On New Year's Day, Captain Winters decided to personally inspect the front line.
The brothers seemed to be in good spirits on the first day of the new year.
They weren't holed up in their bunkers, but rather scattered in twos and threes throughout the woods, some making coffee over a fire, others sitting together chatting.
"Harry, where's Landermann?" Captain Winters was very satisfied with the current state of the brothers; to maintain such good morale under these circumstances was already quite remarkable.
But he didn't see Captain Parks when he went to the company headquarters, so he asked casually.
"Landermann? He's a dedicated company commander, he even wants to take over the platoon leader's work!" Welsh chuckled at Winters, "Dick, he's out with the patrol again; he said he wants to scout around for the attack on Foy in a few days!"
"Looks like you couldn't talk him out of it!" Winters found a place to sit down.
"I didn't even try to talk him out of it, you know him, that's not a good idea at all! As long as he wants to do something, none of us can stop him; all we can do is figure out how to help him do it better!" Welsh shrugged, indicating his helplessness.
Winters smiled; he knew Parks's personality, so this was to be expected.
However, he was still somewhat surprised that Parks could determine that Easy Company would be the main attacking company, as he himself hadn't even decided which company to assign the main attack.
But now, after hearing Welsh's words, he felt that, apart from Easy Company led by Parks, he really couldn't find a company that could confidently take Foy without suffering heavy German losses.
Thinking of this, Captain Winters couldn't help but nod and say, "You are absolutely right, and Landermann is doing the correct thing.
I am also very confident in Easy Company taking on the main attack, but Harry, I still have some concerns, even though you might think these concerns are unnecessary, I still have to say it's about Lieutenant Pika Ke, the Second Platoon leader.
To be honest, I'm a bit uneasy about him.
After all, this is a fortified assault, different from Parks's previous battles.
What we need is a charge, but I don't think Lieutenant Pika Ke is ready!"
Welsh nodded and said, "Yes, I think so too.
I've reminded Landermann, but he's helpless now.
We can't just casually replace a Lieutenant platoon leader, can we?
Actually, Lieutenant Fuli would be a very good replacement, but what can we do?"
Captain Winters also felt a bit discouraged, smiled, and then remained silent.
Lieutenant Pika Ke had already lost all trust in the hearts of the brothers during that patrol.
He abandoned the injured Julian, abandoned the brothers who were still resisting, and fled alone.
Although his excuse was to go to the command post for reinforcements, everyone knew how poor that excuse was.
Landeman even openly stated in conversations with the brothers that they must make things difficult for this guy in battle, because he doesn't deserve to lead a platoon, fortunately Landeman was not in his platoon.
And Muck of the Second Platoon also seemed very dismissive of the orders issued by Pika Ke; Muck was a senior sergeant in the Second Platoon, and his attitude also represented the attitude of the rest of the Second Platoon.
Even Lipton, the platoon's First Sergeant, had to make suggestions to Parks.
"Platoon Leader Pika Ke always makes mistakes!" Lipton said this to Parks yesterday, because when Parks told the brothers that Easy Company would be the main force attacking Foy, he spoke to Parks privately, "And now the brothers in the platoon don't trust him much; at a crucial moment, he abandoned the brothers.
If we go into battle in such a state, it will be a disaster."
What more could Parks say?
He couldn't decide Pika Ke's fate, he could only say to Lipton, "I know, thank you, Lipton, but you should talk more to the brothers about this, do your part, that's all, don't worry about Pika Ke, don't we still have company headquarters to command?
That's the key!"
This sentence gave some of the brothers in the Second Platoon confidence.
Even if the platoon leader had problems, the company commander was still the true commander in battle.
Lipton nodded, he also understood that Parks couldn't help the brothers of the Second Platoon get rid of Pika Ke, although Captain Parks was right, they would always face situations where the Second Platoon had to perform tasks alone, such as patrol teams and so on, so what would the brothers do then?
This problem also stumped Parks; in his plan, the attack on Foy required close cooperation between the platoons, and if Lieutenant Pika Ke couldn't handle the task of a solo attack, then even cooperation might not be achieved.
But he had no choice but to try his best to let the sergeants in the Second Platoon utilize their abilities in combat.
Captain Parks couldn't get rid of Lieutenant Pika Ke, just as Captain Winters couldn't get rid of Lieutenant Pika Ke.
He also understood Captain Parks's predicament.
But he also had no authority to decide Pika Ke's fate, unless he made a big mistake.
"In short, Landermann has no way to get rid of Pika Ke, if something happens to Pika Ke during the attack on Foy, then the brothers of the Second Platoon might be unlucky, or it might even implicate the brothers of the entire company!" Welsh shook his head and chuckled, then looked at Winters and smiled, "Alright, I know what you're going to say, I'll try my best to make sure he doesn't cause any problems, and if there really is a problem, I can step in at any time."
Winters clapped him on the arm and smiled, "Harry, that's exactly what I wanted!" With that, he stood up and walked to the rear; the entire Easy Company's defensive line was quite good.
"How's the situation?" Captain Nixon was shaving, constantly applying lather to his face with a brush, then he squinted at Captain Winters, who had just entered.
"Not bad, Easy Company is in the best condition, but some of their brothers are also worried about Lieutenant Pika Ke!" Winters came in, sat on a log, and then shook his head and chuckled, "Actually, I don't have a good solution either.
Unless Colonel Sink has a good place for Lieutenant Pika Ke to go.
But Colonel Sink obviously won't bother with these things, he's the battalion commander!"
"Yeah, he's the battalion commander, he wouldn't bother with this!" Nixon chuckled, scraped his chin with a razor, then wiped it clean with a towel, and felt it, "But, before that, there's one more thing you need to see!" With that, he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Winters.
"What is this?" Winters took it.
"This is my plan to help you solve the leadership problem in the unit!" Nixon said with a chuckle.
"Lieutenant Pika Ke is being transferred?" Winters glanced at him.
"No, I can't help with that, I can't transfer him, but I can give him a very good reason to leave Easy Company, and it will be a win-win situation!" Nixon smiled and said, "Why don't you open it and see?"
Winters looked at Nixon's strange smile, couldn't help but open the paper, then looked at Nixon in surprise and said, "Oh, this is the Division HQ selecting an officer from the battalion headquarters to participate in the Battle of Bastogne, suspended for thirty days, sending him back to America to promote war bonds and such things, God, Nixon you've been chosen, you're leaving?
Congratulations!"
Nixon looked at Winters and shook his head, "Are you telling me to leave?"
Winters shook his head, then looked at Nixon and said, "If you leave, who will help me?"
"No one, but I don't want to go!" Nixon nodded and said, "I've been to America, I grew up there, that's why I came to Europe.
I just wish they had told me earlier that there was a war here.
But in any case, the point is, this is a waste for me.
But I believe we can find an officer in the battalion to enjoy this long leave home!"
Winters listened, then smiled disappointedly at Nixon.
He nodded and said, "You mean Lieutenant Pika Ke?
He would be a very good choice, Nick, it seems you've really found an opportunity!"
Lieutenant Pika Ke was going back to America for a long vacation, and this news was good news for the entire Easy Company, and also good news for Lieutenant Pika Ke.
This made him smile constantly in front of the brothers who were seeing him off.
Yes, he had wanted to leave this damned place for a long time, especially since an attack on Foy was coming in a few days, just thinking about it made him feel uneasy.
"Congratulations, Platoon Leader Pika Ke!" Lieutenant Speirs shook Pika Ke's hand and congratulated him.
Many brothers from Easy Company came to see him off, and they all offered Pika Ke their blessings.
"I can't think of anyone more qualified than you!" Landeman also stepped forward, shaking his hand with a big smile.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Pika Ke's words were a bit incoherent, but he was indeed very happy; perhaps by the time he returned to Easy Company, Easy Company would have already passed its most difficult time and started enjoying a vacation, who knows.
"So glad you're going home, this is one of the best news I've heard this week!" Luz patted Pika Ke on the shoulder and chuckled, "You're a good man! Platoon Leader Pika Ke!"
"Thank you all, this truly means a lot to me!" Pika Ke's joy was uncontainable; he greeted the brothers one by one with a beaming smile, "But I must say goodbye to Captain Parks, guys, honestly, this is an unforgettable company, I think I'll be back very soon!" With that, Pika Ke squeezed through the crowd and walked towards the company headquarters.
Captain Parks had returned with the patrol team; he was at the company headquarters discussing with Welsh the issue of sweeping the areas around Foy, as well as how to attack Foy.
"Company Commander Parks!" Pika Ke called out cautiously from outside Parks's bunker.
"Lieutenant Pika Ke?" Parks looked up, saw Pika Ke, then smiled as he climbed out of the bunker, shook his hand, and said, "Congratulations, Lieutenant Pika Ke, this is a very significant matter, important to all of us."
Pika Ke smiled, then said somewhat awkwardly, "Company Commander Parks, I'll be back here very soon; honestly, serving in Easy Company with you is something I'll be proud of for a lifetime.
I came here just... just to say goodbye to you before I leave.
I know I shouldn't be leaving at such a crucial time, so..."
Parks was taken aback; he hadn't expected Pika Ke to say something like that.
Although he knew Pika Ke was very willing to do this, he didn't expect him to show such reluctance to leave Easy Company in front of him.
"You'll be back, won't you, Pika Ke?
Do this well; it's very important for Easy Company and for you!" Parks said very solemnly to Pika Ke.
Indeed, this matter was very important for Easy Company's attack on Foy in a few days.
After Lieutenant Pika Ke left, Parks assigned Lieutenant Fuli as the Second Platoon leader.
Compared to Lieutenant Pika Ke, Lieutenant Fuli was an officer who could charge into battle with the brothers, and he also had a good command style.
Easy Company was ready for the final sweep and attack!
On January 3, 1945, Easy Company began a sweeping operation in the forest area facing Foy.
Along the way, they encountered sporadic machine gun fire from the German forces, resulting in a few casualties.
Sowosko was killed, and Kenweber and Melliot were wounded.
At the time, Sowosko had overlooked a well-hidden German foxhole during the sweep and was shot dead by the person inside.
Then Cobb threw a grenade into it, eliminating the German forces in the foxhole; this was the only soldier killed during this sweeping operation.
The success of this sweeping operation was ultimately due to the reconnaissance activities of the patrol led by Parks earlier.
He continuously marked the locations of German machine gun fire and mortar positions, so during the sweep, Easy Company's mortars specifically targeted these areas, giving the German forces no room to maneuver.
As Captain Parks often said: "Fighting a prepared battle can reduce casualties and increase the success rate."
And in reality, the sweeping operation proved his words to be correct.
Along the way, German machine gun positions and destroyed mortars could be seen, scattered by mortar explosions.
Then Easy Company occupied the woods of the German outer defense line of Foy; from the edge of the woods, German activity could be observed with binoculars, and although their artillery couldn't be seen, it was certainly hidden within.
After the sweeping operation ended, Easy Company began to modify their bunkers on the old German defense line.
Captain Parks also proposed digging Parks Bunkers to prevent German artillery bombardment.
Lieutenant Welsh was somewhat puzzled by Parks' decision; after all, the attack on Foy was only a day or two away, and digging Parks Bunkers seemed unnecessary, but Captain Parks insisted, telling Welsh: "Harry, we prepare for the worst, only then can we maximize the preservation of our brothers' lives!"
In fact, this also proved him right.
On the night they occupied the German defense line, the German forces subjected the entire position to a large-scale artillery bombardment, with shells raining down like hail, and the entire position was filled with craters from 88mm artillery shells.
"I'm wounded!" someone shouted.
"It's Heck, Heck is wounded!" Stenson, who was near the foxhole, suddenly yelled, "Damn it, I have to help him!" Saying this, he was about to climb out of the bunker, but Cobb, who was inside the bunker, pulled him back.
"You idiot, what do you want to do? Who is Heck?" Cobb yelled at him, "If you go out, you're going to die; the German shells might be interested in saying hello to you and then blowing you to pieces."
As Cobb was speaking, a shell suddenly exploded near their bunker, and the splashing dirt hit Stenson's face at the observation port, immediately causing blood marks on his face.
The air blast pushed him back two steps, and then he sat down on the ground with a thud.
"Oh, God!" Stenson suddenly covered his face and cried out.
"Heavens!" Cobb exclaimed, dropping his rifle, and quickly embraced Stenson.
"Don't move, don't move, kid, let me see your face, oh, it's okay, it's okay, you're incredibly lucky, it's just a graze!" Cobb said, standing up and kicking Stenson, "Stop faking it, just stay here obediently!"
"Help!" Amidst the explosions, a faint cry for help was heard again, but this time the sound was much lower.
But it was certainly still coming from the same person.
"Damn it, where are the medics? Didn't they hear it?" Stenson didn't dare to run out easily, but he anxiously pounded a clod of dirt by the bunker and swore fiercely.
"Do you expect anyone to hear such a faint cry amidst such huge explosions?" Cobb held down the restless Stenson, then looked at him and said, "Stay put, keep your head down!"
"Damn it, just ignore me then! I'm going to save him!" Stenson suddenly glared at Cobb and said, "He joined with me from Momyon, and I trained with him in America; I'm not going to abandon him!" Saying this, he climbed out of the bunker and ran towards that direction, braving the constantly falling shells.
Cobb stared blankly as Stenson climbed out of the bunker.
He also wanted to follow, but seeing the fierce artillery fire, he just looked in the direction Stenson ran and muttered under his breath: "Damn new recruit idiot, playing with his life, I don't want to do such a foolish thing, I haven't done anything wrong, this damn artillery fire!"
He sullenly pulled his head back, then sat in the bunker clutching his rifle, filled with fear, no longer wanting to move.
"Heck, is that you?" Stenson bent his body and quickly ran towards the direction of the shouting.
Suddenly, a shell exploded not far from him, and he was immediately thrown to the ground by the air blast, then rolled a few times in the snow.
"It's over! I'm done for!" Stenson suddenly felt his vision go dark, and secretly thought, "This is bad."
Intense pain came from his back, and his first instinct was that he had been shot.
But he quickly realized that he had merely been thrown to the ground and hit, causing the intense pain.
He got up again and ran in that direction, and soon he saw Heck, who was lying on the ground, with a lower leg lying not far from him, and blood-red bone exposed.
He was constantly groaning, occasionally letting out loud cries for help.
"Damn it, why didn't they just blow me up and kill me, instead of making me suffer here!" Heck's muscles were tense with pain.
He shouted loudly again, "Medic, damn it, where's the medic?"
"Heck!" He heard someone call his name, and looking up, it was Stenson.
He gave Stenson a bitter smile and said, "Stenson, it looks like I'll be going home before you!"
"Alright, alright, I'll take you to the medic first!" Saying this, Stenson dropped his rifle, picked up one of Heck's legs, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and ran towards the rear, shouting loudly as he ran, "Dr. Luo, medic, quickly, someone's wounded!"
Dr. Luo had already run quickly towards them, but before he could get close to the two, a shell exploded near Stenson and Heck!
Immediately, all three were thrown to the ground.
"Oh no!" Dr. Luo was thrown by the air blast, only falling down, but he watched with his own eyes as Heck and Stenson were right next to the bomb.
He quickly rolled and crawled towards the two, shouting: "Are you alright? Heck, Stenson, God!"
When he crawled to their side, he couldn't help but gasp.
Heck's two legs were severed by shrapnel.
He coughed incessantly, with blood foam constantly coming from his mouth.
Stenson's one leg was blown off with only a little flesh connecting it.
He forced himself to prop up his upper body and sat in the snow, looking at his severed leg, letting out a chilling laugh.
The German artillery fire ceased.
Dr. Luo bandaged both of them, then gave each a shot of morphine.
He called for a jeep, and Cobb also crawled out of the bunker, seeing the two men, covered in blood, being loaded onto the jeep, he couldn't help but make the sign of the cross on his chest: "God bless, I knew it would come to this, idiots, truly imbeciles!"
He muttered, then turned and staggered back to his bunker.
But when he returned to the bunker and sat down, he pulled out a cigarette, and as he tried to light it, the hand holding the match trembled uncontrollably.
"Damn it!" He tried twice but couldn't light the cigarette.
He fiercely took the cigarette from his mouth, crumpled it in his hand, and threw it hard on the ground.
He suddenly felt some regret now.
Perhaps if he had gone with Stenson, it wouldn't have been like this; he was more experienced than Stenson, so the chance of being hit would have been much smaller.
But in any case, this shelling indeed dealt a blow to the officers and soldiers who had been somewhat optimistic earlier.
It also made many brothers who had originally only planned to dig shallow pits put in great effort to dig Parks Bunkers.
Now these lazy fellows who had been relying on luck also saw the power of the German artillery fire, and they didn't want to gamble with their lives.
Guarnere saw Stenson being carried away.
He felt a little uncomfortable inside.
To be honest, back in Momyon, he had found the kid a bit annoying, but it later proved that Stenson was a good guy.
His ability to adapt to the battlefield was very strong.
On the Bastogne defense line, his mental state was very good, better than many veterans, and he served as an example for many new recruits, which was also why not many of the new recruits broke down.
"You're doing great, kid!" Guarnere reached out and patted Stenson, who was lying on the stretcher, making him cry out in pain, which made Guarnere chuckle.
"Alright, Sergeant, I know you've always been jealous of me, which means I, a new recruit, haven't lost to you, but now I'm going home before you again, and I won't give you another chance!" Stenson endured the pain and grinned at Guarnere.
"Goodbye, kid, stay home and rest well!" Guarnere squeezed his hand tightly, then watched as Stenson was lifted onto the jeep.
The car honked once, then kicked up a pile of snow and sped towards the rear.
"Damn it, how much longer do we have to endure such crazy German shelling?" Guarnere watched the jeep leave and couldn't help but complain to Toy beside him.
"Not much longer, Guarnere!" A voice came from behind him.
When the two turned around, they saw Captain Parks standing behind them.
He gazed in the direction the jeep had left, then turned his head and said to them, "We're about to launch an attack on the German forces in Foy.
We're going to have a tough fight!"
"We've been ready for a long time, Chief!" Toy grinned at Parks.
"Very good!" Parks said, winking at them and smiling, "I've been ready for a long time too, those damn Germans, now it's our turn to teach them a lesson!"
Early the next morning, Captain Parks led a squad from First Platoon to begin surveying the surrounding environment, preparing for the final attack.
For the Battle of Foy, Parks did not want it to turn out like the original, a frontal charge against the German forces would result in severe losses, even when Speirs later took over, Easy Company still lost more than a dozen men, including some veterans, which Parks was unwilling to see.
After everything was ready, the combat order was issued.
They would launch the attack at 9 AM on the second day.
This timing was a mistake; by then, it would be fully daylight, which would only lead to greater casualties for the attacking side.
And Captain Winters also noticed this problem and requested a change in the attack time from Division HQ, but his request was denied.
Everyone in Easy Company was waiting for tomorrow to arrive.
January 5, 1945, was four days earlier than the attack on Foy in the previous life, and the American forces in other areas were progressing smoothly.
Foy was surrounded by trees in a U-shape, with the village in the middle.
In the battle on January 3, the American forces had already controlled the right half of the U-shape.
Now they had to fight for the left half.
This was a simple yet brutal operation: charging across 200 meters of snow-covered open ground into the village.
But every window in the village could have a machine gun, and every German soldier could be protected by a brick wall.
The situation was that simple; there was no need for maneuvers, just charging forward, approaching the enemy, and then using grenades to eliminate them in the houses.
The key was to cross the open ground quickly.
If the troops moved fast and the covering fire was fierce, then this battle would be very simple.
If they moved slowly, the losses could be heavy.
"Reese!" Captain Winters walked towards Captain Parks, who was preparing at the edge of the woods.
"Dick!" Parks was observing the German forces opposite through binoculars; they were all hidden.
No Germans could be seen outside the village, but Parks was sure that the German artillery was hidden in the village, and they were ready to meet the American attack.
He heard someone call him, so he put down his binoculars and turned around to see Captain Winters.
"Tell me about your preparations!" Captain Winters rarely inquired about Easy Company's tactical arrangements, because Parks never disappointed him in any operation.
What the Second Battalion had to do was provide them with cover, with machine guns and artillery ready to unleash overwhelming fire on the German forces at any time.
Easy Company only needed to quickly cross the open ground.
This was the established policy, but the specific tactics were flexibly adjusted on the battlefield according to the commander's discretion.
So this time, he couldn't help but ask.
"Nothing, just tell the men not to stop!" Parks said to Winters.
Winters nodded and said, "Yes, this battle requires speed.
I Company of the Third Battalion will advance eastward from here, which should distract the German forces.
You must charge through before they can prepare to use mortars and heavy artillery against you.
That's the key!"
Under these circumstances, there was no better way to attack the village.
With I Company's auxiliary attack to distract the German forces, and fire support, this was a tough battle, without any fancy maneuvers.
Because any fancy maneuvers could only lead to significant losses for the attacking side.
Parks understood this principle; the German forces had deployed their firepower throughout Foy, without a specific focus, but they could quickly concentrate it wherever an attack occurred, thus forming a strike focus point.
"Get ready!" Winters looked at his watch; it was 8 o'clock sharp, an hour before the attack was launched.
Captain Parks gathered the company's officers and sergeants; he was about to begin the final assignment of attack missions.
"We will attack in three columns.
I will lead First Platoon in the very center, Lieutenant Foley will lead Second Platoon to my left, and Lieutenant Speirs will lead Third Platoon to the right.
Our distance cannot be too wide, but soldier to soldier, we will attack in skirmish formation, not too dense.
The German forces may counterattack with artillery; their 88mm guns have short preparation times and quick attack times, so our speed needs to be even faster, and we must not fall behind when their heavy artillery begins to counterattack."
Parks looked at the three Lieutenants, "Always maintain the speed of the team; this is paramount and unchangeable!
Understand?"
"Understood!" The three Lieutenants replied.
"Good!" Parks nodded, then said to the Sergeants of each platoon, "You must maintain the integrity of the team and urge every soldier to advance and attack.
Once the team enters Foy, it will be a battle between squads.
You must ensure that every soldier in the squad can cooperate with each other to reduce mistakes and casualties.
Especially guard against German snipers."
"Yes, Sir!" The Sergeants all nodded in agreement.
"Alright, men, await the order to attack!
You still have half an hour.
Talk to your brothers, tell them what to do, protect your lives, and give the Germans a good lesson."
Parks clapped his hands and stood up.
The officers and Sergeants dispersed, finding their respective platoons and squads, and began to prepare the men for the attack.
"Harry!" Parks said to Lieutenant Welsh, who was beside him, "I'm telling you, if I get wounded, you have to take over command and don't let the men stop!"
Welsh couldn't help but laugh, "Reese, you can get wounded too?
No, no, in my impression, you always have some good luck, even when charging at the very front, the Germans seem not to see you.
I'm thinking now, if I follow you during the charge later, will I be safer?"
"Just remember what I said!" Parks smiled and shook his head.
He knew his place in the hearts of his men, and he also knew his place in Lieutenant Welsh's heart.
He no longer argued, just smiled.
"Luz, why do I always feel like I'm trembling all over, like I'm dancing!
Damn it, I've never felt like this before!" Cobb leaned towards Luz, then shiveringly pulled a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to Luz, while pulling out one for himself to put in his mouth.
With a 'click', the lighter lit both their cigarettes.
"Phew—" Luz exhaled a puff of smoke, then looked at Cobb and said, "You're nervous?"
Cobb was startled, about to shake his head in denial, but he stopped.
The image of Stenson and Heck being blown to bloody bits appeared before his eyes, as if right in front of him.
Then he nodded, and sighed to Luz, "Perhaps, perhaps I'm scared.
God, I just can't get the scene of Stenson's leg being blown off yesterday out of my mind, I don't know why.
Luz, I'm a veteran from Taccoa, why am I still scared of these things?
It doesn't make sense!"
"You feel guilty?" Luz took another puff of smoke.
He didn't even look at Cobb's expression; he was just intently watching the village of Foy ahead, but his casual remark made Cobb freeze.
"Guilty?" Just as Cobb was about to retort, he choked and couldn't speak.
Was it guilt?
Why couldn't he get the image of Stenson after he was wounded out of his mind?
Was it just because he didn't rush out of cover like Stenson, risking being blown to pieces himself to save Heck?
That's impossible.
He immediately rejected the idea!
But what he hadn't expected was that this thought couldn't help but churn in his heart.
"Luz, do you think I'm guilty?
What do I have to be guilty about?" Cobb was stunned for a moment, then somewhat defiantly said to Luz, "I have nothing to be guilty about."
He seemed to say it very confidently.
Luz glanced at him, then took a deep drag from his cigarette, and comfortably exhaled a long stream of smoke, saying, "Even if you're not guilty, there's nothing wrong with that.
Alright, Cobb, if you're still agonizing over these issues before the attack, then you'll definitely be affected.
Don't let the Germans hit you.
Alright, let's end this.
Forget about it!"
"Alright, alright!" Cobb nodded, then took two deep drags.
With a flick of his finger, the cigarette butt arced through the air and landed on the snow.
A wisp of smoke was quickly submerged by the melting snow, making a soft "sizzle" and extinguishing.
"Hey, Shifty, Liebgott, Weber, Patrick Christenson, Heffron, and Ellie, God, you're all here, this saves me a lot of trouble.
Listen, men, Captain Parks wants you to come over, you'll hit the jackpot!" Staff Sergeant Talbert walked over and said to a group of Easy Company men hiding in the woods, then he saw the people he was looking for and smiled proudly.
Captain Parks had an arrangement for the attack.
Clearly, to eliminate the threat posed by German snipers to the men of Easy Company, Parks decided to assign some of the company's best marksmen to cover duty, responsible for clearing German snipers from sniper positions.
"Remember, your primary goal is not to charge, but to clear German snipers!" Parks said, pointing to the open snowy ground ahead, "There are many haystacks on the snow, and some wooden farm vehicle frames, etc.
These can provide you with cover.
What you need to do is suppress or eliminate snipers under cover.
Remember not to stay fixed at one point; you need to constantly change your cover points as your brothers charge forward.
This will benefit you, and by constantly changing positions, the German forces will have a harder time finding your position.
Understand?"
"Understood, Sir!" Everyone nodded.
"Alright, you will be dispersed among the three platoons, two in each group."
Parks finally nodded and said, "Go get ready!"
Shifty suddenly raised his hand and said, "Sir, I request to speak!"
Parks was startled, then looked at him and said, "Speak, Sergeant!"
Shifty thought for a moment, then cautiously began, "If possible, why not put all the men with good marksmanship into one squad and use them concentratedly?
This might be beneficial!"
Parks looked at Shifty in surprise.
He hadn't expected the usually quiet and somewhat shy Shifty to have such an idea.
Clearly, he had already experienced the benefits of special combat tactics and was starting to think about problems.
"Are you talking about this attack?" Parks was still unsure of Shifty's idea and added.
"No, no, I'm talking about the future.
Just now, when I was listening to you, I... a thought suddenly popped into my head!" Shifty seemed a bit nervous, "I'm just saying, never mind, I think I'll just forget about it, it's making me embarrassed!"
Parks shook his head and smiled, "No, no, Shifty, that's a very good idea.
I think if we could do that, it would be a very good thing.
Actually, I also had this thought; it seems we're on the same page!"
"Really!" Shifty suddenly smiled.
He chuckled and nodded, "Thank you, Captain, for saying that, it really means a lot to me.
It makes me... makes me, how do I say it?
Thank you, Captain!" Shifty seemed a bit incoherent.
In fact, he was very proud that his opinion had received Parks's approval.
Parks suddenly began to wonder if he had underestimated his men's ideas too much.
In the past, he would design the tactics himself, then convey them to the men to follow his ideas.
He had never thought that they would have any suggestions or ideas.
Now it seemed he had indeed overlooked them.
The wisdom of the group was truly worth paying attention to!
Time passed minute by minute.
"Start the attack!" Captain Winters looked at his watch, then gave the order to attack.
Machine gun bullets and artillery shells immediately flew overwhelmingly towards Foy, which instantly fell into continuous explosions.
Parks rushed to the front line of the woods and said to the men of Easy Company, "Men, remember your respective missions.
We will charge quickly.
Watch out for German snipers.
Alright, move out, move out!" Saying this, he picked up his M1 rifle, and with one stride, he charged out, into a vast expanse of snow.
Captain Parks was deeply impressed by the attack that day.
Under the suppression of firepower, the German machine guns offered only sporadic resistance, but the soldiers of Easy Company charged like madmen across the 200-meter open ground, which was still covered in thick snow, making running difficult, yet their speed of attack was astonishing.
In this attack, the German machine guns were not the main focus; they were completely suppressed, but they had to guard against counterattacks from German riflemen and 88mm cannons.
These were the greatest threats to the brothers.
Everyone wore thick military overcoats, waving their rifles and desperately sprinting forward.
Sergeants constantly shouted loudly within the ranks.
"Keep up the speed, hurry! Cobb, don't run diagonally; you need to stay with the brothers, quick, quick!" Lipton's voice was very loud on the battlefield, and he kept calling out to the brothers with his booming voice.
With a "bang," a shot rang out, and Jakos, running beside Lipton, fell headfirst to the ground, letting out a sharp scream that some said after the battle could even drown out the sound of cannons and machine guns.
"Doctor, doctor!" He rolled in the snow.
But no one stopped for him; everyone knew that once they stopped, the German would shoot at them.
During the charge, Parks had strict rules: combat personnel were not allowed to stop to assist the wounded; this was the job of the medics, and it was issued as a strict order before the attack!
Shifty was already close to the haystack, and he saw the German soldier who had shot Jakos.
He was hiding behind a farmhouse window and clearly still looking for a target.
"My turn!" Shifty rolled over, hid behind the haystack, and quickly raised his rifle.
He could see the German in his sights, aiming at the brothers of Easy Company.
"Go meet God!" Shifty squinted, then whispered, and pulled the Trigger.
The M1 rifle made a crisp sound, and he could even see through the sights what happened to the German after he was hit.
The German soldier's head snapped back, and then his whole body fell down; the shot had hit him in the head.
"Thank you, Shifty!" Guarnere shouted to him as he ran past.
But Guarnere did not stop, because several other people had already been hit by German snipers due to their slow speed.
Shifty gave him a thumbs up, but before he could rush out, the German machine gun fired in his direction, instantly spraying straw everywhere from the haystack, making him exclaim and shrink back continuously.
Although the machine gun fire quickly drew American covering fire and was suppressed, it still gave Shifty a big scare.
With a "bang," bullets hit the ground, kicking up dirt and snow.
The German saw First Platoon, led by Parks, approaching rapidly and began firing in their direction.
"Oh, I'm hit!" Lanny, beside Parks, suddenly cried out.
His arm was shot by the German, and he fell headfirst to the ground.
Landeman wanted to bend down to help him when he heard a loud shout.
"Damn it, Staff Sergeant Landman, leave him!
You must charge!" Parks grabbed Landers by the collar and pulled him forward, causing Landers to miss Lanny's position.
"Leave him to the doctor, Lanny, you hide behind the haystack and wait for the doctor!"
As Parks spoke, he raised his rifle.
He spotted the German who had hit Lanny.
His steps did not stop, but his rifle was already aimed, and then he pulled the Trigger while running at high speed!
"Bang!" With a sound, that German fell headfirst from a window in an attic.
He was hit in the head and died without a groan.
Parks then noticed the German on the periphery; they began to aim at Parks, who had fired, but how could Parks let them fire before him?
He didn't even make a movement to raise his gun, just turned the muzzle slightly, and fired all the remaining 7 rounds in the magazine in quick succession.
The four German who poked their heads out from behind the low wall on the periphery were all hit.
Every single one was hit in the head, which made the remaining seven or eight German not even dare to raise their heads.
With such marksmanship, sticking your head out was equivalent to suicide!
First Platoon, led by Parks, had already covered about a hundred meters.
The German guarding the outskirts of the village began to run inside.
This was Parks's impressive ability: he could fire continuously while running.
This might not seem like much; many brothers could also run and shoot, but if their speed didn't decrease, few could do it.
More importantly, if their speed didn't decrease, they could run and shoot, and their aim was very good, then only Parks in the entire Easy Company could do it.
Even Shifty didn't have such skill, and there was a significant gap between him and Parks.
Parks had a very wide field of vision; when the lurking snipers intended to target him, Parks could always spot them first and deliver a fatal shot.
This is why Parks could charge directly, and the German would retreat quickly.
They were terrified of this group of American coming head-on, especially the guy charging at the front, who flexibly dodged their fire and returned fire with precise bullets, taking their lives.
"Retreat, let's retreat back into the houses!" It was the German shouting.
Parks understood their voices; clearly, the German intended to use the cover of the houses to fight Parks and his men.
"Guys, don't let them get away!" Parks reloaded a magazine.
His shooting while moving indeed made the German extremely wary; five of those German who turned and fled were hit in the blink of an eye.
The brothers behind Parks were all spurred on by this heroic performance, letting out cheers, but this also made it easier to draw German retaliation.
They quickly concentrated their fire on First Platoon, and Parks and his men still had about fifty meters to cover to reach the village and use the cover of the buildings.
"Covering fire, covering fire!" Parks yelled, shouting at Second Platoon and Third Platoon, whose pressure had significantly decreased, "Fuli, Speirs, covering fire!"
His hands didn't stop moving; they only needed about ten seconds to find cover.
At this point, the actions of the brothers in Second Platoon and Third Platoon slowed down.
They began to run and shoot, while Shifty and the six other snipers specially arranged by Parks began to find cover and suppress the German snipers with their fire.
"Hurry, Landers, quick, keep up, Malarkey, we're attacking, hurry!" When Parks was seven or eight meters from the wall of the nearest farmhouse, he slid on his knees, quickly leaned against the wall, and his M1 rifle fired continuously, suppressing several German firing points.
In fact, Parks only needed to fire one or two shots at each firing point to generally achieve results.
The German were suppressed, thus providing cover for the advance of Second and Third Platoons.
"Boom!" The German 88mm cannons began to show their power, but they were always a step too late.
Shells exploded in the open ground, but Easy Company had already charged in; they were already in close-quarters combat, and the shells were falling behind them.
The German 88mm cannons lost their best chance to inflict casualties on Easy Company.
"Boom!" But shells still exploded near the buildings Easy Company had occupied, and flying debris caused many brothers to suffer abrasions.
However, this was nothing anymore; they engaged in a battle for control of the village with the German.
"Damn it, Cobb, there are German here!" Patrick Christenson and Cobb rushed together, pressing tightly against the wall.
Patrick Christenson nodded to Cobb.
He suddenly turned, kicked open the door, and Cobb's submachine gun swept inside.
Three German in the house were hit by Cobb; bullets struck their bodies, making them tremble continuously like a soft dance, and then with a "bang," they fell to the ground.
"God, you're really ruthless!" Patrick Christenson didn't need to check if the three were dead, because Cobb had emptied his magazine.
Cobb staggered in, then took a few breaths, as if to expel the stale air accumulated in his heart.
Ever since he accidentally injured the French man in Carrington, he had carried this shadow.
"Alright, it's okay, Cobb, let's go!" Patrick Christenson said, patting Cobb's shoulder, and was the first to step out of the house when he suddenly heard a "snap" of a gunshot.
Patrick Christenson fell headfirst to the ground.
Cobb, having already reloaded, saw Patrick Christenson hit and quickly crawled out of the house in a prone position, firing a burst in the direction of the sniper.
Then he desperately dragged Patrick Christenson into the house and hid him.
He put his submachine gun aside, fumbled on Patrick Christenson's body, and anxiously said, "Damn it, Patrick Christenson, you're still alive, where are you hurt?"
Patrick Christenson was still alive; at least he was still groaning and cursing: "Damn German, I'll show them what I can do!
Oh, God, Cobb, where are your hands?
Those are my balls!
My wound is on my butt; they hit my butt.
Heaven, it's a beautiful wound, isn't it?
Cobb, isn't this a beautiful wound?"
"Yes, yes!" Cobb pulled out a bandage from his pocket, then sprinkled sulfa powder on his butt.
"Bear with it, Patrick Christenson!" He said, tightly wrapping Patrick Christenson's butt with the bandage, which made Patrick Christenson cry out in pain again.
"My goodness, thank you so much, Cobb!
It seems some rumors weren't true; you are our brother!" Patrick Christenson suddenly chuckled at Cobb.
"What rumors?" Cobb picked up his submachine gun, then looked back at Patrick Christenson, who was still lying on the ground.
"No, nothing, forget about it!" Patrick Christenson suddenly felt a bit awkward, after all, the rumors were not good for Cobb, and they might affect his current mood.
Cobb looked at Patrick Christenson, then laughed self-deprecatingly, saying, "I know what rumors; I've known since Stenson was blown up.
It's okay, Patrick Christenson, I'm fine!"
Saying that, he dragged Patrick Christenson to a corner and covered him with straw, saying, "You stay here for now.
If any German come in, you shoot them!
Alright, I have to keep going!"
Saying that, he picked up Patrick Christenson's rifle from the ground and handed it to him, then bent down and slipped out of the house, sniper bullets kicking up dirt around him.
Shifty had already shot four German riflemen, and seeing the German soldiers on the outskirts of Foy continuously retreating into the village, the brothers of Easy Company also followed suit and charged in. He quickly left the cover and followed his brothers inside.
He saw Captain Parks gesturing to him, signaling him to hurry up and catch up.
Shifty ran towards Parks, quickly passing a haystack when he noticed a figure moving outside the window ahead—a German uniform.
He raised his rifle, paused slightly, and with a "bang," shot the German down.
Shifty grinned at Parks, then suddenly froze as he stepped forward.
The nearby haystack suddenly opened, and a German soldier emerged from it, raising his rifle at Shifty.
This sudden turn of events instantly paralyzed Shifty.
Although he hadn't heard the gunshot yet, he couldn't take another step.
"God, am I going to die here?" Shifty felt his throat tighten, unable to utter a single word.
"Bang!" A shot rang out, but Shifty's body jolted, and the German soldier who had just emerged from the haystack fell backward, his entire body toppling headfirst onto the haystack.
"Damn it, Shifty, move quickly, or you'll become a target!" It was Captain Parks' voice.
Shifty suddenly realized that he hadn't been shot; the German soldier had been hit by Captain Parks.
"Follow me, Shifty!" Captain Parks crouched forward and hid behind a low wall.
He said to Shifty, who had rushed over and squatted down, "You listen to my command and watch how I do it. Coordinate with me!"
"Kid, you're lucky!" Landeman, who had been following Parks, grinned at Shifty.
Shifty nodded, feeling that Parks' expression was very serious.
Parks had some thoughts about Shifty.
Before the war, Shifty could keenly discover the benefits of concentrating snipers, so if this was not an accidental Flash of inspiration, then it was a preliminary understanding of this special combat method, which was worth cultivating and might have a great effect in the future.
And Shifty and "Big" Bill Guarnere once again witnessed Parks' special combat methods in assault battles.
His agility, bravery, close combat skills, and clever coordination of small tactics deeply amazed them.
With a "bang!", Shifty kicked open the farmhouse door, then quickly hid behind the wall.
Kicking open the door attracted intense German firepower, but Parks would suddenly appear at the top of the door.
He could hook his legs onto the crossbeam above the door, then hang upside down and fire at the German soldiers inside the house, completely catching them off guard.
Of course, this was just one method: unexpectedly attracting German fire while simultaneously firing from an unexpected location to achieve the goal of eliminating German soldiers.
There were also other techniques, such as sliding and shooting on the ground, and especially close-quarters combat, which opened the eyes of Shifty and Landers, leaving them in awe.
They personally witnessed Parks, while they were being targeted by the German soldiers and he didn't have time to change an empty magazine, throwing his bayonet to pierce a German soldier's throat.
Then, taking advantage of the German soldier's momentary shock, he swiftly moved forward, pulled out the bayonet, and like lightning, slit the throats of two other German soldiers again.
"Thud!" "Thud!" The bodies of two German soldiers fell to the ground.
"God, God!" Even a strong man as steady as Landeman was stunned by Parks' incredible movements.
Parks could always kill German soldiers with the most astonishing actions at critical moments, as effortlessly as killing a chicken.
"Can…can you teach me?" Shifty looked at Parks wiping his bayonet on the German soldier's uniform, couldn't help but swallow, and stammered in surprise.
"And me, Boss, I saw your performance today too, don't leave me behind." Landeman also stared at Parks, as if trying to find something unusual about him.
Ever since the Taccoa training base, although he knew Parks was extraordinarily capable, this kind of close-quarters combat demonstration was truly the first time such sharpness had been displayed.
"All right, if possible, I hope to personally lead you to learn special combat methods and these training methods!" Parks said, making a cutting motion at his neck with the bayonet.
This was a small idea of Parks. He wanted to select some elite soldiers from Easy Company, and then, during training, pilot special training methods, just like the training of special forces in later generations.
They would still have some time to train after the German defeat, so that even if they went to the Pacific Theater, they could be fully used to deal with the Japanese who were still stubbornly resisting.
And now, he needed Shifty and Landers to spread their status within Easy Company, thereby attracting more elite brothers to participate in his plan.
The German forces could no longer resist and began to flee from the village buildings; they were going to escape.
At this moment, the three tiger tanks in the village also served as pioneers for the German retreat, roaring towards the only direction in the village that led to the German rear.
"The Germans are escaping! If we can't contact I Company, we won't be able to flank the Germans!" Landers, seeing the Germans preparing to flee, said to Parks with some anxiety.
Parks nodded, his eyes scanning around, and he spotted a familiar figure, Lieutenant Speirs, hiding behind the wall of a farmhouse about sixty meters away.
"Lieutenant Speirs!" Parks shouted to him, then turned to "Big" Bill Guarnere and said, "Tell the Lieutenant to find a way to contact I Company; we'll provide covering fire for him."
"Big" Bill Guarnere nodded and ran towards Speirs.
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It was the same as in his previous life; Lieutenant Speirs personally ran through the German lines towards I Company on the other side.
This scene was truly too familiar.
But what was different was that Parks had already ordered his brothers to provide cover for his actions.
At first, the German soldiers did not realize that Lieutenant Speirs would suddenly appear in front of them and even pass through their lines.
It was only when Lieutenant Speirs turned back for the second time that they realized what was happening and tried to shoot him, but Parks, Shifty, and some other snipers had already opened fire, and the German soldiers who were about to shoot were hit and fell to the ground.
By the time the German tanks recovered, turned their cannons, and prepared to fire, Lieutenant Speirs had already hidden behind the wall.
"Everyone, clear out!" Parks suddenly saw the tank's gun barrel turn towards their position.
Clearly, they had discovered the snipers covering Speirs.
He grabbed Shifty by the collar and quickly crawled backwards.
With a "boom!", the tank's 88mm cannon penetrated the wall they were using as cover, and the massive explosion sent bricks and stones flying everywhere.
"Thud!" With a heavy thud, both of them fell onto the snowy ground.
Parks landed on top of Shifty, who was unharmed, but Parks felt a sharp pain in his calf.
He rolled over, propped himself up on the snow with his hands, and when he looked up, he saw the tank aiming its cannon at him and Shifty again.
"God, we're finished!" Shifty let out a wail.
"Captain!" Landeman was still with Lieutenant Speirs; he was stunned and cried out desperately to Parks, clearly believing Parks was doomed.
"Boom!" An explosion.
Parks closed his eyes, his body involuntarily shaking, but he wasn't hit.
He suddenly opened his eyes to see the German tank suddenly ablaze; it turned out that men from I Company had used at least three anti-tank rocket launchers to destroy this tank.
Several German soldiers inside the tank were screaming, trying to crawl out.
But as soon as they crawled out, they were shot dead by the brothers.
The destroyed tank fortunately blocked the retreat of the other two German tanks, trapping the entire German force inside the village.
Facing a pincer attack from the American Easy Company and I Company, the German soldiers dropped their weapons, and the tank crew also opened the top hatch, raised their hands, and filed out of the tanks.
Easy Company finally occupied Foy.
Approximately 80 German soldiers surrendered, and the rest were killed.
Initial statistics showed that Captain Parks alone killed over 26 German soldiers, a number that surprised many.
The German forces lost over 57 men in this attack, meaning that the number of German soldiers killed by Parks alone was almost half of the total losses inflicted on the Germans by Easy Company and I Company combined.
This left Captain Winters, who had already arrived with the reserves, dumbfounded.
"Liebgott, take these guys to the barn!" Parks shouted loudly at Liebgott, who was guarding the prisoners, then watched Liebgott grin, give him a thumbs-up, and proudly escort the prisoners past Parks.
"How is it?" Winters frowned, looking at Parks' injured left leg.
His calf was already bandaged, with fresh blood seeping through, staining a large part of the bandage red.
"It's nothing serious, a bullet went through the calf, thankfully, it didn't cause any muscle tearing damage, it should heal soon!" Parks smiled, propping himself up with his rifle butt on the ground, using the muzzle of the rifle as support.
"God, Reese, is this a prophecy from God?" Welsh rushed over from the side, shouting excitedly at Parks as he walked.
"A prophecy, what's going on? Harry!" Captain Winters said to Welsh, who had walked up to him.
Welsh looked at the smiling Parks and shook his head, "This guy, I don't know what got into him before the attack, he suddenly told me that if he got injured, I should take over command and tell the brothers not to stop.
Look, hasn't it come true now?"
Winters couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head, then looked at Parks and said, "Next time, it's best to pray to God when you make a prophecy!"
Then he looked at Parks' leg again, "Are you sure you're alright? You should rest for a few days and let Harry take over your command.
Anyway, after this battle, we shouldn't have any major operations!"
Parks thought for a moment, then nodded, "Alright, I hope so!"
He knew that after the battle of Foy, Easy Company would likely continue to participate in defending against German counterattacks on Foy, and might even launch an attack on a village called Cobblough, east of Noville.
But for now, his leg really needed a few days of rest; he didn't want to cripple his leg over a minor injury.
And when the brothers were together, there were indeed many emotions and thrilling scenes to describe.
After participating in the filming of the war correspondent's documentary, they gathered together, constantly expressing their opinions on their performance in this battle.
And Landers and Shifty commented the most on Parks' miraculousness in combat.
"Heavens, "Big" Bill Guarnere, are you sure you're not telling us the story of Flash?" Cobb suddenly said to Landers.
"No, I believe it!" Liebgott suddenly raised a hand and said, "I personally saw him hit a sniper two hundred meters away while running!"
"I believe it too, I think the Boss is capable of even more." Guarnere chuckled, "Even if you say he can shoot the wings off a fly, it's possible!"
Easy Company suffered 11 wounded and no fatalities in the attack on Foy.
Among the wounded was Captain Parks, the commanding officer of Easy Company.
After occupying Foy, Easy Company and the other companies of the Second Battalion were stationed as reserves on the south side of the village, while the Third Battalion of the 506th Regiment entered Foy and took on the defense of the village.
"I can't believe someone like you would go to the hospital!" Welsh said his goodbyes to Parks, unable to resist patting Parks on the shoulder.
"Maybe you really should do as Dick said!"
"What did Dick say?"
"Confess to God every time you say something idiotic!" Welsh chuckled.
But Parks saw concern and worry in his eyes and couldn't help but shake his head and smile.
"It's nothing major! Do you think this injury counts for anything?" Parks smiled slightly, then patted Welsh on the shoulder.
By his side was Dr. Luo, ready at all times, who would be responsible for sending Lieutenant Parks to the aid station in Bastogne, which was already a relatively large aid station with complete medical equipment and a continuous supply of logistical materials.
Parks smiled at Welsh and said, "Harry, I'll be back soon, don't worry about me, lead the band of brothers well."
He nodded to Dr. Luo, then limped into the jeep.
As soon as he sat down, he heard Dr. Luo, who was still standing, say to Parks, "Captain, I think you should get down and take a look."
"What?" Parks turned his head and looked back, then he froze.
Behind him, a group of people were walking towards him, clearly the band of brothers from Easy Company.
Leading the way was White, with whom he had a very good relationship, and Sergeant Talbert walked shoulder to shoulder with him.
Behind them were almost all the men of Easy Company.
"Heavens, it looks like quite a scene!" Lieutenant Welsh couldn't help but mutter, then moved aside.
He had to make room for these band of brothers.
To be honest, it touched him a little that Parks was so beloved by almost all the band of brothers in Easy Company.
He usually only thought this in his heart, but now that it was displayed, it was still somewhat shocking.
No officer had ever received such treatment, not even in the entire 101st Airborne Division.
"Boss, are you just going to leave like that?" White was the first to walk towards Parks, who was getting out of the car, and then hugged him.
"I heard you were injured, and I was shocked.
This is probably more surprising than Hitler planning to attack Washington, America.
This is a big deal, so we came to see you."
"Thank you, buddy!" Parks tightly clasped White's hand and smiled, "Hitler won't be able to attack Washington, but we might parachute into Berlin!"
"Boss, what I want to say is, fortunately, you only suffered a minor injury!" Talbert chuckled, "So the band of brothers can finally rest assured.
Look at these guys, they always wanted to come over."
"Alright, thank you, but I'm just going to the aid station for a few days.
When I saw you all come over just now, I thought I had been severely wounded by the German army.
It's nothing!" With that, Parks limped over to the band of brothers and shook hands with them one by one.
"Hey, Boss, you were too valiant this time.
I think, as Liebgott said, you are the Flash.
Shifty even said you could shoot the wings off a fly!" Cobb shouted loudly from behind the crowd.
"Shut up, Cobb!" Liebgott yelled back, then smiled, "I wish Boss was the Flash, then we should be packing our bags and going home now.
Can Hitler stop the Flash?"
A burst of laughter immediately erupted in the crowd.
Just then, someone suddenly shouted, "Alright, guys, we should say something to the Captain."
It was Malarkey holding a camera in his hand.
"I traded this from that reporter for a German watch, and it only lets me use it for an hour.
Alright, you all come one by one, what do you want to say to the Boss?" Malarkey had borrowed it from war correspondent Labov through bribery, and Labov had promised him that he would send him the recording as a souvenir in the future.
This greatly tempted Malarkey.
Of course, Labov also wanted to know a more complete image of Captain Parks in the hearts of the Easy Company band of brothers.
Of course, in this battle, he also saw something beyond a wise commander—bravery, an unstoppable aura, and his unparalleled combat qualities.
"No, no, let's take a group photo with the Boss!" Christenson shouted at Malarkey, "He's going to Bastogne, not Washington.
Let's sing! I like this the most!"
"When my girlfriend sent me to Taccoa, she sang, and I liked it!" Muck loudly agreed with a chuckle from the side.
"We pulled the risers, and landed in the grass."
Suddenly, someone started singing, "We don't land on our feet, we always land on our butts / Almighty God, who are we? We are the damn paratroopers..."
Then the band of brothers gradually joined in the sound, shouting at the top of their lungs, facing Malarkey's camera lens, without any scruples, even crudely and wildly yelling.
"...We pulled the risers, and landed in the grass / We don't land on our feet, we always land on our butts / Almighty God, who are we? / We are the damn paratroopers..."
This was the song most frequently sung by the band of brothers when they were at Taccoa Barracks.
Now, singing this song, especially for the veterans, seemed to transport them back to the summer of 1942.
The scenes of their training climbing Mount Currahee seemed vivid in their minds.
Now, in such snow, singing such a song, unconsciously, everyone tightly held each other's hands.
This brought them warm yet bittersweet memories.
Easy Company now has only 68 veterans left who have fought from Normandy until now, and after several reinforcements, there are only about 107 people in total.
Many have already died in battle or returned to America due to injuries.
And the veterans are the most steadfast force following Parks, and they have a blind trust in Parks.
They always believe that Parks can bring them the final victory and will allow them to return to America alive, back to their homes.
But Parks himself felt that he was also trying his best to achieve this.
However, veterans were still constantly getting injured or even dying.
But no matter what, this result was already much lower than the casualty rate of the original band of brothers veterans.
And not counting the casualties before Parks became company commander, in fact, since Parks became company commander, veterans have rarely suffered casualties.
White pulled Parks into the middle of the band of brothers, and then the band of brothers, centered around Parks, faced Malarkey's camera in a fan shape, loudly expressing their blessings to Parks.
"Alright, I only have one thing to say, Boss, I hope I can see you when I open my eyes tomorrow!" This was Lipton expressing himself, "Then tell me, Lipton, gather the band of brothers, we are going to retreat to Momion Camp!"
"Heavens, Lipton, you're dreaming!" Malarkey, holding the camera, couldn't help but shout out.
"Damn it, Malarkey, you better hold that damn camera, it's my turn, it's my turn!" Guarnere squeezed to the front, then adjusted his collar in front of the camera, and then exaggeratedly chuckled a few times, saying, "Hey, Boss, I could have said this to your face, but we have to leave precious memories, so I'll just treat this dark thing as your face!"
His words immediately drew a burst of laughter, and someone urged, "Mr. Gonorrhea, hurry up, this is shorter than your time in the restroom, don't make us wait too long!" Immediately, there was another burst of laughter.
Guarnere cleared his throat twice, then nodded and said, "Alright, alright, guys, listen up.
Alright, Boss, what I want to say is, I request to join your special team.
Don't hide it, now Shifty and "Big" Bill Guarnere have admitted it, they said they want to form a special team.
I think I'm an old-timer from Taccoa Barracks, so I should be qualified to join, right?"
"Oh, God, wait!" Malarkey suddenly put away the camera, then turned and glared at Captain Parks, saying, "Boss, this isn't fair, why don't we know about this?
I'm also from Taccoa.
If Guarnere has a share, I should have a share too.
Boss, you have to be fair!"
As soon as these two spoke, the entire surrounding band of brothers erupted, clearly unaware of this matter's existence, had it not been for Guarnere's words just now.
Parks knew he had to say a few words now.
He nodded to the band of brothers around him, and after they quieted down, he began, "Yes, band of brothers, I do have such a plan, and I am preparing to apply to my superiors.
But not now.
My plan is that after the war in Europe ends, if the band of brothers still want to stay in the army, they can consider my plan."
As soon as Parks finished speaking, many people fell silent.
They also had their own plans in their hearts.
After the European war ended, what they most wanted was to return home as quickly as possible, and now they were fighting hard in such an environment precisely to return home early.
Continuing to stay in the military was indeed not a decision that could be made in a short time.
This reaction was expected.
Parks nodded, and he smiled at the band of brothers, "Alright, guys, I have to say goodbye now.
Think carefully about what I said.
I respect everyone's choice."
With that, he limped into the jeep.
"Boss, don't forget what I just said, I'm serious." Guarnere shouted from behind.
"Me too!" Malarkey also loudly added from behind.
The jeep sped away from Foy, cruising along a newly opened path in the forest, with large trees and bare, bombed tree trunks flashing past behind the car.
"Captain—" Just then, Dr. Luo, who was sitting next to Parks, suddenly spoke.
He looked at Parks somewhat shyly and said, "If possible, I would also like to participate.
I think it would be very meaningful.
That's how it is for me!" His eyes were firm.
"Are you talking about the special team?" Parks suddenly smiled slightly at him.
"Yes, sir!"
"I'll consider it!" Parks nodded.
The car left two deep tire tracks in the snow, extending backward all the way to the distant, snow-covered houses of Foy, where the band of brothers of Easy Company stood guard...
The aid station in Bastogne was as busy as ever; it had been bustling since the American forces began their offensive. Dr. Luo once again witnessed scenes reminiscent of his time defending Bastogne: blood, screams, curses, and occasionally, the scolding of doctors. The gentle whispers and busy scurrying of nurses only added to the tension of the aid station.
"Renee!" Dr. Luo watched the blue headscarf flitting like a butterfly through the aid station's storeroom and couldn't help but call out. He, supporting Captain Parks, smiled at Renee, who was not far away.
Renee glanced at Dr. Luo, and a smile suddenly appeared in her tired eyes. She settled a wounded soldier with a leg injury, then walked over, instinctively wiping her hands on her fabric skirt a few times.
"Eugene?" Her eyes smiled at Dr. Luo, then she saw Captain Parks, whom he was supporting, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Captain Parks? Are you injured?"
Parks nodded and said with a bitter smile, "It seems so. I think I'll have to stay here for a few days."
"It's his calf, pierced by a fragment. It might have damaged muscles and nerves. Captain Winters insisted that Captain Parks come over!" Dr. Luo said, looking around, "I hope there's a doctor who can take a look at him! Renee."
Renee also peered inside and saw a doctor hurrying through the storeroom. She nodded at Dr. Luo, then jogged towards that doctor and called out to him. Parks and Dr. Luo watched Renee talking to that doctor. Then, that doctor looked over impatiently. He saw Parks, and Parks also saw him, and couldn't help but inwardly exclaim, "It seems like fate, it's the same doctor who questioned me that day about why we were moving the aid station."
"This is terrible!" Parks muttered under his breath, but a smile still lingered on his face as he watched that doctor walk towards him, though the doctor's face was expressionless.
"What did you say, sir?" Dr. Luo clearly hadn't heard Parks's mutter.
"No, no, nothing!" Parks's lips curved into a bitter smile, then he extended his hand towards that doctor, trying his best to maintain a smile, "We meet again, but this time the circumstances are a bit strange! May I ask how I should address you, Doctor!"
That doctor sized up Parks, then nodded, "Dr. Repisir! We meet again, Captain Parks!" He shook Parks's hand, but quickly let go.
"I'm very sorry, Dr. Repisir, I apologize for what happened last time!" Parks decided to clear up the misunderstanding between them and proactively brought up the previous incident.
Dr. Repisir shook his head and said, "No, I'm the one who should apologize. If it weren't for you, we might all have been buried under the rubble. Thank you for your warning. You're injured, Renee told me, let me examine your wound." He then turned his head and said, "We can sit over there." There was a makeshift platform there.
"Okay, thank you!" Parks let Dr. Luo help him walk over, then Dr. Luo carefully lifted his leg onto the platform. Parks looked at him and said, "Alright, Eugene, I'm fine now. Go back to your brothers, they'll need you more. Renee and Dr. Repisir are here, I'll be fine!"
Dr. Luo looked at Dr. Repisir and Renee. Renee nodded at him, signaling him to rest assured.
"Alright, I'm leaving, sir. I hope you recover soon, your brothers are waiting for you!" Dr. Luo then walked towards the storeroom's entrance, but after only two steps, he turned his head and said to Parks, "Sir, I hope you'll consider me, I've already made up my mind!" He then glanced at Renee again before walking out.
Renee looked at Parks, hesitating to speak. Clearly, she wanted to know what Dr. Luo's 'consideration' was about. But Dr. Repisir, who was examining Parks's injury, impatiently interrupted her, "Nurse, stop daydreaming, do your job. Please hand me the forceps, I need those, and disinfectant!"
Renee's face suddenly turned red, like a little girl whose thoughts had been exposed. She left somewhat flustered! Parks looked at Dr. Repisir and smiled helplessly. He was a bit too serious.
"You must think I'm very serious!" Dr. Repisir looked at Parks and said calmly, "Knowing something is impossible, yet still thinking about it, that affects work. My requirement is very simple: absolutely no distractions during work. Otherwise, we will only bring greater pain to these injured people."
Parks nodded. Dr. Repisir's words were correct.
"Alright, I'm going to inject you with anesthetic!" Dr. Repisir straightened up and said, "I'm going to open your wound to see the situation inside, and then make a judgment. This will be beneficial for your quick recovery. Of course, if you want to stay here for more than a month, I can choose not to do this, and I will adopt the most conservative treatment!"
"No, no, do what you think is right!" Parks quickly interrupted him, "Also, don't use anesthetic. I don't like it. For someone like me, it only slows down the body's functions. I don't want to do that!"
"You don't need anesthetic?" Dr. Repisir looked at Parks in surprise, then nodded, "Alright, no anesthetic is fine. I just want to see the situation inside. Did the shrapnel really penetrate? Oh, no, Dr. Luo's judgment was flawed. There might be shrapnel inside." At this point, Dr. Repisir looked at both ends of the wound. Clearly, the state of the wound indicated that there must still be shrapnel inside. On this point, Dr. Luo was indeed not as professional as Dr. Repisir.
"Nurse, I still need anesthetic!" Dr. Repisir shouted loudly at Renee, who was walking over.
"Dr. Repisir, I think you didn't hear me clearly. I don't need anesthetic!" Parks had to remind him again. In fact, he had encountered situations worse than this many times in his previous life, and some of them he had even handled himself, digging out necrotic flesh to find shrapnel or bullet fragments. Although this was the first time he had faced such a situation in this life, he believed he could endure it.
"I am the doctor, I have the right to make decisions!" Dr. Repisir looked coldly at Parks.
Parks also looked steadily at Dr. Repisir and said, "I am the owner of this wound, Doctor. I know my own physical condition. Let me tell you again, I don't need anesthetic."
Dr. Repisir looked at him incredibly, and said blankly, "Captain, I'm offering you this kind suggestion because you saved everyone in this aid station. I don't want your shouting and any twisting of your body during the operation to affect other doctors and patients, and cause my operation to fail."
"Yes, I don't need anesthetic, I insist on my opinion!" Parks still didn't back down.
At this moment, a voice came from beside them, "What are you two doing?" It was Renee. She had brought the necessary surgical supplies and was staring wide-eyed at the two men who seemed to be sulking, asking in confusion.
"No, no, nothing. I'm just discussing some minor personal matters with the doctor, unrelated to the surgery! Alright, Doctor, if I cause you any trouble, you can always do as you see fit, how about that?" Parks proposed a solution that both could accept, which finally made Dr. Repisir reluctantly agree.
After disinfecting the wound, Dr. Repisir picked up the scalpel. At this moment, Renee, who was nearby, hesitated and added, "Doctor, you haven't used anesthetic yet!"
"Follow Captain Parks's instructions!" Dr. Repisir glared at Renee, "Just do your job, Nurse!" He said, picking up the scalpel, and with a single cut, he opened the wound a bit more. This allowed him to better observe the situation inside the wound.
Parks frowned, but he didn't move. Clearly, the sharp pain of the scalpel cutting through the skin was indeed somewhat agonizing, but it was nothing. The most important thing was that Dr. Repisir would soon use forceps to search for shrapnel inside.
Captain Parks's reaction to that cut satisfied Dr. Repisir; he didn't move at all. Even if a person were tied down, they couldn't achieve such stillness. Dr. Repisir was very experienced. For many injuries and illnesses, during surgery, if there was truly no anesthetic, their piercing screams and bodies trembling and struggling even when tied to the operating table always caused a headache.
"Alright, alright, now it's time to find the shrapnel!" Dr. Repisir's words were clearly a warning to Parks.
The forceps were deeply embedded in the wound, then rummaged around inside. That pain, more agonizing than tearing, instantly spread throughout his body. If he couldn't endure it, his whole body would convulse and twitch. But none of these reactions were seen in Parks. He remained motionless, as if he had been given anesthetic, even giving Dr. Repisir the illusion that he had indeed been given anesthetic.
"The wound is very smooth, muscle damage is minimal, and no nerves or other tissues were cut. You can only say you're very lucky. Such a wound is truly... truly very lucky!" Dr. Repisir could only say that, because when the shrapnel was still embedded, there was only a small, smooth wound, and the shrapnel hadn't damaged bone or nerves.
With a light 'clink,' the shrapnel fell into the nearby pan. Dr. Repisir turned to Renee and said, "Disinfect Captain Parks's wound and bandage it." He then gently removed his gloves and looked at Parks with admiration, saying, "This is the first time I've seen someone like you. I don't know whether to admire you or call you a fool!"
"Don't think anything!" Parks shook his head and smiled, "I want to know when I can return to my brothers. You know, I don't want to stay here for another day."
"If it's quick, about four days. If it's slow, a week or even half a month is possible! I can't guarantee that; it depends on your physique and physical functions!" Dr. Repisir nodded at Parks and said, "Captain, even though you once saved us, I've always been indifferent, but today, I truly admire you. Your brothers respect and love you, and that's no accident. You have the qualities that command respect."
"I'm not here to hear that. If you can get me back faster, then I should be the one admiring you, Doctor!" Parks chuckled at him. Then Dr. Repisir waved his hand at Parks, leaving him to Renee. At that moment, a nurse was shouting for the doctor again, and he ran off without looking back.
"A good man!" Captain Parks smiled slightly at Dr. Repisir's retreating back.
"Yes, he's like that. Serious at work, but a really good person!" Renee carefully bandaged Parks.