their shoulders, and less a nice, articulated pauldron for proper protection. Our ranks are painted on the top center of our helmets, and unit insignias are on the side of our helmets.

When it comes to weapons, they fair slightly better. My infantry platoons are issued a triangular shield with our unit insignias painted on them. They are given a one handed arming sword, a boot dagger, and a spear. Well, for the invasion they were not given spears. Command felt they would not need them on the initial assault. If the swords are as good a quality as our training weapons, they should last each soldier for the entire war. Since the quality of my armor is so good, I like many officers opted out of carrying a large shield. Instead I carry a dagger on the right side of my belt, opposite my sword handle. I brought my matching set of longswords swords. Do you remember them? The ones I had custom made after law school, with the brass coated steel guard and pommel, red leather handles, with gold wire spiral on the leather grip, and the wheel shaped pommel. I managed to get “Ave Maria, Gratia Plena” engraved on the pommel, with the St. Benedict cross in the middle while here in England. And on both sides of the guard I had them engrave “Dominus Mecum.” Loosely they translate to “Hail Mary, Full of Grace” and “the Lord is with Me.”

No, I am not duel wielding them. I am leaving one behind with an attorney that I befriended in London, with instructions to send it to me, once I am established in mainland Europe. If I should die, he will send my sword back home to you, and any and all of my belongings here go back to you as well. And I never go anywhere without the matching dagger you had made for me to go with my swords. It’s always tucked behind me. I had a special horizontal sheath made for it, so that it rests horizontally along the small of my back on my belt.

My Archers aren’t as heavily equipped with weapons. Those that can afford their own armor and weapons obviously have their own gear. But for the standard Archer, he or she is given the standard issued armor, a one handed arming sword, a dagger, a quiver of 15 arrows which sits at their side on their belts, and a one hundred pound long bow. My First Sergeant says I should find myself a small tomahawk to carry on my left side like he does, just in case. His name is Augustine San Miguel, and he’s a very good man from New York City. We all just called him Top. He’s of mixed Black and Hispanic descent, but his complexion is dark. He cares a lot about the Soldiers, and he’s helped keep my head on straight. It’s his first time as a First Sergeant, so him and I have been figuring out this Company Command stuff together. Regarding the tomahawk, I opted instead to carry five grenades on my left. I feel they will be far more useful, especially if we encounter German tanks or bunkers.

Grenades are an interested invention and very deadly! They are slightly smaller than a baseball. I wish I was a chemist so that I could explain in detail how they work, but it operates with a chemical reaction. There’s a pin in the center, that keeps certain chemicals separated from each other. Once you pull it, the chemicals come together and create a thermal reaction. They explode, launching a sticky flaming substance within a five yard radius. This substance burns so hot that it can melt through any armor, and bone. If I encounter a German tank, I want to be ready.

Their tanks are bigger than ours, and faster. They can go up to thirty miles per hour, and fit up to five archers inside, to shoot through the small openings in the armor. On the front, they have a machine with multiple, heavy and thick chains which spin. The chains are powerful enough to cut men in half, armor and all. The only way to stop them is to throw a grenade at the track to melt them, and then clim up top and throw a grenade in the hatch or lob one through one of the small archer openings. One grenade will melt everyone inside, along with the components of the tank. That’s why I opted for infantry, and not armor. I do not wish that kind of death on anyone.

Infantry Companies are arrayed a bit differently nowadays. There are six platoons of roughly forty-three men and women. There is a Platoon Leader, usually a First or Second Lieutenant. He or she has a radio operator, and a Platoon Sergeant. Then there are four squads of ten Soldiers each. Each squad has a Squad Leader, two Team Leaders, a Medic, and a radio operator. Archery Platoons are the same way, but with Archers instead of Infantry. My Company had six platoons, five infantry, and one archery platoon.

There’s a storm approaching, but intelligence reports suggest that we will be ok. We will make our landing via little boats called Higgins boats. They’re small and ferry-like. We are packed in there like a can of sardines. Thirty of us fit in each, with all of our armor and weapons. My company and I are part of the first wave tomorrow. Which is fine by me, I rather get it over with faster. I have been assigned to the Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division as a Company Commander. And I feel so incredibly proud of this great honor. I ran into my brother Matt the other day! He is a Second Lieutenant with an Airborne Infantry Company. He’s a platoon leader with the 101st Airborne! I am so very proud of him. He said he sent my mom and dad a letter too, but in case he didn’t, please send both of our love to my parents. Well I must get going. We are ready and we will do all it takes to liberate this continent of these Fascists.

Your Loving Husband,

Aurelio Nobrega