The Germans in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont also voluntarily abandoned their positions under the attack of First Battalion; they retreated to Carrington and began to set up defenses on the outskirts.
The Germans in Angoville-au-Plain also retreated; they suffered heavy losses from Easy Company, with seventy to eighty casualties.
Easy Company also had casualties, but they were minor. soldier Foster from Third Platoon was hit in the head by an antitank shell fragment and died shortly after.
soldier Erich was also directly hit by a shell and was torn to pieces.
Additionally, Corporal Cartwright from Second Platoon was hit in the chest by a German machine gun and died instantly.
There were also some wounded.
Shortly after capturing Angoville-au-Plain, Colonel Sink arrived and decided to establish the battalion headquarters there.
"Winters, Colonel Sink is very satisfied with your command this time. You captured this place with minimal casualties." Nixon and Winters stood at the town entrance, watching the soldiers set up sentry posts and roadblocks ahead. Nixon smiled and said to Winters.
Winters nodded, his mouth twitching slightly: "We lost three brothers, and a dozen more were wounded."
"You killed over thirty Germans, and wounded or captured over forty more. For those three, this result isn't bad news." Nixon fumbled for his liquor bottle but didn't find it.
"Indeed!" Winters found a place to sit down. "But we have to thank Parks. If it weren't for his accurate assessment and decisive action, we wouldn't have achieved such great results."
"It seems you've found a good Platoon Leader!" Nixon smiled and nodded at Winters.
"This is the best decision I've made since becoming Company Commander." Winters was also very proud of his decision. "He's very good at seizing opportunities in battle, and he likes to charge forward, leading by example."
Nixon nodded, then smiled: "It seems Colonel Sink is very pleased with your performance this time. He's even set up the battalion headquarters here, so it looks like he'll be summoning you very soon!"
Just as he was speaking, a jeep sped over and stopped not far from them. A Sergeant got out and saluted Winters and Nixon.
"Colonel Sink wants you at the battalion headquarters, Lieutenant Winters!" The Sergeant relayed Colonel Sink's order.
Nixon winked at Winters and chuckled, as if to say, "I told you so." Winters shrugged at him, then said to the Sergeant: "Alright, I'll ride with you."
The two boarded the car, stirring up dust, and drove away.
Nixon remained, smiling knowingly.
"I am very satisfied with Easy Company's performance this time!" Sink held a cigar between his fingers and motioned for Winters to sit down. At this moment, Lieutenant Colonel Strayer handed him a glass of water.
"Thank you!" Winters squeezed in and nodded.
"I'm setting up the battalion headquarters here now. I want Easy Company to serve as the battalion headquarters' security force. Any issues?" Sink took a puff of his cigar; it was the same brand as Churchill's.
"I don't think there will be any issues, Sir!" Winters stood up.
"Good, that's settled then. Maintain this level of performance going forward!" Sink nodded. "Lieutenant Winters, I have confidence in you. Hmm, your appointment as Company Commander has been approved by the battalion headquarters. If Mihan returns later, we will arrange a position for him at Battalion HQ, so you don't need to worry about that."
Winters' heart stirred slightly at this, and a smile appeared on his lips: "I will do my best, Colonel!"
"Alright, go prepare well!" Sink nodded at him.
Winters saluted, then turned to leave. As he reached the door, he heard Colonel Sink's voice again, "Lieutenant!"
"What is it, Sir?" Winters stopped and turned to look at Colonel Sink.
"I just forgot this!" Sink said, taking a bronze bar from his pocket. "This is for Parks. I think he would be very honored if you were to pin it on him."
"Yes, Sir!" Winters couldn't help but smile. He stepped forward, took the bronze bar, saluted again, and then left.
Sink watched him leave, then smiled at Colonel Strehl: "He is a good commander."
"What about Parks?" Colonel Strehl looked at Sink. "I didn't expect you to approve it so quickly. Parks is also someone I think highly of. But let's see what happens in the future. Perhaps he'll surprise us again."
Sink nodded, then said: "soldiers like Parks are hard to come by." He suddenly became a little curious about this soldier. How did he get involved with General Lee?
The brothers of Easy Company could finally catch their breath. They had repelled multiple German attacks, and in the last one, they even chased the Germans like ducks, which felt incredibly satisfying.
"Parks, you're something else!" The brothers of Easy Company sat amidst the ruins, chatting. White spoke highly of Parks, eloquently expressing his admiration for him.
"Alright, don't talk about that!" Parks smiled, then raised his wrist with the rolled-up sleeve. "Look, this is my trophy. Does anyone want to trade with me? I have three watches now, and they're all quite valuable."
"This is what I found!" Moore also held up a ring. "It's also very valuable!"
A group of people were chatting idly when another pair of soldiers approached. Parks recognized them as men from D Company.
"Hey, did you see Speirs?" Moore suddenly said to Parks, "Have you all heard about him?" Clearly, there was a hint of showing off to his brothers in his tone.
"What about him?" Someone indeed asked.
Moore couldn't help but say mysteriously: "I just heard that on D-Day, Speirs shot and killed over a dozen prisoners." Then he looked at Parks, "Did you hear about this?"
Parks shook his head: "No, I never ask about these things, Moore. It's meaningless. Even if he did shoot them, so what? He killed Germans. It's nothing!"
Moore immediately lost his enthusiasm, despite his brothers constantly pressing him for details. Parks couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. The rumors of Speirs shooting prisoners had finally spread. He hadn't heard about it on D-Day, and Speirs had even helped Winters capture the last cannon at the manor.
"Alright, let's not talk about this! Regardless of whether it's true or false, it's unfair to Speirs!" Parks stood up, patted his backside, picked up his rifle leaning nearby, and was about to leave.
Just then, Winters and Nixon walked over.
"Parks, tell the brothers to assemble! I have something to announce!" Winters said to Parks.
Parks nodded, then shouted loudly: "Easy Company, attention! Assemble, First Platoon, fall in!"
Winters watched as the brothers gathered, then stood at the front of the formation, a smile on his lips.
"Brothers of Easy Company, the battalion headquarters is very satisfied with our combat performance on D-Day and in the time since. And for those who fought bravely, certain rewards have been given, and I believe orders will be issued very soon." Winters said loudly, "Today is primarily an awards ceremony. Acting Platoon Leader, Sergeant Major Parks of Easy Company's First Platoon, personally approved by Colonel Sink, is hereby promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Parks, step forward!"
Parks took large strides and moved to the front of the formation. He stood ramrod straight, his expression tense and serious.
Winters stepped forward and pinned the bronze bar he held onto Parks' collar, then saluted him. He waited for Parks to return the salute, then shook his hand and smiled: "Congratulations, Parks!"
"Thank you, Sir!" Parks smiled slightly.
Cheers erupted from the brothers in the formation. They were very happy about Parks' promotion; it was a heartfelt cheer.
"Dismissed!" Winters said, then waved to Parks, "Wait a moment, let's go for a walk together!"
Parks nodded. The three of them walked together through the camp.
"Now you have officially become an officer. So, your demands on yourself must be different. Of course, I'm not asking you to keep your distance from the brothers, but you need to maintain your dignity as an officer, and you need to ensure that the soldiers in your Platoon also maintain respect for you! This is also why I announced your promotion in front of the entire company."
"I understand, Sir!" Parks said.
"Relax, we're just chatting. Privately, you can call me Dick!" Winters said with a smile.
"Hmm, that's just how he is, relaxed when he should be serious, and serious when he should be relaxed!" Nixon joked from beside them.
"I understand, Dick!" Parks smiled.
"Alright, Parks, regarding you leading a Platoon, I basically have no advice to give. I hope you will have even better performance in the future." Winters said, "Also, many of the brothers haven't participated in many battles. Talk to them more."
Parks nodded, then bid farewell to Winters and walked straight towards his Platoon.
"Congratulations, Parks!" As soon as Parks appeared, the brothers in his Platoon gathered around him, their faces beaming with sincere congratulations for Parks.
"Guys, we'll be staying here for a few days. Colonel Sink is making this his regimental headquarters, and we'll be his security detail. Let's enjoy some post-combat fun." Parks brought good news.
This was indeed good news. Ever since D-Day, regardless of how many battles the men had participated in, everyone's nerves had been stretched taut, and they hadn't gotten proper rest. This was a rare opportunity for Easy Company to recuperate and regain their strength.
"This is truly wonderful!" Guarnere finally exclaimed. "Right now, all I want is to find a bottle of wine somewhere, have a good drink, and then get a good night's sleep. That would be the best enjoyment for me."
Upon hearing about wine, the men of Easy Company began to buzz with discussion.
"I know there's a tavern in this Town. There must be good wine in there!" Shifty suddenly raised his hand. "Who's coming with me? Let's go get some."
"Aren't you afraid the Germans poisoned it?" Cobb suddenly interjected. Although his expression was still a bit downcast, he was starting to joke again. The shadow of that incident was gradually fading from his mind.
"I'm going!" Guarnere raised his hand.
"Me too." John Winn also called out.
Many people looked at Parks, including the few who had just been eager to go.
"Don't look at me, guys. If you absolutely have to go, remember to get me a good bottle of wine!" Parks tacitly approved. This was almost a custom on the battlefield: searching the pockets of prisoners and corpses, and finding anything valuable in occupied villages or the Town. Parks couldn't, and didn't want to, control it; after all, even Winters or Sink wouldn't bother with such matters.
"Bang!" A gunshot suddenly rang out, hitting the wall next to Guarnere, sending dirt flying.
"Enemy attack!" Parks shouted.
Everyone frantically dropped to the ground.
"Are the Germans still here?" Cobb asked nervously, lying on the ground.
"No, it might be a sniper. Everyone be careful!" Parks shouted loudly, then motioned to Shifty, making a forward gesture. The two quietly crawled towards the direction from which the bullet had come.
With the enemy situation unclear, no one dared to act rashly.
"Shifty, there's a hedge over there. The sniper might be hiding in it. I'll draw him out; you be careful and aim true," Parks whispered to Shifty.
"Don't worry, Parks!" Shifty nodded.
Parks looked back at the men lying behind him; they were all staring intently at him. White was waving his hand, clearly knowing what Parks was about to do, and he didn't want Parks to take risks.
Parks smiled at him, then quickly stood up, raised his rifle, fired a shot at the hedge, and then ran quickly along the road. The German indeed fell for it. A figure stood up from behind the hedge, raised his rifle, and fired a shot at Parks, but he missed. The bullet whizzed past Parks' ear, feeling hot.
"Bang!" It was the sound of an M1. Then, the figure behind the hedge was seen falling headfirst.
Parks had already rolled, hiding behind a low wall nearby, gasping for breath. He had given his all just now. Now it seemed the effect was quite good.
"Lieutenant, if your mother saw you do that, she'd be heartbroken!" Guarnere shouted loudly at Parks. He now felt genuine admiration for Parks.
Parks chuckled, "I thought you were my mother!"
"Shifty, you're amazing!" A group of men surrounded him, shaking Shifty's hand or patting his shoulder.
"It seems the Lieutenant's marksmanship still can't compare to yours, otherwise, why wouldn't he let you run around here? But I think Parks still has courage," Dukeman couldn't help but exclaim. "That's why I bet on you to win and ended up losing money."
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this.
"Alright!" Parks raised a hand. "Guarnere, lead a squad of men to patrol the perimeter. Be careful, don't let the Germans find any openings. We'll rotate shifts every three hours. The rest of you, be careful not to gather in clumps in the Town; the Germans will see you as good targets, and they won't be soft-hearted!"
"Alright, this is truly a good job!" Guarnere shrugged helplessly. "Guys, pack up your gear; we're going to search for the Germans' lair!"
He had only walked a few steps when he turned back and shouted loudly, "Hey, Shifty, don't forget to find me a good bottle of wine, red wine or brandy, I'm not picky."
Guarnere led a team out to patrol, while the others scattered, in groups of two or three, beginning to search the Town for their spoils of war.
"Follow me, guys, I guarantee you'll find something." Shifty led John Winn and the trailing Cobb. They headed towards the tavern in the Town. The streets were filled with ruins, and the wood of some houses was still burning. There were basically no other pedestrians; the French were all hiding in their homes, afraid to go out.
"Bang—" The tavern door was kicked open by Shifty. The three men raised their rifles and looked around cautiously. The place was already empty; the tavern owner had fled when the fighting started, and two German soldiers' bodies lay by the bar.
"Woah—" Cobb exclaimed in surprise, then whistled. There was indeed a lot of wine behind the bar, some shattered on the floor, some scattered on the counter.
"Load up as much as you can, guys. If we don't take it, someone else will eventually," John chuckled.
Cobb and Shifty had already opened their backpacks and were filling them with wine. The three men filled their respective backpacks, then stuffed their pockets with wine bottles, and each held a bottle in their hand.
"French wine tastes really good," Cobb took a swig of wine, letting out a deep sigh.
"I like brandy!" John also raised his brandy bottle to Cobb.
"Me too!" Shifty also took a swig.
John walked out from behind the counter, but accidentally tripped over a German's corpse. He couldn't help but kick the corpse hard, muttering, "Damn Germans, are you jealous that I have so much good wine? I should have shot you in the mouth so you couldn't drink, even with a mouth. This is your punishment, Germans."
"Haha, John, are you sure these two Germans were killed by us and not drunk to death by brandy or something in this bar?" Shifty chuckled. The three left the tavern and strode away.
At the Company Headquarters, Winters was frowning, looking outside the Town.
"The Germans are starting to harass us with sniper fire and mortar shells, keeping our nerves constantly on edge. I think if this continues, the men's rest will be a big problem," Winters turned and looked at Nixon beside him.
Nixon shrugged, "I can't help you, Dick. But it seems Parks has already sent out patrols to the perimeter, so I believe things will improve."
Winters nodded, "I've already had Second Platoon and Third Platoon do the same. Now, this is all we can do. We can't spend a lot of effort clearing them out again; the Germans will keep sending people over." Then he smiled at Nixon, "Any gains today?"
Nixon was startled, looking at Winters, "What do you mean?"
Winters looked at the wine bottle in his hand and smiled, "I know many of the men found a lot of good wine in the Town. I don't believe you haven't done the same!"
Nixon's eyes widened, then he nodded and sighed, "I truly admire you. I did do that. I found excellent wine in a Frenchman's cellar, and even for someone as picky as me, that wine was quite good. But there's no point telling you this; you don't drink anyway."
"I thought you couldn't let go of your officer's demeanor!" Winters chuckled, then looked ahead again.
"Those lads, if I had been slow, they might not have left you even scraps," Nixon couldn't help but chuckle. "Do you know who I went with? Parks! And the wine we found was definitely better than what those crude fellows found!" He was beaming with excitement as he said this.
"Parks? Is he good at finding things too?" Winters was a little surprised.
"Of course," Nixon said with a hint of pride. "His nose is simply made for finding wine. You know, I've been drinking for so many years and had a lot of good wine, but I just can't compare to him. He knows where the good wine is hidden, and where the ordinary fruit wine is hidden, and his taste in wine is absolutely the same as mine."
"It seems I'll have to re-evaluate him!" Winters couldn't help but laugh.
"Of course!" Nixon nodded. "But he's been dragged away by Harry now. Harry got anxious when he saw the wine we found! Haha!"
Parks was indeed pulled away by Welsh, because Welsh had heard that Parks had found some good wine for Nixon.
The soldiers of Easy Company were now wandering all over Sainte-Marie-du-Mont all day long; after Sainte-Marie-du-Mont was occupied by First Battalion, it couldn't stop Easy Company from scavenging everywhere.
This process lasted for three days.
In the underground wine cellar of a manor in Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, Welsh, guided by Parks, opened an oak barrel.
The aroma of wine assailed his nostrils, making Welsh smack his lips involuntarily.
"You are truly impeccable, absolutely perfect!" Welsh exclaimed, impatiently filling his military canteen with a swig.
"I can't resist, I have to try it."
After saying that, he took a big gulp, then couldn't help but sigh comfortably, letting out a burp, and then handed the canteen to Parks.
"This is the best brandy I've ever had! Do you want a sip?"
Parks took it, took a sip, then nodded and smiled, "It's indeed good wine, top-grade Cognac brandy.
Harry, you're in luck; such a large barrel is enough for you to drink."
"No, no, we found this together, I won't take advantage of you!" Welsh shook his head, "We'll split it half and half, and there's so much, I can't drink it all by myself."
"Alright, but we have to get the wine onto the car first," Parks said, indifferent to the matter.
As the two men moved the wine barrel onto the jeep, they suddenly heard a sharp whistle.
It was the sound of a mortar.
"Get down!" Parks grabbed Welsh by the shoulder, pushing him to the ground, and quickly lay prone.
With a "boom," the bomb exploded ten meters away from the two.
"We're targeted! Harry, quick, get in the car!" Parks scrambled up, jumped into the jeep's driver's seat, and started the engine, just as Harry climbed in.
Parks started the car, stepped on the accelerator, and the car shot forward.
At that moment, there was another sharp whistle, followed by an explosion, right where they had just parked.
It seemed the Germans had indeed targeted the two.
And they quickly calibrated the target position, hitting very accurately.
If the two hadn't run fast, they would have met God along with that barrel of brandy at that moment.
Shells relentlessly pursued the two, and Parks' driving skills finally proved their worth, swerving left and right on the already narrow road, avoiding the crowd, and speeding towards secluded areas and tall buildings.
Finally, they left the mortar's line of sight and range.
With a "screech," the car stopped in an alley.
The two looked at each other, disheveled, and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Thank goodness for you, Parks, otherwise I would have been the first American officer killed by the Germans for looking for wine," Welsh said, patting Parks' shoulder, a smile in his eyes expressing his gratitude.
"It's us both!" Parks replied with a smile.
This chase brought the two closer.
Originally, Welsh only wanted to find some good wine through Parks.
And the two hadn't interacted much in Easy Company before, but now, they were like old friends, chatting and laughing freely.
"Now, where should we hide the wine?" Parks looked at Welsh, "If I think about it, only Company HQ is a good place; the platoon won't be able to hide it, those greedy gluttons will make sure we don't even see the dregs."
"I think so too, and I think Company HQ is a very good place to hide wine; you know why," Welsh chuckled at Parks.
Parks nodded knowingly: "The biggest advantage of Company HQ is that Captain Winters doesn't drink, but we have to divide the wine into three portions; if we don't give Nixon a share beforehand, he'll be a permanent fixture in Easy Company, and might even not return to Battalion HQ."
Welsh nodded: "You're right, Parks, let's go!"
The car restarted and sped towards Company HQ.
Parks was right.
Ever since Nixon found out that Welsh and Parks went to look for wine, he had been staying at Easy Company HQ all day, not going anywhere else.
"Are you sure you're not going to Battalion HQ, Major Horton won't complain?" Winters smiled, looking at the distracted Nixon, who kept glancing out the window.
Major Horton had already returned to Battalion HQ; he had taken over Second Battalion, while Lieutenant Colonel Strayer had returned to Regimental Headquarters.
"He's already overwhelmed right now; Colonel Strehl left him with a big mess, and he'll be busy for the next few days; he can't bother with me anymore, I'm just an intelligence officer."
As Nixon was speaking, he heard the sound of a car engine.
"It's Harry and them!" Nixon chuckled, "You know why I lent them the Battalion HQ jeep, this is why, see, they're here!" He smiled triumphantly, looking as if it was just as he expected.
Winters wanted to say something, but Nixon had already strode out of the barracks; he couldn't help but smile faintly and shake his head.
"Welcome, I feel like I'm greeting triumphant warriors!" Nixon strode forward, then embraced Parks and Welsh individually, before eagerly looking towards the back seat of the car.
"It must be good wine." Nixon's eyes were very discerning, after all, he had drunk good wine for many years and was experienced.
"Let me guess, looking at this oak barrel, it should be brandy!"
"Yes, it's top-grade Cognac brandy." Parks nodded.
"Oh! Harry, you've had a stroke of luck," Nixon couldn't help but show a jealous look, "Perhaps Parks' eye is too discerning, maybe I should have gone with you."
"Are you saying you want a share?" Welsh chuckled, "Then help us carry the wine barrel inside."
"No problem!" Nixon replied very straightforwardly.
The three men carried the wine barrel into Easy Company's command post.
Winters stood by, smiling as he watched them, shaking his head and saying, "Harry, are you sure putting it here with me is a wise idea?"
"Yes, they're thinking very logically," Nixon answered for Welsh from the side, "Putting it with a company commander who doesn't drink is much safer than putting it with a drinking Captain at Battalion HQ."
Parks and Welsh looked at Winters, shrugging and smiling.
"Alright, I agree!" Winters nodded.
By this time, Nixon had already opened the oak barrel, filled an empty wine bottle, and impatiently took a sip.
Then, just like Welsh's expression when he first tasted this barrel of wine, he smacked his lips and sighed: "It's indeed good wine.
Parks, I love you!" Then he raised the wine bottle to Harry, "And of course you, Harry, I didn't expect you to share a portion with me."
"Alright, Parks, go find Compton," Winters said to Parks.
"Understood." Parks took his leave.
At this moment, Nixon said to Winters, "Has it been approved?"
"Yes, I want them to know early; this is the first wartime award ceremony, and I think it's very significant for the men.
This can boost our morale," Winters nodded, "Now is the time."
Welsh said from the side, "Is it the Battle of Brecourt Manor?"
Nixon nodded, then said to Welsh, "Give me a hand, let's move the wine barrel; I don't want to share another portion."
Saying that, the two worked together to hide the oak barrel behind a cabinet and covered it up.
Sink also attached great importance to this awards ceremony.
To boost morale, he decided to hold it in the town square.
To prevent attacks from German snipers and mortars, he dispatched an entire company of F Company to sweep the outskirts of the town, ensuring absolute safety.
And on this day, the main officers of the regiment and all the soldiers of Easy Company would participate.
Winters was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; Parks, Compton, Guarnere, White, and Toy received the Silver Star; Lipton, Malarkey, Lanny, Liebgott, Gu Si, Christenson, Cobb, Gordon, Eubanks, and Luz received the Bronze Star; Poupe received the Purple Heart.
Sink delivered an impassioned speech at the awards ceremony; he would not miss this excellent opportunity to boost morale.
"God, can he be more concise?" Patrick Christenson, who was below, couldn't help but mutter softly.
"Patrick Christenson, are you jealous?" At this moment, Da Niu Landao Man, who was next to Patrick Christenson, suddenly winked at Patrick Christenson and said, it was clear that "Big" Bill Guarnere's eyes shone with admiration.
"No, absolutely not jealous!" Patrick Christenson glanced at Da Niu Landao Man, "Are you jealous yourself?"
"It's admiration!" "Big" Bill Guarnere couldn't help but smack his lips, "Even that kid Cobb can get one, if it weren't for Parks, he'd probably still be looking for a way out in Normandy right now."
As the two were talking, they heard Winters' command: "Dismissed!"
"Thank God!" Patrick Christenson said.
Landers's eyes, however, were fixed on Cobb.
Cobb was looking at the medal he had received on his chest from time to time, feeling very pleased with himself.
Yes, he was very pleased, even forgetting the French man he had shot dead.
"I think I should get one too!" Landers muttered to himself.
He wasn't the only one in Easy Company who thought that way.
After F Company's renewed sweep, the area around Sainte-Marie-du-Mont finally quieted down. Although there were still occasional snipers, they were quickly dealt with by the brothers of Easy Company, and later, even the occasional snipers disappeared. The Germans gave up; they simply abandoned this territory and focused on defending Carrington.
But another problem began to trouble the brothers of Easy Company: the bodies of the dead Germans. The American fallen soldiers had already been buried in place and marked, but the bodies of the Germans and some animals killed by artillery fire were left untouched. Over the past few days, some of the bodies began to emit a truly foul odor, and if not dealt with, it could lead to disease.
"We have to do it!" Parks said helplessly to the First Platoon brothers, who looked like bitter gourds. "Think about it, no one wants to live in such a foul-smelling place. All right, fellows, let's get to it. It's best to dig a big pit. We're responsible for the area around the Town of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont; the First Platoon and Second Platoon will handle the other areas."
"Well, these Germans are lucky; they're dead and I still have to serve them." Guarnere raised his hand. "I'll take a squad to collect the Germans' bodies. Christenson, prepare some more cloth; we'll use it for shrouds!" With that, he led his men away.
"Me too!" Da Niu Landao Man also stood up.
Burying bodies was a tiring job, but it was also another opportunity to scavenge the corpses. Many people, while burying the bodies, looted them again, even down to every metallic button.
Liebgott cut off a German's finger to take the ring from it; Cobb found a few German daggers—the German paratroopers' daggers were of better quality than the Americans', and he showed them off several times in the platoon for it; White didn't do such disgusting things, but he vomited several times beside the decomposing German bodies, the putrid smell making his stomach churn uncontrollably.
Such scavenging became a strong trend, and some even set their sights on the belongings of the fallen American soldiers. Moore saw the fallen American Soldiers' backpacks in the Church of Sainte-Mère-Église; they were hanging on some empty racks.
He invited Malarkey to the church, and the two of them sorted through the backpacks, clearing out some useful items, such as sugar, bandages, morphine, and some money.
But while clearing, Moore discovered a pair of handmade knitted baby shoes. His face instantly turned pale, and he yelled at Malarkey, "Let's get the hell out of here!"
Malarkey was also a bit stunned; they put the sorted items back in their original places and fled the area in a hurry.
Of course, they were just two of them. Gordon and soldier Donald, who had just returned to the unit yesterday, also had a conflict while burying American paratroopers and sorting their belongings. They even came to blows.
Donald was rummaging through a backpack taken from the body of an American paratrooper. He seemed excited because the useful items on American soldiers were more numerous and practical than those on Germans.
"Enough, Donald!" Gordon yelled at Donald, clearly displeased. "He's dead; stop touching his things."
Donald didn't even lift his head. He just kept rummaging through things and replied, "He's dead anyway, so why take these things into the dirt? I'm keeping these to help myself live better, aren't I? What's wrong with that?"
Gordon trembled with anger. Since his first battle, seeing Burks fall under the Germans' gunfire, he had felt an indescribable emotion. He couldn't tolerate another brother falling in front of him. Even more, he couldn't stand by and watch his fallen brothers suffer disrespect from their own people towards their bodies, so he was furious.
"Damn it, stop!" Gordon rushed up and shoved Donald away. "I told you to stop, so stop! Don't cause trouble! You scum."
Donald stumbled, nearly falling, and angrily got up, shouting at Gordon, "What did you just call me? What do you want? Want to fight? Come on, you coward, if you dare, fight me." He looked aggressive.
With a "bang," just as he finished speaking, he was punched in the face. The punch was powerful, knocking Donald to the ground and making him fall face-first into the dirt.
"Damn it, you dare hit me?" Donald got up, about to pounce on Gordon, but the surrounding brothers swarmed in and pulled the two apart. However, both men glared at each other, spitting at one another.
"Enough, Donald!" Winters rushed over, followed by Parks, Welsh, and Compton.
Everyone let go. Donald and Gordon glared at each other, then saluted Winters and the others.
"I want to know the reason!" Winters frowned, looking at the two.
As for the reason, Donald was, after all, a bit guilty. He mumbled and didn't speak, but Gordon quickly explained the reason, which made Winters's expression very grim. Parks also felt uneasy. He looked at the brothers and saw that most of their expressions were the same, showing displeasure towards Donald.
Winters's frown deepened. He looked at the brothers and couldn't help but say, "All right, I don't care what your intentions are, but right now, although we lack supplies, we haven't reached the point of taking from our dead brothers. I don't want to see a second incident like this, understood?"
"Understood, Captain!" Gordon and Donald nodded.
This incident caused a lot of unpleasantness in Easy Company. Donald was almost isolated by the brothers of Easy Company, and Moore and Malarkey secretly congratulated themselves, otherwise, they might have ended up like Donald.
Donald seemed to realize the change in the brothers' attitudes. He was a bit uncomfortable. At first, he acted tough, but later he finally couldn't bear it. He could hardly stand the brothers' cold shoulders and indifference. If it continued like this, his own death wouldn't be far off. Who knew if someone might take a dislike to him and shoot him one day?
"Hey, Malarkey!" Donald now greeted everyone first. "I found a good bottle of wine in the Town recently. Interested in trying it? It's very authentic, brandy!"
"No, no, thank you!" Malarkey himself had made this mistake before. He didn't want to get involved again. He declined Donald's offer. "Sorry, I have something to do, Donald. I really have to go. All right, see you later!"
"All right!" Donald watched Malarkey avoid him as if he were avoiding a plague, and couldn't help but look dejected. "Damn it!" he muttered under his breath, not knowing if he was cursing himself or venting. Then he looked up and saw Gordon. He hesitated for a moment, then went up to him and enthusiastically called out:
"Hey, Gordon, I want to…"
"We have nothing to talk about, Donald. I don't want to talk to someone like you!" Gordon quickly walked a few steps away from him.
Donald grabbed his lapel and said in an earnest tone, "Hey, Gordon, I just want to apologize to you."
Gordon stopped. He glanced at Donald, his tone softening slightly: "If you really want to apologize, you'd best apologize to those fallen brothers, not me! Donald, let go of me!"
Donald raised his hands, looking helpless. He even found it a bit hard to understand; he had always thought it wasn't a big deal, and that Gordon and Winters were making a mountain out of a molehill.
After Donald's incident, a gap had formed in the hearts of Easy Company's brothers, making them feel uncomfortable from time to time, and the uncomfortable object was Donald.
"Did I do something wrong?" Donald sat dejectedly beside a ruined wall, muttering to himself, "Did I do something wrong?"
This was just a way for him to vent his dissatisfaction and helplessness.
"You certainly did something wrong!" A voice suddenly spoke from nearby.
Donald was startled and instinctively reached for the rifle beside him. He looked up and saw a face: it was Parks, looking at Donald with a somewhat serious expression.
"Lieutenant!" Donald stood up and saluted.
Parks returned the salute, then said, "At ease, soldier Donald."
Watching Donald sit back down, Parks also sat beside him: "It seems you're in a predicament, Donald." Parks didn't question him about why he was wrong.
Donald shrugged and looked at Parks: "Sir, you're the first person willing to talk to me since yesterday! But I really don't understand what's going on."
Parks nodded: "I know, you're isolated now. Although it doesn't seem like much to you, it's a big deal to those brothers." Then he paused and said, "Have you participated in combat? So far."
"Yes, Sir! Just once. I didn't hit any Germans, and I wasn't injured myself. That was right after I parachuted. You know, I only returned to the unit the day before yesterday, but the fighting here has already ended." Donald said.
"Hmm, that's the problem!" Parks nodded. "You haven't experienced the feeling of brothers falling beside you, haven't seen brothers as close as family talking and laughing with you one moment, and then becoming a corpse the next. You'll understand later!"
Parks patted his shoulder, then stood up and said, "Soon, we'll be attacking Carrington. Remember, no matter if the brothers beside you are alive or dead, you must treat them as your brothers, always!" After saying that, he ignored him and turned to leave. Regardless, he had said what he needed to say. As for how Donald would turn out, that was up to him.
Donald's mouth hung open as he watched Parks's retreating figure, remaining in a daze for a long time…