Chapter 34: Emotions
Winters was a man who paid extremely close attention to detail, especially during military operations. This was one of the reasons for his future success. Rhys understood the meaning behind Winters's words, and he shared the same sentiment. What could be more important than ensuring the survival of the brothers to the greatest extent possible?
The failure of the exercise hung over the heads of the men of Easy Company like a dark cloud. The brothers' feelings toward Captain Sobel had evolved from dislike and hatred to a complete lack of trust. It was a major shift in their attitude toward him. The discussions in the barracks now revolved almost entirely around him. After all, with the training constantly escalating and the rumors coming down from the regiment, the men knew that they would eventually end up on the battlefields of Europe. Of that, there was no longer any doubt.
"I don't want to follow a commander like that to Europe," Guarnere was one of the most vocal, his rebellious nature pushing his disgust for Sobel to the extreme. "A commander like that will only destroy our fighting spirit, or worse, hand us over to the Germans as prisoners, or just get us all killed by the Krauts!"
"I think I'll pray to the Virgin Mary," Warren "Skip" Muck muttered. "I just hope that when we get to Europe, he gets shot by a German the moment he jumps out of the plane. That would save us a bullet."
"To be honest, I really do want to kill the guy," even the usually quiet Shifty Powers couldn't help but say. "Maybe one day, if I'm feeling impulsive, I'll just do it."
Many in Easy Company felt the same way as these brothers. Even though Rhys had talked to them before, their patience with Sobel had run out, and their emotions were agitated and low. Winters had clearly noticed this shift in mood. Although there were promotions in the company around this time—Harris and Ranney were promoted to Staff Sergeant, and Nixon and a Lieutenant Hearst were transferred to battalion staff—the men's morale remained low. It was at this time that another officer was assigned to Easy Company: Second Lieutenant Harry Welsh.
"What are you going to do?" Nixon asked, shaking his head at Winters in their quarters. "I don't even know what to say to the brothers anymore. Even if I did say something and helped Sobel out, he definitely wouldn't appreciate it. He might even do something that would completely shock you."
"What else can I do?" Winters said helplessly. "Continue to train them. At the very least, I have to ensure the platoon-level officers perform exceptionally to minimize our losses in the future. We'll have to use them to encourage morale." He shrugged. "That's the most I can do."
"What about Parks?" Nixon suddenly asked.
Winters was taken aback. "What about him?"
Nixon couldn't help but smile. "You know what I mean. Weren't you planning on recommending him for Officer Candidate School? Why hasn't there been any news? Or did Sobel not approve it?"
"That's a good question," Winters smiled. "Sobel might be unpleasant, but at the very least, he doesn't have the courage to go against the regiment. I sent my report directly to Colonel Sink. I'm confident we'll have a result soon. And Colonel Sink is very keen on having Parks stay with the 506th after he graduates. As for whether he'll still be in Easy Company, that's not something I can decide."
Nixon looked at Winters with a serious expression. "Dick, it seems I don't know you as well as I thought. I never expected a guy like you to come up with such a plan."
"It just means you've underestimated me," Winters laughed. It was a report he had written after the last military exercise, and he had submitted it directly to Major Horton, who then passed it on to Colonel Sink. He knew it was against regulations, but he deeply cherished a talent like Parks. A truly outstanding commander was the most valuable asset Easy Company could have.
As they were talking, a man walked in. "Am I interrupting?" he asked.
It was Harry Welsh, looking a bit hesitant.
Nixon and Winters gestured for him to come in. "Not at all," Winters said quickly. He then introduced them. "Lewis Nixon, this is Second Lieutenant Harry Welsh, just transferred from the 82nd."
Harry smiled and walked forward to shake Nixon's hand. "Congratulations on your promotion."
Nixon smiled back. "Thanks, if you can call it that." Of course, there was no change in his rank, but moving from the company to the battalion was a step up. More importantly, he had finally escaped Captain Sobel, which for Nixon, was something worth celebrating. All in all, Nixon was in a pretty good mood.
"You'll soon discover he has no flaws, no vices, and no sense of humor," Nixon joked. "He doesn't even drink. I honestly don't know how I've tolerated him until now. Good thing I'm going to battalion, and you just arrived."
"Just like all your friends at battalion," Winters suddenly added. The two of them shared a knowing smile.
"Is something wrong, Harry?" Nixon asked with a grin.
Harry seemed to hesitate, but he finally said it. "I've been hearing a lot of rumors."
"About Sobel?" Nixon laughed. "We were just talking about him."
Harry cleared his throat. "He… gets a bit jumpy on field exercises?"
Nixon nodded matter-of-factly. "Yeah. He gets jumpy and then you get killed."
"Well, that's just great," Harry said with a helpless laugh, having gotten his answer.
Winters looked at Nixon, then at Harry. He walked over and nodded at them. "Yes, it's a problem. Listen, if we're going to discuss this, it stays between us." He looked at Harry. "The men's morale is unstable right now. We need to be the ones to steady them. Harry, you know what to do."
"Yes, no problem," Nixon and Harry said in unison.
As the three were talking, the door to their quarters was suddenly thrown open with a loud 'BANG'. Captain Sobel stood in the doorway, holding an apple with a bite taken out of it, still chewing. He looked at the three men before him, his eyes filled with intense suspicion. His gaze swept over each of them as they stood at attention.
After he had finished chewing and swallowed, Sobel finally spoke. "Is Second Platoon ready?"
"Ready, sir," Winters said calmly.
"Have them form up. We're moving out."
"Yes, sir," Winters and Harry said, and walked out.
Sobel looked at Nixon, who was still standing at attention with a slight smile on his lips. Sobel frowned, took a vicious bite out of his apple, and then stalked off.
***
At the end of May, Easy Company packed their bags and, along with the other companies of the 506th, took a stop-and-go train to Sturgis, Kentucky. From early June to mid-July, they would participate in military exercises across Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana. It was the largest joint airborne and glider-borne exercise to date. Although it wasn't war, it was the closest thing to real combat the Army could arrange.
At the train station, girls from the Red Cross handed them coffee and donuts.
"You have to admit, he doesn't stand a chance. If the Krauts don't get him, his own men will," a few of the men said, sitting together on the grass.
"Shut up, Cobb," Joe Toye said.
"Who are you guys talking about? Sobel?" a voice came from the side. It was Joe Liebgott, who had sidled over. "He screwed up an exercise. You know, I play with grenades all the time. It would be very easy for one to accidentally go off."
"But they must have a reason for putting him in charge," Shifty Powers said stubbornly.
Liebgott chuckled. "Yeah, because the Army never makes a mistake, right, Shifty?"
Rhys knew he couldn't interfere in this anymore. The resentment toward Sobel hadn't formed overnight, and it couldn't be solved with a few words from him. He might be able to placate them for a moment, but he couldn't keep the men convinced for long. If he said too much, he might even earn their resentment.
He could only create a diversion, to try and disperse these emotions and not let them fester.
"Hey, you guys! Want some donuts?" Rhys called out from the side. "The girl handing them out over there is a real looker."
As expected, it caught their attention. Cobb was the first to stand up. "I knew I could count on you, Parks," he said with a grin. "Why didn't you tell me about something this good sooner?" He dusted off his pants and headed over.
"Liebgott, there's one with huge boobs over there, too. Isn't that your favorite? Just imagine the feeling of eating a donut with your head squeezed between them. It must be nice," Rhys said, laughing at Liebgott.
"Oh, please. Right now, I'm thinking about donuts, not huge boobs," Liebgott laughed. "Alright, I'll leave the girl for you, but the donuts are mine!"
*****
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