What I Learned In The Midst Of War Monologue

I signed up to fight in the war because everybody else was, because it was an expectation of us men to defend our mother country and do what was considered right, justified and brave. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect of our coming battles, but I certainly wasn’t afraid, too naïve to understand the risks I was facing.
War is not all it is said to be. We soldiers were told it was to fight for our honour, nobility and home, but none of that mattered in the midst of battle. War is about bloodshed, murder, and above all, survival. If I couldn’t keep my wits about me in war, I may as well have already been dead.
I depended upon nobody but myself to keep you alive, really, even when working in troops of men just like myself, who I called my friends. After just a fortnight of battle, the realization that not every man will make it back home had set in, but by then it was far too late to escape. It was a hard lesson to learn, but obvious; when at war, you fight, or you die.
They lead us astray when convincing us to enlist. How could they lead us to battle blinded by our lack of experience and knowledge, and just sit back and watch us squirm?
It was all about pride, courage and proving yourself, before we discovered for ourselves how brutal and bloody war really was. They convinced us easily with their persuasive advertisements. You’ll be a hero if you fight, they said. You’ll be popular amongst women if you fight, they said. You’ll be a pathetic coward if you don’t, they