It was morning, when it came to the time where I had to depart from my home, I decided to check on my parents one last time. I hugged my mother then hugged my dad awkwardly, even though what he did to my mom was unforgivable, I still love him for trying his best to get the family money despite the conditions, I still gave him a hug. He happily told me "Don't go dying now... When you're back, we will be having an amazing feast! With your income ofcourse." I smiled at him and said to him gleefully. "Don't be yelling at mom now too, or else I'll leave the frontlines, walk home on foot and stick my hand up your ass." My dad chuckles at my words. "I raised such a strong son. I will try my best to hold my anger against your mom. Just take care, okay? Listen to your instructor." I smile and happily said. "I will." He gave me a letter of consent for me to join the army. "This was a really hard letter for me to write, please, do me a favor and don't get shot." I took the letter and told him. "I got something precious to lose if I do."
Then, I left home and rode a horse drawn carriage, hoping that this wasn't the last time I'd see my parents. The slow ride to Munich gave me enough time to think about my decisions. Am I gonna die in the first day? Am I ready to take a human life? Is this all worth it? Should I have stayed in school instead? Is war actually a cool adventure like what others claim for it to be? All of these thoughts that entered my head became irrelevant as I already chose my decision. All I just needed to do is to just survive until this big shitty conflict was over.
Moments later, I was finally at the city of Munich, village of a million they said. I finally hopped off the carriage and immediately went off to the recruitment center, ignoring all the luxuries and amazing architecture the city has to offer. I immediately headed to the nearest berzirkskommando and met a clerk. The clerk looked at me and calmly said. "How can I help you?" I told him while rummaging through my bag. "Well... I'm here to enlist in the army." I handed him my birth certificate as needed. He took a good look at my paper and asked. "You're 17?" I answered with a nervous tone. "Ah. Y-yes, oh wait! The consent, here you go haha..." The clerk keeps a serious tone and took my consent letter, began reading it and handed it back to me. The clerk gives me a piece of paper with a number on it "71". "There will be a waiting room, just at the door in the right. Your number will be called once 55 is done." I nodded and headed to the door he mentioned.
I opened it and saw a number of people sitting and waiting around, all of them were male, ofcourse, some looked younger than me, probably lied about their age, while others look like they're pushing 40. I sat down and took off my bag and placed it on my lap while also hugging it. I kept looking around the room, saw a map, pictures of generals and troops, and the flag. I kept look around until one of the younger ones sitting next to me greeted me. "Hey. What branch do you plan on joining?" I realized that I haven't thought this thoroughly enough. "Wait. There's branches??" He laughed joyfully. "HAHAHA, they're enlisting just anyone these days, huh. My name is Erich Hesse. Nice to meet you." Erich offered his hand and I gladly shook it and kept asking me. "You really don't know that there's branches? Well... There's: Infantry, telegraphs and communications, artillery, medical, cavalry, and pioneers." I thought about it for a while. I don't have any medical experience so med is out of the question. Artillery? I need to know about maps and stuff, and I wasn't great at geography. Telegraph and communication is just a simple no, I never owned a telephone, Pioneer? Maybe, but I need basic engineering knowledge, I only know how to build fences. I only rode a horse for like a month when I was 14, but my dad eventually sold it to someone and I'm not even sure if I still got it in me, plus, it sounds dangerous, one stray bullet and you're as good as dead. Infantry seems like the right choice for me. It's still a dangerous branch, but it's the most fitting for me. I told Erich. "Infantry seems like the best for me." "Ah, the most common branch of all. I hope you got the guts for it. Charging into the battle while you hope that shrapnel or machine gun fire doesn't hit you straight into the head." I chuckled awkwardly. "Heh... Well, I gotta contribute somehow. How about you? What branch are you gonna join?" Erich also thought about his branch for a while after ultimately deciding. "I'm also gonna be on the infantry, I'm not really good at anything, I'm only joining because I got called a coward. And I want to prove everyone wrong. I will become the Fatherland's greatest war hero." I kinda thought what he was saying was childish but I still gave him my best wishes. "I wish you well with that dream, but it's kinda childish." Erich still keeps an unwavering tone. "Ah, only childish now, think of it as if I was Napoleon, heavily underestimated, but at the end, he was known to be one of the greatest war heroes of all time." "You could use that analogy."
Suddenly, the clerk opens the door and calls a number. "70! Please follow me." Erich got up, bid farewell to me and walked away, following the clerk. As I was waiting around. I decided to think. Can I really take someone else's life? I'm a catholic after all and it's just bad in general. Regret is already crawling up my spine. I gotta ease up, I gotta make sacrifices so my parents could live with a house another day. But the idea of taking life just messes me up. I got a plan. I'll just try and subdue them, make them unconscious, that should work out, no killing. I'll just bang their head with a rifle, wait. That won't work, I might accidentally kill the person by giving him permanent brain damage and internal bleeding. I hear the door open once again. "Number 71. You're up." I quick stood up and followed the clerk. He took me to the recruitment officer's office and closed the door behind me. The RO immediately asks me while his eyes are fixated on the paper while giving me occasional glances. "Name please." "Johann Hoffman." "Occupation?" "None. I'm a highschooler." "Date of Birth." "October 10." He writes all of that down and then he lifts his hand out. "Give me your papers, please." I immediately handed him my birth certificate and consent. He checks them and immediately confirms. "You seem to be telling the truth. You a volunteer?" "Yes." "Are you married?" "Not really." "Which branch would you like to join?" "I-Infantry, sir." "Right.... Here. This an examination form, head to the medical office. There you will be tested physically." I nodded and the clerk began to escort me to the medical office and I met the medical officer and his assistants. There, I was tested. They measured my height, tested my eyesight, they used a stethoscope to check my heart, made me march and lift objects to test my strength, checked my feet if they were flat, and asked me some questions about my family's medical history, overall, I was labeled as fit.