The Fear

Nineteen year old architect draftsman, Christian Fiset, was called up to do military service, like all other boys of his age. He was skinny and underweight, and military service separated him from his family and friends, his home and work, his city and his country, France. All the conscripts were trained and pushed to the maximum of thier abilities so that they could fight alongside the French Foreign Legion, renowned as fully qualified killers, during the Algerian War for Independence.
Christian keep his diary of the continous nightmares faced by the young conscripts, the strong bonds of friendship that grew between them, and their attemps to save lives of innocent children, children who were being coerced to enter the mine fields that the conscripts were laying. He faced the ordeal of war, and came to realise that choice of action could have dire consequences.
Caught many times in the crossfire of death and destruction, Christian saw the best and the worst of human nature and came to wonder why the Algerian Fellaghas were hated and despised so much by the French settlers who openly admired their own Resistance fighters from the Second World War. The Fellaghas had not only assisted the French, but had made a much valued contribution to the war.
Christian witnessed the dramatic mutiny when the French Army divided and the Generals revolted against de Gaulle. He epitomized the human faces of brutality of war, sorrow, suffering, greed, trust, compassion, fear and heroism. He had no time to grieve the death of his best friend, Joncquet, or any other of the many friends who lost their lives in the war.
Christian returned home to France and civilian life, but did not find the peaceful atmosphere he expected. The terrible noise of war still raged in his head, frightening nightmares pervaded his sleep, so he was faced with another battle, one was extremely difficult to fight, and one that he had to fight alone. He was heartbrokenand emotionally wounded.