"Guys, look what I found!" Gordon walked over. He had left the group at some point and found a few bottles of cider in a cellar somewhere.
"Here!" Gordon handed a bottle to Parks. "French wine, tastes pretty good, try it!" Then he winked at Parks.
The bottles of wine were passed around among the brothers. The cider quickly elevated everyone's mood. Their conversations became more animated, with some showing off their achievements to Boyle.
The cider reached Compton, who took a big gulp, then passed it to Winters, who was not far from him. At this moment, Guarnere quickly called out, "Hey, Buck, Lieutenant does not drink."
Winters immediately sat up straight and said, "I'm terribly thirsty right now and need something to refresh myself!" With that, he took the bottle from Compton, gulped down a big mouthful, and swallowed it hard. But his brows furrowed tightly. "So this is what drinking is like. I thought it would make my head dull and my movements slow!" He then returned the bottle to Compton.
Everyone smiled knowingly. The bottle began to be passed around again.
After some more time, Lieutenant Harry Welsh rejoined the unit. From a distance, he saw Winters and the Easy Company brothers. Welsh seemed very excited, waving and shouting at Winters, "Hey, Dick, I can't believe I get to see you. This feeling is truly wonderful!"
Winters stood up and walked towards him. The two embraced tightly, then Winters led him to where the Easy Company brothers were gathered.
"These are all of us right now. I hope we can gather all the brothers today," Winters looked at Welsh. "Harry, it's even better that you're here now. Hmm, have you seen Lieutenant Mihan?"
Welsh shook his head. "No, I haven't seen Mihan. If Mihan hasn't rejoined, then Lieutenant Patrick Sweeney won't be able to rejoin either. Now—in fact, you are the leader of Easy Company."
Welsh's words were very clear: "Dick, don't worry about leadership. We will all help you, and I believe the brothers will too!" Welsh's words were very clear. He knew that the Easy Company brothers respected Winters very much, which was due to his accumulated popularity and effective command.
Winters smiled slightly and said nothing more. At this moment, Compton also walked over and embraced Welsh, then the two shook hands vigorously.
"It's good to see you, Harry!" Compton smiled slightly. "But where did you land, exactly?"
"I missed the drop zone!" Welsh shrugged somewhat helplessly. "Then I got mixed up with the 82nd Division. While moving towards here, I had a brief firefight with the Germans on the way. To be honest, I felt like I walked the longest distance, as if it would never end. I was tired and thirsty the whole way. I kept encouraging myself, telling myself: Harry, don't worry, there's bread and milk ahead, and grilled sausages. That's how I got here."
Welsh's words made the brothers laugh. Guarnere handed over the last bit of cider. "Hey, Lieutenant, have some. Bread and milk will be here soon!"
"Thanks!" Welsh took it, drank the rest dry, then even licked his lips with his tongue. "This is the best enjoyment I've had all day. God truly favors me!"
In the afternoon, many more brothers gradually rejoined the unit, counting up to about 60 people, and some brought two mortars. But from the direction of Brecourt Manor and from the hedges across the road, German machine guns began to fire fiercely at the village.
"Christenson, set up your machine guns and fire back fiercely at those sons of bitches!" Winters ordered loudly. "Malarkey, Guarnere, hit those Germans with mortars!"
"No baseplate!" Malarkey encountered a problem while setting up the mortar.
"Never mind that, prop the barrel on the ground," Parks suggested from the side.
With a "whoosh," the shell flew out and exploded near the manor. The machine gun fire there paused for a moment, then began to sound densely again.
"Adjust it. It should have hit them," Parks shouted.
The mortar operated by Guarnere also began to fire. Explosions followed one after another between the manor and the hedges. The sound of German machine guns gradually disappeared; they retreated.
"Look what our mortars have become!" Guarnere pointed to the barrel nearby, which had been buried in the mud due to recoil. "It feels like planting potatoes."
"But we're lucky, aren't we?" Parks smiled. "Listen, the Germans' machine guns are silent. This is God's favor, or perhaps Lady Luck."
Indeed, these dozen or so shells silenced the German machine guns. The threat in the village was temporarily resolved.
"Boyle, help dig out the barrel!" Malarkey called out loudly from the side. "Go find a shovel in the farmhouse."
"Lieutenant, what do we do now?" Parks asked Winters. "Do we wait here for the Fourth Infantry Division to land, or do we launch a separate attack on Brecourt Manor? I estimate there should be a battalion of enemy forces there."
"No, not yet!" Winters actually wanted to attack Brecourt Manor too. "I need to consult Lieutenant Colonel Strayer and make a decision after hearing his opinion." With that, he slung his M1 rifle over his shoulder and walked towards the temporary command post.
Colonel Strehl was with several Battalion HQ staff, pointing at maps and discussing animatedly.
"Lieutenant Colonel Strayer!" Winters called out.
Colonel Strehl looked up. It was Lieutenant Winters. "Is there something, Lieutenant!"
Winters cleared his throat, then organized his words. "In the direction of Brecourt Manor, there's a threat from the Germans. I wanted to ask what we should do now. The brothers are all waiting there for Battalion HQ's orders!"
Colonel Strehl looked at Winters and frowned. "Right now, we don't have enough men. There's at least a battalion of Germans there, and they are from Germany's most elite 6th Parachute Regiment. Now that we've opened a breach on Utah Beach, let's wait until the Fourth Infantry Division arrives before launching an attack, understood?"
"Understood, Colonel!" Winters saluted and walked out. He knew Colonel Strehl was telling the truth, but if that were truly the case, then the Fourth Infantry Division would certainly be attacked by that German parachute battalion on their way forward, and some brothers might be lost.
He said nothing more, only stepping out to relay the order to Parks: "Hold position!"
Around three in the afternoon, the Fourth Infantry Division began to pass through Grand Hameau.
"Malarkey, look at those people, what's wrong with them?" Guarnere nudged Malarkey with his arm. The soldiers of the Fourth Infantry Division looked very tired, some appeared listless, and many had different expressions. Some had vacant stares, some looked around nervously, and some huddled their bodies.
"Hey, buddy, what's wrong with you guys? Did you lose a battle? Did the Germans beat you up?" Guarnere grabbed a soldier with a vacant face and asked somewhat confusedly. He knew that even when he landed in an enemy encirclement, he had never been so dejected.
"Yes, we were slaughtered!" The soldier glanced at Guarnere, then lowered his eyes again. "Mortars, howitzers, cannons, and GM42 machine guns. They attacked us with every killing machine. And constant machine gun and mortar harassment along the way, it was hell!"
When the soldier spoke of "hell," he couldn't help but gag. Yes, on the beach, they had seen the dismembered bodies blown apart by shells, and the scattered internal organs on the sand, the blood covering the beach and their entire bodies, and the painful screams intermittently mixed with the explosions and machine gun fire.
Just then, a column of tanks drove by. Winters looked at a guy sitting on the first tank and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Nick!" Then he walked towards the tank.
"Dick!" The one sitting on the tank was Nixon. They had encountered the Fourth Infantry Division and gained command of four tanks. He was sitting on the tank when he saw someone shouting at him and immediately recognized that it was Winters.
He signaled for the tank to stop, then jumped down and gave Winters a warm embrace.
"I brought some brothers," Nixon pointed to a team of paratroopers returning to camp. "They're from the 506th Regiment, and of course, some brothers from Easy Company."
At this point, people kept passing them, saluting and greeting them. They were all from Easy Company.
"That's great!" Winters squeezed Nixon's hand tightly. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it back. You know, you were still planning to put wine in my locker."
"Has Lieutenant Mihan returned to camp?" Nixon asked.
"It doesn't seem so yet," Winters spread his hands helplessly.
Nixon suddenly lowered his voice and whispered into Winters' ear, "I heard from the Easy Company brothers who were with me that Lieutenant Mihan's plane was hit, and everyone on board didn't have time to parachute before the plane crashed. You are now the Company Commander of Easy Company, Dick!"
"Is that so?" Winters' heart was complicated; on one hand, all the brothers on Lieutenant Mihan's plane had perished, and on the other hand, if he became the company commander, he would be able to act freely instead of being a timid platoon leader.
This was also the excitement of having a wish fulfilled.
"Don't mention this for now, Nixon!" Winters pondered for a moment.
Nixon, however, was unfazed: "Dick, you're too cautious.
No one will criticize this; you are currently the highest-ranking officer in Easy Company, so this is inevitable.
Besides, letting the brothers know the actual situation sooner will also make them follow your orders sooner.
That's the most important thing."
What Nixon said made sense.
Winters decided to leave this matter as it was for now; he wouldn't proactively explain it to the brothers, but it would be even better if someone else stepped forward to explain it.
In actual combat, he would definitely take command.
Seeing the atmosphere was a bit heavy, Nixon smiled and said, "Alright, let's not talk about this; the result is the same anyway." Then he pointed to the four tanks parked beside him and said, "These are the heavy firepower I brought you.
These were allocated by the infantry division; use them as much as you can while they can still move!
Is there anything you need help with now?"
Winters was overjoyed: "If that's the case, it will be much easier!" Then he told Nixon, "We are under attack from Brecourt Manor.
They are constantly firing at us with MG42s between the manor and the hedgerows.
And we only have mortars, which cannot completely eliminate them."
Nixon nodded, then climbed onto a tank and loudly said to the Lieutenant commander of the tank, "Buddy, I've found you a good job." Then he pointed to Winters, who was standing beside him, "That's the paratrooper Lieutenant; he needs your help!"
The Lieutenant stood in the tank, poking his head out of the hatch, and loudly asked Winters, "Lieutenant, what do you need me to do for you?"
Winters stepped forward, climbed onto the tank, and said to the Lieutenant, "Over there is a place called Brecourt Manor.
We are under machine gun attack from the Germans.
I want to launch a fire strike on that manor along that side, that side, and also that side of the hedgerows.
Destroy all remaining targets." As he spoke, he pointed to several targets in the direction of Brecourt Manor.
"I need infantry to provide cover for me!" the Lieutenant shouted.
"I'll have the brothers of Easy Company provide cover!" Winters said, waving to Parks and others, gathering the brothers together.
"Alright, brothers, we are now going to completely eliminate the Germans at Brecourt Manor.
Now we must coordinate with the tanks to attack.
Everyone must be careful to cover themselves, don't get injured; the Germans don't have heavy weapons."
"Lieutenant, we can start!" Winters looked at his brothers; although they were very tired, no one looked dispirited, so he jumped off the tank and nodded to the Lieutenant.
The Lieutenant looked at the area, then gave the orders.
The tanks let out a tremendous roar and charged towards the target.
"Kill those Germans!" The tank crew shouted, and the machine gunners used 30mm machine gun bullets to scatter the hedgerows everywhere.
Soon, the Germans hiding there ran out, unable to conceal themselves from the tank's machine gun bullets.
But the tank crew were all participating in combat for the first time; their nerves were taut, and their expressions were excited, holding down the Trigger almost unwilling to let go.
Bullets poured down like a torrential rain on the fleeing Germans.
"Puff puff puff!" Soon, those Germans were shot from behind, one even having his head blown open.
"Ugh—" Some paratroopers participating in combat for the first time couldn't help but retch as they passed by the corpses.
However, for paratroopers who had participated in multiple battles or the manor battle, this was nothing anymore; their expressions were normal, and their faces didn't change.
"You guys can really endure!" Heffron, who had just returned to the team, said to Parks nearby.
"We've seen even more disgusting things!" Cobb, who was nearby, boasted deliberately, "In one of our skirmishes, a German's head was shot off by a bullet, with only the skin on his neck still connected, and his brains and blood were stuck to his own face."
Heffron quickly distanced himself from Cobb.
He didn't want to hear such disgusting things.
This attack was like taking a stroll with the tanks.
The Germans were scattered everywhere, and the distance from the hedgerows to the manor house was a death trap; almost no Germans could successfully escape to the house.
"Boom—"
A corner of the house in the manor was blown off.
The Germans used the walls of the house and the nearby dug trenches as cover, returning fire with MG42s at the brothers of Easy Company.
Although the accuracy of the MG42 was not very good under the suppression of the tank's machine gun, the bullets flying "whoosh whoosh" overhead made the brothers of Easy Company, who were participating in combat for the first time, somewhat uneasy.
"Heffron, don't charge forward, just stay behind the tank!" Parks reminded the somewhat excited Heffron, who had already rushed to the front of the tank but was pulled back by Parks.
In this kind of combat, there was no need to charge into the fray.
Let the tanks crush the Germans.
Soon, under the cover of the tanks, the brothers of Easy Company had already rushed to the vicinity of the manor buildings.
Seeing that they couldn't hold out, the Germans fled backward.
"Baby, watch me!" Heffron raised his gun, aimed, and a German in front was climbing out of a trench, then threw away his rifle and ran desperately backward.
The M1 made a crisp sound.
The German swayed, fell to the ground, but soon he got up again, fell again, and desperately crawled forward on the ground.
Heffron's shot hit him in the thigh, and he couldn't stand up.
But fear made him desperately want to escape this cursed place; seeing his brothers constantly falling, twitching, and emitting miserable wails around him, he felt immense fear.
"I hit him!" Heffron, following beside a tank, shouted excitedly.
This was the first German he had hit.
"I'm going to take him as a prisoner, Parks, he's my first."
At this moment, the tank suddenly accelerated forward, and in an instant, it was in front of that German.
Clearly, the German heard the roar of the tank beside him, frantically rolled over, and saw a huge steel behemoth driving towards him.
"Hey, wait, he's mine!" Heffron shouted loudly at the machine gunner on the tank.
But the tank mercilessly rolled over the German.
The German's miserable scream seemed to be suddenly cut off, and his entire body made a crisp "splat" sound, like an egg being crushed, then viscous liquid and minced meat splattered everywhere.
"Oh—" Heffron squatted down and vomited up his dinner from the night before.
"God!" He gasped continuously, then looked up at Parks, who had already walked up to him with his M1.
"Is this war? It's f***ing disgusting."
This scene brought him too strong a shock.
A living life and body, just like that, became a pile of minced meat.
Yes, it was a mess of flesh.
"You'll see more of it later!" Parks smiled and pulled him up.
"Get used to it slowly, if you can't get rid of some of this.
But in my opinion, you won't be able to get rid of any of this."
"This damn war!" Heffron felt a little better; he tried his best not to look at that pile of mangled flesh.
"Boom—" Another huge explosion, as the tank fired its 75mm tank cannon at the buildings.
Bricks and stones flew from the buildings, and the helpless screams of Germans came from inside.
Then several Germans rushed out.
Soon, these few were killed by machine guns and the brothers of Easy Company, rolling down the slope.
The tank continued to advance.
At this moment, a German suddenly climbed out from among the recently fallen corpses.
He was holding a bundle of grenades and rolled towards the tank.
"Damn it!" The tank crew shouted.
If this German blew up the track, this vehicle would be scrapped.
He desperately fired at the German, but the bullets all hit behind the German.
The men of Easy Company fired at the German soldier one after another, but the fellow was very slippery and rolled quickly.
He dodged the bullets and quickly rolled under the tank.
"Get down!" Parks' first reaction was that if this bundle of grenades exploded, it could not only blow off the track but also affect the brothers of Easy Company around the tank.
He lunged forward, tackling Heffron, who was beside the tank, to the ground, and then heard a huge explosion.
"Boom—"
Parks felt as if his ears were almost deafened, ringing incessantly, and his body was covered in dirt.
He quickly stood up and checked his body; fortunately, he was not injured.
"Damn it!" Heffron shouted, then also got up and said to Parks, "Thanks, Parks! I dragged you down!"
Parks patted his shoulder, smiled slightly, and said nothing.
But Easy Company still had one brother injured, Gu Si; he was wounded in the calf, with a shrapnel piece passing through.
"Damn Germans!" Gu Si cursed.
The tank stopped, its track blown off.
The tank crew inside climbed out unwillingly, and the machine gunner paused, then started firing the tank's machine gun again.
At this moment, taking advantage of the momentary halt in Easy Company's attack, seven or eight Germans ran out of the house; they scattered and fled into the woods.
"Kill them!" Lieutenant Winters shouted loudly, dissatisfied with the slowness displayed by the brothers of Easy Company. He waved his arm, then raised his M1 rifle and killed a German, but a few shots went wide.
Parks quickly stood up and raised his rifle. Seven targets remained. These were excellent targets; although moving, the Germans might have been terrified. When they fled, they ran in a straight line, which greatly increased their chances of being hit!
"Bang, bang, bang…" Continuous gunshots, interspersed with the tank's machine-gun fire, seemed somewhat abrupt.
All seven Germans were struck down as they reached the edge of the runway's treeline. Parks' magazine also ejected with a "ding." The remaining three tanks aimed their cannons at the building and unleashed a barrage until the entire structure was destroyed. No more German soldiers appeared inside; they were either blown to pieces or no one was in there to begin with.
Winters ordered the brothers of Easy Company to charge and occupy the area. However, they only found German soldier corpses everywhere.
"Parks, you're really something!" Guarnere approached the German corpses and began searching their pockets. He then saw that of the last eight people who fled, besides the one Winters killed, five others were shot dead by M1 rifle bullets, and two were killed by machine guns on the tanks.
"Oh, look what I found!" At this moment, Cobb suddenly shouted. It turned out he had found a watch on the hand of a German corpse. He took it directly, then held it up, showing it off loudly.
"You're so lucky!" Christenson exclaimed enviously. He then joined the ranks of those searching the Germans' pockets.
Not only Christenson, but all the brothers of Easy Company were searching the Germans' pockets. Even the soldiers in the tanks were influenced by Easy Company; they even stopped their tanks and joined the ranks.
Winters saw this situation and said nothing. He didn't want to spoil his brothers' mood. After intense combat, he felt it was understandable for them to vent their tension in this way, especially since the Germans had basically been driven out of the manor, the threat had been eliminated, and the objective of the operation had been achieved.
"Here, Lieutenant!" Parks walked over at this moment and handed Winters a map. "I found it in that destroyed building just now. I think you might need it."
Winters nodded at him. Parks' meticulousness earned his sincere admiration. During the morning's operation to destroy the manor's cannons, the maps and documents he found had played a crucial role, something Lieutenant Colonel Strayer had already told him.
"Do you need to gather the brothers?" Parks looked at the soldiers everywhere searching the pockets of German corpses.
"No, wait a bit longer. Let them relax." Winters held his M1 rifle, standing there watching his brothers. "They deserve this." He didn't want to disturb them at this time.
"Haha, God truly favors me!" At this moment, Welsh suddenly burst out laughing. He then climbed up from a German corpse and shouted at Winters, "Dick, look what I found? A ring, a ring. I think this is a gift God kicked to me. I'll give it to Betty; she'll love it to death!"
Winters walked over. Welsh's hands were stained with blood. He held up a gold ring, his face full of triumph. A finger of the unfortunate German corpse next to him had been cut off by Welsh.
"Are you going to propose to her with this, Harry!" Winters knew Betty was Welsh's fiancée, and couldn't help but joke, "That's not a good idea."
"Of course not!" Welsh stood up and patted the dust off his body. "I still have the reserve parachute I used for my last jump in my backpack. I've kept it all this time. Later, I'll use it to make a wedding dress. Betty will look incredibly beautiful wearing it!" As he spoke, he carefully put the ring into his close-fitting pocket and winked at Winters.
Winters smiled slightly, not minding Welsh's little triumph. He looked at his watch, then said to Parks: "Gather the brothers. We should go and meet up in the village. I think there must still be brothers looking for us!"
Parks nodded, then shouted loudly: "Easy Company, assemble! Everyone, listen up." People slowly gathered in twos and threes. Their expressions varied; some were excited, some were dejected, all due to the different results of their pocket searches. Guarnere was the most excited one; he got a watch and a ring, and it was even gold.
"First, return to the village and await further orders!" Winters simply instructed. He had been fighting continuously since D-Day. He felt very tired, and Winters also knew that his brothers felt the same way, even though some seemed excited now.
Some people climbed onto the tanks. They sat next to the tanks, some even riding on the turrets. The tank commanders didn't interfere. The group returned to the village along their attack route. Parks looked at the scene and couldn't help but smile knowingly; it looked like a sweep. Everyone was looking for their spoils of war and then showing them off.
"Hey, look who's here?" At this moment, several soldiers resting in the village saw the tanks and the soldiers on them, and couldn't help but shout excitedly, "Welcome back, heroes!"
The one shouting loudly was Webster. He stood up and waved at the Easy Company brothers on the tanks. Beside him were Patrick Christenson, Talbert, and a dozen others, including Patrick Christenson.
"Webster, it seems you missed the exciting part!" At this moment, Cobb jumped down from the tank, then boastfully showed the watch on his wrist to Webster.
"This is my loot." Cobb smiled triumphantly, "Just now, we slaughtered those sons of bitches at the manor." Then he looked at Webster's somewhat envious gaze, "Do you have any loot? We can trade, I also have this!" Saying that, he pulled out a dagger from his pocket.
"Is this a paratrooper knife?" Webster looked at it doubtfully.
"Yes, but more accurately, it's a German paratrooper knife. Do you see what's engraved on it?" Cobb pointed with his finger to a swastika symbol engraved on the dagger's blade. "See it? Nazis. Only Germany's most elite troops possess this."
Webster shrugged his shoulders, then said to Lieutenant Winters, who was walking towards him: "Lieutenant, soldier Webster reporting." Then he pointed to the dozen people beside him, "We met on the road. We missed the location, so we were late!"
Winters merely nodded at them and went to the command post set up by Colonel Strehl. He needed to report the combat situation just now and then listen for the next mission, or rest if there was no mission.
"We all missed the location!" Parks patted Webster's shoulder, "It's good to be back. Get along well with the brothers, and then rest. I don't think those commanders will make it easy for us, and neither will the Germans!" Parks' words warmed the hearts of several people, and they then actively started talking with the brothers who had just returned.
Parks was a bit tired. He lay down on the haystack and quickly felt a bit hazy. He had to quickly get some rest.
Winters entered the temporary command post and met Lieutenant Colonel Strayer. The Colonel then inquired about the combat situation just now. He was short on manpower and was anxious to know his side's battle losses.
"The brothers are doing well. They captured the manor and annihilated the Germans there, about 60-plus people, a platoon. It's estimated that there are still two companies or more of Germans entrenched in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, but we have no way to eliminate all of them. The Germans have already destroyed one of our tanks," Winters answered truthfully.
"How are the officers in Easy Company?" Colonel Strehl frowned.
"Lieutenant Mihan and Lieutenant Sweeney have not yet returned to duty. Some of the Easy Company brothers said his plane crashed," Winters tried to keep his tone as calm as possible, "No one had time to parachute."
Colonel Strehl pondered for a moment, then nodded and said: "I understand. You will temporarily act as the company commander for now. I will submit a field commission letter to Colonel Sink, and he will approve it."
"We are currently lacking officers, especially platoon-level officers. The company also lacks staff officers and sergeants," Winters accepted this arrangement, but he was still somewhat worried about other situations in the company. "We have nearly 70-plus people now, but we lack leaders."
Colonel Strehl spread his hands helplessly: "I can't do anything either. The entire 101st Airborne Division is currently scattered across Normandy. It will take some time to gather them. Don't worry about leadership; I know you can handle it."
Winters, feeling helpless, could only nod and say: "Alright, I'll have a good talk with the brothers." He then turned to leave.
"Wait a moment." Colonel Strehl suddenly called out to him, "Your battle at Brecourt Manor was excellent and played a very significant role in the landing. Write a report and draft a list of names. I will submit it for commendation."
"Yes, Sir!" Winters nodded, "Thank you, Sir."
Winters walked to the door, then suddenly turned back and said to Lieutenant Colonel Strayer, who was already talking with several staff officers from the command post: "Sir, I have another request!"
"What?" Colonel Strehl looked up at him.
"It's like this!" Winters pondered for a moment, then cleared his throat and said to Colonel Strehl, "Since the landing operation began, Sergeant Parks of Easy Company has fought bravely and made outstanding contributions. I have drafted a field commission letter for him. With the current shortage of officers, he is the best candidate for platoon leader."
"Sergeant Parks?" Colonel Strehl was deeply impressed with Parks, then nodded and said, "All right, you write a report, and I will submit it to Colonel Sink." As he spoke, he lowered his head again and conversed with several staff officers.
Winters curled his lips slightly. He knew that Colonel Strehl's words basically meant approval. Now was a difficult period of the war, and if Parks could help, it would be of great benefit to him. But he did not intend to tell Parks yet, after all, the matter had not yet been approved.
With the Fourth Infantry Division's entry, the attack on Sainte-Marie-du-Mont significantly intensified. There were too few Germans here, and Easy Company did not participate in the operation with the team. Lieutenant Colonel Strayer, considering their frequency of combat, gave them time to rest. Although the sound of artillery boomed outside, it could not stop the Easy Company brothers from falling asleep.
"Parks!" Parks was in a daze when he was gently pushed awake.
He opened his eyes and saw Lieutenant Winters, then shifted his body and stood up, saying, "Lieutenant, is there something?"
"Wake up the brothers, we are going into Sainte-Marie-du-Mont. The Germans have already left."
"Yes, Sir!" Parks stood up, waking up the non-commissioned officers one by one, and then had them wake up their brothers.
"Where are we going now?" Parks asked.
Winters looked ahead, pointed southwest, and said, "We are going there—Kroleville Village. It's about 2 kilometers from here. Because Lieutenant Colonel Strayer wants to set up the 2nd Battalion's command post there."
The sky had already darkened. At this time, including the brothers who had returned after a period of rest, among them Da Niu Landao Man, Easy Company had about 100 brothers. They gathered together and began to converse enthusiastically.
"Easy Company brothers, assemble!" Parks shouted loudly, "We are moving out!"
The brothers all stood up and automatically formed a column.
"Now we will implement sound and light control. Do not speak loudly, do not smoke," Winters instructed at the front of the line, "We will go to a village two kilometers away, and we will spend the night there. Let's go now!"
The soldiers murmured, lined up, and then set off.
"It's been a long time since we've felt this way, hasn't it?" Patrick Christenson, who was walking a little ahead, suddenly said.
Beside him, walking in parallel, was Luz. Hearing this, he looked at him inexplicably and laughed, "What are you reminiscing about? Perhaps this kind of hellish weather has given you some beautiful memories?"
Patrick Christenson nodded as he walked, "Yes, don't you feel a bit like we're back in Taccoa? Of course, except for Sobel's shouting and "Big" Bill Guarnere's complaining, isn't this a Taccoa-style night march?"
Luz chuckled at this. He turned his head and looked at Landers in the ranks, laughing, "Listen, Patrick Christenson is still thinking about Sobel. We all know Sobel hated you the most in Easy Company, "Big" Bill Guarnere. Yet he's here reminiscing about him."
"Slap him for me! White," Landers shouted to White, who was behind Patrick Christenson.
White reached out and slapped Patrick Christenson's helmet askew.
"Thank you, White, you're a good man!" Da Niu Landao Man laughed.
Everyone couldn't help but laugh. Just then, they suddenly heard the honking of a car behind them. A truck carrying soldiers passed by them, speeding away.
"Damn it, it splashed mud all over me!" Guarnere couldn't help but jump aside, but he still couldn't avoid the mud splashed by the truck.
Parks looked at the soldiers on the truck and said, "It's those guys from the Fourth Infantry Division!"
"Hey, why do they get to ride while we have to walk? Aren't they also going to Kroleville? Why don't they give us a ride?" At this moment, Guarnere shouted loudly, then blocked the road. After he said this, many people also blocked the road.
"Beep, beep, beep," the truck behind them kept honking its horn.
"Hey, guys, move it, let us through!" a Lieutenant shouted from the truck.
Guarnere yelled, "Give us a ride, and this road will be clear." Then the brothers on the road also started shouting and yelling.
The Lieutenant looked at this group of soldiers. It was clear they wouldn't give up until they got what they wanted, so he said loudly, "Okay, but you have to tell me what unit you are."
"101st Airborne Division, 506th Regiment, Easy Company," Cobb quickly replied from the side. He was afraid he wouldn't get on the truck, so he answered very fast.
"Damn it!" Guarnere cursed under his breath, glared fiercely at Cobb, and then said loudly, "Sir, don't listen to him, he just found his way home from Normandy, his mind hasn't recovered yet, we are from the 82nd Airborne Division."
"Alright, come on up!" The Lieutenant seemed helpless. Most of the Easy Company brothers climbed onto the truck and then headed to Kroleville Village, while Winters, Parks, and the rest walked.
When Winters arrived at Kroleville Village and was preparing to set up camp, a messenger from Battalion HQ brought Colonel Strehl's order, telling Winters to go see him immediately.
"What are your men doing? How can they intercept the Fourth Infantry Division's trucks?" Colonel Strehl lost his temper, but that wasn't the main point he was making, "What's even more damnable is that they even impersonated the 82nd Airborne Division."
"I'm sorry, Sir!" Winters was a little uneasy, "I will talk to the brothers and make them follow orders…"
Colonel Strehl suddenly waved his hand to interrupt him: "That's not the point, Lieutenant Winters. Why impersonate the 82nd Division? Does saying they are the 101st Division make them lose face? If they do something like this and don't even have the courage to state their unit's name, how can he be a good soldier?"
Winters' expression turned strange when he heard this. It turned out that the Lieutenant had reported to Colonel Strehl, but Colonel Strehl didn't pay attention to him. What he cared about was why these guys didn't dare to report their true unit number.
"I know what to do, Sir!" Winters promised again, "I will talk to the brothers and make them proud to be a member of the 101st Division, 506th Regiment."
Colonel Strehl nodded with satisfaction. Winters quickly saluted and then walked out.
"What? Was Colonel Strehl reprimanding you?" At this moment, a laugh came from the side.
Winters turned his head and saw Nixon approaching with a small liquor bottle, and couldn't help but laugh, "It's not really a reprimand, he just told me how sacred and inviolable the 506th Regiment is."
Nixon nodded and laughed, "I actually knew about it too. I was at Battalion HQ when that unlucky Lieutenant came to report. Colonel Strehl didn't buy his story, but rather aggressively questioned that Lieutenant."
"I didn't expect Colonel Strehl to have such a personality!" Winters couldn't help but smile.
Nixon nodded and said, "Who knows? Perhaps he's been with Colonel Sink for a bit too long, but I actually like it this way." Then he raised his liquor bottle to Winters, "To Colonel Strehl." And took a big gulp.
Winters smiled, and the two walked forward side by side.
"Have you ever prayed?" Nixon asked.
Winters nodded: "Yes, what I am most grateful for now is God. He protected me and helped me get through this day safely. I even ask him to help me every day after D-Day."
The two stood together on a slope, looking at the sky in the distance that was still glowing with fire. Nixon then said, "Dick, do you know what I pray for?"
Winters remained silent.
"If I die for my country one day, I will ask God to fulfill one wish of mine, even in heaven, I want to have wine to drink. I cannot go a day without wine!" Nixon suddenly laughed. Then he felt that this prayer was indeed a bit funny. But he finally stopped laughing, and then fell silent. In a war like this, no one could say what would happen next.
Winters looked at the silent Nixon, then cast his gaze into the night sky. He had already secretly vowed to himself: if he could live until the end of the war, he would find a secluded farm and live out the rest of his life in peace and tranquility.
Just as the two were silent, footsteps sounded nearby. Winters raised his gun and pointed it in that direction, then heard a voice: "Lieutenant Winters?"
It was Parks' voice. Winters put away his gun, and then saw Parks walking over.
"What is it?" Winters asked.
"I think there's one thing Lieutenant Colonel Strayer might have forgotten," Parks said, "Although we've set up sentries at the village entrance, I don't think the Germans will withdraw completely from Sainte-Marie-du-Mont that quickly. I think we should send out some more sentries on the outskirts of the village."
Winters nodded: "You're absolutely right."
"Do you need me to arrange the brothers?" Parks asked.
"No, not necessary!" Winters looked at where the Easy Company brothers were camping, "Not too many people are needed. I'll go, the brothers are tired enough today."
"I'll go with you!" Parks nodded. Winters' consideration was reasonable.
"Guys, do you have any news about Lieutenant Mihan?" a hushed voice faintly echoed from where Easy Company was resting.
They had broken into two farmhouses in the village, driven the owners into one room, and occupied the larger remaining room.
"Is anyone still asking such a stupid question?" another voice chimed in.
"What's the difference between Mihan and Winters? The key is that we're not being led by someone like Sobel."
"Still, I prefer Winters; he's pretty good," it sounded like Luz.
"Alright, everyone shut your mouths! We still have to move out tomorrow, and a tough battle awaits us," a loud voice came from the center; it was Lipton.
Although there were still rustling sounds, silence gradually settled.
The men were indeed very tired, and despite many of them being crowded together, they quickly fell asleep.
It was a slightly rainy night in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont.
Gunshots could still be heard occasionally, and distant firelight illuminated the faintly visible, muddy cobblestone path under the glow of the sky.
Two figures ambled along the path, one in front of the other, staying close.
"How do you feel?" Winters asked in a low voice without turning around.
Parks smiled slightly; he knew what Winters was asking, so he replied, "Quite good, just a little tired."
"You're excellent," Winters nodded.
"Whether in training or in actual combat.
If you were to lead a platoon, what would your thoughts be?"
"Are you talking about a Platoon Leader?" Parks hesitated, then asked with a smile, "I'm not one yet, so I'll just do my duty as a Sergeant Major."
"You know, I'm actually already the Company Commander of Easy Company," Winters turned around.
"Lieutenant Colonel Strayer has confirmed this, so even if Lieutenant Mihan returns in the future, it cannot be changed."
"I know!" Parks nodded.
"Actually, the men are very happy for you to be the Company Commander of Easy Company.
Me too!"
Winters nodded: "I understand the men's feelings.
You know, we're short on manpower right now, and even more so on officers, so I recommended you to Colonel Strehl as an officer for Easy Company.
I want you to lead a platoon."
"Platoon Leader?" Parks was startled, not expecting good fortune to come so quickly.
Winters was very satisfied with Parks' expression, which held both surprise and joy.
He nodded again and smiled, saying, "Yes, I believe an appointment will come down soon.
Although there's an agreement that non-commissioned officers promoted in the army cannot serve as commanders in the same company, the situation is different now.
You can still stay in Easy Company and fight alongside the men."
"Thank you, Company Commander!" Parks smiled and nodded, showing his gratitude.
"Don't thank me, you deserve it," Winters smiled, then tilted his head towards Parks and said, "You could try calling me Dick."
"Dick?" Parks chuckled, "Why not?"
"So, can you now tell me your plans for future work?" Winters turned around again and continued walking forward.
Parks followed behind, thought for a moment, and then cautiously began, "I think the first thing to do is to make sure the men listen to my command; that's the most important thing.
Then… then we need to be able to coordinate and cover each other, to trust and support each other tactically, so that we can ensure victory in every battle.
Of course, another very important point is that as a Platoon Leader, leading by example is the only way to earn the men's trust.
Um… that's it, maybe there's more to do specifically!"
Winters couldn't help but smile: "You're absolutely right."
The two continued walking along the cobblestone path.
They had already left the village for about a mile and could see the village of Grandchamps in the distance, from where they had come.
"Alright, let's go back now, hopefully, this will be a quiet night!" Winters turned around, then he and Parks started walking back.
Just then, Parks suddenly stopped and made a shushing gesture to Winters.
Winters listened intently; it sounded like the marching of many people on the road.
"Friendly?" Winters cast an inquiring look at Parks.
Parks leaned close to Winters and whispered, "Germans.
I can hear the sound of their hobnailed boots, and there are quite a few of them, Lieutenant.
Let's hide in the ditch beside the road; it's too late to go back now!"
The ditch beside the road was steep and deep, overgrown with long grass, providing an excellent natural barrier for Parks and Winters to hide.
As long as they didn't initiate an attack, or if the Germans weren't incredibly lucky, they would absolutely not be discovered.
The sound of boots was very close, walking in a neat rhythm, and their laughter and talking could also be heard.
Parks pressed tightly into the grass, secretly glancing at Winters, who was also motionless, not even looking at Parks.
He was fully concentrating on the Germans.
"God bless!" Parks silently prayed in his heart.
Even though he didn't believe in God, he had experienced many perilous situations in his previous life, and such circumstances were not uncommon.
However, his mindset then was absolutely different from now.
What had changed exactly? He didn't seem to be very clear himself.
In his previous life, he was more of a lone wolf, or preferred to move, hide, and escape through hails of bullets.
But now, he also had to consider the comrades around him.
About a dozen Germans passed by on the side of the road.
Parks could even smell the distinct scent of the Germans on them.
It was the smell of sweat-soaked leather and tobacco.
As the Germans passed by, Parks raised himself slightly, slowly lifted his M1 rifle, aimed at the man walking at the very back, and then looked at Winters beside him.
Winters made a gesture, signaling him not to shoot for now.
Then he raised his head and looked in the direction the Germans had gone.
They had taken another fork in the road, not the one leading to Battalion HQ.
"The Germans are gone!" Winters watched as the figures of the Germans disappeared into the night, and the sound of their hobnailed boots could no longer be heard.
He got up and straightened his uniform.
"What a pity!" Parks couldn't help but laugh.
Winters shook his head: "There's nothing to regret.
The weather isn't good, and we can't eliminate all of them.
If the firefight lasts too long, our bivouac position will be exposed.
God knows how many heavy artillery pieces Germany still has in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont.
We don't need to take risks, and we don't need to do this.
Our current objective is to rest."
Parks said nothing; Winters made sense.
"Let's go back!
I don't think anything will happen tonight."
Then, with his rifle on his back, he quickly walked back.
Parks looked at the road where the Germans had disappeared; it wound its way into the boundless darkness, as if it had swallowed that squad of Germans, and then fell silent.
Would he also be swallowed by such darkness?
A thought suddenly popped into Parks' mind, and then he quickly shook his head and smiled.
Darkness has no end, but if there is light ahead, there is hope.
The two returned to the campsite, one after the other.
Winters patted Parks on the shoulder and said, "Alright, go get some rest.
We still have to keep moving tomorrow, and there will be more battles waiting for us."
"Understood!" Parks nodded.
Then he looked for the men of Easy Company.
He found the two farmhouses that Easy Company had taken over, but he saw a figure sitting in front of one of them.
He looked up, motionless, as if watching something.
"Who is it?" Parks walked over.
The person was clearly startled, then turned their head and saw Parks.
"Webster!" Parks walked up to him.
"Not resting? Or did someone's snoring wake you up?" He joked.
He knew Webster had been a college student when he enlisted and had his own thoughts.
"I'm wondering why we traveled so far to a place like this," he looked up at the night sky again.
A stream of tracer bullets from an anti-aircraft machine gun snaked across the sky like a fiery dragon, and the faint sound of "da da da" could be heard.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Webster smiled.
Parks sat down beside him and also looked at the night sky: "No, it's terrifying.
You know, when I was sitting on the C-47, what I feared most was those sparks hitting our plane.
God forbid, we weren't kissed by it."
Webster smiled, then nodded: "Yes, beautiful things are usually deadly.
Actually, I don't even know what I came to Europe for.
A crusade? Perhaps my current thoughts are different from when I first joined the paratroopers."
Parks nodded: "They will continue to change.
After you've experienced fear, seen many dead people, and endured injuries and illnesses, but these are things we have to do; someone always has to do them."
Webster stopped talking, stood up, looked at Parks, and then walked into the farmhouse.