Everyman's War Page #5

Good evening. Front reports indicate

that the Americans have lost

both Bambrik and Babelom in Belgium,

and farther south near the French border,

field reports say German tanks

in eight heart-breaking days

have broken from defenses

in the Siegfried line

and have driven back into Belgium

and Luxembourg,

back to within 29 miles of historic Sedoz.

Everybody out.

Grab your weapons and ammo.

We got a 5-mile hike down this rail line.

Let's go.

That's where we're going.

We're going to need those.

You're an ammo carrier. Grab your ammo.

And stick with Benedetto.

Maybe you should just shoot him now.

Save the Germans some trouble.

Yeah? He might just end up

saving you, Fuller.

l've got a bad feeling.

Why do they want this town anyway?

Come on, come on.

Gunmen on the line need to be relieved.

Okay, listen up.

There are two machine gun positions

we badly need to relieve tonight.

Both are on the east hill behind--

As you can tell from that demonstration,

you're going to be real careful

taking up your positions.

The 376 are holding our line right now.

Smith, Fuller, Heinrich, Benedetto,

you'll relieve the gun in place

on the south end of that hill,

close to an old pump house.

Foster, Matthews and Jennings,

there's a castle

on the north side of the hill.

You'll take that position.

When we're done here,

we'll guide you up there.

Questions?

Hear this well.

There are German divisions

on the other side of that ridge.

They've tried to retake the town

a couple times from the north.

We cannot let that happen.

Hopefully, this weather

will slow them down.

Stay sharp. l'll try to get some warm chow

to you by morning.

Okay, let's move them out.

- Hey, Tony?

-Yeah?

We got 2 feet of snow coming.

Krauts ain't going to do anything

in this sh*t.

Smith.

Yeah?

l found this in the truck.

Think you might have dropped it?

Listen, l ain't got nobody back home.

At least you got somebody.

You should hang on to that.

Benedetto.

Thanks.

Relief has arrived.

What took you?

Mostly the ammo.

Christ, it's freezing in here.

Any movement?

Nothing but goddamn shelling.

Okay.

You got everything you need?

l have to get these men back down

to relieve other positions along the line.

Stay sharp.

Benedetto.

l don't need for you and Heinrich

to be out here.

Find that pump house over that direction.

Go in there and dry out.

Yeah, sure.

Find it in the dark.

All right, Heinrich. Let's go.

Let's take a look.

You sure we got everything?

This is the fastest relief l've ever seen.

Belt, gun, you, me.

What time is it?

Don't know.

Lost my watch. Poker game.

Great.

l don't have one, either.

Sure wish they would have taken

that guy with them.

lt's like he keeps staring at us.

Well, at least

we're a little warmer than he is.

Poor guy.

Sorry, fellow.

Sometimes it seems like the Krauts

want to kill you.

lt just don't matter.

Not me, brother.

Would you get down and shut your mouth?

What's with you?

l don't know.

Hell, l don't know.

lt's my birthday.

Just don't want nothing to happen to me

on my birthday.

That's it? lt's your birthday?

They're persistent.

Yes, they are.

We're spread so thin, l don't think

anyone knows where our line is.

We could have Krauts behind us

for all we know.

l feel like going home right about now.

You paying attention

to the current situation?

To hell with you.

l plan on getting through this.

Don't you?

Don't know anymore.

Right now, probably best to figure

we're all dead men until proven otherwise.

Happy birthday to me.

Sorry, just--

Doing okay?

The hell?

Don't sneak up like that.

Yeah, we're okay.

Did you get where the other part

of our line is?

l think the other guy's over there,

that direction.

There's a squad from the rifle company

in the pump house.

When did they get here?

Just a little bit ago.

Trying to keep warm.

lt's been a shitty mess,

getting everyone relieved.

Some artillery and equipment

slid off the road.

SNAFU as usual.

You dried out?

Not much, but better.

They think the 1 1th Panzer Division

has moved up out there.

They say those bastards

don't take prisoners.

1 1th Panzer. Oh, good.

Bring their tanks with them?

Any of the squad carry something

to fight tanks with, like a bazooka?

Not that l saw.

They pushed them up pretty fast,

just like us.

Any communication?

Radio? Field phone? Anything?

Unless we're going to sort it out

in the morning.

That's great news.

There's nothing we can do right now.

lf they suspect that's a Panzer division,

we'll be sorting it out real quick.

Okay?

Well, get back and get dry.

You and Heinrich will get to relieve us

come daybreak.

Yeah.

l know.

lf there's tanks out there,

we're in deep sh*t.

That sounds like more than a few

Kraut squads to me.

Sh*t, this is misery.

My feet are numb.

Wet and goddamn numb.

Want me to change positions

with you for a while?

Yeah, that'd be nice.

Damn it.

lt's a pond you were in, boy.

You sure it wasn't a latrine?

Why do you think it's not frozen?

Hey, did you notice the shelling stopped?

l don't know what that means.

Think they'll try something?

Yeah. Yeah, l do.

l hear them.

They're coming.

l hear them. They're coming.

l don't hear nothing.

l hear them.

They're out there. They're coming.

Better get ready.

l still don't hear nothing.

l hear them now.

Damn, your hearing's good.

The guys in the pump house.

Wait here. l have to warn those guys

to get out of there.

Don't fire if you don't have to.

The tank will be able to see our position.

No, l'd rather wear red and castrate a bull.

Come along.

Come on.

Open up, it's Smith.

Brooklyn, Brooklyn.

God damn it, there's Mark-4s

not 300 yards from here. Open up.

- What's going on?

- Listen, there are tanks moving up.

You have to get out of here,

or you'll be sitting ducks.

- Tanks? Sh*t.

- We don't have anything here for tanks.

But we have tanks. Get out.

Riley, come here.

Listen, you're the first one out.

l want you to cut around, head toward town

and warn them about the tanks.

There's an orchard

about 30 yards from here.

l want you guys to spread out, stay low.

Corporal, where do you want me

and Benedetto to go?

l have to get back to Fuller.

Give me some belts.

Fall back behind the orchard

and take cover.

l'll get Fuller and l'll meet you there.

We're clear. Let's move.

Go, go.

Go, go, keep moving.

Go, go.

Keep moving, keep moving.

Go left.

Cover fire.

Cover fire, cover fire.

This is good.

l'm hit. Hurry, hurry, hurry.

My ankle!

- Stop him.

- l'm coming back for him.

Okay, go.

Smith!

Go, go, go.

Smith!

Open fire, open fire.

Are you okay?

No, no, no.

l can only move my right leg.

Where's Benedetto?

The orchard, wounded.

l'm sorry. l guess l did

something stupid after all.

No, Heinrich. Look, l'm going to get

you and Benedetto a medic.

- Get Fuller. Can you give me some cover?

- l'll try.

l need a medic.

...our daily bread. And forgive us our...

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