TreyAncheta

FictionalHistory

3/1/17

SLELLL

UnternehmenWalkre[OperationValkyrie]

Juli20,1944[July20,1944]

DasTagVonVernderung[TheDayofChange]
 Prologue

Date:January1,1944

DearTheUnitedStatesArmy,

IamJamesParkerHershey,andIwouldliketoenroll

tobepartofOperation:Valkyrie.IampartoftheUnited

StatesofAmericaArmy;andifyousee,Iamrankedhighest

inmyclassandamknownasapersonoftrustworthinessand

apersonwhocouldnotbebroken.Iwouldgreatlyappreciate

itifyoumaylookovermypapersandconsidermeworthyin

fightingthiscause.Iamalsofluentinthelanguageof

German.Iunderstandthestakesofthismissionandoneflaw

couldendtheverychanceofwinningthiswar.Ialso

understandyoumaychoseasoldiermorequalifiedandmore

experiencedthanme,butifyoudoacceptme,Iwontlet

youdownonyourdecision.

Sincerely,

James P. Hershey
 Date:January3,1944

DearJamesParkerHershey,

Wehavereceivedyourmessageandwehaveacceptedyou

intoOperation:Valkyrie.Byacceptingthismission,you

understandthatyouwillbegoingbehindenemylines.If

captured,theUSArmywilldenyknowingyouandwillnot

assistinyourrescue.Youmustavoidcaptureatallcost.

Yoursuccessinthismissionwillresultinendingthiswar.

Youwillreporttotheshippingyardsby0500onJanuary5,

1944.GodSpeed.

Sincerely,

General Jones
 DayOne

AsIarrivednearthedock,thecaptainofthisship

toldmetoputonthisuniformonandmemorizeaspeech

aboutgoingtoBerlinandthekeywordStrudel.WhenIwent

toputontheuniformandlookedinthemirror,Irecognized

itasaSSuniform.Iamjustrealizinghowdangerousthis

missionisgoingtobe.WhenIdisembarked,Isawagroupof

menwaitingattheendofthedock.WhenIreachedover

there,theyaskedmewhereIwasgoing.ItoldthemBerlin

tohavesomestrudel.Theytoldmethattheywerealsogoing

toBerlinforsomestrudelandthatwecouldallgo

together.IknewthenthatIjustmeetthemembersofmy

team.Aswewalkedtowardatruckthatwilltakeusto

Berlin,theystatedthatwecantalkmorewhenwearriveto

thesafehouse.AswedrovetoBerlin,Isawmanysigns
whichpointedwhereJewsneedtoreporttooandhowthey

neededtoweartheStarofDavid.Isawoneladywholooked

likeshehadnoteatenforweeks.Iknewthen,thatIneeded

tosucceedinthismission.Afteralongbumpyride,we

havefinallyarrivedinBerlin.IhaveneverseensomanySS

officers,IfeelnervousthattheywillrealizeIamnota

trueSSofficer.DolphLiverwurst,theleaderofthegroup,

statedforustogointhehouseattheendofthestreet.

AsIgotoffthetruck,Igrabmybagandenterthehouse

andfoundaroomtoplacemystuff.Dolph,toldallofusto

cometothelivingroomsowecouldintroduceourselves.The

teammembersherefromGermanydisagreedwithhowHitlerwas

runningthecountryandwantedhimdeadsothatwarcould

end.ItoldthemIagreed;butquestionItomyself,how

couldtheyallowapersonlikehimtobecometheleaderof

theircountry.IknowthatcouldnothappenintheUnited

States.Dolph,toldallofustogetsomerestforwewill

startearlytomorrowongatheringmaterialsforthemission.

IwenttomyroomandstartedtothinkaboutthedangerIam

facingbutthenIrealizedIamdoingsomethinggood,soI

feltbetterandwenttosleep.
 DayTwo

AsIgotupandstartedtogetready,EdelObatzda

knockedonmydoorandsaidHey,checkyourwatch,yougot

tenminutestogetready.Onceready,meetusatthekitchen

table.Gotit.Isaidback.AsIwentdownthestairs,I

noticedthateveryonewasstandingaroundthetablewitha

worriedlookontheirface.

Abel Bratwurst said James, we need you to get the

detonator. The guy who has the detonator name is Dirk

Novoitzki.Thelocationwhereheslocatedisinthecityof

Dresden.Areyouabletogetthisdetonator,causewithout
this,thereisnobomb,andwithnobomb,nowinningthis

war.ItoldhimthatIcangetthedetonator.Iimmediately

left and arrived in Dresden at about seventeen hundred

hours.IwenttoalocalcafandwaitedforDirktomeet

withme.Afewminuteslater,amansatatmytable,andhe

asked me. Are you getting some strudel for a man named

Dirk. I responded Why yes, he is a good friend and he

loves strudel. Right at that moment, I knew that he was

DirkNovoitzki.Fromthere,hewentupclosetomeandsaid

inmyear.Itsinmybag.Afterthestrudelarrived,he

leftthebagunderneaththetable.Ipickedupthebagand

startedmywaybacktoBerlin.OnceIarrivedbacktothe

safe house, they asked if I had the detonator, I replied

withayesbutyettheystillhadasadlookontheirface.

Later,theytoldmethattheygotwordthatDirkNovoitzki

waskilled. Iknewthatthiscouldnthinderthismission

butwassadthatDirklosthislife.
 DayThree

WhenIwokeup,Iwentdownthestairsandsawtheguys

lookingatamapofGermany.Whyareyouguyslookingata

mapofthecities.Iasked.AbelrespondedWeneeda

securelocationtobuildthebomb.IrememberwhenIwas

lookingforDirk,Ifoundahouse,outsidethecity,that

lookedabandoned.Iwouldsaythatitwouldbeagoodplace

tobuildit.Asweallagreed,wedecidedtogoin

differentcarstonotbringupsuspicion.
 Whenwearrivedatthehouse,weinspectedtheareafor

anypeople.Luckily,therewasnoonearound.Isuggested

thatwedopatrolsaroundthehousetomakesurenoone

catchesusbuildingthebomb.TheyallagreedandItookthe

firstwatch.Duringmywatch,whilenothinghappened,Idid

seetruckstakingJewstocamps.Iamnotsurewhereandwhy

theyaretakingtheJewsoutofthecitybuttherumorsare

thattheyaretorturingthem.

WhenIwasdonewithmyshift,Iwentintothehouse.Ifelt

awaveofaccomplishmentasIsawAbelfinishingmakingthe

bomb.Thismeanswearesoongoingtodeploythebomb.Iam

notquitesurehowwearegoingtogetitintoHitlers

housebutIknowwewillfindaway.OnceAbel,finished

makingthebomb,wedecidedtoheadbacktooursafehouse

inBerlin.Onourwayback,wewerestoppedbysome

soldiers.Ourcarhadthebombinitsowedidntknowwhat

todo.ItoldthesoldiersthatIwasaSSofficerandI

neededtoreturntoBerlinimmediately.Itoldthemthat

delayingmewillresultinalotoftroubleforthem.

Luckily,theybelieveditandletusgo.Wefinallyarrived

atthesafehouseattwentyonehundredhours.Wewereall

tiredandwenttobed.Iknowtomorrowisgoingtobeabusy

dayforwearegoingtoplacethebombatHitlershome.
 DayFour

Today,weleaveextraearlytomakeitinPoznanby

0700.Whenwearrived,wecannotgothroughthefrontgate.

Itisheavilypatrolledwithguards.Soweimprovised,

therewasabackentrancewhereitisunguardedmajorityof

thetimeandwechosetogoovertheretoenter.Aswemade
ourwaytowherethemeetingwasgoingtobeheld,I

wonderedifthiswouldactuallywork.ButbeforeIcould

enterasoldierstoppedusandaskedToletyouin,wehave

tomakesurethatyouaredevotedtoHitlerandwouldnever

disobeyhim.TellustheReichswehreid.Ifyoucouldrecite

thispledge,clearlyyouwouldntattacktheFhrer.After

hesaidthis,Istartedtogetworried,ifImessthisup,

thereisnomoreoperation.Iraisedupmyleftarmand

responded.IswearbyGodthisholyoath,thatIwantto

offerunconditionalobediencetotheFhreroftheGerman

Reichandpeople,AdolfHitler,thecommanderinchiefof

theWehrmacht,andbepreparedasabravesoldiertoriskmy

lifeforthisoathatanytime.Youarefreetoenterthe

meeting.Onceweenteredtheroom,wenoticedthatnobody

wasinthere.Thiswastheperfectmomenttoplacethebomb,

sowegottowork.

Weplacedthebombonthetablenearwherewepredicted

Hitlerwouldbestanding.Wegotthefuseconnectedtothe

detonatorandplaceditinourcarparkedoutsideofthe

house.Ivolunteeredtobetheoneintheroomthatwould

completethemission.TheplanwasformetosaythatI

forgotsomethinginmycar,fromthere,Iwillleavethe

roomandenterthecar.Wewoulddriveawayandoncewe
reachedasafedistance,wewoulddetonatethebomb.Weall

agreedonthisplan.AsthegeneralsandtheFhrerstarted

toentertheroom.Achillcamerunningdownmyspine.IfI

messup,Iwillbekilledonthespotandmaybemygroup

willbekilled.Afterthemeetingstarted,Iwaitedafew

minutes,thenIstartedtheplan.

IaskedoneofthegeneralsifIcouldexcusemyself

fromthemeetingbrieflytograbsomethingIhaveforgotten

inmycar.Luckilyheallowedmetogo.Fromthere,Igot

intothecarwithAbelandDolph.Dolphstartedtodrive

slowlytonotbringupsuspiciontoourselves.Abelsaidto

meIsthebombsetinplace.Yesandthewireisunder

thetablesoit'snotsuspicious.Isaidback.Thecar

startedtogofaster.Well,whatarewewaitingfor,light

thatcandle.Dolphsaid.Youhavethehonorofdoingit.

Abelsaid.Iamreadyforthismoment,ourmissionends

today.Ok,three,two,one.

DayFive

Iwokeupwithaneeriefeelingaroundme.WhenImet

theguysdownstairs,Inoticedallofthemstandingaround
thetablelookingatthelocalNewspaper.Ireadthetitle,

FailedAssassinationattemptonAdolfHitler.WhenIread

this,Iknewthatthiswasbad.Weknewthatwehadtoget

outofthecityassoonaspossible.Weallgrabbedourbags

andstartedtogetinthecarstoleave.Whileleaving

Berlin,aSSsoldierstoppedusattheborderandtookus

outofourcarsforquestioning.Oncetheyrealizedwewere

theoneswhoweretryingtoassassinatehim,theyputusin

acell.Ageneralcameuptoourcelldoorandtoldusthat

weweregoingtobeexecutedbyfiringsquadforourattempt

toassassinateHitler.Edelistheonlyguyisgoinghome

causehewasntsuspectedofbeingpartofouroperation.We

alldecidedtomakeourfarewelllettersandgivethemto

Edelsotheycouldarrivetoourfamilies.Iwontgetto

seemykidsgrowupnow,butifmykidsseewhatIhave

done,Ihopetheycouldbeproudofme.

Epilogue
Mylovingwife,

Iwillnotbeabletocomehome.Whileworkingover

here,theyfoundoutaboutusandourplan.Dontbesomad

atEdelwhenyoufirstmeethim.Lateron,youwillfindout

heisacaringpersonwhoalwaysprotectshisfriendstothe

bestofhisabilities.Ihopeyouarenotmadaboutmenot

cominghome.IamgladthatIamnotdyingfornoreason.I

amdyingforagreatercause.Takecareofourkidsandtell

themIlovethem.

Yourlovinghusband,

James P. Hershey