Utterly Mad

Assignment 44456
William S. Masterson, Gefreiter assigned to third division clean up squad 602 (AKA: The Black Spots)
Informal Report as per request of division commander


As you may know we are called The Black Spots. We are so called because our otherwise grey helmets are adorned with black spots on the forehead resembling the black spotted flag that old naval vessels used to inform other approaching vessels that the men aboard had the black plague. This symbol has thus far caused fear in those who have run into us, and we continue to fashion our helmets in this fashion to honor our former and now dead squad leader.
As I'm sure you also aware of clean up squads such as mine consist of approximately fifteen soldiers, a minimum of two carrying flammenwerfers, seven of the remaining men carrying submachine guns, and the rest carrying rifles. This set up is to ensure the success of the objective, which is generally to subdue a town or other captured civilian district. The flammenwerfers are to intimidate and to burn down the structures of any who decide to resist or attack us.

As per usual we approached the town at approximately ten A.M. and began searching houses. On this occasion the houses were unoccupied. At first we were baffled but then we heard it. It was Samuel who first heard the church organ playing only a short distance away, in the town square. With Samuel, one of our flammenwerfer operators in the lead we walked into the church with service in full swing.
It didn't take long for them to notice us, especially since our squad leader shot several bullets into the roof. They did not react as usual, no screams, no cries of fear.
One of them approached us and said that he understood that they were under the CGYI's purview and that we were welcome to search any and all of the buildings for contraband or possible rebels. Our SL looked at the man and then looked over the collected group of civilians before asking if they knew who we were. The man nodded and confirmed that he knew of the Black Spots.
Our SL nodded, and walked out instructing us to follow. We closed the door and he ordered us to prepare fragmentation grenades to throw through the church windows and for the flammenwerfer operators to begin firing into the church's door once the grenades went off. Several of us protested but in the end we are to follow our superiors orders, irregardless of our personal thoughts on the matter at hand.
We did as were told. The civilians that lived through the grenades going off screamed. It wouldn't stop until the entire place had burned down. Samuel, for the first time in the entirety of me knowing him, removed his gas mask and tossed off his gear.
He screamed at our SL and lunged for him. He grabbed our SL by the throat and began strangling him, having knocked our SL's pistol from his hands. It was Fritz who executed him, a shot straight through the head. He told us that our place was to follow orders not mutiny, if we had a complaint tell command back at base.

And so here we are sir. He ordered us to commit things that I can only classify as crimes. That incident went against every single protocol for that kind of situation. I know that if he knew of this report he would surely eliminate me, as I know he has done to several other members of this squad. I only make this report at your personal request, and I ask that if it is used in a trial against him that I be notified in time to prepare for the proceedings, or any inevitable other outcomes.

Yours truly as both friend and comrade
William S. Masterson
To: Oberst Vincent M. Lawrence