“Sir, yes sir!”
Two days from now, troops will be disseminated to the most perturbed towns in Mindanao . Armed forces are getting ready for a combat over the rebels—a bloody war for sure.
“Getting ready First Lieutenant?” Captain Arvin Vasquez asked his younger brother James who is in the process of cleaning his M16A2 rifle with a piece of cloth. He gave a fleeting smile to his older brother and continued wiping his service firearm. “Yes captain, ‘tis for peace, our families, and for our country.”
Arvin sat beside James on his bunk and tapped the latter’s shoulder. “I am very proud of you, James.”
James just shrugged and continued his errand. “Captain, you know that this is really what I wanted from the start; to be an instrument of national peace and protect the welfare of the people.” James told his brother proudly.
Arvin just smiled and added, “…and to make father proud, don’t you?”
Their father General Antonio Vasquez has been known to be one of the bravest soldiers the country ever had. He saved a lot of citizens from wars in Basilan and Sulu, and brought stillness to some secluded places in
James mind wandered off somewhere. “I want to be like General Vasquez. I promised him that I would protect you and mother by all means.”
“Wherever he is now, I know father is very proud of you, first lieutenant.” Arvin gave James a tap at the back and returned to his quarters.
The militia already got off their armored vehicles and dispersed to different points securing the whole area. Others were already helping the civilians vacate the village while some waited for instructions and signs of probable adversary.
Soldiers hid behind the bushes and at the back of trees when a loud blast reverberated. The troopers aimed at points were rebels came out and fired. An exchange of gunshots agitated the seemingly peaceful community.
After an hour trade of blasts, many radicals who are wounded were arrested whilst soldiers who are injured were brought to the quarters and given medical aid.
“Clear the area! But be careful. There might be buried improvised explosive devices anywhere.” commanded Captain Vasquez to his soldiers.
“Sir, yes sir!” answered the army and proceeded on clearing the vicinity.
Arvin didn’t see his brother James after the troops were disseminated. “Garcia, have you seen first lieutenant Vasquez?”
“No sir! I thought he was already here.” answered one of his troopers.
Arvin went far behind the forest to find his brother. Smokes from the blast almost fog the woods and he hardly sees what is ahead of him. On foot with his rifle, he persistently searched for his brother. He suddenly heard a moan behind a huge tree and instinct told him it is James.
Swiping the bushes and grasses, he called out, “James! Are you there?”
James who got his left foot injured and stuck on an IED implanted on a tousled root of a tree heard his brother and cried for help. “Captain, it’s me!”
“Heavens! What happened to you?” Arvin said after spotting his brother sprawled on the ground with his leg gushing with blood.
“A rebel shot my left leg and knocked me unconscious. He placed me here with an IED. It’s impossible for me to get out of here brother.” James wept bitterly.
Arvin felt his heart crumpling and said, “No! You aren’t gonna die here. I’ll see what I can do to safely discharge the bomb.”
After examining the bomb, he noticed that it was a device with wires cobbled together using fertilizer and dangerous chemicals. It contains an explosive charge, a detonator, and an initiation system. He knows that if his brother will move, the device will blast off.
Feeling all helpless, he said “Do all you can to steady your feet as I move you out.”
“But my foot will stick over the root.” James elucidated.
“I won’t let you just die here!” Arvin exclaimed to his younger brother.
“Maybe this is the end of my life captain. Just take care of mother and Michelle.” He was referring to his girlfriend who is teaching French in an international school in Makati
“We’ll dig the ground out. That would be possible.” Arvin’s eyes sparkled with the idea which sprouted in his mind. “Stop whining like a child, it’s so unbecoming, first lieutenant.” He assured his brother.
He started burrowing the sides and below the tangled root to safely move James’ foot out. When the hole was big enough to shift his brother’s leg, he instructed James to calm down and slowly move his leg down and out. It was not an easy task since James’ leg turned numb with the loss of blood.
James carefully dragged his leg and dipped it down to not hit the IED on the root. All the while, Arvin was watching intently and carefully sighting the bomb for possible movements that would trigger a blast.
As soon as James got his leg free, he crawled toward his brother and hugged him tightly. But to his shock, Arvin stiffened. “What’s wrong brother?”
“You go now; my foot’s stuck in another IED.” Arvin slowly looked down and saw another impossible object of destruction under his foot.
James stared at the IED and silently cursed the creator of such deadly weapon. “Brother, don’t move. I’ll call the Explosive Ordinance Disposal Unit. ”
“That would be late James; I have a crazy feeling that this isn’t an IED but a time bomb.” Arvin looked at the eyes of his brother. “I guess father really insists that one of us should join him in heaven.” He chuckled afterwards.
“That isn’t funny captain.” James stared at his brother sternly.
Arvin tore his dog tag from his neck and handed it down to James. “My turn to narrate my last will.” He smiled and continued looking at James amused face. “You take care of mother, okay? Take care of my wife Julia and my son Kyle.” Tears started to race form his eyes down his cheeks. “Make sure they are feeding Homer properly.” He was referring to his golden retriever back home.
“Cut the drama bother, you’ll be fine.” James stated. He pivoted and gave a salute over his captain and said, “I’ll be back captain.”
Arvin smiled and gave a salute back to his brother. “Carry on, first lieutenant.”
After James took fifty steps away from his brother, the bomb detonated.
“Brother!!!” James exclaimed and called out to the forest.
The EOD unit came out shortly after hearing the loud blast. Too late for Arvin died over the explosion, almost the same as his father General Antonio Vasquez.
The casualties who gave their life off for the benefit of the country’s freedom were properly acknowledged. All of them, along the injured soldiers received a Medal of Valor—the highest honor received by an armed force but their memories and their valiant hearts are enough to tribute them for their nationalism.
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