"Bang, bang, bang, bang." Accompanied by muffled sounds, machine gunners from all four directions were suddenly hit and quickly withdrew from the exercise. In reality, the 3rd Platoon, which had lost Captain Kenbauer's command, had fallen into disarray, and the soldiers guarding the "prisoner camp" didn't know whether to open fire and shoot the "prisoners" because they had no orders from Kenbauer.
Many straw figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere around the prisoner camp, as if they had peeled off from the grass, and then swiftly and agilely moved towards the prisoner camp. At this moment, the "prisoners" in the camp also began to stir. When someone went to suppress them, several soldiers suddenly emerged from among the prisoners, holding submachine guns and firing wildly at the incoming soldiers, instantly forcing a dozen or so people who had rushed in to withdraw from the exercise. The soldiers on the periphery could no longer stop the Black Panther Commando Company's assault, and the "prisoners" also picked up the weapons of the soldiers who had withdrawn from the exercise, then firmly blocked the soldiers attempting to rush over and eliminate the "prisoners."
Under the pincer attack, the 3rd Platoon quickly withdrew from the exercise. By this point, all 150 "prisoners" in the camp were successfully rescued. The exercise was a complete success. However, this exercise left a very deep impression on many important figures observing it.
"This was an excellent exercise, truly eye-opening!" General Urquhart nodded and then looked back at Major General Wesman, saying, "Mr. Wesman, I hope this doesn't disappoint you." He then stood up, straightened his military uniform, and walked away. He was preparing to have a pleasant conversation with Parks after the exercise. To be honest, today's exercise was not as shocking as what Parks had left him at Arnhem Bridge. That was a battle that truly happened in blood and fire. Today was merely a re-enactment of those battles, only this time the target was the unfortunate 3rd Battalion, 502nd Regiment.
A round of warm applause erupted from the viewing stand. Major General Wesman was somewhat dazed, but he still politely raised his hands and clapped a few times. To be frank, this exercise gave him a completely new understanding of combat. But how effective would this method be in actual combat? He couldn't be sure now, but he also felt that General MacArthur sending him here might have been a little bit correct. To prove the effectiveness of this company, actual combat was essential.
"As always, it's inspiring!" Major Winters clapped and then smiled at Nixon, "It seems I worried for nothing. You know, the guys in the battalion have already started betting. They're playing for high stakes this time, betting against other battalions. Now I think they must have made a small fortune. Heaven truly favors them."
"Of course, God favors me too!" Nixon chuckled, then raised a small liquor bottle, took a swig, and said, "Do you know how much I bet? 1000 dollars. I believe this time, some battalion members will lose their pants and go home with bare butts."
Yes, the American soldiers were now placing large bets on this exercise. Of course, this was their usual practice during downtime. Everyone wanted to win a large sum of money after the European war ended and then go home. However, such good fortune was always enjoyed by only a few people, either because they misjudged or because they didn't have much money. Of course, none of this was a problem for Nixon, as he was originally the son of a wealthy family.
Parks's Black Panther Commando Company won decisively, and only two people were declared out in this exercise. This meant it was a one-sided exercise. The 3rd Battalion was judged to have suffered two-thirds battle damage, and the Black Panther Commando Company's mission was successfully achieved, making them the perfect foil. And in this exercise, those in the know had already begun to ponder.
Concealment, stealth, surprise attacks; luring the tiger out of the mountains, disguise, false orders, sniping, decapitation, and a series of other brilliant coordinations shone brightly in this exercise. This was no longer conventional combat. However, this method of combat has now proven to play an irreplaceable and difficult-to-achieve role in certain specific missions for conventional units.
"Excellent, I want to meet our hero!" In the VIP section of the viewing stand, a cultured-looking man in his 50s, wearing glasses, stood up. Several guards quickly helped him retrieve his coat from the chair. "I have two hours tomorrow morning. You arrange it!" He then left without looking back.
"Yes, Mr. President, we will arrange this matter well!" A general following behind the man nodded and then quickly followed him out. Mr. President? Yes, this was the new American President Truman, who was currently in Potsdam, Germany, attending a three-nation summit. Before this, he suddenly became interested in observing a company-level exercise. This itself was already beyond common sense. But it was happening now.
Not many people knew about the President's arrival, but many important figures did, because the VIP section only had President Truman's special seat, and other generals had to observe from outside the VIP section.
"God, I never thought it would be so easy to defeat them!" Brad, carrying his rifle, excitedly smiled at Guarnere, "Look, we thrashed them. This is our Black Panther Commando Company. To be honest, I'm really starting to admire our leader now. I believe his past achievements are real, beyond doubt!"
"You'll experience real combat in the future, buddy!" Guarnere glanced at him sideways. Then he walked towards the barracks on his own. They would assemble there and then be received by General Taylor of the 101st Airborne Division.
The excited expressions on the faces of the Black Panther Commando Company members contrasted sharply with the dejected expressions on the faces of the 3rd Battalion, 502nd Regiment soldiers. But that was no longer important; what was important was that the commando unit ordered by General Taylor had begun to show its power. And all of this was witnessed firsthand by the generals.
"Very well done, young men!" General Taylor's facial muscles trembled slightly from excitement. "This is why I formed this commando unit. Because the 101st Airborne Division is the elite of the U.S. Army, and what I want you to prove is this point, and you are the elite of the elite. For this, I must also thank your company commander, Major Parks. This was his idea; I merely helped him complete the first step of his vision. And in the future, I hope you can pass on this vision, and let more elites from the U.S. Army join you. You are not just one company; you will be a gathering place for elites."
General Taylor spoke, his eyes sweeping over the soldiers standing rigidly before him. These soldiers had just come down from the exercise ground; they were even still wearing camouflage grass suits, as well as diving suits and goggles for underwater operations, but this did not affect their high morale and unique killing aura. This was a more terrifying killing aura than that of veterans who had just returned from the battlefield.
"Young men, because of your excellence, each of you should be prepared to deploy to new battlefields at any time, and you will also achieve great honor in these new battlefields." General Taylor continued, but his words were still the same old tune, and few people were listening attentively, including Major Parks. Although he stood rigidly now, his mind was not there. He was thinking about what the first target of this company would be, and what kind of mission it would be.
"God, won't he just make it short?" A soldier finally couldn't help but whisper, "I know he's General Taylor, I know every word he says. To be honest, he's given many speeches to the soldiers, but the words are pretty much the same every time."
"Shut up!" Malarkey, standing beside him, turned his head slightly and glared at him. That was enough to make him obediently shut his mouth. These non-commissioned officers of First Platoon, Easy Company, with their actions in training and their performance in the exercise, had made their rather unconvinced subordinates obediently follow orders, so the soldier immediately shut his mouth.
After General Taylor finally finished speaking, he motioned for Parks to say a few words. But Parks walked to the front of the formation and only said one word: "Dismissed!" Immediately, everyone relaxed, and they began to disperse in twos and threes throughout the camp.
"Cobb, I bet 50 dollars, and I won this time! God, this is the first time I've won money after so many bets!" A soldier walked with Cobb, showing off to him.
"I bet five hundred dollars, my entire savings! I bet on our company to win, so I also won." Cobb only said this one sentence, which made that guy choose silence. Yes, 50 dollars was too insignificant compared to Cobb's big bet. It turned out that these soldiers had all chosen to gamble during the exercise. This was an unmissable opportunity, even if they were personally participating in it.
"Wait, Major Parks!" As Parks was about to leave, General Taylor called out to him.
"What is it, General!" Parks looked at Taylor.
"Someone wants to see you. Tomorrow morning at 7:30, at the Berchtesgaden Hotel, ten miles away. That's the battalion headquarters, you know." General Taylor looked at Parks, a smile in his eyes, and said, "It's an important figure; you need to dress respectably."
"Yes, General!" Parks nodded and then saluted General Taylor.
An important figure? Parks couldn't help but ponder, but he really couldn't figure out who that important figure might be. But no matter what, he had once again entered the sight of those important figures. He didn't know if this was a good thing or a bad thing.
At 7:20 the next morning, Parks had already driven to the Berchtesgaden Hotel. But even a mile or two from the hotel, he felt the atmosphere was somewhat different. There were sentries along the way, and two checkpoints were set up on the road leading to the hotel. If General Taylor hadn't personally welcomed him, he wouldn't have been able to enter.
The hotel entrance was even more heavily guarded, far from being just a battalion headquarters. And on a balcony on the third floor of the hotel, overlooking an icy lake, he met the person who wanted to see him. A cultured-looking man in his 50s, wearing glasses. He was drinking coffee at the time, holding a newspaper, and even though he was wearing unconventional casual clothes, he still had an extraordinary demeanor.
"Major Parks, welcome!" The man saw Parks being led in by General Taylor, couldn't help but stand up, and smiled as he extended his hand to Parks.
"This is Mr. Truman, the President of the United States!" General Taylor introduced him. Parks had already reached out and shaken his hand. This wasn't his first time dealing with the American President; at least now he could maintain a humble yet dignified attitude. After shaking hands, he saluted Truman. In fact, he had already vaguely guessed the identity of this important figure; now it was just confirmation.
"This is Major General Wesman, from the Pacific Theater Command, who came to observe this exercise by order of General MacArthur!" General Taylor suddenly whispered into Parks's ear, "Are you ready to go to the Pacific?"
Parks showed no emotion. He politely shook hands with Major General Wesman. He knew that this handshake would pull him from Europe to the Pacific, but he was already prepared!