The Start of the Suez
A Historical Narrative Written in First Person By Stanley Spencer Borden
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“If the end was near and we looked into the eyes of death, we would know that we did not do so in vain.�
For My Grandfather,! the toughest man I know.
Table of Contents! !
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Story…………………..5! Afterword…………..9! About the Author..10! Bibliography………..11! HN Packet………….12! !
Bang! I smoked the bullseye. The sound was ear shattering, constant ringing sounds were the only remnants of the shot. My comrade matched it with a shot just as good on his target. The smoke erupting from the rifle left a bad smell in the air, only bearable by the slightest margins. I’d be hazed by the rest of my platoon in no time if I showed weakness. Bang! Another one, only again matched by my fellow soldier. I grunted with anger at his competence and my lack thereof. “You getting mad Isaac?” He scorned. I stayed silent and let the rage boil inside of me. “That’s what I thought.” My heart was racing, my palms were sweaty, and my chest was being pounded from the recoil. “Ughh…” My doubled over body just gives my rival more reason to disparage me. “Can’t take it can you? Oldies generally can’t can they?” Trembling took me over without notice. I was generally old for the army; fresh out of college is elderly for kids that have barely hit puberty. The soot was quickly grazed from my trousers with one fell swoop, but nothing could take away the black powder clouding both inner and outer vision.
Things only got worse as he dug deeper into my head to throw me off. Enough was enough. The gun hit the ground with a loud thump followed by my calm but rage filled steps. The water dispenser was in close proximity, “perfect for cooling down.” I thought. The crunching gravel of the shooting range was calming when I got back, but nothing could soothe the hate I had of my rival.
“Excuse me, the colonel wishes to speak to you.” An abrupt voice called behind me. The possibilities were endless on why I was being called, and it seemed that each one rushed into my head in mere seconds. Am I being court martialed? If so what did I do wrong? Am I being sent back? What’s going on? It was like blood gushing from an unsealable wound. The unneeded commotion settled but the feeling was as frustrating as herding cats. The calmness enveloped me in a warm blanket, but its warmth was short-lived.!
“Come on Isaac, where’s my money?” He asked mockingly. “Here you go.” I said monotonously. I got back on the gun determined to do better. And I did, it was difficult when somebody was constantly doing your head in. They always told us to keep a level mind when aiming and to not think while shooting at your target, but that was impossible when someone was repeatedly belittling you.!
Shouting arose from the colonel’s quarters, but his monotonous voice made it impossible to understand the tone, an inner earthquake shook me at the recurring sound of the colonel’s tar filled lungs screaming at the other man in the room. Then suddenly there was a chuckle, from both sides of the room… Everybody knew he was an eccentric man known for his hearing loss and constant bellowing, but I forgot about that during the ruckus in my mind. The smoky voice called me in. My anxiety level was going anywhere but down and my heart followed the same path.!
“Hello Isaac! How are you doing this fine day?” The colonel asked. “Quite well sir,” I answered, “the only downside of the day was me losing some money on a bet. But that’s besides the point, how are you doing sir?” “Alright at the moment.” He announced. “All of our troops are alive and well, the rookies haven’t been whining nearly as much as I expected. Everything is going highly above my expectations.” His expression afterwards was surprising. He was looking down at the table with a solemn look on his face, stressed even. “I just received some very important knowledge and I need you to inform your comrades as soon as possible.”!
“It’s the Soviets”
My mind was full of questions. He left me with nothing but a cliffhanger and a wretched curiosity that could only be cured by answers. “It’s the Soviets.” He told me. “They want us to give them a path through Turkey to help Egypt fight the British, the French, and the Israelis. All for that damn canal! Idiots they are, fighting for the Suez is a lost cause if you ask me. N.A.T.O. wants us at the border of Armenia to hold them off if they try anything.” No words left my mouth. “Go inform your platoon. We’re shipping out in 2 days. Tell them to get packing.” He ended with a face that knew that the end might be near. “See you soon sir.” I shook his hand and got out of the large tent. The slow walk to the shooting range seemed much longer with my newly acquired knowledge, and the headache conjuring inside did not make it much better.!
“In 2 short days, we will be shipping out to the Turkish-Armenian border and will stand post until we are called out. The Soviets relayed a message to let them pass to fight the Brits, the French and the Israelis in Egypt. N.A.T.O. informed us to not let them pass by any means, no matter the casualties.” Voices exploded from the crowd. But every single question had the same meaning. “Are we going to war?” A soldier from the back starts jumping and singing, trying to lighten the mood. Click, clock, click, clock, the sound of their heels hitting the floor was quite enjoyable, it showed true spirit in the midst of annihilation. The moment was short-lived; the boringness of packing quickly put us back into sorrow.! The next morning came with my heart racing, and my palms sweaty. The will to fight was strong inside me, and only by sheer luck was I able to hold it in. Many would let despair whisk them away from reality, but there was an alternative, and that alternative was to be happy about getting blood on your hands like a trigger-happy maniac. The day before our deployment was a drag, we were consumed by classrooms and chalkboards, which did not suit well for the anxiety inside of me.!
I knew the risks that came with where I was going; I knew the danger and the perils we might have to face if the Soviets crossed the border. The parchment in front of me was short, but so was the letter I was intending to write. I left my love with my signature at the end and left it with that. Better I kept it short and simple. We were all ready to die, for our country, for our friends, and for our families. And if the end was near and any of us looked into the eyes of death, we would know that we did not do so in vain.!
Afterword The 1956 Suez Crisis started on October 29th. It was an invasion of Egypt after the nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt, proclaiming to to be theirs. Israel was the first to invade and was shortly followed by Britain and France. It was seen as a chance to westernize the canal by international means, but the course of action used was inappropriate to the matter and was actually to dethrone the strongly communist president of the country Gamal Abdel Nasser. The Soviets, the United States, and the United Nations, strongly urged for the 3 countries to pull out to not risk further tensions with the West and East. Turkish troops were put on the Turkish-Armenian border on orders from N.A.T.O. to not let the Soviets pass if they were to aid the Egyptians and prolong the conflict. The conflict ended in March of 1957 with all troops pulling out. The entirety of the event greatly damaged Britain and France’s appearance and was seen as the downfall of both of the empires.
About the Author!
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Stanley Borden is a 13 year old college professor working at Stanford for his newly founded IQ of 220. He directed his own class about International Relations, and used his own students’ family members as their project. He used his own grandfather as an example and created the masterpiece seen here. His eccentricity made people question his intelligence especially when he claimed he was abducted by an alien race that probed him and experimented on him. He was extradited to a mental institution later this year when he savagely attacked a woman with her child because of the paranoia around this particular excursion. This is his last known piece before falling into an insanity driven coma. He is also a better basketball player than Michael Jordan.!
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