"Yes Sir." "I've got two patrols due back within the hour I.." "Yes Sir." "I certainly will." "Yes Sir." "You can be sure I will." "Out." "Where would you go if you were a German Division and wanted to hide?" "Germany?" "(whistles loudly)" "Mail call." "(whistles)" "Mail call." "(Lots of voices)Hey Hey." "Let's go." "Mail call." "Private Hogue." "Aw." "Hey." "Naw." "Come on." "Albanney." "Grandes." "Ha ha." "Joe Nelson" "Right here." "Right here." "Mike Simmons." "Saunders." "Come on." "Gimme." "Horatio Ceese." "Yo." "Ya ya ya ya yo." "Here." "Hey." "Hey." "My kid sister had a boy." "I'm an uncle." "It looks like you got to pass out some cigars." "I'll write my brother-in-law back." "Yeah." "Yoo hoo." "Meredith Marr." "Just fold a bully." "Ha ha ha ha ha." "Now she knows he's married." "Hey." "Listen you guys." "It's from my draft board." "Do you know the penalty for not reporting when summoned." "Yeah." "They put you in the service." "(laughter)" "I'm serious." "Maybe I'll come back." "Heh heh." "Well." "I'll tell you." "You're mocking me now." "Hey Sarge, Did you hear that Nelson's got a problem?" "He's just gotta..." "All this time." "England." "Halfway across France." "We still don't know much about him." "Not even if he's got any folks?" "He never was a guy to talk." "Things just foul up." "Maybe he's got a kid." "I had one." "Hasn't he been out there long enough?" "Yeah." "Maybe..." "Maybe one of us ought to go out there." "Well." "If you are going out there." "If you need any help, we'll come out." "Um, Hmph." "Busy, Sarge." "I uh, huh, just got a letter from my draft board." "They uh, want me to report." "Send them..your serial number." "This Lieut." "Hanley." "He a nice guy?" "Oh, the best." "He always gives a bottle of champagne to every new man that comes in." "Hey." "Maybe that new guy's Johnson's replacement." "Huh, Sarge." "No, Red Rook." "That area's already been searched." "Come back in." "Out." "Private Meredith Trent reporting for duty, Sir." "Oh." "Where are your records?" "My 201 hasn't caught up with me from the hospital yet Sir." "You were in for that head wound?" "Ow." "Oh, yes Sir." "It's doing pretty good Sir." "Alright." "See Sgt. Saunders." "You'll find him outside." "Why don't you guys get off my back." "Will you, Sarge?" "We'd take him back again if he was drafted." "Wouldn't we?" "Hey Billy." "Why don't you ask for permission to talk about the summon." "Yeah." "Well." "Then you ask me to send you guys home in civvies and get to work on his tie. (laughter)" "Sergeant Saunders?" "Ah." "The Lieut. just assigned me to your squad." "What's your name?" "Trenton." "Private Meredith Trenton." "Alright Trenton." "Go store your gear somewhere eh." "I, I'll show you." "Hey." "Come on." "Come on." "Ya know." "We got a real roof over our heads and everything." "Hey Sarge." "Lieut." "Hanley wants to see you." "All the comforts of home.." "Boy." "That Sergeant of yours." "He's not very friendly." "Is he?" "Hold on." "Don't get him wrong Trenton." "He's really one of the best NCOs in the whole army." "We had mail call earlier." "He got a letter that, uh.." "Hit him pretty hard." "Hey uh." "Lieut." "Hanley just sent for Sgt. Saunders." "Looks like you're in for a patrol your first day here." "Well." "That's what we're here for." "Isn't it?" "Where do I put my gear." "I'd like to get a little sack time." "Uh." "Might as well take Johnson's place over there." "Them two chairs." "Sure." "Get him." "You alright?" "Rough day." "Say." "How long were you in that hospital anyway?" "Not even a week." "I told them to give me a purple heart and send me home." "Heh." "I'd have made that thing last a month, maybe six weeks even." "Well." "I got even." "I requisitioned ten cans of the best coffee you ever drank." "Hey." "Hah." "Ha ha ha." "Some other outfit's picked up a couple of prisoners." "Just regular infantry." "Until we get one from the 25th Panzer, we don't even know if they've moved down here." "Well." "Where do you want us to search, Lieut.?" "Caje, Littlejohn, Nelson." "Trenton." "On your feet." "(Crack)" "Trenton." "On your feet." "Aw." "Sarge." "I have bed ache, mono and freedom fighting over me." "Alright." "We're in a hurry." "Sure Sarge." "Rar'in to go." "Ow." "Hey." "Sit down." "Ease the load." "Crazy, I. I got dizzy a little while ago." "Yeah." "It was probably that head wound." "Now I, I think my leg, uh.." "Let's have a look." "Oh." "It's alright Doc." "Does that hurt?" "Gasp." "Aah." "Yeah." "His knee went out." "Smitty." "Get rid of him." "I'll be alright in a minute Sarge." "Doc." "Well." "Maybe I could walk the soreness out of it." "It's a" "Walk." "What do you think this is?" "A picnic?" "Come on." "Let's go." "Oh." "Westby." "A girl I worked with in this insurance company gave me this rabbit's foot, uh." "It's always brought me good luck, uh." "I thought maybe you'd like it" "No no." "It's still bringing you good luck." "Got you out of this patrol, didn't it?" "Eh." "Looks like that weather might close in again." "How's it feel?" "Feels fouled up." "Foul up Trenton." "That's me." "Two left feet, huh." "You know." "I think I'm accident prone." "Maybe you'd better fix the coffee." "Hey, heh." "Reminds me of home and mama." "Make enough for the squad when they get back from patrol." "Huh." "Oh, yeah." "Hey." "You're just in time for Trenton's coffee." "Yeah." "Well, Trenton's going to the aid station." "I don't want to go Doc." "I just got out of the hospital." "Well." "Lieut. gave me a jeep." "Well, then have the jeep back." "Like every time I get out of the hospital, I end up in some replacement depot." "Why, it's too late." "He already knows about it." "Why you have to tell him, Doc?" "Hey hey." "Take it easy." "You never had it so good." "You guys don't understand." "May sound crazy but" "I'd just like to settle someplace." "It's a good squad." "Look at Saunders." "He gets a letter full of bad news and" "Everybody tries to help him." "Look at me." "I.." "I foul up on the first patrol, and everyone says it's okay." "That's what I call a real squad." "Oh wow." "I tell you what." "Ah." "If I stay with you maybe they'll let me bring you back here." "That uh...fair enough?" "Ten minutes." "Hey." "I think I'll go with you." "Hey." "Had no luck, huh." "I've had it much worse." "Fighting the krauts or looking?" "Hey." "You guys want some genuine hospital coffee?" "Well." "I'd rather have the hospital, but I'll settle for the coffee." "Grab a cup." "Compliments of Trenton." "Say." "How's the Sarge?" "Oh." "He's down." "One sad letter, huh." "Yeah." "I guess." "What evers in it, it's sure taking hold." "Thank you." "Hey Trenton." "That's good coffee." "Well, drink hearty." "There's nine more cans left." "Hey, uh." "How's your leg." "Any better?" "Oh yeah." "Couldn't you make a hospital case out of it, Trenton." "He said he'd rather stay with us." "Isn't that sweet?" "Heh he he he." "I told Doc he ought to take his temperature." "Ha ha ha ha ha." "But I've got the other squads out sir." "Yes." "It's sectors J and K that completes the pattern for our area." "Yes Sir." "I will." "My men too." "Yes Sir." "You can count on them." "How soon do we have to go Lieut.?" "Captain says S2 wants you out of here in two hours." "You'll be patrolling areas Baker and Charlie." "It's a pretty long haul for men who just came off of patrol, Lieut." "Alright." "Two out of 1400 hours." "Yes Sir." "I heard about that." "B-Company can make clothes." "They all sew." "I believe it." "Me and Pitts'll have it back in two hours." "Listen." "Give me some hot water." "Some more water huh." "I got a fur." "Lock my stuff." "It's the first time." "Gotta save your energy." "Pulling out again in two hours." "Sarge." "Come on and have some coffee." "What's the Lieut. think we are anyway?" "Iron men?" "By the way." "S2 is pushing everybody down the line these days." "We're lucky we don't draw three patrols at night." "So." "Compliments of Trenton." "Thanks." "How's your leg." "Oh." "It, It's not too bad." "Not too bad?" "Sarge." "You should have seen that poor guy down at the aid station when he was trying to put that knee joint back in place." "I don't think you fell that hard." "Well." "Neither did I." "You know." "It's funny." "I, I got a little dizzy and.." "I don't know what happened myself." "I guess it all depends on how you hit.." "Hey Sarge." "What's with the new patrol?" "Who goes?" "We all go." "A brief on that recon and, uh." "Leave your personal belongings behind." "We don't come back till we have a prisoner." "I wished I was accident prone." "I'd stay prone the rest of this whole war." "And the leg ought to be alright in a couple hours." "Aw." "How eager can you get?" "Hey, Trenton." "How did you get that cut over your eye?" "Jeep stopped too fast." "I went through the windshield." "Went through the windshield, huh." "Well." "I didn't do it on purpose." "What did I do to him?" "Must be that letter." "It's gotta be." "What do you guys think?" "Well." "I've never seen the Sarge this way." "I don't know." "It's like..." "Like something gone awful wrong inside." "There ought to be someone can get through to him." "Like who?" "Like uh." "Maybe the Lieut.?" "Worth a try." "Why don't you try him." "Okay." "Umm." "I'll go over to draw a radio." "Right." "(Knock knock knock)" "Uh." "I just want to draw a radio Sir." "Can I talk to you a minute, Lieut.?" "Sure." "What's on your mind Kirby?" "It's about the Sarge." "Does he know you're here?" "No Sir." "Eh you see." "He got this letter at mail call in." "It just kinda knocked him for a loop." "What are you driving at?" "He just ain't himself Sir." "Do you want to read his mail?" "Well Lieut." "I mean it." "Something's wrong cause" "Ever since he got that letter, he's been chewing us out." "Who's he been chewing out Kirby." "You." "Caje." "Littlejohn." "No Sir." "It's Chum." "The new man." "See, Sarge is acting like he goofed off on purpose, and.." "Just ain't like Saunders, Sir." "What ever is in that letter's eating him up." "We thought maybe you could talk to him and find out what it is." "I tell you what you do, soldier." "You take care of Kirby." "Let Saunders take care of Saunders." "Well Lieut." "That's all Kirby." "Better try and log some sack time." "Yes Sir." "Started to aching a little." "Saddle up." "Let's go." "Up." "No." "No." "Hmph." "What's that." "It went out again." "Now how could that be." "I was just lying here." "Coarse a little while ago it was aching some." "Yeah.." "Hang on." "This is gonna hurt." "Arrggh." "There." "That ought to do it." "Holmes." "Grenades and ammo for the whole squad." "Smitty." "Rations for two days." "I sure wish I was going with you guys." "You got your wish." "But Sarge." "I, I gotta" "Be ready in five minutes." "Sarge." "He needs" "I said five minutes." "Where's your stuff?" "Who you taking with you?" "The whole squad." "Trenton too?" "Trenton too." "These are the elements that compose the 25th Panzer." "Memorize and destroy it." "You know, you and I been through a lot." "We were Sergeants together." "That's right." "You got a letter today." "Is there anything I can do?" "Thank you Lieut." "But there's nothing you or anybody else can do." "Be seeing you." "Alright." "Lets move out." "What we gotta do?" "Bypass any more Panzers." "Keep going." "Keep going." "(Crack)" "Ah." "We need to splice it." "Eh." "Uh." "Aah." "I think it's out again." "Sergeant." "I think I can fix it." "Holmes." "Relieve Nelson." "Okay." "I sure hope..." "I know what I'm doing." "Just hang on Trenton." "Crack." "Uh." "Sounded like he broke it." "No no." "I think it went back in." "Uh." "It hurts." "Still hurts." "Hey." "Sarge?" "I think you ought to let him go back." "Think you can make it back?" "Yeah." "I think so." "Then what's to stop you from coming along?" "Here." "Blacken your face." "We're pulling out of here in 30 minutes after it's dark." "Checkpoint Easy." "(Vehicles are heard.)" "Panzers." "Littlejohn." "Caje." "You take the lookouts." "Give it to me." "Krauts are listening in." "They'll clobber us." "You got a better idea." "Checkmate King 2." "This is White Rook." "Sir." "I've got all squads out now." "No word as of yet." "I expect" "Checkmate king 2, White rook." "There's Saunders checking in now Sir." "Hang on." "White Rook." "I have Black Bishop on the phone." "Do you have any information." "Over." "Big pile of junk past Checkpoint Easy." "Mostly sardine cans heading south." "Do we come home." "Over." "Standby White Rook." "I'll check Black Bishop." "White Rook." "This is the word." "Must have identification on all units involved." "Black Bishop must have identification on all units." "Do you Roger." "Over." "The Americans are near." "They must be inside our lines." "Find them." "Go." "Thanks for orders King two." "Out" "S2 wants identification." "There's security guards guarding the roads." "Gonna have to get a Wehrm." "Holmes." "Take the point." "Kirby." "You bring up the rear." "Okay." "Let's go." "(German fires two shots)" "White Rook." "Cross Checkmate King two." "Crown King two." "Over." "This is King two." "White Rook." "Over." "Have identification for Black Bishop." "Tenth Regiment." "25th Panzer." "Over." "Good work." "Get back fast." "Over." "Roger." "Out." "Head for home." "Smitty got it in the hip." "Sarge." "Do you know what we gotta do?" "We got to go way up over those hills, go way around them." "If we start out and run we can make it." "Who's gonna run for Smitty." "Those krauts." "They're in between us and home." "That's right." "Caje." "Come on with me." "We'll take a look." "From what we could see they got about ten men." "They have 2 on machine guns and maybe some other small fire power." "Yeah, they're dug in." "But strong." "What are we gonna do?" "We'll have to flank em Caje." "You take Littlejohn." "When's Nelson here." "He'll be able to make it in about 4 or 5 minutes." "Yeah." "That ought to do it." "I want you to set." "Get at least two good shots." "We'll try to get some grenades in." "Alright." "Let's go." "Move up into the tunnel." "Saunders." "Kirby's been hit." "Haul him back down with Smitty." "Smitty." "Move out." "Fight." "Try and take over Kirby's BAR." "Come on." "Let's go." "How long you been getting away with it?" "Ever since you been in service?" "How many times you been in Combat?" "Or is this the first?" "You're running out of formula." "Maybe if you want to live you stay away from where death is, right." "Every day you spend near an aid station means one day less in a foxhole." "That's it, isn't it Trenton." "Oh that's right." "Your one thing." "If I get all the guys in the squad to.." "To like ya." "Make them think you're a real nice joe." "Get em to feel sorry for you." "It's your formula for living isn't it Trenton?" "Nobody'd believe you." "No." "They won't believe you." "Just be your word against mine." "Caje and Kirby and Doc." "They're all my friends." "They know what you're trying to do." "You been picking on me ever since you got that dear John letter." "Dear John." "Yeah." "Yeah." "If it hadn't been for that" "I'd still be safe back there at that farmhouse." "But no." "You just had to keep after me didn't ya." "You just don't understand." "All you guys." "You can't." "You just don't understand." "Now how do you think I feel?" "One man in a mayhem." "All the rest of em, able to do a job." "All I want to do is run." "I don't want to be afraid." "I don't want to die." "I just am." "I'm just no help." "We're all afraid." "They"re not." "You're not." "No, huh." "Hate checking houses." "A kid I know." "He had all the guts in the world." "and the reason he's in the marines in the Pacific." "About 6 months ago I got a letter from him." "Told me he was scared." "I felt like him at times cause I'm his brother." "This morning I got a letter, but uh" "Dear John letter." "And they told me that he was reported missing in action." "I don't know if he's living or dead." "I don't know." "Don't know inside if he's..." "But, uh, he's scared." "I know what you're trying to do." "You're trying to con me." "Why?" "Front to Caje." "Come on." "For the front." "Give me your grenades." "I'm not gonna ask you to follow me." "All I want from you is cover fire so I can get close enough to those machine gun nests." "You cover me." "I'll try." "I don't want you to try." "I want you to do it." "We need the hill, Trenton." "You're gonna..." "Leave him out there alone?" "Blam" "(German rifle fire only." "Machine gun out)" "Blam" "(A lone German continues firing)" "Blam" "(German guns are silent)" "Look who's out." "Hi." "I guess you came to pick up Kirby eh." "He told me to tell you that he'll be right back." "What happened to Smitty?" "Some guys get all the luck." "They shipped him home yesterday." "How ya doing?" "Doing just fine." "We uh, heard there was a clerk's office uh." "Got a job open?" "Lieutenant Hanley, uh, asked the Captain to put in a word for you." "Maybe there's a future." "Mind if I think it over." "I just might want to come back with a squad." "No." "Either way is, It's okay with me." "Thanks." "You know that guy I told you about that was...missing in Okinawa." "Yeah." "Well." "I thought you'd like to know I got a wire this morning." "And, uh." "My brother walked out of the jungle two days ago." "You?" "Hey Sarge." "All ready to go." "Take it easy." "Subs By JackT"