"When we left for Bastogne we were short of equipment, we didn't have enough ammunition we didn't have enough warm clothes." "But we had confidence that our higher military authorities would get to us whatever we needed." "And there was a ridge with a tree line." "We were dug in on that ridge." "The Germans knew right where we were, and they really gave us a shellacking." "Like in Bastogne, we were down to one round per man there for a while." "The fog was in." "They couldn't drop us or resupply us." "Every time they tried to drop supplies in to us they missed us and dropped them to the Germans." "One of the guys got hit in the arm with a piece of shrapnel." "Took his arm off above the elbow." "And they were taking him out, he said, "Get my wristwatch off my arm. "" "And then a medic came along, and I think he really saved my life because he stuck a Syrette in a key position." "Morphine." "Even today, a real cold night we go to bed and my wife will tell you that first thing I'll say is, "I'm glad I'm not in Bastogne. "" "Duck, duck, duck!" "Kommen Sie hier." "Kommen Sie hier, schnell!" "Schnell!" "Doc, bandage." "Take him back to Regiment." "As you all know, General McAuliffe, Acting Division Commander." "Give it to me straight!" "We've been taking ground in one position, General losing it in another." "And now it looks like a standoff." "We're digging in on the edge of the forest." "We're under sporadic artillery fire, General." "We're taking a lot of hits, and we have no aid station." "We've run out of food, we have no winter clothes and we have little or no ammo." "The line's spread so thin, the enemy wanders into our CP to use our slit trenches, sir." "We just can't cover the line." "Good morning, Captain Nixon." "You got anything to add for General McAuliffe?" "General, yes, sir." "General, I took a walk along the line about 0300 last night." "Couldn't find the 501st on our right flank." "I tied in with a squad from our 2nd Platoon." "But, sir, we've got some considerable gaps in our perimeter." "I don't have enough people, sir." "We're spread too damn thin." "Hold the line, Colonel, close the gaps." "This goddamn fog won't lift any time soon so you can forget about air cover." "Your 1st Battalion just pulled out of Foy, Krauts on their tail." "Tanks, artillery." "Got no backup." "There's a lot of shit heading this way." "Can I scrounge a bandage from your aid kit, sir?" "How are you fixed?" "No plasma, couple of bandages." "Practically no morphine." "I tried to find my way up to 3rd Battalion looking for supplies, but lost my way." "If you can't get over to 3rd, hook up with Doc Ryan." "He'll fix you up with what he has to spare." "Thanks, Captain." "Eugene, get everything you can." "You're gonna need it." "Spina." "Doc." "What's happening?" "We're digging in right along the line." "Yeah?" "Yeah, this is it." "So, what'd you get?" "I got this." "And I got myself a Kraut bandage." "What, this is it?" "Yeah, that's it, that's all you got." "Jesus" "You know, 1st Battalion's pulled out of Foy." "Heavy casualties." "If they're pulling back, why are we sitting here?" "We need morphine, this is all I've got." "You got extra scissors?" "Just the one." "First Sergeant Lipton!" "Sir." "What's this?" "Two medics in one hole?" "Yes, sir." "What's gonna happen to us if you take a hit?" "Sir?" "First Sergeant, where's my foxhole?" "It's back here, sir." "Maybe you missed it." "I'll walk you back, sir." "You're a bit close to the line here." "Goddamn it." "Sergeant Guarnere, did you keep your morphine from Holland?" "No." "Doc, I've gotta talk to you." "How's that leg?" "To hell with the leg, I'm pissing needles." "Later." "Shit!" "You seen them?" "No." "But they're out there." "Depend on it." "Cup of joe, Doc?" "Gordon, I need scissors." "You got scissors, sharp scissors?" "Scissors?" "Well, let's see, I'll have to check the sewing room." "Might be upstairs in the study." "That skinny drawer in the middle of the desk." "All right, what about an extra Syrette in your aid kit?" "Hide your morphine, guys." "Muck, you all right?" "I'm good!" "Muck, Malarkey, take cover!" "We're okay!" "Take a look at this shit!" "They've peppered my helmet!" "Doc, morphine." "Here, take it!" "Where's Penkala?" "Christ knows." "Medic!" "Doc!" "Medic!" "You guys hit?" "Doc, what are you doing?" "Are you crazy?" "What are you looking at him for?" "Watch the goddamn line." "You got a Syrette?" "No." "Medic!" "Medic!" "Doc!" "Penkala!" "Doc!" "It's the artery, I can feel it!" "Penkala, let go..." "It's the goddamn artery!" "Penkala, loosen your fingers, goddamn it!" "I'll bleed to death." "Relax your arm, Penky!" "It's not the artery." "I ain't going back, Doc." "What?" "I ain't going nowhere, not in this shit." "You don't wanna go, and you yell medic?" "I don't need to go back to no aid station." "You're in luck, Penkala, because we don't got no aid station." "Penkala, I need scissors." "You got scissors?" "What the hell I need scissors for?" "Got your aid kit?" "Right, you don't need this, not yet." "I do." "Who got hit?" "Penkala." "All right, this is what I want you to do." "I want you to take someone and work your way to the 3rd Battalion." "You know what we need:" "Bandages, plasma." "Whatever you can beg, you beg, all right?" "And get me some goddamn scissors." "I can't get any." "And you get yourself a hot meal, too." "Go." "You know, he told me he was a goddamn virgin." "Who?" "The replacement in my foxhole, Julian." "Yeah?" "Goddamn virgin." "Just a kid." "The only virgin I know is the Virgin Mary." "Hey, Babe, where the hell are we?" "This way." "I don't like it." "Where the hell is 3rd Battalion?" "Shit!" "Come on." "Come on, come on, give me a hand." "Go, go!" "Come on, Spina, move!" "I'm moving!" "Get moving!" "Come on, go!" "Okay, we can spare a few bandages, but that's it." "No morphine." "You'll have to go back to Bastogne for plasma." "It took us an hour to find you." "Doesn't your surgeon have plasma?" "We don't have one." "No surgeon, no aid station, nothing." "Just me and my buddy." "Sorry, guys, but we just can't help you." "Take cover!" "Get your butts out of here!" "We're pulling back!" "Come on, let's go!" "Move!" "Should have shot Hinkle in the ass!" "And you would have shot him in the ass!" "God bless ya." "Yo, these smell like my armpit." "At least your armpit's warm." "Do you want syrup with that?" "Joe, be honest." "What's in these things anyway?" "Nothing you won't eat, Malarkey." "I won't eat malarkey." "Maybe Hinkle would like your share?" "Should've shot him when I could." "Running backwards?" "Anybody seen Lieutenant Dike?" "Try Battalion CP, sir." "Try Paris." "Try Hinkle." ""Hinkle, sweetie, I'm home. "" "Eugene, Lieutenant Dike's got a full aid kit." "Try him." "Yeah, I'm sure he's not using his." "Maybe Hinkle's got a Syrette for you." "Eat your strudel." "Hinkle-vinkle, eat the armpit?" "Lieutenant Dike." "Can you spare something from your aid kit?" "I'm short." "I need Syrettes." "What, morphine?" "Yes, sir." "What happens if I get hit?" "I'll be there, sir." "Syrettes in here, right?" "Yes, it is." "Here." "I don't plan on getting hit." "Thank you, sir." "Heffron." "Heffron, you okay?" "Gene, what is with the Heffron bullshit?" "You know my name." "Why don't you use it?" "It's Edward, right?" "Edward?" "Are you serious?" "Only the goddamn nuns call me Edward." "I need to know if you kept your morphine from Holland." "No, you asked me already, remember?" "No, I don't recall." "Gordon, you want me?" "Oh, yeah, morphine." "3rd Platoon ponied up the contraband." "You still looking for scissors?" "Yes, I am." "Perconte." "Perconte?" "Doc." "Thank you." "And you'd better check on Joe Toye out on the OP." "He's missing something." "Thanks." "You guys okay?" "They got hot food." "Can you smell it?" "Toye, are you missing something?" "Home." "Ask him to dance, Doc." "Toye, show me your feet." "You watch the goddamn line, McClung." "Where are your boots?" "In Washington, up General Taylor's ass." "I don't believe this." "I can move better in bare feet, Doc." "What happened?" "I took them off to dry my goddamn socks." "They got blown to hell, okay?" "What's your size?" "Nine, just like everybody else." "Frank, you keep cleaning those teeth, the Germans will see you a mile away." "Shoot you dead." "That's right, Pee Wee, you keep laughing." "Hey, Doc." "My stuff!" "Come on, Doc." "You got a drug store in here?" "No, I own my stuff." "What are you looking for?" "Scissors." "Thank you, Perconte." "My goddamn scissors!" "Sergeant Guarnere." "Gene, is that you?" "Hey, Doc!" "Doc, come here!" "USO." "Picking up Syrettes." "Alley, Liebgott, you got any?" "No, got used in Holland, Doc." "You ain't using this stuff, are you, Doc, personally?" "Come on." "Hey, Doc, I still got the itching." "Every time I pee, it's murder." "I'm sorry, but I don't have penicillin for your..." "My what?" "Make sure you move around." "Get your blood flowing." "I can't feel my feet." "That's why you gotta move, so you don't get trench foot." "Should I take my boots off?" "All you gotta do is just loosen them up, keep moving." "Sergeant, I'm sorry." "Look, I know it must be hell, but I can't help you, all right?" "Just drink lots of water." "Water?" "It's pissing that hurts!" "Shut it!" "Shut the hell up!" "What's going on here, Bill?" "Who the hell's singing?" "I'll find out, Lieutenant." "I'll find out, I'll shut them up." ""Lord, grant that I shall never seek So much to be consoled as to console" ""To be understood, as to understand Or to be loved" ""As to love with all my heart." ""With all my heart"" "Medic!" "Medic!" "Perconte, you getting a jeep?" "I'm on it, Doc." "Look what they did to my leg!" "Easy CP!" "Easy CP, this is Perconte." "Sisk has been hit and I need a jeep." "I say it again, I need a jeep now!" "They're moving, goddamn it!" "We need it now!" "Okay, Sisk, it ain't that bad." "Ain't that bad?" "Pull!" "No, Doc, save the morphine, I can make it." "I can make it, save it, okay?" "All right, let's get him out of here." "Where's the goddamn jeep?" "I don't know, but I hear it." "Jesus Christ!" "You got blood all over my trousers." "I'm real sorry, Frank!" "Get him up." "Damn it, Skinny." "Tell Spina I went in for plasma." "All the tanks, artillery, are pulled back to here." "We've got no backup beyond Bastogne." "This is it." "The Krauts captured the 326th Medical, and they took everybody doctors, medics, the whole shebang." "We got nothing." "They're giving the boys hooch for the pain." "He took a mortar hit." "Watch the leg." "Yeah, watch the leg." "Get him in." "Move it!" "Coming through." "'Morning, fellas." "No, no, here, put him here." "Yes, ma'am." "Is he bad?" "No, lower-leg wound, no morphine." "Nurse, have you got plasma?" "I can..." "Wait, please." "What's going on here?" "Why aren't these men evacuated?" "We can't evacuate." "We're cut off." "This is as far as it goes." "Faites attention aux deplacements." "Ca va?" "Ce n'est pas grave, ce n'est pas urgent." "I'm in heaven, Doc." "Pas encore, Dieu merci." "Nurse?" "This way." "I need morphine, I need bandages, whatever you've got." "Okay, I can give you a little, but not a lot." "There you go." "You can have this today." "Do you want that?" "Wait." "You got plasma?" "A little." "Are you a surgeon?" "No, we don't got no surgeon." "What's this?" "From the bed." "What, sheets?" "Yes, for bandages." "Voila." "Merci." "Comment vous appelez-vous?" "My name is Renee." "I'm Gene, Eugene Roe." "Where are you from?" "Louisiana, half-Cajun." "Et toi, d'ou viens-tu?" "Bastogne." "Can you get me back to the line?" "Sure." "Eugene." "Chocolat." "Pour vous." "Benedictio dei omnipotentis patri et filii et spiritus sancti descendat super vos et maneat semper." "Amen." "Amen." "Fight well for your God and your country." "God bless you all, and stay safe." "That's it, guys, nothing more to worry about." "We're gonna die now, we're gonna die in a state of grace." "Isn't that right, Babe?" "Battalion want a reconnaissance patrol." "Kraut hunting." "All right, I'll go." "Take these." "Give the boots to Joe Toye." "Tell him they're a nine." "Keep going, till we make some kind of contact." "Peacock's leading, right?" "Right." "Asshole couldn't find a snowball in a blizzard." "That's what's happening, that's the order." "Sarge?" "Yeah, Julian." "Let me be the lead scout." "Back of the line, Private." "All right, that's it, let's move out." "Tactical columns, gentlemen." "Doc, it's a combat patrol." "Why don't you stay back and keep your ass out of trouble?" "Yes, sir." "Yeah." "Come on, Hoobler, pick it up." "Right, move on." "Go." "Fire!" "Get down!" "Get down!" "Jesus!" "Shit!" "Bull!" "Christenson!" "Up on line!" "Johnny!" "We got a man down!" "Jack, over here." "What have we got?" "Keep still, Julian!" "We've gotta make a move!" "I can get him, Sarge." "Suppressing fire!" "One man down, Easy!" "Covering fire!" "Easy CP, I have one man down!" "Okay, stay there, don't move!" "Stop moving, or else they'll keep shooting!" "What's happening, sir?" "We're pulling back." "We made contact." "I gotta get to the CP." "Don't move!" "Stop moving!" "They'll keep firing!" "Stop moving!" "Jesus Christ, fuck it!" "John!" "What?" "Pull back, we gotta pull back!" "Let's get the hell out of here!" "Let's go, let's go!" "Move!" "Go!" "Stay with us, stay with us!" "Hold on, Julian!" "Stay with us!" "Look at me, stay with us!" "Look at me, hold on, hold on!" "Don't move, Julian, we're coming back!" "We'll get you out of here, just hold on!" "Go!" "Let's go!" "Move!" "Come on, let's go!" "Where the hell are we?" "Straight ahead, straight ahead!" "Doc!" "Okay, Christenson set it up on the rock." "Easy CP, Easy CP, lightning." "Over." "I need an A-jeep standing by at the CP." "Okay, got you a jeep, Doc." "Martin!" "Sir!" "What's going on?" "They got Julian!" "He's still alive!" "We don't know that!" "We gotta go get him!" "Did you hit an OP or their line?" "Their line, sir!" "We've gotta go back, get Julian out of there!" "No, fall back!" "We lost Peacock." "No, he's back at the CP." "Come on, Martin, fall back!" "Get him out of here!" "Let's up and go!" "Doc, we've gotta move now, Doc." "Come on, let's go!" "Doc, now, let's go!" "Move!" "Let's go!" "Fall back!" "We couldn't get to him, Captain." "We tried." "Babe tried." "We couldn't get to him." "Let me sit in here with you guys." "Heffron?" "Toye." "What you doing out here?" "Thanks for the boots, Doc." "Doing fine." "Are you still having trouble with your feet?" "Show me, let me see it." "It's trench foot, Toye." "If it turns gangrene, you could lose it." "I ain't coming off the line, Doc." "You gotta stay dry." "Massage your feet." "Change socks every day and dry the wet ones around your neck." "Trying." "Do it." "I'm working on it." "You seen Heffron?" "No." "Why?" "He ain't in his hole." "Fuck." "Got you." "Heffron?" "Edward?" "Eat it." "Good." "Perfect." "I promised him, if he got hit I'd get his stuff and bring it to his ma, you know?" "Now the fucking Krauts will strip him." "No, it's okay." "It's not!" "It's not okay." "I should've got to him." "What do you call those people again?" "Those Cajun healers?" "Traiteurs." "You know, my grandma was a traiteur." "Your grandmother?" "No shit?" "She was." "Laid her hands on people and cured them." "Took away sickness, cancer, you name it." "Your grandma did that?" "You're shitting me." "I remember she used to pray a lot." "Yeah, I guess she had to." "Talked to God about the pain she pulled out." "Asked him to carry it away." "That's what she did." "Jesus." "I'm still trying to figure why they picked me for a medic." "God knows." "Snap of a finger, and just like that, you're a medic." "I've had enough playing doctor." "How about you?" "Joe." "Cease fire!" "Cease fire, goddamn it!" "Sergeant, I don't understand!" "It was our own planes!" "C-47's." "They're bringing supplies." "It's a drop." "It's a drop, come on!" "All right, help the doc." "The rest of you come with me." "Medic!" "Someone give us a hand here!" "Help, help!" "This one through here." "Now, vite!" "Fais pression, essaie de trouver I'artere." "Oui, d'accord." "The artery, gotta find the artery!" "Moi, je ne la trouve pas!" "Anna!" "Anna!" "Je ne la trouve pas!" "Where does she come from?" "The black girl?" "The Congo." "How'd she get here?" "Just like me." "She came to help." "Chocolat?" "What?" "Your hands." "My hands?" "You're a good nurse." "No." "I never want to treat another wounded man again." "I'd rather work in a butcher shop." "But your touch calms people." "That's a gift from God." "No, it's not a gift." "God would never give such a painful thing." "Nurse!" "Nurse!" "We need some help over here!" "Guy's shot through the stomach." "How bad is it?" "Okay, get this one in first." "You'll be all right." "Now we know how they felt." "What?" "Who?" "The legionnaires when they were watching the Huns the Goths, the Visigoths." "Visigoths?" "Jesus Christ." "Barbarians." "They came right through here." "Right through these trees, just sweeping down to burn the shit out of Rome." "That's a hell of a long ride." "So what's college like, Buck?" "You got time to hit the books with cheerleaders running their fingers through your hair?" "Hell, Babe I can't even remember." "Hey, it's Doc." "Sergeant." "Heffron." "Lieutenant." "Wrap up." "Never calls anybody by their nickname." "He once called me Edward." "Is that right?" "Edward?" "That's your name?" "Yeah." "Funny." "You don't look like an Edward." "Hey, Doc." "It's gonna get busy, pal." "Hold your fire, boys." "Don't let them draw you out." "Hold your fire!" "Stay ready, boys." "What the hell are we gonna hit those things with, Lip?" "Hold your fire!" "Get ready, Walter!" "Stay in your holes, guys." "Smokey's hit!" "Medic!" "Eugene, let's go!" "Come on, let's go!" "Okay." "Go!" "Ready." "Medic!" "Doc!" "Smokey!" "Hi, Mo." "I got it, I'm keeping it for you." "Smoke!" "I can't feel my legs, Gene." "Take it easy." "My foxhole, get the plasma, now!" "Here they come!" "You got them?" "I got them." "Go!" "Machine guns, open fire!" "Open fire!" "Sergeant Lipton!" "Doc, we gotta get the hell out of here." "Stay with us, Smokey." "Stay with us!" "We gotta get the hell outta here!" "You ready?" "All right, go!" "Stop, we've gotta stop." "All right." "Take the plasma." "All right." "Come on, Walt." "Come on, buddy." "Hurry, Doc, come on, Doc." "I've gotta get back to the line." "Okay, okay." "Lip?" "Yeah, buddy." "You're standing on my hand." "Sorry." "Look, I'll get you another Purple Heart for it." "Give us a hand!" "I got you a ride, Doc." "Jones!" "Give it here." "Okay, put him here." "Where's his tag?" "Where's his tag?" "What's wrong with him?" "Paralyzed." "What?" "He's paralyzed." "Can't feel a thing." ""In the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" ""Amen"" "Eugene?" "Are you..." "Renee, I need some help here." "Are you all right?" "Renee!" "Here you go, man." "One for the doc?" "Sure." "Doc?" "Better than sitting down to a Christmas Eve dinner of turkey and hooch back at the division CP." "Damned if I don't like old Joe Domingus' rancid-ass beans better." "Hello, Easy Company." "Hello, sir." "Hello, sir." "General McAuliffe sent a message to the entire division." "I thought maybe your people would like to hear it." "That should be your prerogative, sir." "All right." "Men!" "General McAuliffe wishes us all a Merry Christmas." ""What's merry about all this, you ask." ""Just this." ""We've stopped cold everything that's been thrown at us from the north, east, south and west." ""Now, two days ago the German commander demanded our honorable surrender..." ""... to save the USA encircled troops from total annihilation." ""The German commander received the following reply:" ""'To the German commander:" ""'Nuts!" "'" ""We're giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present." ""And being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms..." ""... we're truly making for ourselves a merry Christmas. "" "Merry Christmas to you all, and God bless you." "Merry Christmas, sir." "Nuts!" "Bill." "Picture of my girl." "Good looking broad, Buck." "She's..." "She's finished with me." "Yeah?" "Yeah." "Yeah, she's..." "Just in time for Christmas." "Just in time for Christmas." "Shit!" "I almost forgot." "Lucky Strikes means fine tobacco." "Where the hell did you get those?" "Merry Christmas, fellas." "Gotta thank jolly old Saint Luz." "Beautiful." "There you go, Penk." "I am shaking so goddamn much I feel like I'm dancing." "There you go, buddy." "There you go." "Frank, what are you doing?" "It's Christmas, Pee Wee." "Here, Frank." "What is it?" "Lemon-powder snow cone." "Pass." "Merry fucking Christmas." "Harry." "Fire's not a good idea." "Just a couple of minutes." "We're in a dell." "A dell?" "Like where fairies and gnomes live?" "I swear I thought I could smell a fire." "I did smell a fire." "Are you out of your mind?" "We're in a dell." "Down!" "Crossfire!" "God, no!" "This is Captain Nixon." "I need an A-jeep for Second Battalion CP." "Stay still, Harry." "Doc, put that out!" "Repeat, A-jeep for Second Battalion CP." "Medic!" "Doc!" "Come on, Doc." "Is he hurt?" "I don't know." "Move, get in!" "Doc!" "I gotta go." "Eugene, come on, get up." "The captain's yelling." "Come on, get up." "Okay." "Okay, get up!" "Not lie down!" "Okay, get up, come on, move!" "Jesus Christ!" "My hand, my goddamned hand!" "Roe!" "Jesus!" "Okay." "Roe?" "Stay still, Harry." "Just a scratch." "You're not getting out this easy." "Jeep's on it's way." "Hang tough." "Here's a towel." "Towel." "Yeah sure." "I got morphine in my pocket." "Give it to him." "Where you want it?" "Opposite thigh." "Okay." "Elevate his head." "Get him up." "There you go, soldier, take that." "Eugene, get yourself into town, get a hot meal." "Get out, quick!" "Clear the road!" "Get out, quick!" "Stay out of there!" "Keep moving!" "Medic!" "Get your ass out here!" "Come on!" "Every hour, on the hour, on the radio, but I don't know where the hell you are." "Everything okay?" "Babe?" "Yeah." "How'd you do that?" "You did that." "I'll fix it up." "Hey, Gene." "You called me Babe." "I did?" "When?" "Just now." "Babe." "I guess I did." "Babe." "Heffron, watch the goddamn line."