The year was 2008; I was only 16 years old. I was in an air-soft military called the “Anzens”. Weird name, but things were very serious. Back then it wasn’t really an air-soft military. It was a gang, in which we used very high-powered paintball guns to “rule our territories”. But after this conflict, we turned into an air-soft military. The things that I saw were very graphic, it wasn’t a war with real guns, but a war with guns in which might have killed us. My name is Luke Matthew, and here is my story…
I was only in high-school, it was a nice day, it was a Friday in May. But once that bell rang, I ran home to pack my stuff up. I was being sent to a field, with many, many trees and trenches. The field was big. The reason I participated to do this was to get paid, and they paid alright. They paid me $600.00, but it wasn’t worth it… I remember like it was just yesterday.
I woke up at 10:48 a.m. My cell phone rang and woke me up. The second hand gang patrol leader called me and said they were on their way to pick me up in an hour. I took a shower, I ate, I got dressed, and I exercised, and ran out to the truck. I sat in the back seat with 3 other people. We were driven to our “practice facility”. We practiced shooting small targets with extremely over-powered paintball guns.
Before I practiced, I read its warnings and directions. The warnings said that the paintball gun could cause permanent injury or death if shot in sensitive spots on the human body. I thought to myself, “How could such a toy kill a man”? After, I started aiming with the experience I already had. Then I shot at the targets, and shot 28 out of 35 of them. I was considered to be good with the paintball gun.
Later, we were driven somewhere far away in New Jersey. It was a field. I looked closely and I saw many trees, trenches, and 3 abandoned buildings made of concrete. As we were going to exit the truck, there was only 6 of us, plus 4 other trucks arrived holding 6 others to battle. But right before we got out, the third hand gang patrol leader said “Now listen, we’ll drop all of you off right here. We are going to kick some foreign ass! Most of you won’t make it back to these trucks, so you’ll have to find your own way home. Even if you’re being held back by the enemy”!
I asked who we were going to fight again. He said that we’ll be fighting a foreign air-soft army called the “Belgium Sczenien”. Those guys used very powerful air-soft guns that hurt very, very much when hit by them. Those things could cause death if shot up close in the head. The pellets that they shot at us were metal 6mm air-soft pellets. But we were only using 6mm pellets which exploded sharp paint if hit by it.
Anyway, we approached the field, it looked abandoned. I was holding a very powerful paintball gun that shot automatically. The gun was only usable for hunting animals, but we used these on actual humans. We walked towards the trenches and set up radios, weapons, and armor. I was sitting, switching paint stingers to each bag. Paint stingers were paint grenades which sent off a stinging pain feeling if hit.
When I was done packing and switching, I walked over to a friend’s side. His name was Zak Paulson; he was very fearless and would do anything to his enemies. I asked him what we were doing”. He looked at me, and as soon as he did, I heard yelling and C02 tanks bursting! I ducked to get to cover. I was ducking for 5 minutes, I was too scared to come up and shoot at the other side because there was a mounted air-soft machine gun. The gun was big, shooting steal pellets above me at high velocity. The machine gun was determined to be a “TYPE” MG-34 air-soft machine gun which had a maximum of 1,225 feet per second.
If I was shot, it could have penetrated my skin! We didn’t have helmets, just purple rags tied around our foreheads saying “Anzen Corps. In God We Trust”. I crawled to make my way to another trench. Once I did, I looked up and aimed my gun at a soldier’s head. I finally pulled the trigger and didn’t let go. The paintballs were leaving the barrel so quickly that some even exploded during the shooting!
But I was out of luck; those paintballs went around his chest and hit a wall! Making him notice, causing him to turn to me and shoot at me from 56 feet away! Luckily, I ducked in time and reached to my bag, grabbing a paint stinger. I wanted to throw it to the other side, but I didn’t have a lighter to light it up! I crawled over to someone else’s bag and found a small red lighter. I lit the wire on the paint stinger and threw it to the other side. After its explosion, I heard a painful scream 5 seconds later. I don’t know if I hit someone or not, but I was scared!
I take a small peak over the trench and see 4 soldiers running my way, I almost shitted myself! I was too scared! I crawled to the nearest corner of the trench and sat there with my weapon clutched by my hands aiming directly on the side, where I expected the enemies to hop over to. I waited a few more seconds but only 1 soldier got to my trench, I was sitting 5 feet behind him. I stood up quietly and shot with all my might!
The soldier dropped his weapon and collapsed, crying in fear and pain. I felt sorry but I had to do the right thing! I dragged his bruised body to our commander. Our commander grabbed him and sat him against the wooden wall. The soldier was weeping and begging “Please! Don’t hurt me, I’m sorry. You deserve peace, please! Please don’t hurt me! Please let me go! I’m sorry, I didn’t hurt anyone!”
I looked at the soldier with my weapon pointed at his left shoulder, with my finger on the trigger. Our commander looked at him for 3 seconds and kicked him in the face very hard! The soldier was knocked out! Afterwards, our commander tied him to a pole with our flag waving in the air. I looked at the soldier one last time and turned away.
I ran next to my friend Zak. He was shooting his weapon at a fence. I reloaded my weapon and shot as well. While I was doing that, I was kicked in the back very hard that I fell down with my eyes closed, while my face was red. When I collapsed, I saw a weapon’s barrel being aimed at my right eye. I dropped my weapon, and said “Please don’t.” My friend Zak was on the ground as well. We were forced not to talk.
While both of us were quiet, we were being held hostage. But soon, we were walked to the other side of the field with 3 soldiers walking behind us. Zak’s and my hands were over our heads. Once we were on the other side, we were thrown against a concrete wall. Zak asked what was going on, and the soldier yelled “Тихо!” I was scared, with my eyes closed. A few seconds later passed and another of my team mates was thrown against the concrete wall.
All 3 of us had our arms up begging for forgiveness. One of the soldiers laughed and walked towards Zak. Zak stared at him with a blank look. The soldier then punched Zak in the face, causing him to fall down to his knees spitting out blood from his mouth and nose. I watched Zak suffer. I felt sorry for him, but I didn’t show my emotion. A few minutes later, Zak stood back up looking at the ground with a bloody lip and bloody nose. I was thinking fast to make sure that I escape without scars or bruises. But unfortunately a soldier walks up to the 3 of us. He was holding a big air-soft machine gun. Then he backed away 10 more feet. He then stood in aiming formation, having his weapon pointed at us.
I was scared, and I’m pretty sure Zak and my other team mate was as well. I looked at the soldier, nodding my head whispering “Please… don’t do it”. He looked at me without emotion and aimed his weapon at me. He said “На колене…” I looked at him once again with an awkward look. He then yelled it again. I looked confused.
A few seconds later 2 soldiers ran to me and forced me down on my knees with my hands over my head. The soldier then turned to Zak and my team mate saying “На колене” again. They both went on their knees gently, with their hands over their heads. The soldier looked at Zak and shot him in his right arm twice. Zak fell to the ground crying in pain, and bleeding from his right arm. He was on the ground rolling with blood around him. When Zak stopped rolling, he had blood all over his right arm. He was crying “Please, no more! Just stop!” 2 soldiers then grabbed him and carried him to the small shed/building next to us.
3 minutes later, a soldier with a gas-operated air-soft pistol comes up to us, aiming his pistol towards my team mates head. My team mate looked at him and charged at him with rage, punching the soldier in the face. But the other 3 soldiers aimed their weapons at him and shot him with fully-automatic air-soft guns. My team mate fell to the ground, bleeding from his neck, feet, hands, and stomach. My team mate was in so much pain! He was crying and moving around fast while lying on the ground, trying to make the pain go away.
Then 2 soldiers looked at me and laughed. They grabbed me, and pinned me down against the concrete wall. Then they threw my team mate on the ground in front of me but 20 feet away. The soldiers tied his hands and feet together. My team mate was on the ground crawling helplessly, in pain. I yelled “Everything will be alright!” But afterwards, the soldier to my left punched me on the nose. I couldn’t fall down, but I was bleeding from my nose, looking down. My team mate was looking at me, mumbling something. But a soldier ran up to him, kicked him in the face, knocking him out.
I was then grabbed and dragged to the building next to me, I saw Zak in a corner. He had tape over his mouth and eyes. He was tied to pole, with blood running down his arm, and neck. I looked at him, and called his name. He didn’t answer. But a soldier pushed me down to the concrete ground, aiming his weapon at me. He shot me twice in the leg. I remember the pain; I threw my head against the ground, yelling in so much pain. I had my 2 bloody hands over my bleeding leg.
I had an idea that they were trying to torture us. I closed my eyes and said “Please stop…” But all I got in reply was a punch in the face, it didn’t hurt. I then see their leader walking across Zak and me. I looked at the leader. The leader turned to a soldier and whispered something to his ear. The soldier took his helmet off and nodded in agreement. Then the soldier walked up to me and looked at me for a few seconds. He then slapped me across the face very hard. I looked back at him, and then I looked down.
He kicked me in the face hard, making me collapse, knocking me out. I then later woke up with tape over my eyes and mouth. I tied to a pole. I moved around a little to show them that I was awake. Then I took a deep breath, trying to contain as much energy as possible so I can escape. A few minutes later and tape was ripped off of my eyes and mouth. I opened my eyes slowly and saw a soldier with a cigarette. I looked at him very worried.
Luckily, he was the only one in the room. I looked around and saw 3 air-soft guns standing against the wall to my left. But the soldier grabbed me neck, causing me to look at him. He took his cigarette out of his mouth and pushed the burning side against my left cheek. I yelled with pain. The soldier then stood up and left the room. I was the only one on the room, looking around. I shook my hands hard and fast, but I couldn’t break free.
All of the sudden my commander runs into the room with Zak and 3 other team mates. “How did you find me?” I questioned, smiling. He said “I saw a trail of blood, I also made a soldier spits the answers out.” I laughed and asked if this was all over. He laughed and said “I wish bro!” I was then freed and I stood up. I was given a weapon, with one full clip, and half of a C02 tank.
We then ran outside into another trench. It was very quiet. I was shaking with fear, and so was Zak. We then walked around in a trench. All of the sudden we hear dirt tripping and steal pellets leaving a weapon. I run, but I notice that my commander, Zak, and the other 3 ran the other way. I tried following them but 6 soldiers jumped out of nowhere 30 feet away from me. They point their rifles at me in the distance and one of them yelled “спиране!” I gasped and ran away from them. Then I heard 3 pellets missing me by a foot. I got lucky and ran into the woods. I receive a call from my commander saying “You’re going the wrong way.” I yelled to my phone “What other choice do I fucking have?” Then my commander yells “Run, you have about 10 Belgians after your tail!” I then hung up my phone and ran, I kept hearing steal pellets missing me when they were shot.
I then dropped myself into a bunch of tall plants to hide from the soldiers. I was breathing heavily but I tried to stay quiet. I looked and there were about 17 soldiers talking to each other in Bulgarian on the behalf of their search for me. I only had one weapon, with only one clip. I couldn’t take on all of them. But after a few minutes later, the majority of them leaves, leaving only 3 soldiers looking in grasses and behind trees for me. A soldier makes his way slowly towards me without seeing me in the plants.
He then reaches his hand into the plants. I then grab his hand quickly and have my hand over his mouth, with my weapon pointed at his head. I then whispered “Drop the weapon…” He then dropped the weapon and said “Please don’t hurt me, I was going to let you go.” I sat him down on the ground with my weapon pointed at his chest. “I’m calling my commander.” I whispered. He whispers “I’m sorry, please. I was going to retire after this.” “You should have never entered this conflict anyway.” I whispered. He whispers “But I’m only doing my job. I just wanted to do this for the money; I never meant to hurt anyone.” “Get down on your stomach with your hands over your head.” I whispered. He whispers “Please don’t do anything, I’m sorry. I was never going to hurt you or anyone.” I whispered “You chased me with a fucking air-soft rifle. You could have killed me.
I then called my commander, but he didn’t pick up. So I took the soldier’s uniform, and aimed my weapon at him yelling “Go home, get out of here you little shit!” “Thank you, bless you!” he replied. I then put on his uniform and stepped out of the bush. I really looked like one of them. I walk into the woods to find the battle field. But all I saw was 7 of my team mates being aimed at by weapons from the soldiers. My friend Chris was one of the 7. I was scared of coming any closer. I couldn’t speak any other language than English.
I stand against the tree and close my eyes. Then I opened my eyes and saw some of my team mates shooting at the soldiers in the field. But unfortunately 3 soldiers ran another direction to my team mates without being seen. Minutes later I see 4 more team mates with their hands behind their heads. I aim my weapon at some of the soldiers, but I get hit hard in the back with a stock of an air-soft gun. I collapse to the ground, then I turn around and look up and I see 3 soldiers aiming their weapons at me.
I then raise my hands up as sign of surrender. They march me to the middle of the field, and throw me into the crowd of 11 of my other team mates with our hands behind our heads. Then a soldier yells at us to get down on the ground with our hands on top of our heads. We had to lay on our stomachs on the ground, in rows. 10 minutes later 15 soldiers with air-soft machine guns gather around us and get into shooting position. I cover my face and cry for help. A few seconds later we get blasted with steal pellets being shot at into our skin.
We were in so much pain! I was in the ground covered in my blood, and friendly blood. I then looked up and saw my commander in the distance with an air-soft caliber sniper rifle. I was later told that the weapon was very powerful, and ONLY for hunting. But he used it anyway. He only managed to hit 3 soldiers until he was shot to permanent injury in the cavity area of his body. He was only 18 years old. TO BE CONTINUED…

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 28.05.2011

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