2,678 German soldiers, led by a Colonel, surrendered to two patrolling American soldiers. This was the first time Easy Company had witnessed such a sight, and they were all stunned. Then they watched as the German soldiers, escorted by Cobb and Patrick Christenson, very orderly laid down their weapons without even needing to be told by Cobb and Patrick Christenson. They displayed excellent discipline. The local residents, the native Germans, were speechless at the sight. They had always believed their army was still fighting, but from the current situation, they all had to accept one fact—Germany had lost the war. Originally, they harbored dissatisfaction and resentment towards the American soldiers occupying their homes and seizing their money, but now they said nothing. In their minds, the defeated should be treated this way.
Soon, Cobb and Patrick Christenson's work was taken over by men sent by Major Winters. Of course, they both received verbal praise from Captain Winters, but what excited them most was the admiration and different looks they received from their brothers. To be honest, if these 2,678 German soldiers had launched an attack on the 2nd Battalion, the 2nd Battalion might have been defeated because this group of German soldiers appeared too suddenly, and when they crossed the defense line, no one even notified the 2nd Battalion. Clearly, the Allied forces were now immersed in the joy of victory and completely disregarded the defense line.
This phenomenon also made Major Winters worried. Although they came to surrender this time, if they came to attack next time, wouldn't it be a disaster? But for now, he still had to consider how to deal with these prisoners.
"Patrick Christenson, you two really stole the show this time!" White exclaimed enviously to Patrick Christenson, then stepped forward and clapped him on the shoulder, "Well done, I've never seen anything like it, to be honest, I was shocked!" Then he turned to a somewhat smug Cobb and said, "Hey, Cobb, well done!" This was the first time White had so directly praised Cobb since Carrington.
Cobb clearly hadn't expected White to praise him so directly. He was momentarily stunned, then nodded and smiled, "Yes, it was indeed beautiful, we were lucky. Of course, if you were on patrol today, this would be your credit!" Then he walked over, extended his hand, and said, "However, this is the best thing I've heard today. I think we should reconcile now, right! I've been waiting for this day!"
White also reached out, firmly grasping Cobb's hand and saying, "Haven't we always been reconciled? Alright, brother, I've understood for a long time that it wasn't your fault. I've thought it through very clearly; this is war, and you are a member of our Easy Company, our brother. That's how it is! Very simple!"
"Of course, I've always hoped it would be this way. Brother!" Cobb smiled. This matter had always affected him. In Taccoa, he and White had a good relationship, but the accidental killing incident during the attack on Carrington had kept their relationship very tense. White had always found fault with Cobb to vent his dissatisfaction, but now that the war was nearing its end, both wanted to find an opportunity to ease their conflict. Now was a good chance. Things went smoothly, without any sentimental words, just a handshake and then a word or two of dialogue. In fact, when brothers have a certain level of understanding, everything happens naturally.
Patrick Christenson and Cobb enjoyed the warm hospitality of their brothers. Even the refugees who usually worked for them were very happy, being able to personally witness those arrogant German soldiers dejectedly laying down their weapons and surrendering, and experiencing firsthand the joy after victory, which made them feel as if they were celebrating a grand festival. They prepared delicious dinners for the American soldiers and then performed shows for them, and Cobb and Patrick Christenson even gained the favor of some of the girls among the refugees.
This made their brothers very envious and jealous. To be honest, as for the girls among the refugees, as long as they were even slightly attractive, the soldiers would go up to chat them up. Then they would use chocolate, bread, or even Marks to tempt these girls to spend the night with them. Up until then, these guys had always miscalculated. These girls had received strict education. Like German girls, they did not let the American soldiers take advantage of them in the slightest. Luz deeply understood this.
"God, I hate our Company Commander!" Luz watched Cobb and Patrick Christenson chatting and laughing with a group of girls, then helplessly glanced at them and said to Muck, "Now I know what 'dog luck' means!"
"You want to patrol?" Muck glanced at him and chuckled, "You can still talk to the Company Commander now, maybe it'll be your turn next time. Look at what you've done in front of the girls. Using those little trinkets? I'm talking about chocolate bars and such, and you think that'll win their favor? Dream on, Luz. You need to learn from Cobb and Frank, like them, capture a large group of German soldiers, disarm them, and make them surrender obediently as prisoners. That's what attracts those girls!"
"I know!" Luz pouted, "That's why I hate our Company Commander. The reason I'm not on patrol today is entirely his fault. Alright, alright, I'd better go back and look at picture books. God, what is all this?" With that, he walked disheartenedly towards his barracks.
Of course, there were others who felt as dejected as Luz. They had always tried every trick in the book to entice the local girls or the girls from the refugee camp, but they always failed. Now, seeing Cobb and Patrick Christenson surrounded by girls, the feeling was truly awful.
However, Cobb and Patrick Christenson didn't enjoy it for too long, because due to the surrender of over two thousand German soldiers, the 2nd Battalion received new orders. They were to leave this place and return to the Rhine River defense line. When they left, they were seen off by the local refugees, among whom were even a few German residents. The events of the past few days, while making them feel regretful towards the American army, also deepened their awe of them. Especially the shocking scene of over two thousand German soldiers being escorted by two American soldiers.
"Don't go, please!" Muchi Ke tightly gripped Luz's clothes, his eyes filled with deep reluctance. To be honest, Luz was the best American soldier to him. He had eaten delicious chocolate he had never tasted before, and various new toys. There were also many Mark banknotes. He had been very happy these past few days, but now these people were leaving, and Luz was leaving too, which made him feel a little panicked and uneasy. His hand, tightly clutching the clothes, trembled slightly.
"Alright, kid!" Luz was also a little reluctant. This child was very smart and hardworking; he always made himself comfortable and never complained about anything. He was easily satisfied, and an innocent smile often bloomed on his face, which made Luz feel troubled. He wanted to help this child, but he couldn't violate military regulations. So he found Major Winters, wanting to solve this problem.
"I want to adopt this child!" Luz held Muchi Ke's hand tightly, feeling the child's tension. "But I know this is a bit against the rules, but he's an orphan. Who can take care of him here? If possible, I want to take him with me!"
Major Parks walked over. He looked at the child, then at Luz, and shook his head, "I understand your feelings, but can you really take care of him, Luz!"
"I think I can, sir!" Luz looked at Major Parks and nodded, "It's not difficult. He doesn't need looking after and can do a lot of chores. I don't need to constantly watch him. He's a good kid!"
Parks nodded and said, "Very correct, you're right. He doesn't need looking after, he can do work, and he can even earn money. So why do you insist on taking him with you? If possible, why not entrust him to those refugees he's familiar with? And then come back for him after the war ends?"
Luz was stunned, then quickly realized he had thought too simply, it was just a moment of impulse. But he still decided to adopt the child. He was persuaded by Major Parks. He entrusted Muchi Ke to a refugee couple who usually cared for children, and then promised to pick up the child and take him to America after the war ended.
The handling of this matter also set a precedent for many soldiers and officers in the 2nd Battalion who wanted to adopt children. They all followed this method: after entrusting the children they wanted to adopt to someone, they left a sum of money before the troops began to depart.
The long line of trucks slowly drove out of the village, and the units replacing them had already arrived, exchanging defensive areas. Every brother in Easy Company had an immense fondness for this place. They had lived a comfortable life here and got along very well with the refugees. The initial shock of seeing these refugees, the heartfelt jubilation of the refugees after liberation, and the scene of over two thousand German soldiers surrendering under the escort of Cobb and Patrick Christenson all left a deep impression on their hearts.
But this departure was merely to allow the brothers to advance further into Germany. They continuously moved forward through such deployments, then garrisoned, then moved forward again, until Germany completely surrendered, until the war ended.
And when Webster first saw the refugee camp, he changed his view of the Germans, whom he had previously considered neutral. He wrote in his diary: This is Germany, this is everything they have done. The Germans seized these people from their hometowns and forced them to labor for a lifetime in some factory of the Third Reich. There were also infants and elderly women, many innocent people forced to live in crude shelters surrounded by barbed wire, working like slaves for 12 hours a day for their stone-hearted employers, eating beet soup, moldy potatoes, and black bread. This was the Third Reich. For these people, the so-called new order was: work until death. These Germans completely disregarded the lives of others, only thinking of Germany's own interests, wanting to turn the entire European populace into their slaves. All Germans are guilty; not a single one is innocent.
Webster had not yet seen a real concentration camp, but he would soon witness one, far more cruel and darker than any refugee camp, a concentration camp of human extermination. And all of this was coming soon…
In Parks's impression, Easy Company had no major operations after that, which meant that the brothers of Easy Company would no longer fight desperately with Germans with weapons, and this also meant that the brothers of Easy Company began to truly enjoy their trip to Germany.
On April 19, 1945, the order was issued: they had to go to Bavaria and the Alps.
The target this time was Munich, Innsbruck, and the Brenner Pass, and the purpose of the operation was to enter the Alps before the Germans, to prevent Germans from establishing defensive positions and continuing to resist.
Hitler's Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden was assumed to be the headquarters for this operation.
This operation was both the end of the defensive war and the beginning of guerrilla warfare against the occupying forces.
Eisenhower was concerned that once Hitler returned to the Eagle's Nest, he would be well protected and able to use radio signals to order Germans to continue resistance or engage in guerrilla warfare.
But Parks knew that this operation was basically a trip.
However, many of the brothers in Easy Company were worried because Webster explained a situation to them during their conversation.
"Bavaria? God, that's the birthplace of the National Socialist Party.
I heard from Buck that Hitler ordered all the SS in the country to hide in caves, preparing to expel the invaders.
He wants them to start their own homeland defense." Webster was packing his bags in the barracks, "I think there's going to be a lot of fighting now."
"Invaders? I like that word!" Landeman chuckled, "But if they really want to fight to the last man, that would be a bit troublesome.
I don't like holding a gun anymore."
"Don't worry, guys!" At this moment, a voice suddenly came from the barracks door; it was Major Parks.
He and Captain Welsh walked in, then looked around at the soldiers in the barracks and smiled, "This will be a pleasant trip.
We are going to Berchtesgaden, which is 100 miles from the front line, in the rear.
We will not be under any threat.
It's more like a trip than a tactical operation.
I like to travel, guys!"
"I like to travel!" Webster said with a chuckle, "I hope to write a book about Europe, what was it called? 'European Journey' would definitely be good!"
"You can do it, Web," Parks nodded and smiled, then said to the brothers, "Alright, guys, get ready, we're about to set off.
You can now go to logistics to get five k rations.
And beer, cola, and socks and such.
Cheer up, have a good trip, brothers!" With that, Major Parks walked out.
He had already visited each platoon of Easy Company, inspecting them one by one, constantly soothing the brothers' nervous emotions.
Actually, the sergeants could have done all this, but Parks insisted on going to Easy Company himself.
"You still can't let go of the brothers!" Captain Welsh shook his head and smiled at Parks as they walked out, "Actually, your current state is the same as when Dick left Easy Company.
We, this group of people, are the original officers of Easy Company, and our feelings for the company are always deeper.
Look at the officers in Battalion HQ now, a large part of them are from Easy Company."
"You're right, I can't let go!" Major Parks looked at the busy soldiers in the barracks and couldn't help but smile, "Any officer who has been in the company will feel the same way I do, don't say you don't, Harry."
Captain Welsh looked at Parks and smiled slightly, but he didn't say anything, just like Major Parks, he looked at the busy brothers, watching them coming in and out, either with smiles on their faces or worried.
But all of this will be the most memorable things for them in the future.
On April 22, the 2nd Battalion boarded German-made freight cars, then bypassed the damaged railway via the railway line, which meant they had to pass through four countries: Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and France, traveling two hundred kilometers.
The carriages had been sprayed with DDT and covered with straw.
The brothers sat in the open freight cars, sleeping, singing, dangling their feet out the door with the train, and sunbathing on the roof of the car, quite at ease.
A group of brothers in the carriage, unable to bear the loneliness, sang the European theater song "Let Us Fly High" over and over again.
Their singing infected many people, and many also joined their ranks.
"He was just a new paratrooper, naturally, he was scared of this jump / He checked his gear, made sure his parachute pack was packed / He had to sit there, enduring the plane's engine roaring madly / You no longer need to jump / Blood like a spring, blood like a spring, sacrificing for righteousness / Blood like a spring, blood like a spring, sacrificing for righteousness / Blood like a spring, blood like a spring, sacrificing for righteousness, he no longer needs to jump / Is everyone happy? / The sergeant looked up and cried / Our hero replied weakly: 'Yes', then they started parachuting / He jumped into the cold wind, he untied the parachute's fuse / He no longer needs to jump / Blood like a spring, blood like a spring, sacrificing for righteousness / Blood like a spring, blood like a spring, sacrificing for righteousness / Blood like a spring, blood like a spring, sacrificing for righteousness / He no longer needs to jump…"
Major Winters couldn't help but look at Parks beside him, and the two couldn't help but smile at each other.
Nixon, sitting behind them, laughed, "I like this song!" Saying so, he also started singing along with the soldiers.
Actually, he had not been in a good mood since his wife divorced him, but today, he seemed to have opened up, appearing keenly interested, and in this carriage, his singing voice was the loudest.
Yes, in this joyful atmosphere, nothing could hurt one's heart.
The places they passed through also included Bastogne.
They were only 25 miles from Bastogne, which they had defended three months earlier.
They had spent the darkest, coldest, and most terrifying month there.
Although Bastogne had brought them fame, it also caused many people to suffer mental breakdowns, lose their lives, and leave the battlefield with regrets.
The snow-covered forest area made one shiver just thinking about it.
But now, looking from here, most of Bastogne can be seen.
It is now spring, and Bastogne has no snow.
The tender yellow leaves, the lush green grass, and the refreshing breeze make one feel relaxed and happy.
This is the beautiful spring scenery of nature, with wildflowers swaying in the wilderness, and the rustling sound of lush green trees when the wind blows, making it hard to believe that they once spent the most incredible dark days here.
Many people were silent here.
They looked at that forest, and no one knew what to say!
Gradually, Bastogne was moving away.
Major Parks couldn't help but sigh, "Beauty only appears after war.
I think this sentence can describe Bastogne now!" He looked at the gradually receding Bastogne, feeling a bit emotional.
"Who said that? I like it!" Nixon said, "I like beautiful things."
"I said it!" Major Parks chuckled, then glanced at Nixon and said, "Nick, even if Bastogne is so beautiful, I promise, I don't want to come here again.
What I remember most deeply here is not the beautiful fields and forests, but the snow-covered, chilling place, the German cannons, and the screams of our brothers.
Frankly, this would bring back those bad memories for me."
Nixon looked at Major Winters opposite him, speechless, and said, "What about you? If the war ends, would you consider coming here to see?"
"No!" Major Winters answered decisively, "I won't come here; my thoughts are the same as Reese's.
Nick, you'd best not bring up this topic.
I think most of us share the same idea.
You don't have to worry that any of us will remember those uncomfortable things like you do.
We all like beautiful things, just as you said!"
Nixon shrugged helplessly, and everyone in the carriage couldn't help but laugh.
The train re-entered Germany, arriving at Ludwigshafen on the Rhine River.
There, they got off the train and transferred to an amphibious vehicle called a DUKW, which was the first time the brothers of Easy Company had seen it.
A DUKW could comfortably seat 20 fully armed infantrymen.
It rode very smoothly, much more so than ordinary trucks carrying soldiers, and without the violent up-and-down jolting of a jeep.
Sitting in a DUKW, swaying gently, it was like sailing on calm water.
They drove across the Rhine River from a pontoon bridge called Oppenheim towards Munich.
When they passed Heidelberg, they were all captivated by the scenery there.
The beautiful beaches, people strolling in the sun, the lush green mountains, warm sunshine, quiet charming river water, and fragrant pleasant air all made people deeply infatuated with this place, and Webster couldn't help but exclaim about this place: "God, this is truly paradise, I really want to stay here forever.
It's so captivating!"
However, Heidelberg was by no means the only beautiful place; the convoy drove southeast, winding through mountains on main roads and trails.
And the brothers kept discovering that Germany actually had such beautiful peaks, and such clear blue water, and even the air was so clean and comfortable, completely unaffected by the war.
"Do you know?" Webster looked at such beautiful scenery, a sense of jealousy arose in his heart, and he couldn't help but shout loudly at the brothers in the carriage who were stunned by these sights.
"What? College student? Do you have any thoughts to express?" Liebgott couldn't help but mock.
Webster glanced at him, ignored him, and just said loudly, "It's a regrettable waste that such a beautiful country was given to Germans."
"Did you say that?" Liebgott then asked.
"No, an American writer said it! In The New Yorker."
"Wow, college students are just different!" Luz whistled from the side.
And just then, in Parks's carriage, he also said the same thing as Webster.
Winters looked at the beautiful scenery outside and couldn't help but smile, saying, "Germans want more.
Instead, they ignore the beautiful things in their own country!"
Major Parks nodded in deep agreement; greed makes people forget the good things they originally had at home.
Greed always makes people lose themselves, destroy others, and forget themselves! This is the essence of war.
Every day around 3 PM, the 2nd Battalion would halt and send men into the villages to find houses for the night, with officers and soldiers alike scavenging through them.
"You only have 5 minutes!" Captain Speirs always had Carson find him the best house for Battalion HQ, then claimed the best bedroom for himself.
They burst in like a pack of beasts into a flock of sheep, kicking open doors and announcing their presence to the residents.
They would then tell the German residents they had 5 minutes to leave their homes.
One old German woman grumbled, not wanting to leave, but soldiers quickly escorted her out.
Five minutes was just enough time for these Germans to pack up their belongings and take some personal items.
Speirs would absolutely not let them stay an extra minute, as he believed that if they had more time, the Germans would empty the house, and Speirs clearly did not want that.
He also wanted to find valuable items in the house to send home; he had a pregnant wife in England who was about to give birth.
Selling these items would provide his wife with enough money for childbirth, instead of her being worried.
Carson felt some disdain for Captain Speirs but still carried out his orders.
Speirs' whereabouts were also erratic, usually not appearing for two or three hours.
In Carson's opinion, Captain Speirs was a very poor looter.
He once complained to Malarkey of First Platoon, "Speirs can't sleep all night thinking about necklaces and such.
He sends everything he loots to his wife in England whenever he gets a chance."
But Malarkey said indifferently, "Buddy, this is war.
Look, who in Easy Company isn't participating in this looting?
It's not wartime anymore.
Buddy, the war is over; now it's time to enjoy the fruits of war.
Honestly, I never used to take other people's things, but now I'm used to it; there's nothing to be ashamed of.
This is what we deserve."
Yes, Malarkey was right; not just Easy Company, but the entire 2nd Battalion was involved in looting.
They went from collecting valuables from occupied houses to looting valuable items from surrendered German soldiers.
If they wanted it, they could take it.
Looting was both profitable and risk-free, a matter of course.
Major Parks did not have such a habit; he took nothing, but he could not stop others from taking.
Even Captain Welsh and Major Winters were happy to enjoy and pocket any spoils that appealed to them, while Nixon was one of the few officers uninterested in this, and like Parks, he even found it somewhat distasteful.
"You're a rich kid, buddy!" Captain Welsh, who had looted some necklaces, rings, and silverware, said, "I still need this to prepare for Betty's wedding expenses; this is an opportunity.
Conquerors throughout history have done this in the lands they conquered.
This is what we won; I don't consider this looting!" Captain Welsh spoke grandiosely, but Nixon and Parks could not deny it, because he was speaking the truth.
However, Major Parks still issued an order strictly prohibiting the looting of German civilians.
As for the looting of German soldiers, he could not stop it and could only let them be.
German lugers, Nazi badges, watches, jewelry, first editions of Mein Kampf, and alcohol were the primary targets for the 2nd Battalion soldiers to loot.
Most soldiers were not interested in German marks.
Heffron and Sergeant Dr. Spina looted six German soldiers.
They burst into a house where there were 6 German soldiers.
"Drop your weapons!" Heffron shouted loudly, raising his rifle.
The German soldiers obediently put down their rifles; they had no intention of resisting at all.
"This, buddy, hurry up!" Although the German soldiers did not understand Heffron's words, they still understood that these two Americans were pointing at their watches, so they quickly took them off and threw them on the ground.
"Stuff in your pockets, hurry!" Spina then pointed to their pockets, watching these German soldiers pull out various small items from their pockets, not even sparing the rings on their fingers.
As Heffron later put it, they were only short of prying open their mouths to see if there were any gold teeth embedded.
Soon, these six German soldiers were released; they couldn't even be considered prisoners.
Heffron also had no intention of escorting them to Battalion HQ; it was not worth it, as it would delay their scavenging time.
"Hey, Heffron, there's a safe here!" Spina shouted to Heffron.
This discovery made the two ecstatic, eagerly anticipating more valuable items inside.
They managed to pry open the safe, then their eyes widened in astonishment.
The entire box was neatly stacked with German marks.
"God, did we rob the German bank?" Spina looked at the banknotes in surprise, then at Heffron, "Babe, are we rich?"
"No, buddy, these are just marks, not dollars.
Honestly, I'd rather these were British pounds; they're worth more than marks.
The Germans are finished; what good are marks?" Heffron was not as optimistic as him.
But they still split the large-denomination marks evenly between them, and after an hour of discussion, decided to give the remaining small-denomination banknotes to the people praying in a nearby church.
"We are here on behalf of God; let those devout people benefit." Heffron later received enthusiastic flattery from those people, feeling a sense of accomplishment, and he triumphantly said to Spina.
Clearly, they thought they had done something remarkable, but in reality, they had merely participated in a robbery.
The 2nd Battalion's convoy also encountered German soldiers on their way southeast, but there was no exchange of fire between the two sides.
What they saw were German soldiers preparing to surrender.
From a small group at first, they gradually became a large, dark mass of German soldiers in gray uniforms.
The 2nd Battalion's convoy drove onto the Allied-only highway, which led east to Munich.
The Germans walked west along the middle road towards the prisoner-of-war camp.
Looking across the middle road, it was full of fully armed German soldiers, but no one stopped to accept their surrender.
However, not all German soldiers would surrender; some die-hard SS elements still offered sporadic resistance, and they would usually blow up bridges and roads or blast large rocks next to the roads, piling them in the middle of the road to try and prevent the American army from entering Germany.
These measures could not stop the Allied advance, but they did slow down their progress.
"I can't believe we've won this war now!" Captain Welsh, sitting in the back seat of the jeep, looked at the fully armed German soldiers moving in the opposite direction on the highway and couldn't help but exclaim.
"Look at them!" Major Winters suddenly turned and pointed at the German troops, saying to Nixon, "These people, even though they've been defeated, they still march with pride."
Everyone in the jeep turned to look at the faces of these German soldiers.
Their faces were full of frustration and defeat.
But they still held their bodies straight, marching in neat formations.
They still marched like a fighting unit.
Perhaps there was despair on their faces, but one could not deny that their discipline was indeed the best.
This was something no army in any country could compare to.
"They were once the best army in the world!" Parks quietly looked at this group of German soldiers preparing to surrender, and suddenly said a sentence.
Yes, Germany's army was once the best in the world, but now they were defeated.
They no longer had the courage to fight.
And all these changes made people full of emotion.
Suddenly, they heard someone shouting loudly from the truck ahead.
When they looked up, it was indeed Webster standing on the truck, yelling at the German prisoners, especially a few German officers sitting in a carriage with very proud expressions, constantly scolding them.
"...That's right, you stupid German bastard, say hello to Ford and General Motors, you stupid fascist pigs, look at you, you only have horses, what were you thinking?
Dragging us from half a world away, disrupting our lives, why?
You ignorant, despicable scum!" Then Webster seemed to collapse as if all his strength was gone, saying, "What did we come here for?" As he spoke, he covered his face with both hands.
Yes, what did we come here for?
From training in Taccoa to the landing in Normandy, to Netherlands, Belgium, and so on, all the way to Germany, every place they passed, they would leave blood, and some brothers would be left behind, either killed or wounded.
Brothers in the company came in batch after batch, what did they come here for?
No one in the jeep spoke; Major Winters, Captain Nixon, and Captain Welsh were all pondering Webster's almost frantic outburst.
What would they gain after paying such a heavy price?
Originally, this war had nothing to do with the United States.
This was a question many people were thinking about.
Major Parks just smiled bitterly to himself.
He knew the answer; he knew why they were here.
But he didn't say it; this question didn't need an answer; everyone had their own answer in their hearts, or some people couldn't think of an answer, or some people would tell these soldiers the answer, but the only answer was in everyone's heart, until the end of the Great War, until many years later, they would realize.
The meaning of their presence here.
Major Parks once again gazed at the surrendering German column, which looked like a long snake.
At the end of the column was the sun, which had just risen that morning.
The spring sun was not yet dazzling; one could even see its entire outline, radiating light.