Thursday, May 13, 2010

The Heroics of Paddy Murphy

 This is basically what I heard at lunch today from the table next to mine. More or less. I've filled in some details.
(1942...somewhere in America)

He was a short lad. But that had never stopped Paddy Murphy before. He was off to join the Army and kill some Nazis. Never mind that he was only 17.

"Paddy Murphy?" yelled the enlisting officer. "Here!" came a squeaky voice from somewhere in the crowd. Paddy fought his way to front of the group of eager young men. "Here!" he called again. The officer looked down....way down. "Well...so you wanna join the army eh sonny?" "Sir, yes sir!" replied Paddy.
The officer laughed at Paddy's enthusiasm. "Well we'll find a spot for you distributing rations from the commissary. Sign here."  But Paddy never planned on working in no commissary. "Sir, I'm signing up to kill Germans!" The whole room erupted in laughter. Pointing and laughing at young Paddy.

But kill Germans, Paddy did.

Not 3 days after the first Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, Paddy Murphy's small frame sat astride a huge galloping horse that plowed its way through the fields of France. Firing from his hip like some sort of wild camouflaged cowboy. Once he spotted a German soldier in a trench at the exact same time the German spotted him. The German began to raise his rifle for a shot at Paddy but he was too slow...much too slow. Without a second thought, Paddy fired from the hip and hit the German square between the eyes. "Dirty nazi." Paddy spat.

By the time the war ended, young Paddy Murphy had become a Sergeant and probably even an officer....at least that's what the old guy at the table thought....

(Part 2, later on)