It could be said that the days at Camp Alabama were the most enjoyable for the brothers of Easy Company. Although there was training, the training for assault and street fighting undoubtedly added a lot of fun, and some even found it endlessly entertaining.
Moreover, training was only a part of it; for the rest of the time, many went to Columbus for entertainment.
"You know, Betty really is a sweetheart. And of course, her huge breasts. If possible, I'd like her to be my girlfriend," Carson, one of the brothers in Easy Company, described those days that made them forget to return, "I spent the best night with her in Chickasaw Garden."
"Oh! Carson, I hope you didn't get lost on your way back to camp in her huge breasts!" Luz shouted loudly, then imitated Captain Sobel's tone: "soldier Carson, did you use a condom? Do you want to wage war against your own countrymen before the war even begins, and leave behind a war crime—Little Carson?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Sobel will also think your dick isn't long enough and won't let you go to Europe, so you'll make the U.S. Army look bad in front of the women of Europe," Patrick Christenson chuckled.
This was a common scene at the USO; how happy the brothers were at this time.
"Parks!" Parks, who was smiling at the brothers at the door, heard someone call him.
He turned his head and saw that Winters and Nixon were coming over, signaling to him.
"Captain?" Parks saluted him.
Winters returned the salute, then said to Parks: "That's enough for today's activities. Have the brothers go back to the barracks and pack their luggage. We're leaving tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow?" Parks suddenly remembered that the 506th Regiment should be moving its training base again at this time.
"Yes, we're going to Camp McCall in North Carolina. It's a comfortable place, but we're not going there to enjoy ourselves. More arduous training awaits us there!" Winters smiled, "Go tell the brothers!" With that, he and Nixon turned and left, leaving the place to Parks.
This was the sergeant's duty, and according to Winters' intention, he would also be intentionally promoted to staff sergeant of the platoon.
"Guys, orders have come down!" Parks walked to the front, "I'm very reluctant to interrupt your fun, but I have to announce that today's party is over. Everyone go back to the barracks and pack your luggage. We're going to Camp McCall in North Carolina tomorrow. There, we will undergo more complex training."
As soon as Parks finished speaking, he heard someone cheer loudly: "Oh—Camp McCall, I like it."
Luz excitedly said to Heffron beside him: "If this place already makes us feel very comfortable, then Camp McCall will be heaven. I like it there!"
Camp McCall was named in memory of the first American paratrooper killed in World War II, soldier John T. McCall of the 82nd Airborne Division.
He died on November 8 in North Africa, and the groundbreaking of the camp also took place on this day.
Camp McCall was the home base for Airborne Division soldiers.
"Here, you are going to become the best Airborne Division soldiers in the world," Captain Sobel gave the Easy Company brothers a rude awakening on the first day, "Forget about the five cinemas, six huge beer gardens, and the heating in the barracks.
Remember that you are not here to enjoy yourselves; you should come here with a heart ready to suffer and participate in the training!"
"We are going to conduct the most complex airborne drops, which include your weapons, food, ammunition, maps, grenades, high explosives, compasses, shovels, gas masks, camouflage nets, canteens, landmines, and your clothing, etc.
All these things together will be equivalent to your body weight, but we have no choice; we must jump down from the air with these things." Winters also conveyed the training content here to the soldiers during training.
Obviously, this was somewhat difficult.
"Luz, you still have to add the weight of your condoms!" Guarnere chuckled at him, "Perhaps that would be equivalent to three Lutzes free-falling from the air!"
"Hey, Mr. Gonorrhea, keep a close eye on your little bird, don't let it get crushed when it lands, or it will go on strike!" Luz retorted, and everyone smiled knowingly.
"Perhaps everyone can look at Parks; his is what we want to learn," White shouted loudly at this moment.
Everyone looked at Parks, who had already organized all his belongings while everyone else was still muttering.
"Hey, how did you do that? This is my first time doing this, and I don't even know where to put my rifle," Heffron looked enviously at Parks, who was neatly dressed.
"Brothers, stop talking nonsense, put on your equipment! Captain Sobel might be lurking nearby, watching us!
By then, your little birds won't even be able to fly in the sky, and even if they land, they won't escape Sobel's clutches!" Parks chuckled.
As soon as he finished speaking, they indeed heard Sobel's voice, growing louder from a distance, roaring: "What are you waiting for? krauts' shells?"
"Remember, you are Airborne Division soldiers, not a bunch of idiots!" Captain Sobel approached.
Everyone quickly formed ranks, their eyes fixed forward, unmoving.
"You have five minutes! Then we board the plane and jump from the air, or if some of you are not ready, then just wait to be the first Airborne Division soldier to fall from the plane and die.
I think all Airborne Division soldiers will be ashamed of you." Sobel was not willing to let them off easily.
All the soldiers of Easy Company began to frantically organize their equipment, and then Sobel saw Parks: "You're very good, Parks!" Sobel rarely said a word of praise.
"Thank you, Captain!" Parks replied calmly.
Sobel looked at him, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't, and began to loudly lecture the other brothers of Easy Company again.
The result of the first full-equipment air drop was predictable: some people were not ready, and some even got injured!
This matter also made Colonel Sink quite dissatisfied.
But the brothers of Easy Company also suffered some hardships, for example, Heffron's chin was broken, bleeding profusely.
And soldier Robert Wynn sprained his foot, and soldier Carson twisted his hand.
It was simply a tragedy.
Parks knew that the brothers had some complaints, but such training was still necessary after all; it was a basic requirement for Airborne Division combat.
If they couldn't do it, then survival on the battlefield would be a big problem.
"Actually, Captain Sobel was quite right," Parks praised Sobel for the first time in front of the Easy Company brothers, "You know, in the future, we will face krauts, and we will be isolated and helpless!
This is the basic condition for the brothers to save their lives. Alright, brothers, stop complaining, do what you need to do!"
Perhaps the brothers didn't take Sobel's words seriously, but they clearly understood Parks' words.
Parks' prestige in Easy Company had been affirmed as the training continuously improved.
"Alright, alright," White grumbled, "Perhaps in the future, I'll think of Sobel as that nagging, but unavoidable old lady from my neighbor's house; I'll feel better then."
"Or an old man!" someone said with a laugh.
Everyone couldn't help but smile.
The second time, the brothers were clearly much better prepared.
Although they still had to carry that heavy equipment, the brothers were in high spirits, and some even sang on the plane.
Winters highly praised what Parks had done.
He knew that Parks had done very well; in a company, it wasn't just the officers who needed to unite the soldiers' hearts.
And among the soldiers, if there was a non-commissioned officer who could unite the brothers, that would undoubtedly have an immeasurably huge effect on uniting the brothers and boosting morale.
After multiple full-equipment parachute jumps, the brothers of Easy Company had already gotten used to it, and there were no longer any instances of injuries due to hasty and insufficient preparation.
They became more and more proficient in parachute combat.
It was also at this time that Parks received another letter from Virginia.
To be honest, the development of the AK47 was not very smooth.
After trial production, trial firing, and ammunition allocation, a small number of samples had appeared, but there were still some minor issues, which might also be related to production processes.
"We have already sent samples to the Army Department, and we will strengthen public relations there! Perhaps there is still hope." In Virginia's heart, although her tone was not so despondent, she didn't hold out much hope either.
It seems that it will not be easy for this weapon to appear in the U.S. Army's standard equipment.
Perhaps one could take a step back and consider if the Type 56 semi-automatic rifle had been designed initially?
According to later improvements, the magazine could be modified to hold 20 rounds, and with slight modifications, it could be fully compatible with the m1 garand's bullets.
Then this would be a strong competitor to the m1 garand.
However, no matter what, all of this can only be discussed with Virginia for now; the specifics still await her information.