Yes, I know, but the article is there because it's the title and because it's about a specific fire baptism, not a general one.

Same goes for the first line.
"Defense of fatherland" is more like a specific, personal slogan expressing emotional, individual attitude.
It's not meant as an objective description to be academically or philosophically understood and analyzed..

Again,
"events of war" are more concrete and focused on battle and results of violent confrontation like bombs and gunfire; injuries and death.
"happenings of war" sounds too broad and too much like things that include secondary issues like fleeing civilians, collateral damage, power outages, food shortages etc.
All stuff combat troops are not much concerned with while in action risking their lives to defend the fatherland.

Steal is a typo, of course.
Easy.

There is no "we" in the first paragraph.
It's told from the perspective of one individual.

I thought about using "fumes" but I picture fumes to be very localized, thin and short-lived that can easily be dissipated by the wind.
Haze is more dense, persistent, lingering and wide-spread that can be moved but not easily dissolved around by wind.

Trenches are not graves.
Soldiers do die in them, but they're not permanent resting places for the dead.

"Graves" is a hint to me that this war has already been going on for so long that many soldiers who fought in it have already died and been buried.
The teller knows what's at stake for him and the price of death that has been paid by many who came before him fighting for the same cause.