Chapter 18: World Record
"Hey," the girl in the crook of his arm, Jennifer, said, turning on her side. She propped her head up with one hand, her beautiful hair spilling across the pillow. Her bright eyes, full of a playful smile, watched him wake.
"Hey," Rhys responded, turning his head to capture her sexy lips in a kiss.
"You know, you look incredibly sexy when you're sleeping," Jennifer said breathlessly as they parted. She snuggled closer to him. "I wish we could stay like this forever."
"Me too, Jennifer," Rhys said. He had complex feelings for this girl. The physical pleasure she brought him was the most immediate sensation, but there was no doubt that throughout their time together, he had seen she was kind-hearted. She would surely make a good partner. But he was about to be deployed to Europe. Could he really hold on to such an outstanding girl?
"Have you ever thought about it?" Jennifer asked suddenly, her head resting on his chest.
Rhys had clearly been lost in thought. He responded reflexively, "What? What are you thinking about?"
Jennifer lifted her head again, her gaze close and steady. "What will you do after the war is over? Will you come back here? Or maybe find a job in Georgia or something? Oh, and you still haven't told me where you're from. Want to tell me now?" She smiled, her eyes full of hope.
"California," Rhys said. "I… I don't know where I'll work in the future. After all, that's still a long way off. After the war? I haven't thought about it. But, I think Georgia might be a nice place."
Jennifer curled up, pressing herself tightly against him. "Parks, I hope you'll come," she whispered. "I like you, and I want us to be together. But I can't leave this bar. It's my dad's whole life. I won't leave this place unless he dies. I hope you'll stay here with me for a while, after the war."
Rhys gently kissed the forehead of the girl in his arms and nodded.
They held each other in comfortable silence for a long time before Rhys finally sat up. "I have to get back to the barracks." He got dressed, then pulled a thick wad of cash from his pocket, counted it, and handed a stack to Jennifer.
"This is from the bet I won a few days ago. It's three thousand dollars. Take it," Rhys said, placing the money on the bed.
Jennifer's face suddenly went pale. She looked up, her beautiful large eyes glaring at him with a mixture of anger and scorn. "If you're trying to pay for a few nights, sir, isn't this a little too much?"
His gesture had clearly infuriated her.
"No, don't misunderstand," Rhys said quickly. "I just thought, I'm in the army now, and it won't be long before I'm on the battlefield. It's not really appropriate for me to carry so much cash. I was hoping you could hold onto it for me. Maybe you could help me manage it."
Jennifer's anger quickly turned to delight. She picked up the stack of cash and smiled. "How do you want me to manage it for you?"
"I know you're a college student, so you'll know how to take care of it properly. Honey, this is my capital for after the war, so don't worry. I will definitely come back when the war is over," Rhys said, leaning down to kiss her.
On the way from Jennifer's house back to the barracks, Rhys kept thinking about one thing: 'Why did I do that?'
He couldn't quite explain it to himself. Maybe it was to alleviate some of his guilt. He felt he shouldn't have made such a vague promise to that kind girl. Once he was on the battlefield, things would be out of his control. If he died, it would cause Jennifer immense pain. But even if he didn't die, would he really come back to this place after the war? God only knew.
Perhaps the three thousand dollars was just an excuse for him not to stay, a way to repay the emotional debt he owed her.
***
The brothers of Easy Company continued their regular training. As they mastered various skills, the companies were required to train in even harsher conditions.
Major Horton, for example, came up with a new method. He had men stretch a layer of barbed wire above the ground. Underneath, they spread a layer of freshly slaughtered pig entrails—hearts, lungs, livers, intestines, everything. Machine guns were set up to fire just above the wire.
Bullets whizzed over the soldiers' heads. No one dared to lift their head, unless they wanted it blown off. This wasn't crawling.
"I feel like a damn snake," Guarnere said as he came face-to-face with a piece of pig intestine, "kissing" it with his mouth. The contact made him gag. "This isn't crawling, it's slithering! Damn it!"
Many men in Easy Company struggled to adapt, but they all managed to complete the course, even if some of them ended up vomiting afterward.
Rhys, however, knew that this must be the final phase of their basic training. After this, the frequent basic exercises would end, and what awaited them would be jump training.
***
"How have the men in the companies been reacting lately?" As the training difficulty increased, Colonel Sink paid closer attention to the situation in the regiment. If any soldier couldn't handle it, he wasn't qualified to be a paratrooper.
"They're all doing very well. Everyone has been able to persevere," Lieutenant Colonel Strayer replied with a smile, clearly pleased with the soldiers' recent performance.
Colonel Sink nodded and motioned for Strayer to sit down. He poured two glasses of wine. "But it's not enough, Strayer," he said, handing one glass to him. He then walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and took out a book.
"This is a 'Reader's Digest'. There's an article in here I think you should read," Colonel Sink said, flipping through the magazine until he found the right page and tapping it with his finger.
"The Japanese set a world record?" Strayer read the article, then looked at Sink in disbelief. "A Japanese battalion marched 100 miles in 72 hours in the Malay Peninsula, setting a world record. How did they do that?"
Sink looked at him seriously. "Never mind how the Japanese did it. Let's talk about us, now. My 506th Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel." He turned to face the window, where he could see the distant barracks and the soldiers conducting routine training. His voice was firm. "My men can do better."
Strayer looked at Sink. He knew he was serious. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "What do you plan to do?"
"I want to send a battalion to compete with those Japs. Let them know that our American soldiers are the best in the world," Colonel Sink said, looking at Strayer. "Help me choose a battalion that can handle this task."
Strayer thought for only a few seconds before suggesting, "I believe Second Battalion is up to the task, Colonel, sir."
Sink nodded. "Yes, I was thinking the same thing. Second Battalion is the toughest. Your choice is correct. I'm confident they are better than the Japs."
***
This was an unconventional training mission.
First and Third Battalions took a train to Fort Benning, which had an air force training facility and, of course, a paratrooper training ground. As Second Battalion watched them go, whistling triumphantly, they felt a pang of jealousy.
"Second Battalion is the best in the regiment!" Major Horton announced in a speech before they departed. It was clear that from the regimental to the battalion and company levels, everyone was taking this long-distance march very seriously. To fail would be to lose face for the entire airborne. That's what Colonel Sink had told Major Horton when he gave the order, and the pressure on the Major was immense.
"Do you know how long this whole march is?" Cobb complained. "118 miles! And we have to take those damn country roads, in what's about to be cold rain and snow." He looked up at the gloomy sky.
"Quit complaining, Cobb," Carwood Lipton reminded him. "If you can get through this, then you'll go to Fort Benning. We'll do our jump training there. We'll get our silver wings."
The silver wings were the goal in the heart of every brother in Easy Company. The main reason they had been able to endure the difficult basic training was for that symbol of the paratrooper.
"Of course, the most important thing is to break that so-called world record set by the Japs," Rhys spoke up then. "Why should we let the Japanese be ahead of us? Or are we worse than them?"
"That's right! We won't let the Japs laugh at us!" Nixon appeared at the perfect moment.
"Our battalion has three companies: D, E, and F. We will be the lead company," Winters instructed the men. "Bring as much water and rations as you can. We'll need to resupply on the way. Remember, don't fall behind."
"Alright, even if it kills me, I'm going to walk to damn Atlanta," White muttered.
Captain Sobel's words, however, were much harsher than Winters's. He swore through gritted teeth, "I guarantee you, if anyone on this march doesn't complete the full distance or falls behind, he is not worthy of the paratrooper's badge, and I will kick him out of the airborne. Maybe he'll just be a straight-legged grunt in the regular Army."
Those words were a powerful motivator for the men of Easy Company. Even so, many of them were still anxious. But then, another sentence from Rhys gave many of them courage: "I'm sure you all remember how I cured More's stomach ache during the march. Don't worry. I've got your backs."