War and peace

When war broke out¹, my grandfather joined the army. War was declared on his 25th birthday. He didn’t want to go to war but he had no choice. The government were sending troops to the south, where they expected fierce fighting. At first there were just minor incidents but soon it developed into all-out war². My grandfather has told me how terrified he was the first time he came within firing range³ of the enemy. They saw him and opened fire⁴ but he was able to escape. A couple of his friends, though, were killed or taken prisoner. After several months, our army went into action in the first decisive battle of the war. The battle raged⁵ for several days. My grandfather said he hated being involved in fighting the war and that the only armies we should have should be peacekeeping forces. He can never forget the horrors of war, and he believes that we must do everything we can to avert⁶ war in the future. I agree.