Confession of a Soldier

The diary of a Belkan soldier in the Belkan War

MICHAEL KOHL

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al, and that this is an unofficial resource for Ace Combat information.
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Format: Single Page PDF Version R1A1-2-12-2015

Translator: yellow26
Original Interpretation: Ayre, MenAce, Ribbon-Blue
2015 Interperetation: Cerberus, Ribbon-Blue
Special Thanks: T.J. Millie Archer
Assembly: Ribbon-Blue

CONTENTS
Page 03. Foreword
Page 06. Entry #1 - April 13th, 1995
Page 09. Entry #2 - April 15th, 1995
Page 11. Entry #3 - April 27th, 1995
Page 13. Entry #4 - May 14th, 1995
Page 15. Entry #5 - May 18th, 1995
Page 17. Entry #6 - May 22nd, 1995
Page 19. Entry #7 - May 30th, 1995
Page 22. Entry #8 - June 19th, 1995

FOREWORD
Confession of a Soldier was released as promotional material by Project Aces for Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War. It follows a Belkan
soldier as he and his unit participated in the Belkan War of 1995. Its a
unique point of view which shows an array of emotion, the human side
of the Belkan war effort and introduces some interesting rumors concerning the conflict.
The initial translation of the materials for this series was done between
August 2007 and February 2008. An Electrosphere (ES) member named
yellow26 worked with the staff of ES 1.0 to better interpret his translation into something that sounded natural in English. As the community
and website changed forums and moved away from1.0, the first part had
disappeared during the information transfer. Copies and slightly edited
interpretations of entries two through eight have circulated over the
years, but part one remained lost.
The two lead administrators of Electrosphere revisited ES 1.0, enjoying a
trip down memory lane by viewing topics from many years ago, only to
stumble upon part one of this series. Somehow, someway it was placed
into the Recycle Bin the community has always tried to minimize deletion of threads for the sake of archiving. It was found in the middle of
970 archived discussion threads and unneeded information articles.
A rush to complete the series was made. The original translation texts
were used to create this ebook and present this series in a more desirable
format. .PDF, .SWF and web page versions of it will also be made available on Electrosphere.info. The more choices the better. Small edits and
some rewording have been performed to smooth out the rougher translation spots, but the content is unchanged.
03.

A picture from Hardcover: Untitled Photographs was added to the 8th

entry, which is not used in the official release of this series. This image
was added to give readers a better idea of what Michael Kohl was addressing in that entry of his journal; it has been identified in the book.
All other pictures come from the original work featured on ACES WEB
and have been given relevant captions.
We hope you enjoy Confession of a Soldier presented in completion for
the first time since April 2008.

04.

STORY

// ENTRY 01
April 13th, 1995 - Weather: Fair
Five days have passed since we arrived on the battlefield. I never made it
a habit to write in a diary, but five months have passed since I started to
keep this diary after I joined the armed forces. After some hard training,
Ive finally arrived on the battlefield! Its a wonderful feeling to devote
oneself to defending the homeland and fighting for peace!
Its April, but the mornings are still cold in this border region nevertheless. The general roll call was made at 6:00 AM as usual. The air was cold,
but the sky was serene. I was assigned to the the Belkan Armys 8th Armored Division, 3rd Infantry Unit Tollwut Hund (Rabid Dog). We are
tasked with both offensive and defensive roles.
The Tollwut Hund unit is comprised of the most brave and competent
men in the Belkan forces. Out of all of them, Captain Erhardt was the
most fearsome. He led a midnight raid on a Ustian tank battalion with a
three man Panzerfaust platoon. Normally the Captain is a calm person;

Captain Erhardt telling a story.

06.

speaking in a soft tone, often telling me about his infant son he left back
home. The Captains eyes look warm and gentle whenever he talks about
his son. However, when he is in the field, his eyes turn into a those of a
tiger stalking its prey. It almost seems like the gleam in his eyes could
pierce a steel plate. Nobody is willing to speak to him when his eyes are
filled with rage.
Back on topic. As usual I had dinner near our tents with my companions,
surrounding the fire with them. Tonights main course was grilled chicken and boiled potatoes. They were rations of course. These rations gave

Scenery during dinner.

07.

me a bit of a hard time at first, but its undeniable that you enjoy them
once you get used to the taste. Does this mean that I am one step closer
to becoming a true soldier?
There are more than ten items in these rations; the main course, coffee,
tobacco, caramels for dessert, and much more. Having a full-course dinner right in the middle of the battlefield relieves the fatigue and tension
of the day.
Sitting around the fire and having dinner with my comrades under the
star-studded sky reminds me of going camping when I was a kid; it sort
of made me miss my childhood. Its still cold outside at night. Itll be time
to sleep in about thirty minutes. Our unit is heading to Route 171 in
Southern Belka to reinforce our defensive positions there.

08.

// ENTRY 02
April 15, 1995 - Weather: Sunny
When we got near our destination, Route 171, my eyes were stunned by
the black smoke that was rising. The smell of gasoline and the fragrance
of gunpowder enveloped the rural area. The smell of the battlefield is
more appetizing than my moms cooking, the sniper, Cowboy murmured, caressing his G3 with his tobacco-tarred fingers.
Several hours before we got to the destination, an Ustian air squadron
launched an attack on the Belkan forces along Route 171 and inflicted
serious damage to the forces stationed there. Being unable to get close to
our destination, Sector D27, we are currently hiding in a woods 50 km
away from there. When we got here, there were young soldiers who retreated from the front line, soldiers who were on their way there as reinforcements just like us. Soldiers being carried into first aid tents, screams,
unanswered radio calls... Intense images were blending together in rapid
succession. At the sight of those unfamiliar scenes, I became nauseated,
was caught in vertigo and went white-out blind. Then I found myself
squatting on the ground.
The face of the commander of the platoon that retreated from the front
line was covered in soot. The only thing that was clear was the raging
fury in his eyes, like the moon shining red in the night sky. He grasped
my neck while I was still squatting and scolded me for not performing
any medical treatment for the wounded soldiers. Though inexperienced,
I managed to bandage them up, send those on stretchers to the helicopters, give water to those lying on camp beds. We finally completed the
setup of the campsite at dusk. Im totally exhausted now. Blisters are all
over my hands because I was shoveling a trench for as long as 3 hours.
My throat is sore and stiff because of the soot. And then before I knew it,
my appetite was gone. I thought I wanted to be alone tonight.
To avoid getting assaulted again by Ustian forces, the use of light and fire
is restricted. While lying on my camp bed and having a cup of coffee,
09.

Franz from the same unit came in with chocolates. Franz, who cut his
hair Mohawk style before heading to Route 171, threw a pity party and
wistfully talked about how angry he was at Ustio, how to get his revenge,
and made me laugh, as always, at the end of the talk with his sense of
humor. Just dont get too shocked. Learn to accept the situation as it is,
Captain Erhardt tapped me on the shoulder in the regular meeting and
said, a powerful unit has already been formed to take back Route 171
and is on its way to the front line. I can sense a surge of anger and hatred
against Ustio rising up inside me.
Those people who kiss a superpowers ass to secure their benefits, act
arrogantly in international society and pose a threat to their neighboring
countries. Those people who resist the time of revolution. Those people
who are responsible for the deaths of our compatriots. Those bastards
will never be forgiven.
The sound of recon jets from Ustio that occasionally pass by overhead
boost my irritation and anger even more. Ustio must lose.

At Route 171.

10.

// ENTRY 03
April 27th, 1995 - Weather: Fair
Im wondering where to start. Or rather, I cant even remember in detail
what happened in the past few days. Did my ear drums burst? It feels like
I cant hear things well.
On April 24th, 1995, I was posted to the Futuro Canal in southern Belka
and experienced battle for the first time. When the order was issued to
cancel the operation to take back Route 171, we immediately moved to a
naval port within the Futuro Canal.
I guess that was in the afternoon. A terrible alarm suddenly went off
in the port. At that time, I was taking a break on a quay along the port,
aimlessly gazing at the waves coming and going. I was in a world different from a battlefield, peacefully poised between reality and fantasy. That
moment was shattered in an instant by the sound of the alarm. Fear and
tension thundered through my body, a feeling I had felt for the first time
since I was born. The facility was enveloped by a bustling atmosphere
and all hands immediately moved into combat positions. A moment of
silence ensued.
That silence was broken by deafening roars of jets, machine guns and
successive explosions that almost matched the timing of those attacks.
From this point forward my memory is blurred. Colors of blood and fire,
columns of black smoke, Rosenberg who kept firing a heavy machine
gun at random while frightened, empty gazes from dead soldiers, impacts, explosions, water sprays, shouts, roars, cuss words...
I was running around with a 10 millimeter amidst that storm... I guess.
Bullets had just skimmed over my helmet and I was almost minced by
gunfire from an enemy fighter aircraft. It would be a white lie if I said
that I had no fear, but I still wanted to swat down that Ustian fighter with
a heavy machine gun. I was unspeakably hyped up. I dont remember
how long the battle continued. Before I knew it, those deafening jet
11.

Futuro Canal.

sounds disappeared and groans and screams echoed in the facility.

When I was standing at a loss, an enemy fighter with its one wing painted in red soared overhead in a carefree manner, as if to scoff at us.
Im alive. Several days before this battle, a large scale air battle reportedly
took place near the border. It was only two enemy planes that invaded
B7R and they went head to head with our ace squadron. They were
knocked out by our aces and rushed back to base. Thats what I heard.
Theres no telling when the facilities can be reconstructed. Theres no
telling when the enemy launches the next surprise attack either. Im not
informed of what kind of mission we are going to be engaged in, nor if
we will remain in this place. The only thing Im certain of is that Im on
the battlefield.

12.

// ENTRY 04
May 14th, 1995 - Weather: Fair
The coalition forces of Ustio and Osea began the invasion into Belka.
In response to the preceding battle, our forces stationed in the Futuro
Canal dispersed. Our Tollwut Hund unit left the naval port and is now
hiding along the river. The weapons we gathered while retreating are two
.50 caliber heavy machine guns, one 40mm grenade launcher, one small
armored vehicle, several RPGs, and standard combat equipment for each
of us. To be honest, these are far from something we can rely on.
The enemy has now taken the canal and they intend to send troops and
combat vehicles by ship, in an initiative to avalanche into Belka with
numbers and mobility. Should they invade our country... Im worried
about my mom in my hometown. We frequently move from one place to
another due to changes in operations, so I cant even receive letters.
The members of the Tollwut Hund unit are Captain Erhardt, Captains
assistant Sergeant Mayer, Corporal Piper known as The Smile, Corporal
Berger, former pro soccer player, Private Schneider The Sniper, Private
Rosenberg whose parents run a womens underwear shop, Private Franz
who is my age, and me Private Kohl. That is 8 men altogether.
We left Futuro and are hiding in the desert. There have been no official
orders from HQ since we retreated and we are stuck in the sand. Franz
is in contact with HQ by radio, but it seems like people higher up have
not decided what to do next because of the unexpected defeat at Futuro.
Hide along the river for the time being and engage the allied forces going up river. What? Are the upper echelons joking? If we attack hostile
military vessels with weapons like these, fighters will quickly take off
from the aircraft carrier and then were gonna be toast right on the spot.
There is no need to follow ridiculous orders Captain Erhardt said,
and prohibited us from any act of firing. In a hilly area in the desert, we
found a cave suitable to hide in temporarily.
13.

We are surveying the landings of the allied forces from this location and
are reporting them to HQ from time to time.
Anyway, we have to get out of this place soon. There arent enough weapons and there isnt enough food. The number of the enemies going up the
river is increasing day by day. Im wondering why HQ doesnt send air
squadrons here. If only we could launch all-out attacks again...
Im watching the enemy through a telescope today, holding back my wish
to fire at them yet again.

Tollwut Hund desert camp.

14.

// ENTRY 05
May 18th, 1995 - Weather: Rain
On the battlefield, waking up at the sound of the rotors of an approaching Pavehawk is a daily routine, as natural as seasoning a sunny side up
egg with salt at breakfast. I was never as happy on this battlefield than
when I saw that low flying black silhouette approaching us. A long time
had passed since we asked for rescue by radio. Even I thought HQ had
abandoned us.
The last thing I wanted to do was die of hunger and I had even started to
think it was meaningless coming to this battlefield. The helicopter crew
who came to our rescue got the job done so quickly that I thought I saw
how true professionals take care of business. The longer the helicopter
hovers in the air, the easier it can take hits from the enemy. The helicopter needs to hover in the air as long as the rescue operation is carried out.
If it is targeted in this moment by, say, a SAM, its doomed. Game over.
Inside the aircraft one of the rescue team members gave each of us a
chocolate bar. It was something I liked very much as a kid and was sweet
enough to make me fully realize that I was still alive. We arrived at a rear
base at midnight.
Wrapped in incomparable joy all of us hugged each other on the runway,
except Captain Erhardt. His face remained grave and he had a small talk
with a superior waiting for his arrival.
Now I can finally sleep with peace of mind. Take a shower, eat my fill of
roast beef, drink a gallon of milk and when I wake up in the next morning, I can write my mom a letter. Thats what I was thinking. We were
waiting for the superior to finish talking with Captain Erhardt on the
runway. Looking at his face as he was walking back to us, I had a bad
feeling about it. Actually, I already had it inside the Pavehawk.

15.

Pavehawk on the rear bases runway.

He said, about 5 hours from now at 0600, we Tollwut Hund unit members are on our way to Tauberg in order to participate in Operation
Brandfleck proposed by HQ. We are going to fly to target destination by
helicopter. Upon arrival we will meet up with the 8th Armed Division of
the Belkan Army. Your rendezvous point is the D-2 heliport at 0530, 30
minutes before the start of the operation. Each one of you is allowed free
action until 0530. Regarding the facilities in Doris Air Base, an explanation will be...
Right after I came to the battlefield I believed what would emerge after
the war was our victory. But now, Ive come to think otherwise. I dont
want my war to end with my death. Thats the only thing I have in mind
now. Theres no way I talk to my comrades about such a thing, but I guess
they are thinking same deep down inside. I want to make it back alive. I
just want to make it back alive. Thats the feeling we have in common and
the only motivation for us to be here on this battlefield.

16.

// ENTRY 06
May 22nd, 1995 - Weather: Rain
Tauberg.
My dad often drove me here for deer hunting when I was a kid. We used
to get into the forest at sunrise, bated our breaths and kept walking. We
just kept on walking silently on the leeward to elude the deers keen sense
of smell and hearing.
It was when I was 10 years old that I pulled the trigger of a rifle for the
first time.
The taste of the hot chocolate I drank sitting on an old fallen tree with
my dad was excellent. When military base construction was undertaken
in Tauberg, my dad actively partook in the anti-base construction campaign. Here my dad and I learned how to coexist with nature, how to
overcome it and how to conquer it. More than 10 years have passed since
then and Im back here in Tauberg once again. My dad is not by my side
this time and my target through the telescope is not a wild animal. We
moved to Excalibur by helicopter. The advanced equipment of this facility is simply amazing.
Its night. I can hear howls of wolves from beyond the wire fences. The
figure of Excalibur, a tower that stands tall as if to reach the sky, is sort
of anomalous in this place. The objective of Operation Brandfleck seems
to be to lure enemy forces into Excaliburs range and annihilate them by
making the best use of chemical laser weaponry. Im ready. Ive had my
share of shooting experiences here since I was 10. All we have to do now
is wait for the enemy to enter the net.

17.

A photo of the mostly completed Excalibur in Tauberg, Belka.

(Hard Cover Magazine: Untitled Photo Selection, Claus Bauer, July 18th, 1994)

18.

// ENTRY 07
May 30th, 1995 - Weather: Cloudy
A trap is the oldest device for hunting and is useful because it can capture game with less effort than using other tactics. Traps are efficient and
are still used to exterminate rats, cockroaches, and other vermin today.
On May 23rd, Operation Brandfleck was carried out under the direct
command of HQ. The main objective of this operation was to lure an
enemy mercenary unit called Galm Team into the range of Excalibur
and take them all out at once with its laser beams. That mercenary unit
seemed to be very skilled.
There was a rumor going around everywhere that a mercenary flight unit
of the allied forces was unstoppable and HQ had started to think seriously about wiping them out. It was after Excalibur fell that I knew that
the plane with a red wing I saw at Futuro belonged to the team everybody had been talking about. The Sword of Tauberg was destroyed by the
wingman of the single red wing plane. It was miserably broken right in
half with a deafening roar.
The scene of the fall of Excalibur was exactly like a nightmare. Having
penetrated the laser defense network, Galm Team entered the airspace
right above the base and scattered every missile they carried over Tauberg. I was ordered to operate Corporal Bergers self-propelled AA artillery and joined battle against the enemy from inside the forest nearby. A
few hours after the start of the operation, enemy air squadrons showed
up. The Corporal opened fire right away. He was so hyped up that he
kept cussing while shooting.
Several minutes into combat a small AGM hit the ground 70 feet away
from my self-propelled artillery. It didnt look like Corporal Berger noticed it. VT fuse! I shouted out, leaped off from the vehicle and then
shielded myself with the caterpillar treads. He was still firing at the sky
while I braced myself. I had never experienced such an awful explosion.
19.

Trees shuddered, the AA artillery jumped several inches up into the air
and the gruesome blast from the explosion ripped at my cheeks and ears.
Thats as far as I can remember.
After I came to, it took me some time to understand whether I was alive
or dead. After I guessed that I was still alive, it took me even more time
to think that I had to do something. In order to simply get on my feet
I prepared my whole body, gave my arms an order to move, gave my
legs an order to bend, closed my eyes and my body slowly started to
make motions. I was in the silence of the forest as I sensed an enormous
amount of time passing by.
It was almost dusk in Tauberg when the corpse of Corporal Berger was
found. The parts of what used to be Corporal Berger were scattered
everywhere several hours ago. It was impossible for us to find them all.
I started to walk to the center of the base, dragging my leg stabbed by a
piece of metal. When I managed to limp back there, there were nothing

Approaching the destroyed Excalibur base.

20.

but bodies of dead soldiers, heaps of rubble, a few medics, and the smell
of gasoline. There was nothing beautiful at all. Are you alright?, a medic
said to me. But I ignored him and walked on. Then I noticed a tattoo of
a bold skeleton crushing the peace symbol in its hand on the arm of a
soldier on a stretcher. I lifted the cover sheet and saw a severely damaged
corpse. It was Rosenberg.
I received a blanket from a medic and sat on some rubble. Then came a
bald-headed man. An Officer? He seemed to have come here from a rear
area to confirm the situation. When he passed by me I saw a slight smile
on his ugly face. He was terribly vivid, seeing those soldiers who luckily
survived, giving them a slap on the back and saying words of encouragement which were just as useless as shit. He must be one of those who
risk others lives to avoid coming to the front line. Or rather, he is one of
those clever asses who have the ability and method to keep away from a
bad place at a bad time. I recognized him as such on the spot.
Its obvious that this country wouldnt stop fighting this war. Learn to
accept the situation as such is to know how to eliminate a humans innate emotions and live for lies, deception, and selfishness, isnt it? I just
cant devote my life to honor and pride in a situation where my friends
die and my parents are in danger. Its because I have already lost faith in
this war.

21.

// ENTRY 08
June 19, 1995
War is hatched from the egg of patriotism. Every comrade I met and
parted with on the battlefield loved Belka. Devote everything for the
sake of our country. Slogans of that kind were everywhere in town before the war started.
We, those who were born in Belka, have been mature patriots since
the moment we were beought into this world. We were enthused about
a politicians speech when were children and we formed lines early in
the morning when there was a military parade. We never failed to give
thanks when we surrounded the table to have a homely meal every
day. We kissed the national flower many times when snow melted away
and spring came. I had never thought about the reason why I loved my
homeland. My dad, dads dad, and even his dad loved this country of
Belka and took strong pride in doing so. A country that had a different
thought than Belka had, was Belkas foe and that foe was destined to perish. No matter how prejudiced it might sound, this was what the majority
of people believed.
I, too, had loved Belkan soil, trees and water and taken pride in all of
them since I was a kid. I was certain this country was the pivot of the
world and everything else. And so, demons of nuclear weaponry quietly
landed on the homeland of Belka I had held affection for.
The discord between the military authorities and politicians is unquestionable. Actually, confusion and divisiveness are growing rapidly inside
the military. Those who try to continue the war, those who try to quickly
make up for the loss in postwar settlement, those who throw down
weapons and escape, those who live for self-interest. Anarchy prevails on
the battlefield and in the country. Rumors are spreading that it was our
compatriots who pressed the buttons which caused the nuclear detonations. Why?
22.

Its said that multiple nuclear explosions took place simultaneously. I had
heard that the military had been developing small nuclear bombs called
Radioactive Detonators for years. It seems the Radioactive Detonator
is, although extremely powerful, very small and looks like an ordinary
grenade. It can adjust the blast radius by 100 yard units. The detonation
sequence is to pull the slide trigger atop the detonator.
This is the kind of weapon that attracts evil.
Amidst the mixture of rumors and truths, I still cannot get in contact
with my mom. No matter how hard those stupid civilian employees of
the military try to continue the war and even if there are bastards and
politicians who profit from it, this war will end. It was decided. Belka was
defeated. I no longer have hope and respect for this country and politicians. Not that I hate this country, but Ive noticed that a country is, after
all, an inorganic entity. History, tradition, what I couldnt see due to the
restraints caused by the biased politics, or rather, what I had not tried to
see.
Now that Ive seen life and death closely, something, though very
blurred, has started to become visible. Totalitarianism sometimes brings
about fear. I see the pride and truth in me being Michael Kohl and would
like to end this war of mine.
The ceasefire negotiations with the allied forces and Belkas disarmament
have started. The war has virtually ended and the troops are gradually
becoming cheerful. Although there are those who sneak around to recruit young soldiers into guerrilla forces, nobody is listening to them
anymore. A few days ago, Kurzlinger, an old soldier, caused a fight. It
seems like he pushed his luck a little too far to recruit his man. He is
said to have pointed a gun to the forehead of the young soldier while
recruiting him. Just before Kurtzlinger pulled the trigger, several soldiers
stopped him and the situation was settled. Kurtzlinger was a violent man
and his men hated him. In fact, many people hated him. The next morn23.

ing the corpse of Kurtzlinger was found tied to a drum can only with underwear on. Nobody was surprised at the sight of it. In the end, his body
was buried in the woods by some gentle soldiers. There used to be
order and formalities here, but not now.
The war is over and everyone is equal in citizenship. There are some
people who pay back a slap to the face on the battlefield with interest,
with bullets, after coming back home alive. Hatred is a flame that burns
permanently inside those who have it within them. Try not to stand out
on the battlefield as much as possible and lurk with bated breath. This
statement may sound stupid, but I will remember this someday when
bullets begin to fall.

A roadsign in the Principality of Belka.

24.

The order was issued that the remnant forces should immediately surrender to the allied forces. A bit too simple an order, but considering
the situation there is nothing to wonder about. Everything will be finally
over. Im trying not to think of my mom and Captain Erhardt who has
been incommunicado. I dont give a damn what the allied forces administration will be like. I cant imagine that it could be worse than it is now.
It will take the allied forces some time to settle things down when we arrive at Anfang and surrender. But itll be just a little while. After all, they
are humans too. Theres no way they would abuse us.
I made it through alive and the war is over.
Anfang.
Ive never been there, but it will be a place I will never forget for the rest
of my life.

- Michael Kohl
25.