THE TWO SOLDIERS

It was during the 1914–18 war. A French soldier recounts the following event:

“I will never forget an episode I myself witnessed. We attacked in the afternoon; after some fluctuations, we penetrated the enemy trench, where lay corpses horribly massacred by the 75 mm guns.

At the moment of a new assault, a camouflaged enemy machine gun shot down some of ours; I was one of them. After the first moments of terrible shock from my wound, I looked around. Two soldiers lay on the ground, dying: a German, Bavarian, blond and very young, his abdomen torn open, and beside him a Frenchman, equally young. Both already showed the pallor of death; my greatest pain was not being able to move to help or even ease my comrade’s death.

It was then that the Frenchman, with supreme effort, reached with his hand for something on his chest, under his coat. He took out a small crucifix and brought it to his lips; then, with a weak but still clear voice, he prayed: Hail Mary...

Then I saw something else. The German, who until that moment had shown no sign of life, opened his blue, half-fading eyes, turned his head toward the Frenchman, and replied: Holy Mary, Mother of God...

The Frenchman, somewhat surprised, looked at his neighbor; their eyes met; the Frenchman presented the crucifix to the Bavarian, who kissed it; they clasped hands in a surge of love for God and for their homeland; their eyes closed, and their spirits left their bodies, while the sun illuminated them through pure clouds... ‘Amen,’ he said, and I made the sign of the cross.”