Hubler, you're so lucky!
Ellie shouted at him from the side, "The shrapnel just went through your thigh. Just pretend it took a wrong turn and left!"
"Damn it, Ellie, what kind of talk is that? God, I don't want to stay in that dull, nauseating aid station. To be honest, I don't like the smell there!" Hubler said, continuing to ramble, "I never thought I'd finally get injured, Ellie, can you believe it? I've been fighting since Normandy, through countless battles big and small. Even following Captain Parks on rescue missions, or Operation Panther, or the most recent patrol, I've never been injured. Isn't that a miracle?"
Ellie glanced at him and said, "What do you want to show off? Yes, I've been injured, but what does that matter? Not being injured doesn't prove anything, does it? I know what you're getting at. You want to tell me, 'Look, Ellie, I've done a lot of big things with Captain Parks, and now I've just got a minor injury,' right? Hubler, is that what you're thinking?"
"God, you've really guessed it!" Hubler chuckled, "But there's no prize!"
At this moment, the German bombing continued. The power of aerial bombs was much greater than artillery shells, stirring up huge air currents everywhere, even blowing off the thick wooden covers on some bunkers. If a bunker was directly hit, even the sturdiest one couldn't withstand a direct hit from an aerial bomb.
The jeep sped across the snow, shells constantly exploding nearby. Thankfully, it wasn't daytime, so the jeep could calmly dodge some bombs. Dr. Luo was still worried about the situation at the aid station in Bastogne. Although he had clearly told Renee that the German might bomb heavily tonight, he still wanted to see it with his own eyes.
When the jeep arrived at Bastogne, it had already been bombed. The anti-aircraft guns positioned in Bastogne and nearby were continuously firing into the sky. Although they were only guessing at targets, it always offered some comfort to desperate people. The shells fired by the anti-aircraft guns formed fiery snakes in the air, winding and accompanied by rhythmic firing sounds. Fire was everywhere, and the bombed areas were ablaze, the bright, flickering flames illuminating the surroundings in a brilliant red.
The area was now full of fire, and people were constantly wailing. Many soldiers were running around, helping the wounded, including some local residents. Although Captain Winters had arranged for a reserve battalion to clear the way in Bastogne, some local residents there hadn't taken it seriously, and now they were experiencing the taste of being bombed.
"Move, move!" Dr. Luo kept shouting. He had to clear a path through the constantly moving crowd to get the wounded to the aid station.
"Whoosh--" A bomb, with a sharp whistle, once again fell from the sky.
"Ah, damn it!" Dr. Luo didn't care about anything else. He stepped forward, picked up the wounded soldier lying on the hood of the jeep, and pressed him down. He couldn't let the wounded soldier be bombed again, suffering a second injury, in his hands.
"Boom!" With a loud bang, a shell hit a mobile building by the roadside. A wall collapsed with a crash, and a stone flew over, hitting his steel helmet with a thud.
"God!" The driver suddenly slammed on the brakes. He shouted at Dr. Luo, who was lying on the wounded soldier, "Doctor, are you injured?"
Dr. Luo felt his head being violently struck. Although it hurt, he didn't feel injured. He stood up and shouted to the driver, "No, I'm fine, we need to get the wounded over quickly."
"Here it is!" Dr. Luo cried out, then jumped out of the jeep and quickly ran towards the aid station. It had already been reduced to ruins; the entire aid station was gone. His face was full of surprise. Although he prayed that everyone there had already evacuated, he couldn't help but run towards it, worried.
He found nothing. Everything inside was buried by the collapsed rubble. He looked around blankly, seeing nothing. It was too dark. He ran out again and saw someone running past the building. He grabbed one of them and shouted at him, "Where did the people here go? Are they still here?"
The soldier looked at him and shouted, "There's no one here anymore, Doctor. If you need to find them, go in this direction, turn about fifty meters away, there's a building—damn it, it used to be a hotel, I think—they're in the basement downstairs, Doctor, I have to go." With that, he broke free from Dr. Luo's hand and quickly ran in one direction!
Dr. Luo was overjoyed. Clearly, the aid station had moved, and Renee should be fine; she must be alive. With this realization, he suddenly felt much lighter. Even with such a massive explosion, he still felt it was nothing; the most important person was still there, so it was nothing! He quickly jumped onto the jeep and shouted, "Let's go, in this direction. I think I've found them!"
Yes, he found Renee in the basement of that hotel. It was large and spacious, but it was full of wounded. The lightly injured sat there, while the severely injured were pushed around, some undergoing surgery on operating tables. Some loudly cried "Mama," some viciously cursed Hitler and the Germans, and others sat dully on the ground, silent; they were either terrified by the German bombing or had lost all will to fight and become numb.
"Hurry, there's a severely wounded soldier here!" He shouted at the doctors inside. A Black nurse girl ran over; he had seen her before and knew about her from Renee's words. "He has a gunshot wound to the abdomen, but it didn't hit an artery. He needs immediate surgery. Let's carry him down and hand him over to the doctor. You take care of him!" With that, he and the Black girl worked together to carry the wounded soldier down and walked towards the innermost part, where there was a makeshift operating table and busy doctors.
"The injury is severe, immediate surgery is needed!" A doctor examined the wounded soldier, then said to Dr. Luo, "Help me take good care of him, I'll be done with this surgery soon. Help me unbutton his clothes, find the wound, and clean it thoroughly!"
"Alright!" Dr. Luo nodded, then unbuttoned the wounded soldier's clothes and used gauze to wipe away the bloodstains near the wound.
"There's a severely wounded soldier here, Doctor!" At this moment, a familiar voice came over.
When Dr. Luo instinctively looked, he saw the familiar blue headscarf and couldn't help but freeze for a moment, then shouted at her, who was tending to the wounded, "Renee!"
The blue headscarf turned, saw Dr. Luo, paused, then smiled sweetly at Dr. Luo and said, "Eugene? Eugene, it's good to see you, are you doing well?"
"I'm fine!" Dr. Luo said. At this moment, the doctor came over and took his hand. He walked towards Renee, looked at the wounded soldier, then checked his thigh, and said to Renee, "It's not very serious, the artery wasn't severed, you can handle it. I'll help you!" With that, he took the gauze from Renee's hand and began to clean the wound, "There's shrapnel inside, we need to take it out, and don't damage the artery. That way, he'll keep this leg and his life!"
Renee paused, then looked at the busy Dr. Luo, and couldn't help but gently brush a strand of hair from her forehead. She suddenly realized that this seemingly serious man had, intentionally or unintentionally, touched her heart. But she didn't dwell on it; in war, nothing could be dwelled upon, nor could she continue to expect anything.
"Alright, found it, Renee, I need tweezers!" While Renee was lost in thought, she heard Dr. Luo's voice beside her ear. Her face was a little red, but it wasn't easy to spot; the light wasn't very good. She quickly walked inside, touched her slightly burning face, and felt a blossoming emotion in her heart.
"Here you go, Eugene, the tweezers!" She turned back again and handed the tweezers to Dr. Luo. Then she heard Dr. Luo's relaxed laughter, "Found it, got it out." With that, he tossed the extracted shrapnel into the plate nearby, making a crisp "clink" sound.
"Thank God!" Renee clasped her hands together, then closed her eyes, making a gesture of prayer. Suddenly, she felt something sliding on her face. When she opened her eyes, she saw Dr. Luo's faint smile, and his hand gently wiping her face with gauze.
Seeing Renee open her eyes, Dr. Luo suddenly stopped, looking at her with some hesitation, "Your face—there was blood on your face, I wiped it for you!" "Thank you!" Renee didn't object. Then he began to deftly help the wounded soldier clean the dirty blood around the wound, disinfect it, and quickly bandage the wound.
"I have to go!" Dr. Luo looked at her and nodded, "They need me on the front line!"
"I know!" Renee's expression was a little dim, then she stood up resolutely. Dr. Luo also stood up, and just as he was about to say goodbye, Renee suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and her soft lips pressed tightly against Dr. Luo's. Before he could savor anything, Renee walked in another direction, where someone was shouting "Nurse!"
Dr. Luo was stunned, as if in a dream. He looked at the blue butterfly dancing gracefully in front, couldn't help but pause, then resolutely turned and ran outside. He quickly jumped into the jeep and shouted to the driver, "To the front line, quickly." The jeep roared, made a turn, and sped towards the front line once again.
The bombing on the front line still hadn't stopped, explosions kept coming, and calls for a doctor still came intermittently.
Eugene!" Dr. Luo had just jumped out of the jeep and hadn't run far when he met Staff Sergeant Li Pu head-on. He shouted at Dr. Luo, "Carson is injured, he's in the bunker in front of you, hurry over."
Just as Dr. Luo was about to rush towards Carson, suddenly there was a shrill sound of a shell falling. Lipton shouted at him from behind. Dr. Luo then felt something push him down, followed by a huge explosion near his ear. His ears gradually became somewhat deaf, his consciousness blurred, feeling dizzy and disoriented, his entire face almost pressed into the snow.
"Damn it!" Dr. Luo shook his dizzy head, feeling someone heavily pressing down on him, then rolling off him and shouting loudly, "Doctor, you need to take care of yourself, don't blindly rush forward, watch out for bombs!"
It was Staff Sergeant Li Pu's voice, and then he was pulled up. He brushed the snow off himself and said gratefully, "Thanks, Lipton!" With that, he continued to rush towards Carson.
"I don't want to die here, I don't want to die here!" Cabastel sat trembling in the dugout, his hands tightly gripping his shoulders, his rifle thrown to the side. His face was pale, and his whole body was shaking. It was clear that a new recruit like him was terrified by such intense bombardment. He kept muttering these words, the only comfort he could give himself.
"You'd better pray to God!" Donald, who was hiding in the same dugout as him, yelled at him. He couldn't stand this guy's cowardly demeanor. Even though he was a new recruit, when he first participated in the Battle of Carrington, although he was scared, he still charged forward. And when his friend Brown died, he swore to train himself to be a stone-hearted person; he should not be soft on Germans, and he should not be afraid of them.
"Boom!" A loud explosion blew off many of the wooden covers on their dugout. Some pieces of wood fell directly into the dugout, striking Donald, who immediately pulled Cabastel, who was no longer moving. A thick piece of wood landed where Cabastel had just been. Their dugout was now open to the sky.
"Damn it, are you trying to kill me?" Donald grabbed Cabastel by the collar, shoved him hard against the dugout's dirt wall, and then spat on the ground at him.
"No, no, we're finished, our dugout is finished. Sergeant, let's run!" Cabastel panicked. He had no idea what to do. He just wanted to escape this place. The open-top dugout made him feel very unsafe. He wanted to run to Stenson's dugout next door, which was still intact.
Cabastel didn't hesitate. He wanted to leave immediately. He scrambled up recklessly, climbed out of the dugout, and was about to run towards the adjacent dugout. But this action startled Donald. If he ran out of the dugout at this moment, the consequences were obvious and predictable. He couldn't help but curse, "Country bumpkin!" Then he chased after him, trying to drag him back.
"Stop, damn it, come back!" Donald yelled at him, grabbing him from behind. Just as he was about to drag him back into the dugout, a bomb suddenly fell from the sky.
"God, this guy got me killed!" Donald cried out his last words. He saw the bomb, like a giant meteorite, land three meters away from him, its body almost entirely buried in the snow. He barely had time to think, about to tackle Cabastel, but the bomb landed and only stayed for two seconds before a "boom" erupted. The massive air blast lifted both of them into the air, and with the tearing of limbs, they then fell heavily to the ground.
"Do…ctor." After Donald fell heavily to the ground, he saw Cabastel, like a sack of potatoes dropped from a shoulder, make a dull sound and then lie motionless. He tried to call for a doctor, but only a gurgling, phlegm-like sound came from his throat, followed by gushes of blood pouring from his mouth.
His eyes began to lose focus, and he gradually felt the coldness of the snow. He felt very cold and light, making him instinctively want to hug his body, but he couldn't move at all. His consciousness gradually blurred, and his vision slowly darkened. He heard someone calling his name, and in the blurry image, it seemed to be Dr. Luo, along with his loud shouts.
"Brown—" Donald wanted to call his friend. Scenes flashed quickly through his mind: life at Taccoa Barracks, falling from the fiery sky over Normandy, charging towards Carrington behind Brown, Brown's desperate eyes, and the letter fluttering in the wind in his hand… Then there was a thunderous sound, and everything was silent in darkness.
"Damn it, how is he?" Someone shouted loudly, it was Staff Sergeant Li Pu's voice.
"He's wounded all over, his femoral artery is severed, damn it, I can't find it, he's wearing too many layers!" It was Dr. Luo's voice, filled with anxiety and unwillingness.
"Look at me, look at me, Donald, you'll be fine, hang in there, damn it, you have to hang in there!" Another voice was shouting anxiously and frantically, it was Hubler's voice.
Dr. Luo tore open his clothes and examined the wounds on his body, constantly wiping away the blood gushing from the grotesque wounds: "Hubler, help me press it, quickly, press the chest wound!"
"Doctor!" Staff Sergeant Li Pu pressed the artery on Donald's neck, then suddenly shouted at Dr. Luo.
"Hurry, I need to find the wound on his thigh!" Dr. Luo roared.
"Doctor, he's dead!" Staff Sergeant Li Pu yelled at Dr. Luo, then slumped to the ground. They had dragged Donald into his own dugout for first aid, but it was all in vain.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Dr. Luo suddenly threw the blood-soaked gauze hard onto the ground, then sat down woodenly and dejectedly on the ground inside the dugout, his face terribly pale.
One shell claimed two lives. Cabastel's head was directly severed in half by shrapnel; he was already dead when he was thrown into the air, and he fell as nothing more than a corpse. Donald was riddled with shrapnel, and in several places, arteries were directly severed by shrapnel. This was Donald's second injury, but he would never have another chance to be injured again.
"Heavens!" Hubler covered his face with both hands, sitting dejectedly in the dugout, his gaze blank.
Sergeant Donald was a veteran from Taccoa Barracks. He had been with his brothers since he first entered the military camp for training. Although at times he had crossed his brothers' boundaries, he later truly proved himself to be a brave man, demonstrating through his actions that he was a brother to everyone in Easy Company. He had experienced countless battles, big and small, and was very experienced, but in this icy and snowy land, in the eyes of his comrades, he died helplessly. All that was left for his brothers was a wave of sadness.
No one knew when the bombing ended. Those in this dugout were the first to see the first ray of sunlight after dawn. The dugout's roof had been blown off by the bomb, and sunlight easily shone on everyone's faces. German planes dared not appear during the day; the daytime sky belonged to the Allied, and night was their time to emerge.
Captain Parks walked with some difficulty on the snow. He walked very slowly, but he still had to report yesterday's situation to Captain Winters. Yesterday's bombing had stunned all the brothers. The joyful atmosphere built over several days was gone without a trace overnight by the bombing. They all stayed quietly in their dugouts, only Staff Sergeant Talbert and Staff Sergeant Li Pu patrolled the defense line, constantly urging the non-commissioned officers of each platoon to take care of their brothers.
"Donald and Cabastel are dead. Carson, Muck, Pankala, and Webster are injured, but their injuries are not serious; they'll recover after a day or two at the aid station." Captain Parks felt a bit cold. He stood shivering, reporting to Winters and Nixon, who were sitting in the breezy shed of the company command post.
"Cabastel was killed instantly by the bomb. Donald had his main artery severed by shrapnel! When Staff Sergeant Li Pu and the others found him, he was still alive, but he was wearing too many layers, and the doctor couldn't find the artery to stop the bleeding, so he didn't make it." Parks looked very disheartened.
"Reese, even if you knew, it wouldn't help," Nixon said, looking at Parks's calm demeanor, comforting him, "Once the main artery is severed, it's all over."
"Sit down!" Captain Winters gestured for Parks to sit down, then brought over some coffee brewed in a mug and handed it to Parks, saying, "Have some, it's freshly brewed, it'll do you good!"
Parks nodded, took it, and took a small sip, sighing, "Donald was a veteran from Taccoa Barracks."
"I know!" Captain Winters nodded.
"Now every veteran is a valuable asset to Easy Company, and the brotherhood among veterans is very deep," Parks continued, "They protect each other, trust each other, and even sacrifice their lives for each other. But such veterans are indeed becoming fewer and fewer now. Of the veterans who came out of Takoya, those who were injured and left, killed in action, or transferred, not many are still with the company. Dick, I used to think I could handle such situations, but—but now, I can't bear to see veterans leaving one after another. This feeling is too difficult!"
"I know!" Winters nodded. He felt the same way himself. Although he was now a battalion commander, he had never stopped caring for Easy Company. He particularly cared about those veterans, those who had been with him since training. They were the true spiritual backbone of Easy Company, the reliance for all the brothers who joined later. If one day the veterans couldn't bear it and collapsed, the blow to morale would be devastating and unbearable.
"Talk to the brothers properly!" Winters couldn't think of anything to comfort Parks, because his feelings were the same as Parks's, full of helplessness.
"I know. Now I need to see how severe the damage we sustained is. I also need to urge them to repair the dugouts. I need to go confirm that now!" Parks said, standing up, nodding to Winters and Nixon, and walking outside.
"Reese!" Winters called out to him.
"What?" Parks stopped at the doorway and turned to look at Captain Winters.
"The non-commissioned officers are indispensable to Easy Company. It is they who bind the veterans and new recruits together to form a company. I suggest you talk to the non-commissioned officers first, and then let them do the rest of the work. I believe that in Easy Company, morale is not the worst, after all, it's enough for them to know that you are still the company commander."
Captain Parks nodded and then walked out. He knew Captain Winters was right.
What truly troubled Captain Winters were the other companies.
When they suffered a major blow, they lacked a company commander who could serve as a spiritual pillar, like Captain Parks!
"I'm really a bit worried now!" Winters watched Parks leave and couldn't help but shake his head.
"Worried about Reese?" Nixon glanced at him and chuckled, "You should stop worrying about him; he can handle it!"
Winters smiled at Nixon and said, "It seems you completely misunderstand what I'm saying. Well, I can tell you, I'm not worried about Reese; he doesn't need me to worry about him at all. He does better than me. I'm worried about the other companies. If someone breaks down, we'll have to find a way to remedy it. This time is a heavy blow for us!"
It was indeed a heavy blow.
Many people had already shown signs of breaking down.
When Captain Winters went on patrol, a soldier from the F Company's defensive line ran out of his foxhole alone.
He was digging a pit in the ground with his hands, and when Captain Winters saw him, his hands were already covered in blood.
He was still muttering, "I need to dig a big pit, I want to dig an air-raid shelter!" God, he was going to dig an air-raid shelter with his bare hands.
"It's okay, brother, the battle is over!" Winters said to the soldier as he helped him up, then he called for the F Company's Sergeant and had him take the man to the rear in a jeep, then arrange for him to receive treatment at the aid station.
Winters could only do this; he knew the man had broken down.
Mental breakdowns are contagious; he would infect one brother after another, eventually leading to potentially disastrous consequences.
For this soldier, the battle was over, but many more brothers still had to hold the line.
Easy Company was the company that Captain Winters was most at ease with.
When he patrolled, many of the brothers on Easy Company's defensive line were working, re-repairing their collapsed foxholes.
And some sat together chatting; their faces still showed no signs of dejection, even though Donald's death made many brothers sad, especially the veterans who came from Taccoa Barracks.
But the veterans had learned to hide their emotions, precisely so as not to infect the already frightened new recruits.
Guarnere sat beside a large crater created by a bomb, surrounded by a few people, including Malarkey, White, and Toy.
Evidently, they were discussing Donald.
"Who in this company still counts on those new recruits?" Guarnere seemed to have a grievance.
Yes, they now knew that Donald shouldn't have died.
If it hadn't been for that new recruit, Cabastel, he wouldn't have had to die at all.
Guarnere harbored resentment for the cause of this death, and he directly blamed the new recruits.
"There are far fewer veterans who have been fighting since Normandy, but the new recruits lack discipline.
Damn it, how much longer do we have to put up with them?
Look at Donald; he even lost his own life!" Guarnere rambled, venting his frustration.
Every time a veteran was lost, the veterans would grieve for a while.
This was because there were many feelings between them that could not be compared to those with the new recruits.
Even veteran brothers who hadn't interacted much before now found their bond exceptionally precious.
"God, we still have to go on missions, patrols, and fight Germans with this group of new recruits who have no combat experience.
Honestly, I wish they had never been replenished!" Malarkey interrupted Guarnere, adding a remark.
His face was even gaunter than before, covered in a full beard, making one feel as if his former profession was that of a vagrant!
If he weren't wearing a military overcoat and carrying a rifle!
"I agree with you! Mr. Gonorrhea!" White raised a hand.
He wasn't interested in the new recruits either.
He believed that the new recruits were dragging Easy Company down, causing Easy Company to lose veterans, and the emotions of the veterans were irreplaceable.
"Hey, guys, what are you discussing?" Staff Sergeant Li Pu walked over from that direction.
He had already seen these few people off to the side, seemingly venting some grievances, especially Guarnere, whose expression seemed very agitated.
"Lipton? Why aren't you taking care of those good little babies?" Toy watched Lipton walk over and sit on the edge of the earthen wall, jokingly calling out, "They're new guys who don't know anything, don't let them mess things up again!"
"I knew what you guys were talking about!" Lipton sat down, rubbing his hands.
"Guys, aren't you worried that the new recruits will mess everything up? I'm worried too, I'm more worried than you.
Joe, believe me, that's exactly what I think!"
Toy and the others nodded at Lipton.
They believed what Lipton said was true.
Lipton was one of the most respected Sergeants in the company.
Like Sergeant Talbert, he had put a lot of effort into the company's affairs and the well-being of the brothers.
Many brothers had seen this, and they listened to what Lipton said.
"Listen, guys!" Lipton held his rifle across his body and looked at the four brothers around him.
"We veterans who came together from Normandy are the pillars of Easy Company's existence.
I don't care how the new recruits view us, or how they perform in battle, but we have to face a reality: the brothers who have been fighting since Normandy are getting fewer and fewer.
We need new recruits."
"I know, Winters must know too, Lipton, or perhaps General Taylor knows even better, they need new recruits to fill this damn long defensive line, so the new recruits came!" Malarkey interrupted Lipton, chuckling.
White, Guarnere, and Toy all chuckled involuntarily twice, then stopped.
They heard Lipton continue, "I know, they might be here to fill numbers, but none of us can deny them.
Don't worry about them, we do our part, and they will follow what we do, and everything will be fine!"
"Alright, we know!" White nodded.
"Excellent!" Lipton stood up, then he said to these few people, "Guys, don't forget, we are Sergeants, we have privileges in front of the new recruits, we can ask them to do what we think is right!" As he spoke, he patted Guarnere on the shoulder and turned to leave.
"That's right, we still have privileges!" Toy chuckled, smiling at Guarnere, "Alright, use your privilege to let those new recruit babies know what it means to be a warrior!"
"Lipton, you've got a great idea!" Malarkey shouted, smiling at Lipton's retreating back.
Lipton, who had walked not far, heard Malarkey's words and smiled slightly.
He knew there were many veterans with thoughts like theirs, and being able to move them was the best.
Let them supervise those new recruits.
He walked along the defensive line, comforting veterans like Guarnere and the seemingly bewildered new recruits along the way.
Even new recruits with strong adaptability like Stenson showed a deep-seated fear when facing such intense bombardment for the first time, let alone someone like Vinnie.
And after Donald's death, the veterans seemed to harbor resentment towards the new recruits, which made the new recruits even more at a loss.
Now, besides repairing and reinforcing their foxholes, they would gather together and watch the veterans from afar, who would criticize them.
"Hey, Stenson, how are things?" Lipton came from Guarnere's side and saw Stenson, Vinnie, and other new recruits sitting together, their expressions somewhat dull and blankly staring around.
"What?" Evidently, Stenson hadn't reacted.
"Sergeant, what did you say? Sorry!"
"No need to apologize, guys!" Lipton sat down.
"I just wanted to come over and sit with you all."
Vinnie nodded, and said somewhat dejectedly, "Yes, Sergeant, we fixed the foxholes and are resting here.
The Germans haven't attacked yet, and we have to guard the line."
Lipton nodded and said, "I know.
Are you still sad about Cabastel's death?
I know he was your friend, Stenson, isn't that right?
Don't worry, things will pass.
In war, there is life and death!"
"Yes, sir!" Stenson said somewhat dejectedly.
He had once thought his performance was enough to allow him to integrate into the veteran ranks, but when real problems arose, he was still ostracized by the veterans.
"Don't worry about the veterans' issues!" Lipton directly stated the reason, "I know what you're worried about besides sadness, but I can tell you, don't worry about anything.
Veterans have their own ideas, and so do you.
But no matter what, they and you can only survive by trusting each other in battle."
Several people nodded repeatedly.
Lipton's words lifted their spirits a little.
To be honest, Cabastel's death also deeply saddened the new recruits, but what they found most incomprehensible was the veterans' resulting ostracization of them.
"Do your part, the veterans do the same." Lipton continued, nodding, "So no matter what you think or what the veterans think, doing your part is the best way to integrate into this company!
But to do your part, you have to overcome some things, like fear, like accumulating experience!"
Lipton didn't know if what he said would be effective, but the new recruits all showed respectful attitudes.
They listened to Lipton's words with a half-believing, half-doubting attitude, which was different from the veterans.
The veterans, on the other hand, listened to Lipton's words with the affection of brothers, and the effect was much stronger than the new recruits' mindset of listening to a superior.
Captain Parks had always admired Lipton, and in this issue of new and old integration, he performed even more remarkably.
He was even more active between new recruits and veterans than Sergeant Major Talbert, and it seemed the effect was quite good.
In fact, ever since Momyon, there had been a gap between the veterans and new recruits.
This gap was evident in the conflict between Guarnere and Stenson during Momyon, and it hadn't been resolved well before the departure to Bastogne.
Consequently, during this bombing, the deaths of Donald and Cabastel triggered various emotions between the new and old soldiers.
Lipton was undoubtedly the bond between the brothers.
He maintained the emotional connections among every brother in Easy Company, including between new and old soldiers, between Sergeants, and so on.
And he indeed rallied the brothers of Easy Company, making them tightly knit into a cohesive unit, rather than being like scattered sand.
This was evident from the next morning when Guarnere proactively greeted Stenson.
Captain Parks decided to present a field commission to Captain Winters.
He hoped Lipton's outcome would extend as originally planned; he would be a good officer, a good leader!
The German's second attack came after a long delay, which gave the Easy Company brothers ample time to prepare. This included preparing a lot of sticky explosives, which, to be honest, were an excellent supplement when anti-tank weapons were scarce.
"Martin looked like a flipped log, his butt hitting the ground, and he still told me, 'I'm fine.' I didn't believe him; his butt was already as swollen as a woman's full breasts." Sergeant Lanny, having witnessed Landeman blowing up the German tank, proudly spread the information among the brothers, "Just as the Captain said, that thing is really effective. "Big" Bill Guarnere, if you throw it again, will you miss?" Lanny said while loudly calling out to "Big" Bill Guarnere, who was lying down watching nearby.
"Watch your front line!" Landeman glared at him, biting his cigar. The situation back then was indeed perilous, almost a hair-raising moment; he had blown up the tank himself. If he had been a moment later, Martin or he would have been killed by the Germans, certainly not as relaxed and pleasant as Lanny described.
"You'd better check the field manual. I always feel like the Captain made that thing up himself. Did you bring one?" Lanny looked at Mellott and said, "Have you seen it?"
Mellott shook his head. Lanny then looked at "Big" Bill Guarnere and Martin, and they both shook their heads. Clearly, even if field manuals were issued, few people were willing to truly read them. That was purely asking for trouble. These soldiers, even when idle, would rather look at pornographic magazines or hero comics than read a field manual.
"Looks like I'll have to find one of those things later; maybe it'll come in handy!" Lanny mumbled, but in his opinion, Captain Parks had undoubtedly given them another surprise.
"I don't want to. After this fight, maybe we'll be able to enter Berlin, and Hitler will be captured by us. What do we need that thing for?" Martin shook his head and joked, "If you really want one, maybe finding Webster would be good; that guy likes to collect books, but he's at the aid station now."
The field manual—this might just be a reason Captain Parks made up. No one could find a field manual on them, and no one remembered what would be written in a field manual. In their opinion, those were just books full of nonsense. Moreover, most of them came from different social classes, and many were laborers from the bottom, so not many could read. They had no interest in spending time on a manual. But everyone was willing to believe that this thing was not originally in the field manual but was something Captain Parks himself created. This stemmed from their trust in Parks, which had become somewhat blind.
Captain Winters, during a lull in the German attack, visited Easy Company's front line, discussed his views on the German attack with Captain Parks, and then left. He was taking the rear company to assist F Company, whose front line had almost been breached by the Germans in the morning. Although they had the advantage of the Parks Bunker, the German tanks were rampaging unchecked on their front line.
"Alright, is this the method you mentioned?" Captain Winters looked at Parks twisting a sock full of explosives, stained with lubricant, and couldn't help but smile, "It seems I also need to read the field manual carefully!"
Winters had specifically come to learn this method of destroying tanks. Easy Company had held their front line and destroyed German tanks; it turned out this was their "secret" weapon.
F Company had several bunkers destroyed by German tanks and artillery, and four men were killed, with over a dozen wounded. If not for the bunkers, the casualties would have been far greater. This time, the Germans deployed two company-sized attack forces against Easy Company's front line, while committing three company-sized attack forces to F Company's front line. They focused on F Company as the primary direction to break through, with all artillery targeting F Company instead of being positioned opposite Easy Company's front line. After all, they had suffered heavy losses on Easy Company's front line and had to repeatedly display caution.
The Germans finally launched their attack at 3:45 PM. They didn't want Easy Company's brothers to prepare for so long; it was just that Major Trueshiel was a bit indecisive. He knew that the focus of the German attack had shifted, which meant that as long as he held Easy Company here, he would basically have completed his mission. However, for him, this also essentially meant failure. A change in the main attacking front line indicated that the higher command had lost trust in him.
Regardless, the attack still had to proceed, even if just for show; if it could advance further, that would be even better. So, the Germans began their attack on Easy Company with this mindset, which also caused this attack to be delayed much longer than the previous one.
Major Trueshiel now knew about Easy Company's lack of anti-tank weapons, and he couldn't let tanks go to their deaths at Easy Company. The tanks were not far from Easy Company's front line, providing fire support for the German attack, but they dared not approach closer. However, such fire support was clearly much weaker, only capable of causing some trouble.
The fighting was not very intense. The Germans often rushed to the edge of the forest, then used the cover of large trees to exchange fire with the American forces. They did not want to advance, nor did they dare to. After all, entering the crossfire range of the bunkers meant little hope of survival without tank cover. Instead, exchanging fire with the American forces using large trees as cover allowed them to preserve their lives and indeed, they were attacking, not violating their officers' orders.
And the officers no longer urged their soldiers to charge forward recklessly; they knew it was futile. A strange situation emerged on the entire Easy Company battlefield: it was called an offensive battle, but both armies were exchanging fire under cover, with the Germans refusing to advance a single step. It was called trench warfare, but the Germans had no trenches; they merely used the cover of large trees and were entirely at a disadvantage.
"What in the world are the Germans doing?" Lieutenant Welsh looked at the German attack and couldn't help but say to Parks, somewhat dumbfounded, "This is truly a strange phenomenon; it's the first time I've seen a battle like this!"
"Me too!" Parks smiled and nodded, "The Germans are probably just following orders now, not considering the consequences of those orders. I believe they'll retreat very soon. We all stay in the bunkers; there's no need to attack now." This time, Parks decisively did not attack. Firstly, the Germans were numerous and powerful, and secondly, there were not many favorable situations to exploit. They only needed to hold their front line.
Just as Parks and Welsh were discussing, they suddenly saw the German tank explode with a "boom," fire soaring into the sky, destroyed right there. Then, the German soldiers hiding behind trees and exchanging fire with the Easy Company brothers retreated like a tide, and from the side of the forest came heavy rumbling and the sound of artillery firing.
"Heavens, it's a sherman tank, it's our sherman tank!" Malarkey was the first to shout out. Then came the cheers of the entire Easy Company. After holding out here for so many days, they finally saw another American army, the arrival of an American armored unit, which meant they would no longer be isolated.
"Thank God!" Parks shouted, then slapped Welsh's arm and said, "Harry, it's our turn!" With that, he ran out of the bunker, weaving along Easy Company's front line, shouting, "Guys, hit them hard, don't let up, this is our chance. Hurry, Christenson, don't let your machine gun stop, fire at those sons of bitches!"
The American armored division finally appeared. But they almost missed Bastogne. On the afternoon of December 25th, the Allied 4th Armored Division, after four days of long travel, broke through layers of German defenses and arrived near Bastogne. Its vanguard units were the 37th Tank Battalion and the 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion. Around 3 PM on December 26th, they met at a crossroads on the way to Sibret. The commanders of the two units, Lieutenant Colonel Creighton Abrams and Lieutenant Colonel George Jaques, ordered their troops to halt and discuss the next course of action.
Both were wary of the prospects after crossing Sibret. They worried that pushing too far would lead to their units being surrounded by the Germans, thus losing contact with the follow-up forces.
"Perhaps we should stop!" Lieutenant Colonel Jaques said to Lieutenant Colonel Abrams.
"That's hard to say!" Lieutenant Colonel Abrams hesitated; he wanted to push forward but also worried about being encircled by the Germans, as the main German garrison was still in Sibret.
While the two were discussing, a C-47 was flying low towards Bastogne. The two immediately realized that rescuing Bastogne was more important than crossing Sibret. Abrams's troops led the way. In the twilight of the setting sun, six sherman tanks, under the command of Lieutenant Charles Boggess, advanced towards Assenois and quickly passed through Assenois, beginning to cross a forest on the outskirts of the town along the road.
As Lieutenant Boggess's second wave of tanks crossed the forest, Lieutenant William Dwight, Lieutenant Colonel Abrams's operations officer sitting on a tank, ordered the tanks to drive off the road and machine-gun the German forces in the forest. American infantry jumped off their vehicles, quickly cleared mines from the road, then jumped back on to pursue the vanguard.
The first to encounter Lieutenant Boggess's tank formation was the 326th Airborne Engineer Battalion. They were attacking a German bunker, but their attack was faltering when suddenly the German bunker exploded with a "boom," destroyed amidst a huge roar. One hundred yards away, at the edge of the forest, a tank formation of sherman tanks rumbled towards them. The turret hatch of the lead tank was open, and an American soldier was waving to them.
"sherman tanks, oh, how beautiful!" This was the first reaction of the attacking American soldiers, and then they let out a huge cheer. After many days of arduous fighting, they finally saw an American armored unit appear before them.
At 4:30 PM, Lieutenant Boggess's tank formation set off again. They had follow-up forces and conducted a sweep of the enemy forces on parts of the 101st Airborne Division's Bastogne front line. Coincidentally, they appeared on the battlefield where the Germans were attacking Easy Company's and F Company's front lines.
The German retreat was swift. Not only did their attack on Easy Company rapidly crumble, but their attack on F Company, due to the American armored formation's involvement, also extinguished any hope they had. Their attack was repulsed once more, thus hastily ending this offensive. What awaited them was how to consider holding their own front lines.
At 4:50 PM on December 16, 1944, the German encirclement of Bastogne was completely broken. The 37th Tank Battalion, led by Lieutenant Colonel Abrams, spearheaded the breakthrough of the enemy lines. The 101st Division was finally relieved.
When the sherman tanks appeared on the front line, everyone cheered.
They had finally waited for this day; every day in Bastogne had been a torment!
"Sherman, I love it!" Malarkey shouted loudly at the sherman tank.
"Bastogne welcomes you, you Fourth Armored Division bastards!" Guarnere yelled at the sherman tank, clearly unhappy that these armored units had only just arrived to relieve them.
But no matter what Guarnere thought, the Fourth Armored Division's vanguard was enthusiastically welcomed by the rest of Easy Company's brothers.
After all, this meant they would escape this hellhole and return to Momyon Camp for a period of rest.
This was what the brothers wanted most right now; they felt like they were about to rot.
Captain Parks stood in the snow, smiling as he watched the soldiers' ecstatic expressions, saw them throw their helmets into the sky, blow loud whistles, and each person enthusiastically embrace those from the armored division's vanguard, followed by congratulatory hugs among the brothers.
He couldn't bear to spoil their mood.
The joy was only temporary; after a short rest, they would again be deployed on the front line in Foy, and some would be with D Company, while others would prepare for the final attack on the German forces in Foy.
And he couldn't tell the brothers any of this yet.
Captain Winters and Captain Nixon came from F Company's line; with the help of the armored division, they had routed the German forces and driven them back to their original lines, thus relieving the pressure on F Company.
The German forces were now unable to launch another attack.
After confirming the arrival of the American armored units, they voluntarily withdrew from their original positions, retreating until they established a defensive line in Foy.
The siege of Bastogne was broken.
General Taylor was thus able to arrive and link up with the 101st Airborne Division; he took over command from General McAuliffe and then rode in a jeep to inspect the front lines.
The first company General Taylor visited was Easy Company, because Easy Company had made a very significant contribution during this encirclement, so much so that Colonel Sink had submitted a second request for the Medal of Honor for him.
"Doesn't Sink know that the Medal of Honor can only be awarded once?"
Although General Taylor had great doubts, he still understood that this was a mistake Colonel Sink had deliberately made to strive for the greatest honor.
If the Medal of Honor couldn't be given, then a generous reward had to be given elsewhere.
This was a bargaining chip.
Even though it gave General Taylor a headache, he still felt that the excellence displayed by Captain Parks's company in defense was undeniable.
When General Taylor came to inspect, the brothers were completely unprepared, and of course, they didn't need to prepare anything.
They lit bonfires on the front lines, received a continuous supply of provisions, and could now make fires to roast hot food or boil some hot soup.
"Oh, men, are you cooking stinky beans? I haven't been on the front lines these days, and I really miss this stuff!" General Taylor jumped out of the car and walked towards the brothers, followed by Colonel Sink.
His face was full of warm smiles, trying to move these soldiers who had survived the harsh icy conditions with this warmth.
"General!" Captain Parks went up to him, gently raised his hand to the brim of his cap, and saluted him, saying, "The brothers are looking forward to hot food; this is their greatest luxury while guarding here, and now their wish has been fulfilled."
At this moment, Colonel Sink waved to Captain Winters, who was standing by watching the brothers cook, and said, "Dick, do you have anything to say to the General?"
Captain Winters walked over, nodded to Colonel Sink, and then saluted General Taylor, saying, "Welcome to Bastogne, General!" He said it very casually.
"Captain Winters?" General Taylor nodded to him, then patted his shoulder and said, "Carry on, Captain!" Then he turned to the brothers who had stood up and were watching him, saying, "Soldiers, the hardest time has passed.
We have gotten through the most difficult days, and I am proud of you every moment!"
"Thank you very much, General!" Some scattered voices in the ranks responded to him.
General Taylor nodded, then said loudly to the brothers, "Alright, brothers, continue with your meal, God bless you!" With that, he jumped into the car and left with Colonel Sink.
As soon as Colonel Sink left, the brothers immediately sat back down, grumbling.
Clearly, they were not interested in General Taylor's speech and instead felt he had disturbed them.
"We have gotten through the most difficult days, and I am proud of you every moment!" Luz imitated General Taylor's speech, making the brothers burst into laughter.
His imitation of the tone was very accurate, and he even added an imitation of General Taylor's facial expressions.
"Be careful General Taylor might make you his orderly, so you can feel his pride every day, Luz!" Christenson chuckled at Luz, "He'll also make you cook stinky beans!"
Captain Winters looked at this group of guys, couldn't help but smile and shake his head, then walked aside and gestured to Captain Parks, indicating that he wanted to take a walk with him!
And Captain Parks was just looking for an opportunity to chat with Captain Winters.
"Aren't you afraid of offending General Taylor?" Captain Parks approached Captain Winters, unable to help but smile and say, "General Taylor is proud of us, and you still don't give him a good look."
"He just got back from his Christmas holiday!" Captain Winters shrugged.
"We endured German attacks and shelling in Bastogne just to make General Taylor happy! That's why we came to the European theater!"
Captain Parks couldn't help but laugh; he knew Captain Winters had an issue with General Taylor, so he decided not to continue on that topic.
The two walked a few steps, then Captain Winters stopped and looked at Captain Parks, saying, "I've always had an idea, and I think I've decided to tell you and hear your opinion."
"What?" Captain Parks looked at him, somewhat puzzled.
Captain Winters clenched his hand into a fist, put it to his mouth, cleared his throat, and then said, "Reese, I know you are an excellent officer, capable of leading troops on the battlefield!
But what if you could go a step further, to Battalion HQ?"
Captain Parks couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Dick, you know, I can lead troops, but if you ask me to do administrative work, I'm afraid I'll be disappointing; that's not my strong suit.
Besides, the brothers in Easy Company still need someone to lead them; at least they need an experienced person.
Of course, I'm not saying others can't do it; Lieutenant Halliger would be a good choice, and Lieutenant Speirs is also good, but—" Captain Parks stopped talking; he knew Captain Winters was thinking of him.
"What if—you commanded a battalion?" Captain Winters suddenly looked at him.
"If this battalion were under your command, I believe you would make everyone look at you with new eyes, wouldn't you?"
Captain Parks suddenly stared at Captain Winters, dumbfounded, and instantly understood what he meant, shaking his head, "No, no, Dick, you can't do that.
I can't let you go back to doing administrative work; honestly, I don't want to.
Besides, if you're at Battalion HQ and I'm in Easy Company, we can still build a lot of rapport, but once you're at Battalion HQ, I'll have to deal with those people from battalion headquarters, and I don't want that!"
He finished, and Captain Parks felt that wasn't enough, so he couldn't help but add, "Honestly, Dick, your position in the hearts of the brothers is irreplaceable, especially in Easy Company.
Although the brothers and I have a good relationship too, the brothers distinguish very clearly: Captain Winters is Captain Winters, and Parks is Parks!"
Captain Winters smiled slightly and said, "I'm just asking for your opinion.
Alright, let's put this aside for now, unless you're willing, or General Taylor and Colonel Sink insist.
Now, tell me about the brothers' situation!"
Captain Parks nodded; this was exactly what he wanted to tell Captain Winters.
He deliberated for a moment, then began, "The brothers' morale is relatively stable now, but I'm still a bit worried.
As we predicted, the experience in Bastogne has caused some psychological damage to the brothers; even the veterans are not in the same state as before.
Everyone dislikes being here, and everyone intensely dislikes fighting, even though they face the Germans without fear."
Captain Winters nodded.
This was the reality that needed to be faced now; under such high daily mental stress, not breaking down was already a very good performance.
"Also, I estimate that we won't retreat, and certainly won't return to Momyon Camp.
We might just have a short rest in Bastogne Town.
The entire German campaign is already showing signs of failure.
If I were Field Marshal Eisenhower, I would definitely not miss such an opportunity for a counterattack.
And the assembly point for the entire counterattack will be in the Bulge.
The Bulge is like a bayonet plunged into the German body, ready to thrust in at any time and bury the Germans."
Captain Parks continued his analysis, "But our manpower is a big problem, so we must be redeployed to make the final preparations for attacking the German forces."
At this point, Captain Parks suddenly sighed deeply and said, "Honestly, Dick, I hope that after this battle, no one will deploy us on the front lines again; the brothers need more time to adjust!"
"Let's hope so!" Captain Parks couldn't decide such things, nor could Captain Winters.
But Captain Parks knew that after Bastogne, the brothers of Easy Company indeed did not engage in any major battles again.
On December 27th, at 2:20 PM, the brothers of Easy Company received orders that they would withdraw to Bastogne for rest and await further orders, while Easy Company's defensive line would be taken over by the 506th Regiment's reserve battalion.
The 506th Regiment's reserve camp took over the Easy Company's defensive line, but the band of brothers couldn't return to the Momion Camp they had been expecting.
They had to stay in Bastogne for a short rest, then wait for the next order.
Dr. Luo saw Renee again in a makeshift aid station set up in another large warehouse.
When Easy Company retreated to Bastogne Town, he specifically went to the aid station to resupply medical materials, as the conditions there had greatly improved.
There weren't many people in the entire warehouse, mostly lightly wounded soldiers.
Seriously wounded soldiers could now be transported back to the rear, where hospitals had better conditions.
The doctors were merely routinely questioning the lightly wounded soldiers, and the nurses weren't as busy; only a few nurses could be seen in the aid station.
Dr. Luo didn't find Renee in the aid station; he first saw Webster sitting on a bed against the wall, writing something.
This was Webster's habit; he was accustomed to recording everything he saw, heard, and felt in his notebook.
Beside him were Carson, Muck, and Pankala, either lying down or sitting against the wall, each sharing cigarettes provided by Carson.
"Hey, Eugene, good to see you!" Pankala laughed loudly when he saw Eugene walk in, waving to him, "I heard the band of brothers all retreated to Bastogne, damn it, you're the first one to come see us, those bastards must have forgotten about us."
"Stay still, watch your injured leg!" Eugene wasn't in the mood to talk to him; his eyes scanned the aid station, but he didn't see that familiar figure.
"Where are the nurses here?" Eugene asked casually.
"Oh, my, Eugene, that's really heartbreaking."
Muck shook his head, then held a cigarette between his fingers and shook his head at Eugene, saying, "I thought you were thinking of us! It turns out it's a woman!"
Pankala whistled from the side.
Carson chuckled beside him.
"Hmm, they should be in the back.
They rarely have free time.
Go check behind the aid station, you might find something!" Webster suddenly stopped, pointing towards the back door.
"Alright, I owe you!" Dr. Luo said, then nodded to Webster and quickly walked towards the back.
Although he had only met Renee a few times in total, he always felt a deep sense of familiarity, as if this girl had the kindest and gentlest eyes and voice, always attracting him.
"Webster, you shouldn't have said it so fast, we might have gotten something out of it!" Muck was a bit disappointed.
Webster ignored him; he returned his head to his notebook.
During his days in Bastogne, he had many thoughts every day, and now he finally had some time to record everything he found meaningful.
"...The band of brothers are in low spirits, and so am I.
Looking at the endless heavy snow, looking at the long defensive line, watching German shells wantonly explode in the positions, creating one crater after another.
Although they are like Christmas fireworks, they are a dazzling display of death, making people feel deep fear and helplessness..."
"...Cold canned beans, enough to freeze your intestines, we are like these cold canned beans.
Such days seem endless, but we still have a good company commander, which is our luck.
He can always pull the band of brothers out of despair with his unique victories when they are most frustrated, and then tell them: Germans are nothing special.
We are not surrounded; we can still make the Germans run in panic. ..."
"...In Bastogne, band of brothers are constantly getting wounded, and even dying.
And Donald's death pushed everyone's morale to rock bottom again, and it also sparked conflicts between the new recruits and the veterans.
The veterans blamed the new recruits, and the new recruits couldn't stand the veterans, as if a rift had been exposed overnight due to Donald's death, but this had been lurking for a long time, starting in Momyon.
But we are still very lucky; we have Master Sergeant Lipton and Talbert, they are like glue.
They eased the conflicts between the new recruits and the veterans, and perhaps this is the uniqueness of Easy Company; it always ignites the flame of hope in despair, always shines the light of unity in cracks.
I don't know what this is; the veterans cherish their friendship with each other even more, and the new recruits always want to integrate.
They care for each other; such a company truly makes one reluctant to leave! ..."
"...But one day I will still have to leave this company.
The German offensive has already begun to crumble, although we haven't completely broken through the German defensive line, many people have started to have hope.
I don't know what I will do after I leave the company; perhaps I will become a journalist.
I think that would suit my personality.
Also, I want to write some books, but I don't want to write my experiences in Easy Company into a book; this memory is painful, and it cannot be shared..."
"...Perhaps, one day, if someone asks me, 'What role did you play in the Great War?' I will tell him, 'I was just a soldier.'
But my band of brothers are heroes.
If one day someone asks me, 'What kind of unit did you serve in?' I will tell him, 'I served in the band of brothers.'
This is what I will tell everyone..."
Webster's thoughts were actually the same as everyone else's, except Webster liked to think about those things and then turn them into concrete, perceptible words and language.
And more of the band of brothers kept these things hidden in their hearts.
Just like Muck, Pankala, and Carson, they always talked about every member of Easy Company, and also about Captain Parks.
When they spoke of them, their words always carried a sense of respect and familiarity, even though they still joked about those band of brothers and Captain Parks.
But Webster knew that they treated everyone like a brother.
Dr. Luo quickly walked to the back courtyard of the aid station.
He saw several nurses who were hanging out bedsheets, as well as gauze towels and other items.
The warm sunlight, passing through the clean white bedsheets, shone on them, as if a glow emanated from their entire bodies.
Dr. Luo saw Renee's back; her head was still wrapped in a blue headscarf, and her white dress fluttered.
With both hands, she busily pulled the bedsheets apart on the rope, and then the bedsheet, like a white flag, seemed to wrap around her and was lifted by the wind.
This beauty made Dr. Luo reluctant to disturb her for a long time; he just stood there quietly, waiting for her to turn around.
"Renee, Eugene!" The black girl, upon turning around, saw Eugene, smiled slightly, turned back, nudged Renee with her arm, and whispered, "It's Eugene, behind you!"
Renee finished hanging the last bedsheet, then turned her head.
She immediately saw Dr. Luo standing at the doorway, his eyes somewhat dazed as he looked at her, and her fair face couldn't help but show a faint blush.
"Go on, I've got this!" The black girl smiled and pushed Renee.
Renee turned her head, wanting to glare at her playfully, but what appeared on her face was a smile.
Then she walked forward lightly and softly called out: "Eugene.
Are you—are you alright?"
Dr. Luo nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes, I might need some supplies, perhaps you can help me find them!"
As he spoke, his body was taut, his muscles somewhat stiff.
He didn't know why he had become like this; even when he had seen Renee before, it hadn't been like this.
Perhaps there was only one reason: he had fallen in love with this girl.
Sensing Dr. Luo's nervousness, Renee smiled sweetly at him, then extended her hand and gently took Dr. Luo's hand, saying, "Come with me!"
Renee's hand was warm and soft, just like how she had often stroked the hands of the wounded and sick, making him feel peaceful.
He involuntarily followed Renee towards a building next to the aid station.
That was where medical supplies were stored.
"Bandages, plasma, and morphine, whatever you want, you can find it yourself.
The supplies here are very complete now, so you won't be troubled." Renee was searching for things in the room while saying to Dr. Luo, "It's finally better now, no need to worry about these things!"
Her words carried a light, cheerful emphasis.
"Alright, I found a large box for you.
You can put everything in the box!" Renee finally found a large cardboard box among a pile of items, then picked it up and set it upright.
As she turned around, she saw Dr. Luo looking at her somewhat dazed.
Renee knew what Dr. Luo was thinking, and she also knew what she herself was thinking, but sometimes she had to put these things aside.
Eugene would leave here; he wouldn't stay here for long, Renee knew, and once the American army left here, her chances of seeing Eugene again would be very, very small.
"Eugene!" She pursed her lips, squeezing the name from her throat.
Dr. Luo looked at him blankly.
He suddenly had an urge to hold this girl in his arms, an urge that he couldn't drive away no matter how hard he tried.
His Adam's apple bobbed, and then he nodded somewhat numbly, pressing his voice as he said to Renee, "Thank you!"
Renee forced a smile, then handed over the cardboard box, but her hand fell into Dr. Luo's.
She instantly felt her face press against a cold shoulder, which stimulated her to let out an involuntary groan, like a sigh from a diver, vaguely heartbreaking.
Their cold lips met, and then Renee just "sobbed" once, and her two hands tightly embraced Dr. Luo's back; the two of them were tightly entangled.
Everything seemed to happen too suddenly, too quickly, but the long-suppressed emotions in their hearts were completely released at this moment: mutual admiration, the mental pressure of cruel death, the blood gushing from the wounds of the sick and wounded, and their piercing wails, all became the stimuli for their eruption at this moment.
With a "bang," Renee kicked the door of the room shut.
They fumbled, but their clothes were coming off one by one, until Renee felt their skin press together hotly, and she couldn't help but let out a groan that sounded like pain.
Her fair neck was raised high, like a white swan.
Her snow-white toes were tightly straightened, and her two snow-white thighs were lifted high, tightly clamped around Dr. Luo's waist.
Everything experienced during these days turned into hurried gasps and groans.
"I can stay in Town for a few more days." It was Eugene's voice.
"I know!"
"When the war is over, I'll come back for you!"
"I know!"
Much later, it became very quiet again.
Renee leaned tiredly against a chair; she was still wearing her white dress, and her fair neck still bore hot, faint red marks.
A strand of her beautiful, light yellow hair gently fell, covering her eyes.
The blue headscarf lay on the ground, quietly, like a story...
On the first day the band of brothers of Easy Company spent in Bastogne, Parks received two newspapers at the hastily set up Company HQ. (Top Novel Hand-typed Novel) One was the British "The Times," and the other was the American "The Washington Post." The "The Times" featured an old photograph of Churchill meeting Captain Parks, and it was a mystery where the British had found it.
In the newspaper, Captain Parks looked spirited and Churchill looked radiant, which seemed to complement each other. The British headline read: Bastogne — The Spirit of the Allied.
"The Washington Post" featured a photo of Captain Parks with President Roosevelt when he received the Medal of Honor. Their headline was: The 101st Airborne Division is an Unyielding Flag.
It was clear that very few British soldiers participated in the Ardennes Offensive; it was mainly the Allied forces fighting. But they didn't mind stealing the spotlight from the American forces, especially after General Montgomery was removed from his position as Allied Supreme Commander. The Americans, on the other hand, focused more on the honors their military had achieved.
Captain Parks, leading a platoon of soldiers, infiltrated the German rear, seized German supplies, destroyed German artillery and ammunition, and killed two platoons of German soldiers. This was a miraculous victory achieved by the besieged American forces.
At that time, the American forces were heavily besieged, lacking clothing, food, and sufficient medical supplies. Despair and frustration filled the entire American army. But Captain Parks's victory was undoubtedly a ray of sunshine in the American army's most desperate hour, filling people with hope for the future.
The German encirclement was not unbreakable; someone could break it, and even inflict heavy losses on them. That person was Captain Parks, commander of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
Because of Captain Parks's presence, all media attention was focused on the 101st Airborne Division. Although the 82nd Airborne Division fought just as bravely and suffered heavy casualties in the northern part of the salient, that battle was just as significant as the Battle of Bastogne.
But they were not surrounded, and more importantly, they did not have a hero like Captain Parks, and thus did not receive the same media attention as the 101st Airborne Division.
The newspaper even marked a map of Bastogne defended by the 101st Airborne Division, pointing out that here, in the midst of the most severe collapse wave in American military history, they were still holding out.
The editorial in "The Washington Post" read: "...A worried nation needs inspiration and hope, and these days, every morning, what greets people's eyes is the inspiring sight of them holding out.
And Captain Parks is the most legendary and exciting key figure among them. He persisted in fighting through hardships and, with his exquisite art of command, repeatedly defeated the German forces and even infiltrated deep into the German hinterland.
His story made all the American soldiers holding out in Bastogne seem even more miraculous; the 101st Airborne Division are the strong warriors of the Bastogne fortress.
The officers and soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division, under the shadow of fear and defeat, were able to be brave and tenacious; despite poor living conditions, freezing weather, and extreme scarcity of supplies, they displayed extraordinary courage and optimism.
In the midst of the heavy German encirclement, they were able to miraculously break through the German siege; and General McAuliffe's reply of "Nuts!" to the German surrender demand further humiliated the German forces who, though surrounding them, were helpless.
And there was the band of brothers camaraderie displayed on the battlefield… We have too much to say, and all of this is the result of supreme courage and comradeship forging an undefeated army against the Germans…
"But they highly praise General Patton. Everyone thinks General Patton rescued us," Welsh said with a hint of disdain, then casually flipped through the newspaper. "Just like cavalry rescuing settlers in a wagon train."
"Do you think we needed someone to rescue us?" Captain Parks looked at Welsh and asked a very serious question.
Welsh thought for a moment, then shook his head and said, "No, we didn't need anyone to rescue us."
Yes, the band of brothers of Easy Company believed they didn't need anyone to rescue them. They could rescue themselves. And after the 4th Armored Division entered Bastogne, many people talked about how they had relieved the 101st Airborne Division.
They were the heroes and knights who delivered the distressed. This atmosphere clearly displeased all the band of brothers of the 101st Airborne Division.
"Bullshit," Guarnere cursed when he and Toy talked about it. He asked Toy the same question Captain Parks had asked: "Do we need someone to rescue us?"
Toy shook his head and said, "Of course not, but General Patton thinks he is, he's like a liberator. God, the German forces opposite us were beaten so badly they ran away with their heads in their hands, and then Patton comes along, and they tell us, 'Hey, lads, we're here to rescue you, we defeated the German forces.' Do you think that's believable? We already defeated them, did that old man need to say it?"
At this moment, Liebgott, who was nearby, also shook his head and said, "Think about the infiltration battle our leader led us on. We could completely get supplies from the German forces. Do we still need rescuing? If we're talking about being rescued, I'd like to go back to Momion Camp right now. Honestly, I miss the hot showers there."
"And I need to shave my beard!" Guarnere added.
Yes, no one in Easy Company believed they needed rescuing, not even the new recruits who had endured so much on the front lines. They had become more resilient after defending Bastogne.
As the commander of the 101st Airborne Division, General Taylor undoubtedly had little to boast about in this defensive operation. He was far away in London, living a vacation-like life.
He couldn't possibly understand the kind of life the band of brothers were living on the Bastogne front lines. These were also the most difficult days the American army had endured. The spotlight, however, was stolen by General McAuliffe.
General McAuliffe became the legendary Division Commander of the 101st Airborne Division in Bastogne. A single sentence he uttered during his time as acting Division Commander made him a hero in the hearts of Americans.
The word "Nuts!" was one of the most frequently appearing words in newspapers around the world, and its frequency of appearance was almost equal to that of Captain Parks's name.
General Taylor reacted somewhat sensitively to this situation. But he knew that he had nothing to boast about in Bastogne. If he had to connect himself to the defense of Bastogne, it would be through Captain Parks.
He decided to apply for a medal for Captain Parks and emphasize his spiritual role in the 101st Airborne Division. This could divert people's discussion of the topic.
A jeep drove over the snow, which had been repeatedly run over many times and was now muddy. Splashing mud splattered onto the soldiers by the roadside, drawing a chorus of curses.
"Go to hell," Cobb gestured a middle finger at the jeep.
"That's Division HQ's jeep," Lipton recognized the Division HQ insignia on it and warned Cobb, "Perhaps it's General Taylor's staff officer, look at his major's insignia."
"I don't care," Cobb snorted. "General Taylor abandoned us at the critical moment."
Not only did the soldiers have grievances against General Taylor, but even officers like Captain Winters had accumulated some resentment towards General Taylor. However, they did not express it, adhering to the duties of officers.
"Captain Parks?" As the major jumped out of the jeep, he saw Captain Parks walking out of the Company HQ. He easily recognized Captain Parks. Clearly, his face had now spread around the world with newspapers, making him hard to miss.
"Yes, sir," Captain Parks said, looking puzzled. "Is there a problem?"
"General Taylor wants to see you," the major said sincerely. In fact, everything Captain Parks had done in Bastogne filled him with admiration, a common feeling among many American officers.
They believed they could not have executed such a perfect infiltration battle.
"The General could have just called Company HQ; we have a phone," Captain Parks said as he walked with the major.
The major smiled and said, "The General wanted to show how much he values this, so he sent me to make the trip personally. Honestly, Captain Parks, as an officer of the 101st Airborne Division, I am proud of you."
Captain Parks smiled faintly, neither humble nor boastful. His deeds needed no downplaying or exaggeration from him. And General Taylor wanting to see him was certainly a good thing.
Whether it was for his own gain or a sincere commendation, there was nothing to be widely publicized now. Everything about him would now be established as a benchmark and an idol.
When Captain Parks walked into Division HQ, General Taylor personally came out to greet him. He extended his hand, tightly gripping Captain Parks's hand which was about to salute, and laughed heartily: "I've been waiting for you for a long time. Come on in, how about a drink?"
Captain Parks walked in, then, at General Taylor's gesture, sat opposite General Taylor. The major who had led Captain Parks in handed him a cup of coffee and placed it on the table in front of Captain Parks.
"The Parks Bunker successfully preserved the lives of most of the 101st Airborne Division, and with the bunker, launched brilliant counterattacks against the German offensive. Easy Company repelled a German regimental charge and destroyed multiple German tanks.
In Easy Company's most difficult time, you led a platoon of the band of brothers to actively attack, killing two German platoons, penetrating deep into the German rear, seizing supplies, and blowing up German artillery and ammunition, putting the German forces in a predicament while solving your own supply problems.
In the German attacks of the past two days, you again frustrated the attacks of two German companies and destroyed two German tanks.
When the band of brothers were feeling low, you united every person in the company, making them not feel alone, afraid, or helpless." General Taylor had no opening remarks, directly enumerating Captain Parks's series of achievements in Bastogne, then nodding and saying, "Captain Parks, you are the best American officer I have ever seen, bar none."
Captain Winters had said this before, but coming from General Taylor's mouth today, its weight was clearly very significant.
"Everyone has it tough, and if it weren't for the band of brothers, I don't think any of this would have happened," Captain Parks mused for a moment, then very solemnly said to General Taylor, "I am even more proud of my band of brothers."
Taylor smiled and nodded, saying, "This is what I admire most about you. Your company is a band of brothers. They supported each other to achieve what they have today. Of course, your contribution is the most important part of this, Parks. You don't need to be humble. I think if you were humble, it would be an emotional erasure of all the band of brothers of Easy Company. You should be proud; your achievements are the achievements of the band of brothers."
As Taylor spoke, his expression suddenly became very serious: "Captain, you must bear these honors and let the band of brothers feel this honor too. They are proud of you, just as you are proud of them."