"It was a situation there where everybody was happy to see the war coming to an end and the Germans didn't really have a heart for it." "They realized that the end was there." "We'd say the only good Kraut is a dead one." "But there was something in there that you know, hey that was a kid." "Most of them were kids." "We all were kids." "They had a job to do the same way as me." "So, we went about and did the job that we had to do." "I think we thought that the Germans were probably the evilest people in the world." "But as the war went along we found out also that it wasn't the Germans, per se." "A lot of those soldiers..." "I've thought about this often." "That man and I might've been friends." "We might have had a lot in common." "He might have liked to fish, you know." "He might have liked to hunt." "You never know, you know." "They were doing what they were supposed to do." "And I was trying to do what I was supposed to do." "But, under different circumstances we might have been good friends." "That way." "Tell you one thing about the Krauts:" "They sure clean up good." "Yeah, all you need's a little Mozart." "Beethoven." "Sorry, sir?" "That's not Mozart." "That's Beethoven." "Come on, chicken." "All right, this one's got some, George." "You..." "You grab the chicken and I'm gonna grab the eggs." "Great, all right." "Just grab him by the foot." "Come on, chicken." "All right, If this thing bites me Frank, I swear I'll shoot it." "Guten Tag, Fraulein." "Guten Tag." "Hold on!" "Hold..." "But, George..." "I'll be right back." "Hold on a second, hold on." "Hey, hey, come on." "I just wanna talk to you." "I just wanna talk to you, that's all, I just wanna talk." "Okay, look what I got." "Chocolate bar?" "You like that?" "You like chocolate?" "Hey, Luz, why don't you leave her alone?" "Frank, why don't you just leave me alone, okay?" "You don't like chocolate?" "I don't like it either." "How about this?" "Cigarettes." "Camel?" "Yeah, you like that?" "Come on, Luz." "Frank, please, why don't you go make your omelet?" "Well, you ain't getting none of my eggs, blockhead." "Jesus, my friend just keeps talking." "Here, I got two packs here." "Give it to your friends or something." "Why don't you come and sit down?" "Wanna sit down?" "Here?" "Come on, that's it." "Hey, Frank, hold on." "Perc, Jesus, come on." "What?" "That Captain Nixon?" "I think so." "What the hell's he doing in his harness?" "I don't know." "Maybe we jumped into Berlin, the war's over." "So, what happened?" "No dice with the Fraulein?" "No dice." "She smacked me in the mouth." "Tell you what, though." "Germany's looking to be pretty good fraternizing territory, huh?" "Did you lose your cigarettes?" "Oh, God." "God, ja, ja, ja." "Oh, God." "Hold up, hold up, hold up." "That's right, yeah." "Janovec!" "Oh, shit!" "Sir." "Where's my stuff?" "I thought I'd leave it over there, sir." "Over there." "Here." "Thanks." "You're welcome, sir." "Oh, sir." "'Morning, sir." "'Morning." "You got a box all this stuff will fit into?" "Yes, sir, I think so, same destination?" "Yeah." "Yes, sir, I'll make sure it goes out first thing in the morning." "Thank you, Private." "Your folks are gonna have quite a collection by the time you get home, sir." "Finders keepers." "Yes, sir." "Nix?" "Nix?" "In here." "Dog." "Making combat jumps with the 17th while I'm in supply briefings all morning." "Yeah, lucky me." "No, congratulations." "You're probably the only man in the 101st with three combat stars over his jump wings." "Not bad for someone who's never fired his weapon in combat?" "Really?" "Really, you've never..." "No." "Not even with all the action we've seen?" "Not a round." "So..." "How'd it go this morning, the jump?" "It was great, fantastic." "We took a direct hit over the drop zone." "I got out." "Two others got out." "The rest of the boys?" "Well, they blew up over Germany somewhere." "Yeah, I'm sorry." "About what?" "Well, tough situation for the..." "Oh, yeah, the boys, yeah." "It's terrible." "Oh, well, wasn't me." "You know, the real tragedy is they also lost their CO." "So guess who gets to write all the letters home." "Goddamn nightmare." "Got a visit from Colonel Sink this morning." "And how is the good colonel?" "Concerned." "Still drinking nothing but the Vat 69?" "Only the finest for Mrs. Nixon's baby boy." "Had a problem up at regiment?" "What, this?" "Is that what he said?" "No, I just don't like it up there." "Good, so you'll be happy to hear that Sink is transferring you back down to Battalion S-3." "What do you think I should write to these parents, Dick?" "Hear what I said, Nix?" "You've been demoted." "Yeah, demoted, got you." "I don't know how to tell them their kids never even got out of the plane." "You tell them what you always tell them:" ""Their sons died as heroes."" "You really still believe that?" "Yeah, I do." "Don't you?" ""The Cooperative for American Remittance to Europe..." ""...or CARE, has begun assembling food packages stateside..." ""...to assist those European families in dire need."" "Which is presumably all of them." "So, notes home to your family reminding them to donate whatever they can would be much appreciated." "I'm sure that you'll be happy to know Oklahoma's still playing on Broadway." ""Oklahoma where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain" ""And the waving' wheat can sure smell sweet" ""When the wind comes" ""Right behind the rain"" "O'Keefe, you were sitting on your bayonet there?" "Why don't you leave the singing to Luz?" "Hey, unless you wanna do Surrey with the Fringe on Top, O'Keefe." "Rita Hayworth's getting married." "Oh, Rita, say it isn't true." "Abbott and Costello..." "Wartime news." ""Resistance in the Rhur pocket's crumbling." ""It looks like there might be a breakout in Remagen."" "Apparently the Krauts forgot to blow up a bridge when they headed back over the Rhine." "I guess the boys in the 17th Airborne did okay after all." "Forget it, we'd be in Berlin by now, sir if it was us instead of them?" "That's right!" "When do you think we'll jump into Berlin see some real action?" "You in a rush?" "No." "So, you wanna go home with a Congressional Medal of Honor?" "I just thought I'd ask." "Well, why don't you do us all a favor?" "Don't think." "Damn replacements." "Hallelujah." "'Bout time." "Yeah, consider yourselves lucky." "Nixon was giving another current events lecture." "So, tell me nothing's happening." "Nothing's happening." "Couple of artillery rounds at dawn probably from across the river, but that's about it." "It spooked Hashey, though." "Here, Perco, I just finished it." "Oh, yeah?" "Any sex in it?" "Ain't that kind of book." "See you." "Yeah, see you." "Okay, move on." "Hey, O'Brien." "Relax, would you?" "I'm trying to read." "It's O'Keefe." "Is that right?" "Yeah, Patrick O'Keefe." "My friends call me Paddy." "Hey, O'Brien." "Shut up!" "I told you, it's O'Keefe." "Do you know why no one remembers your name?" "It's 'cause no one wants to remember your name." "There's too many Smiths, Dimattos and O'Keefes and O'Briens, who show up here replacing Toccoa men that you replacements got killed in the first place." "And they're all like you." "They're all piss and vinegar." ""Where are the Krauts at?"" ""Let me at them."" ""When will I get to jump into Berlin?"" "Two days later, there they are with their guts hanging out and they're screaming for a medic." "Begging for their goddamn mother." "Them dumb fucks don't even know they're dead yet." "Hey, are you listening to me?" "Do you get that this is the best part of fucking war I've seen?" "I got hot chow, hot showers, warm bed." "Germany is almost as good as being home." "I even got to wipe my ass with real toilet paper today." "Quit asking about when you're gonna see some action, will you?" "And stop with the fucking love songs!" "When'd you ship out?" "A few weeks ago?" "Yeah." "It's been two years since I seen home." "Two years." "This fucking war." "Neither patrol found a single Kraut." "There were none here either." "They'll be across the river by now." "Let's send out a night patrol." "Check out the embankment on the far side." "President's dead." "Pair of queens bets." "All right, two bucks." "Nix." "No, I'm out." "All right." "Well, I'll call you two and I'll raise you another two." "I can't believe we're not gonna drop into Berlin." "No shit." "Ike's gonna let the Russkies have it." "Russkies." "God damn it." "Let me tell you something:" "This war is not about fighting anymore." "It's about who gets what." "Why don't you deal me out of the next hand?" "What about your money?" "Are we waiting on him again?" "Yep." "Goddamn drugstore." "Sir." "Hey, guys, wait up." "Hey, Dexter, how you doing?" "Good to see you." "You know who that was?" "No." "'Morning." "Captain Nixon." "Good to see you, sir." "I think I have some mail for you." "Yeah, I was gonna drop it off this afternoon with all the other 2nd Battalion mail." "But since you're here..." "Thanks." "Listen, I'm having some trouble finding some whiskey." "Whiskey?" "Yeah, a particular brand of whiskey." "Vat 69." "Exactly right." "I gotta be honest, sir that ain't gonna be easy to find in Germany." "Pickings are kind of slim here." "Yeah, don't I know it?" "And even if I do find some, sir it ain't gonna be cheap." "That won't be a problem." "Hey, you hear the news?" "Sorry, sir." "I didn't realize that you were here." "What news?" "300,000 Krauts just surrendered." "Three hundred?" "Yeah, we're moving out in an hour." "One hour?" "Yeah" "Sir, sir." "Your mail." "Keep looking." "Excuse me, pardon me." "Get a move on, let's go." "Jesus Christ, the dog?" "Lew?" "Cathy's divorcing me." "I'm sorry." "She's taking everything." "She's taking the house taking the kid." "She's taking the dog." "It's not even her dog!" "It's my dog!" "She's taking my dog!" "Let's go, load them up, come on!" "Sarge, what do you have in here?" "Germans?" "Hey, Perconte." "You got a lighter?" "No, sir, I don't smoke." "Hey, where we headed?" "To the Alps." "Let me see that lighter." "The Alps?" "Yeah." "That near Berlin, sir?" "No." "That's in Bavaria." "Birthplace of national socialism." "So, that mean no drop into Berlin?" "No drop into Berlin." "Hitler ordered the Waffen SS to hide in the mountains and repel all invaders." "He wants them to start a guerrilla war." "Invaders." "Damn, I like the sound of that." "They'll die the last man trying." "Sir." "What?" "My lighter." "All right, nice lighter." "Thanks." "Waffen SS?" "Looks like you'll get your wish anyway, O'Flannery." "Those guys..." "Fucking crazy." "It's O'Keefe." ""He ain't gonna jump no more" ""Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die" ""Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die" ""Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die" ""He ain't gonna jump no more" ""Risers wrapped around his neck Connectors cracked his dome" ""Suspension lines were tied in knots Around his skinny bones" ""The canopy became the shroud he hurdled to the ground" ""He ain't gonna jump no more" ""Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die" ""Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die" "You okay, Nix?" "Yeah, I'm fine." ""He ain't gonna jump no more"" "She hates that dog." ""His blood went spurting high" ""His comrades they were heard to say, 'A hell of a way to die'" ""He laid there rolling 'round in the welter of his gore" ""He ain't gonna jump no more" ""Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die" ""Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die" ""Gory, gory, what a hell of a way to die" ""He ain't gonna jump no more"" "There's gonna be good times, Web." "When we get home, I mean." "First thing I'm gonna do is get my job back at the cab company in Frisco." "Make a killing off all those sailors coming home, you know?" "Then I'm gonna find me a nice Jewish girl with great big, soft titties and a smile to die for." "Marry her." "Then I'm gonna buy a house a big house with lots of bedrooms for all the little Liebgotts we're gonna be making." "She ought to like that." "Hey, Janovec, what you reading?" "An article." "No shit." "What's it about?" "It's about why we're fighting the war." "Why are we fighting the war, Janovec?" "It seems that the Germans are bad." "Very bad." "You don't say." "The Germans are bad?" "Hey, Frank, this guy's reading an article over here." "It says the Germans are bad." "So, what about you, Web?" "You learn something new every day?" "I guess I'll finish school first and then..." "Wait a minute, finish school?" "You mean all this time you've been talking about Harvard this and Harvard that, and you ain't even finished?" "For one thing I haven't told you anything." "Yes, yes, I haven't finished." "So the fuck what?" "All right, Web, breathe a little." "Jesus." "Fuck." "It's just the way you always talked, you know?" "We all figured that..." "Hey, you know, you're right." "So the fuck what?" "So, what did you study?" "Literature." "Get out of here." "You serious?" "I love to read." "Do you?" "Dick Tracy, Flash Gordon mostly." "Yeah, fuck." "Tell her she's got five minutes." "Raus, raus." "Sir, she says they've got nowhere to go but the house next door is..." "Hey, hey, do you hear this?" "He says he ain't a Nazi." "Why haven't I met a Nazi yet in all of Germany?" "We're only gonna be here one night." "You've got four minutes." "Raus." "Come on." "Let's go." "Move!" "All of you, out!" "Look at them." "Even in defeat, they still know how to march with pride." "Hey, you!" "That's right, you stupid Kraut bastards!" "That's right!" "Say hello to Ford and General fucking Motors." "You stupid fascist pigs." "Look at you!" "You have horses." "What were you thinking?" "That's enough, Webster." "Give it a rest." "Dragging our asses half-way around the world interrupting our lives." "For what?" "You ignorant, servile scum!" "What the fuck are we doing here?" "I wanna send out some patrols." "We'll have Dog here in the village." "Easy and Fox in the woods." "Easy Company's gonna take the northwest." "Lt. Lipton." "Sir." "Have 1st and 2nd Platoons go to the woods." "Have 3rd swing around." "Yes, sir, 1st Sergeant Talbert." "You're not worried about an ambush, are you?" "No." "Just in case we have to stay here for the night." "O'Keefe." "Sarge" "Why the hell are you so jumpy, boy?" "I'm not jumpy." "I'm fine." "Can hear your heart pounding in Arkansas, boy." "Jesus Christ, give the kid a break, Bull." "Hey, George." "Yeah?" "Does this kind of remind you of Bastogne?" "Yeah, now that you mention it." "Except, of course, there's no snow we got warm grub in our bellies and the trees aren't fucking exploding from Kraut artillery." "But, yeah, Frank, other than that it's a lot like Bastogne." "Right." "Bull, smack him for me, please." "Thank you." "Hello?" "Hello?" "It sure is quiet." "He is right, fellows." "You seen Foley?" "No." "Hey, guys." "Any of you see any of the officers?" "No, speak to Popeye." "Hey Pop." "Popeye, you seen any officers?" "Nixon, Foley?" "Speirs is searching them buildings right down the street." "What's the matter?" "More, have you seen any of the officers?" "Yeah, Major Winters is right in there." "Are you all right, Frank?" "Major Winters, sir." "We found something." "We're out on patrol and we came across this..." "What, what, what?" "Frank, Frank, what is it?" "I don't know, sir." "I don't know." "Major, sir." "Open it up." "Yes, sir." "Stand back." "Give us some room here, stand back." "Back, back." "Christenson, any of your men speak German?" "No, sir." "I need Liebgott." "Liebgott!" "Lipton, find me Liebgott." "Yes, sir." "Liebgott, Liebgott!" "Liebgott!" "Major needs you up front, right now." "Sure." "All right, boys." "These people need care." "Give them water and all spare rations." "Grab me some blankets, quick." "Oh, my God." "Dick?" "I'm sorry." "Here, take some water." "Jesus, Web, can you believe this place?" "No." "It's okay." "Better now." "He said the guards left this morning, sir." "They burned some of the huts first with the prisoners still in them, sir alive." "Jesus Christ." "Some of the prisoners tried to stop them." "Some of them were killed." "They didn't have enough ammo for all the prisoners, so they killed as many as they could before they left the camp." "They locked the gates behind them and headed south." "Someone in town must have told them we were coming." "Yeah, I think so." "Will you ask him ask him what kind of camp this is?" "What..." "Why are they here?" "He says it's a work camp for..." "Unerwunscht?" "I'm not sure what the word means, sir." "Unwanted, disliked maybe?" "Criminals?" "I don't think criminals, sir." "No." "Doctors, musicians." "Tailors, clerks." "Farmers, intellectuals." "I mean, normal people." "Juden, Juden." "Juden." "They're Jews." "Poles and gypsies." "Liebgott?" "The women's camp is at the next railroad stop." "Hey, Babe, come here." "Look at their arms." "Like cattle." "Goddamn." "Ah, Jesus." "O'Keefe?" "O'Keefe?" "I'm gonna call Sink." "Find Speirs and figure out how the hell to get them some food and water." "Let's go, let's pick up the pace, come on." "Sergeant Martin get what fits on the deuce and a half." "Move, let's move." "Shut up." "Take everything, take it all." "Check the back and shut up!" "Check the back and see if there's any kind of..." "Shut up!" "I said shut up, you Nazi fuck!" "You're not a Nazi?" "My mistake, you fat fucking prick." "How about a human being?" "Are you one of those?" "Or will you tell me you never smelled the fucking stench?" "Let him go, Web." "He says he doesn't know what the hell you're talking about." "Bullshit." "Sergeant Talbert, this is chaos." "There's plenty to go around, please." "We've got more water on the way." "Dick, Major Winters." "Yes, sir." "Sir." "This is Doctor Kent, the regimental surgeon." "Doc, tell Major Winters and Captain Nixon what you just told me." "Yes, sir." "We need to stop giving these men food right now." "They're starving." "If they eat too much too quickly they'll eat themselves to death." "We need to keep them here till we can find a place for them in town." "You want us to lock these people back up?" "We got no choice, Nix." "Otherwise they might scatter." "We must keep them centralized to supervise their food intake and medical treatment." "So, until we find some place better..." "Colonel Sink." "It's a crying ass shame, but let's get it done." "Yes, sir." "I don't like it any more than you guys." "General Taylor?" "Bob Sink, 506." "Sir, we're on, we're at Landsberg the other side of Buchloe." "We found something I believe you ought to see, sir." "I can't tell them that, sir." "You've got to, Joe." "Yes, sir." "Grant, Christenson." "The prisoners must be put back in the camp immediately." "Let the men know." "Turns out I'm staying in the only dry frigging house in Germany." "Thought you weren't drinking the local." "Yeah, well." "Heard from Division." "Been finding camps like this all over the place." "Jesus." "Seems the Russians liberated one a lot worse." "Worse?" "Yeah." "Apparently." "Ten times as big." "Execution chambers, ovens." "For cremating all the bodies." "Jesus." "The locals claim that they never even knew the camp existed." "They say we're exaggerating." "Well, they're gonna have a hell of an education tomorrow." "General Taylor declared martial law about an hour ago." "Ordered every able-bodied German in town aged 14 to 80, to start burying the bodies." "That'll begin in the morning." "10th Armored are gonna supervise cleanup." "What about us?" "We head out for Thalheim, Thalheim, tomorrow." "1200 hours." "Kerchief, sir?" "What?" "No, thanks." "Move along." "Over there." "Don't stop." "Keep digging." "You, too." "Come on." "Hitler's dead." "Holy shit." "Shot himself in Berlin." "Is the war over, sir?" "No." "We have orders to Berchtesgaden." "We're gonna move out in one hour." "Why, the man's not home?" "Should've killed himself three years ago." "Saved us a lot of trouble." "Yeah, he should've but he didn't."