Copyright: 03/2018 _
Fan-Fiction based on TV Show Combat! Copyright Selmur Production, Inc., ABC, Image Productions etc. Disclaimer: Combat! and its characters do not belong to me, this WWII story is a piece of fan-fiction and I am not being compensated in any tangible way for this story.
Saunders and His Damn Squad
It was a cold mid-December morning and for the past three days, Saunders and the squad had been looking for Germans. S-2 wanted a couple of prisoners. They looked under every rock, bush and log but there wasn't one darn German anywhere. Little did the men know, that they had been looking for the Germans in the wrong direction. When Saunders tried to call in, he found the phone wasn't working. The men were cold, tired and hungry, they just wanted to go home. Sarge decided enough was enough and they would head back.
There was a bone chilling fog that loomed around them like a thick white shroud. There was something about that morning; a heart stopping eeriness. The men looked like they were floating on air. They could no longer see their feet. It didn't matter much because the men couldn't feel their feet either. The squad hadn't been issued proper winter clothing. They jammed their fists into their pockets and tried not to think about it. But that's all they could think about, the men were freezing to death as they trudged along the road.
Kirby could barely keep his eyes open as he walked towards the village.
Saunders turned around and noticed him. He waited until his sleeping B.A.R. man was right next to him.
"Kirby wake up!" hissed Saunders.
"I'm awake Sarge."
"Your eyes were closed."
"They were just takin' a break. Geez, Sarge I'm give out. "
"Don't you think we all are? It would be just our luck if you did something stupid, like stepping in a hole or tripping over a rock."
"How come it would be your bad luck?"
"We'd have to help carry you back home because you would end up with a sprained ankle or something far worse. Now keep your eyes open!"
"Alright Sarge, I hear ya, I'll keep my eyes open; I'll stay awake."
"Ya know Kirby, I'm gonna help you to stay awake, take the point. Give Caje a rest."
"It's not like we can see a hole or a rock anyway," mumbled Kirby.
"You say somethin'?"
He realized that he had better not push Saunders. He could tell he was in no mood for any of his lip. Kirby set off at a faster pace. He turned around and smiled at his sergeant.
"Who me Sarge? I didn't say a thing but come to think of it, I hope Caje ain't too far away."
"If your feet were as fast as your mouth, you'd be able to catch up to him in no time."
Kirby just smiled as he turned around and ran up the path.
Through the thick pea soup, he could make out Caje speaking to an old woman whose back was bent and her hands were gnarled from endless hard work. Her features were so old. The word old didn't seem right to Kirby. Maybe the word was antique; no that wasn't right either. Ancient, that was it, to Kirby, she looked ancient.
Caje had a look on his face that Kirby had never seen before. There was an uneasiness about him. Caje almost looked panic-stricken. When Kirby was nervous, he'd always look to Caje for his quiet countenance. Why was Caje acting that way? It kind of scared him.
The woman pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to Caje. He nodded at the woman and pressed some money into her hand. The woman didn't want to take it at first but whatever Caje had said made the old woman change her mind.
"Promettez-moi que vous le gardez toujours avec vous. Promise me that you will always keep it with you."
"Merci. Je vous promets grand-mère Thank you. I promise you grandmother.."
The old woman noticed that they were no longer alone. She looked up and stared at Kirby. A small shiver went down his back. He remembered when something like that happened to his mother, she would always say that someone was walking on her grave. 'Damn, I gotta stop thinkin' like that! Anyplace around here, could be my grave!'
Kirby pulled himself together and walked up to Caje. The woman walked away without saying another word.
"Hey Caje, what the hell was that all about?"
"Nothing, it's nothing! What do you want?"
He sounded so agitated that Kirby decided it was better to drop it.
"Sarge said for me to take the point for a while."
"Why, does Sarge want you to take the point; did I do something wrong?"
Kirby couldn't believe how insecure Caje sounded.
"Naw," Kirby laughed. "It was me, I was fallin' asleep while I was walkin'. So Sarge decided I needed to stay awake. So go on back and I'll take over."
"Yea, Okay mon ami, it's all yours."
Kirby started walking away as Caje headed back in the direction of the squad. All of a sudden a shot rang out. As Kirby hit the dirt, he saw his friend on the ground.
"Caje stay still, don't move!"
He heard a slight rustling of leaves to the right of him. He quickly rolled to his right and opened fire. He heard a small moan. Kirby got up and headed for the bushes. He saw one lone sniper lying on the ground. He then made his way over to Caje.
"Where are ya hit?"
"I'm not hit."
"But I saw you go down."
"No ya didn't. I was buckling my boot about the same time the Kraut tried to shoot me. I flattened myself out; that's what you saw."
"Damn Caje, you're one lucky cuss."
"I'm not lucky. It's started, that's all, he muttered."
"What started? What are ya talkin' about Caje?"
"She said it would come out of nowhere. I had to be careful. It was a sign, don't you see, Kirby?"
Kirby didn't see, he just knew that something wasn't right with Caje. Maybe Caje was just tired. He didn't want to think that he had been on the line too long. He needed a rest, yea a rest, then Caje would be fine. He had to believe it, otherwise, like Humpty Dumpty, the doctors wouldn't be able to put Caje back together.
"Come on Caje, we'll go back."
As the two men started to leave, they heard a rumbling sound coming up the road. The two men ran into the woods and threw themselves under the low lying branches of some pine trees. Kirby hoped that the fog would keep them invisible. The two men watched as tanks rolled by. There were just too many to count.
"God help us," whispered Caje. "They are going to kill us all."
"Ya gotta stop sayin' those kind of things. It ain't good for me to hear em' and it ain't good for you to be sayin' em. Let's get the hell out of here and get back to the Sarge."
Saunders saw both the men running towards him. By the looks on their faces, he knew there was something terribly wrong.
Kirby turned and looked directly into Caje's eyes.
"Why don't you go rest while I talk to the Sarge?"
"Yea, okay."
Caje sat down on a log, closed his eyes and leaned back against a tree.
Saunders could see that something wasn't right.
"Everybody take ten," called Saunders.
"What's goin' on, Kirby, we heard shots?"
"I saw Caje talkin' to some old lady. I asked him what it was all about and he got all weird. He didn't or wouldn't say, Sarge. I told Caje that I was releavin' him. He started walkin' back to you guys. There was a sniper in the bushes. I saw Caje on the ground and thought he got hit but he had knelt down to fix his boot. I swung around and got the sniper. After that, Caje was actin' really strange, like he expected it to happen. He was sayin' that the old lady had told him things. And that ain't the half of it, Sarge."
"What do you mean?"
"Besides Caje gettin' kinda weird, we saw German tanks."
"How many were there?""
"I don't know, too many to count. They were goin' in the direction of Bilderberg. We're cut off. What are we gonna do?"
"It's obvious we can't go there. Maybe we can head towards Bullingen. Let me think on it. Take security."
"Yea, sure Sarge."
Saunders made his way towards Caje and leaned against the tree. He really didn't have time for this but he had to make sure that he could depend on Caje if they got into a firefight.
"Kirby told me that a sniper almost got you."
"Yea, it's true."
"He also said that something is bothering you."
"Nothing's brotherin' me. I met this old woman, she said she'd seen me in one of her dreams. She said that bad things would happen to me if I didn't take this from her."
Caje slipped his hand into his pocket. He placed the small medallion in his palm for Saunders' inspection.
"What is this Caje?"
"It's for protection; it's the medal of St. Michael the Archangel."
"And this is gonna protect you?"
"Yea Sarge, St. Michael will protect us all. He's the patron saint of soldiers. He'll take care of us. I gotta make sure I don't lose it. "
"You know who's gonna protect each and every one of us?"
Saunders didn't wait for an answer.
"We're gonna protect each other. Littlejohn, Billy, Kirby, Doc, me and you. We're gonna make sure we all stay alive. I can't have you worrying over whether or not you have that medal. Right now we got bigger problems."
"I know Sarge but…"
"No buts Caje, we take care of each other. Do you understand me?"
"Yea, I understand Sarge."
Saunders sat down next to Caje and pulled out his map and began studying it.
"Everybody, gather round. We've got a problem. We're cut off from home and our radio is out. Caje and Kirby just saw a lot of tanks. I think the Germans are planning a counter offensive. I was lookin' over the map and it seems our only alternative is to head for Bullingen. I believe we can make it, if we keep to the woods. The Germans would have a field day if they catch us out in the open. If we're lucky, we might run into some of our guys. Littlejohn go get Kirby."
"Okay Sarge.
"Sarge, let me take point."
"Are you up to it Caje?"
"Yea, I'm fine Sarge."
As the men entered the woods, the sunlight was completely drained by the soaring pine trees. The men were filled with such a foreboding; they felt that around each bend there were snipers just waiting for them. They treaded lightly on the frozen ground, hoping no one would hear or see them.
Caje watched the slightest movement of the bushes. He didn't want to let his friends down. Caje knew they depended on him and he wanted to keep them safe and alive. These men were more than friends, they were his family. Caje however, couldn't shake the feeling he got when he remembered the old woman's words.
His breath got caught in his chest, he knew fear was winning. Caje stopped and took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He felt better, he could go on now.
Kirby watched the rear. He would turn and train his BAR at the smallest of noises. His nerves were getting the best of him. 'God, I wish Sarge would call for a rest, I gotta calm down. Man I need a smoke!'
As Kirby got to the end of his wish, he heard Saunders call for a halt.
"Littlejohn, you're on security."
Kirby let out a large sigh, he'd forgotten to wish not to be put on security.
Saunders walked over to Kirby. "What was that big sigh for, Kirby?
"Ah, it was nothin', Sarge. I was just wishin' you'd call a halt, is all."
"To me, it sounded more than that."
Kirby just smiled that crooked smile of his and pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He had that kind of smile that always made him appear a bit roguish, just a bit unscrupulous.
Saunders tilted his helmet over his eyes as he walked away. He knew that none of them would know what to do if Kirby changed his ways.
Littlejohn ran back to where the others were resting.
"Sarge, there's a bunch of trucks heading our way."
"How close?"
"I heard them more than saw them. I think it's less than a quarter of a mile."
"Everybody scatter!"
Simultaneously the men jumped up and headed for the trees and undergrowth.
Even though it was cold, Caje's sweat drenched his skin. His fingers were tightly curled around his Garand. He was sure if the Germans stopped now, they'd hear the thump, thump, thumping of his heart against his chest.
'Oh God, I've got to pull myself together. I wish I had never met that woman. Now all I worry about is being killed or getting one of the guys killed.'
As the trucks moved closer, Saunders lifted his head a bit to see that the trucks were theirs.
"Stay where you are, I'm goin' out there. If something goes wrong, Kirby you're in charge."
"Okay Sarge."
Saunders stood up and walked out to the road.
The truck convoy came to a complete stop. A half-track stopped and the soldier manning the 50-caliber machine gun aimed it at Sarge's body.
A lieutenant stepped out of a jeep.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Sgt. Saunders."
"Who are you with?"
Saunders became wary of the question and stood silent.
"Sergeant, you can tell me. My name is Lt. Huff we're headed for Bullingen."
As the lieutenant was trying to get information from Saunders a corporal jumped off a truck.
"Hey there, Saunders, how are ya? You can tell the lieutenant who you are with or for that matter, I could."
Saunders squinted and a small smile broke out on his face and as he extended his hand.
"Scully, I've never been so glad to see a familiar face in all my life. My men saw a lot of tanks this morning and they were all heading towards Bilderberg."
The lieutenant also smiled.
"I guess you're willing to give me some more info."
"I'm with the 361st, K Company. My men and I were on our way back to Bilderberg and saw that the Germans had cut us off. I decided that we should try for Bullingen."
"How many men do you have?"
"I have five men, three are riflemen, one is a B.A.R. man and one is a medic.
"Well Sergeant, you and your men are now part of the 254th Engineer Combat Battalion. Go get your men."
Saunders walked toward the woods.
"It's alright, they're goin' to Bullingen."
The men slowly drifted out their hiding places.
"Let's go, let's go! We've got to stay ahead of the Krauts," yelled Lt. Huff.
Saunders and the men jogged over to one of the trucks and climbed in.
"Now this is the life, ridin' instead of walkin'. I could get used to this."
"I've gotta agree with you Kirb," smiled Billy. "My feet are killin' me. At least we'll get to rest for a while.
Less than twenty minutes had passed when the convoy stopped again. The driver got out of the truck and moved to the back and flipped open the canvas.
"Everybody out."
"Billy, I swear, you cursed us. I barely finished my cigarette!"
"How was I to know?"
"Come on guys, get your stuff and get the hell off my truck!"
The men grabbed their gear and jumped out.
"Sgt. Saunders can I speak to you for a minute?"
Saunders walked over to the lieutenant.
"I don't want to scare the men but the Krauts have broken through the lines everywhere. From what I've heard many of the men that are up on the line were just brought in. Most haven't experienced battle. I was ordered to form a defensive line south of Bullingen and to be honest, I'm going to need every mother's son out here to get the job done. That includes you and your squad. You guys have had more experience fighting the Germans than I have. Do you have any suggestions?"
"What kind of fire power do you have?"
The lieutenant took a deep breath and slowly released it.
"We don't have much. We've M-1's, several boxes of grenades, four machine guns and three bazookas."
"You're right, it's not much but it's better than nothin' at all. Lieutenant, do ya have any landmines?"
"We got plenty of those."
"That's great, we can use them. I've got the best marksmen and B.A.R. man in the division. He's also the best man with a bazooka. I suggest we set up an FPL1. Give me five more men plus some landmines, two machine guns and a bazooka. I'll set up this side of the road and you set up the other side. "
Saunders looked at the young men the lieutenant had given him. They were just boys. Most looked like they had never shaved a day in their lives.
"Alright you men we're gonna set up an FPL. If ya don't remember what that is, I'm gonna explain it to ya. We're gonna halt the Krauts using interlocking fire. Plus we're gonna set out land mines. We've gotta try and stop them or at least slow them down."
Saunders looked at his new men. "Alright, the lieutenant is setting up his men on the other side of this road and we are gonna set up our firepower on this side."
"Caje take…"
Saunders pointed at one of his new men. "What's your name?"
"Cooper, Sergeant."
"Okay Caje take Cooper and set out the landmines. And Cooper, listen and do everything Caje tells you to do."
"Do any of you have any special skills?"
Two of Sarge's new recruits stepped forward.
"We do, Sergeant."
"What are your names?"
"My name's Bob, I mean Wright, this is Anderson. I was trained on the machine gun and Anderson was always my feeder."
"Good, I have two machine guns. You two will take one and set it up over there. Set up some logs in front of you for protection. Littlejohn, you and Nelson will take the other machine gun and set it up down by those boulders."
Saunders watched as Kirby scoured the area. Kirby knew he would be somewhere in the middle in order to get some shots off with the bazooka.
"Kirby where do you want to be?"
The new men looked at Saunders as if he had two heads. They all wondered why did this guy get to pick his spot; was he special or something?
"Sarge I think I should over there near the woods. I could get some good shots off if there are any tanks, I might be able to hit the tracks and stop them. Now who wants to load for me?"
"I'll do it. My name's Hutchinson. Everybody calls me Hutch, if that's okay?"
Kirby smiled at the kid. "Hey, I like it. Come on I'll show you where we're gonna be."
The last new man watched as Kirby and Hutch walked towards the area Kirby had selected. The new man shook his head.
"What's your name?"
"It's Barker but you can call me Pvt. Barker."
"Well Barker, you'll be right next to me. Why were you shaking your head?"
"Just was wonderin' what made Kirby so special? I mean you told all of us where we needed to be but Kirby picks his own spot out."
Saunders eyes became icy. "Kirby will be doing double duty when we start shooting. He is our BAR man and also the best at using the bazooka. He needed to figure out his best vantage point for firing the rifle and the bazooka. I let him pick his spot because he should be dead by now. BAR men don't last very long in this war and many bazooka men don't make it after their first shot. Kirby realizes this and he makes sure he has enough cover and can move at a moment's notice. What can you do Barker besides shooting off your mouth?"
"I fired expert. I was the best or should I say I am the best."
"Then why didn't you say anything when I asked?"
"My old man was in World War One and he told me to never volunteer."
Saunders words came out in a growl. "I'm gonna tell one thing Barker, you better do your job or there will be Hell to pay, got it?"
Barker nodded.
"I didn't hear anything."
Barker gulped, he had never seen such controlled anger. It scared him.
"Yes, sergeant, I'll do my job."
After Caje and Cooper were finished laying down the landmines, Saunders told them to find a spot close to Kirby. Saunders figured if Hutch froze, Caje could load Kirby or if Kirby was hit Caje could take over.
Saunders staked out a place close to the two men who were manning the machine gun. He needed to be close to them for the same reason. "God Help Us,' was Saunders only thought.
As the men settled in at their emplacements, the new young men began to talk softly with the men of First squad. They were old-timers even though most weren't much older than they were. The young ones knew that they were experienced. These men had been through a lot of battles.
"Hey kid where ya from?"
As always, Kirby had too much pent up energy, he had to talk.
"I'm from Dubuque, Iowa."
"Hey, no kiddin', my old man was from Iowa."
"What part of Iowa?"
"He was born in Des Moines."
"That's our state capital but can I tell ya somethin'?"
"Sure kid, what?"
"You pronounce it like duh moyn, no esses."
Kirby smiled, he liked Hutch. He just hoped the kid would make it through and not be another one he'd have to forget about.
Caje plopped down next to Kirby.
"How are you doin' mon ami?"
"Can't complain, well not much. I just hate the waitin', ya know."
"I spoke to the lieutenant a little while ago. He thinks some of the Germans are coming our way pretty soon."
Caje barely got the words out when he and Kirby heard the sounds of motors.
Caje looked in the direction of Saunders.
"Sarge?"
"I hear Caje."
"Everybody get into position and don't fire until I tell you. We want to give them time to run over the mines."
As the first few trucks rolled up, explosions went off everywhere. One half-track made it through. Then they heard Saunders yell fire. The sound was deafening.
"Alright kid, load it." Screamed Kirby.
The young man did as he was told and tapped Kirby on the helmet when he was ready. Kirby pulled the trigger and it hit the tracks just like Kirby wanted.
"Load it up again."
This time he hit the fuel tank. The explosion shook the earth.
Caje kept an eye on his friend, he just couldn't shake the old woman's premonition. It was driving him crazy.
As his mind drifted back to the old woman, Caje heard a bullet hit right next to him. If he had moved, the bullet probably would have killed him. The St. Michael's medal had saved him.
The Germans were not giving up. The soldiers tried to advance but they were caught in the cross fires. Saunders' final protective line was working, the men were holding their own.
After an hour the German's pulled back. The men could hear Lt. Huff telling them to stay in their positions.
Doc and the other medics went out to check on the wounded.
Saunders looked around, Barker was nowhere to be found. He crawled around and found him lounging behind a tree.
"Get out here Barker."
"There are too many, sergeant. We're all gonna to be slaughtered."
"I swear, if you run behind that tree again when you should be firing your rifle, you won't have to worry about the Krauts getting you, cuz I'll get you first. Do I make myself clear?"
Barker saw what looked like sparks in Saunders' eyes, it scared him half to death. He was afraid his sergeant would make good on that threat.
Saunders got up to check on his men, he was amazed to see that the injuries his men had sustained were minor. He just hoped it would continue.
Kirby watched as Caje stared at something next to him.
"Caje what are you looking at? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, the medal worked, it saved me."
"Caje ya gotta stop worrying about that medal. You're gonna get hurt or worse."
A medic who was checking out the men overheard their conversation.
"Hey fella, what kind of medal are ya talking about?"
Caje reached in his pocket and pulled it out to show the medic.
The medic reached inside his medic's bag and pulled out his St. Michael's medal.
"My name is Claude Mouton and from your accent and your nickname, you are a Cajun from Louisiana. I'm a Cajun too, cept I'm from Texas2. I bet you had a nice little talk with an old woman who said she had a dream about you and the only thing that could save you was that medal. Am I right?"
"How did you know that?"
"Well….., can I call you Caje?"
Caje was too stunned to answer, he just shook his head yes.
"Ya see Caje, that's how she makes her money. If you start talkin' to her in French, she's got ya."
Caje found it hard to believe that a sweet old woman had conned him. "But she didn't want to take my money."
"It's all part of the con. She acts like she doesn't want to take the money. Then you force it on her. Her name is Marie Luquette3. She got me and six other guys I know. She is almost as famous as King Leopold. If it makes you feel any better, she uses the money we gave her to help a lot of people in her village. Ya just can't believe the stuff she told ya because it will kill ya. It almost killed a guy in my unit."
"Thanks for tellin' me these things Claude. You were right, I was worryin' about me or one of the guys gettin' killed. And because of that, I almost got myself killed."
"She doesn't realize that what she is sayin' to us, weighs heavy on our minds."
Caje looked up from the medal and smiled. "I gotta admit she hustled me better than you ever did, Kirby."
Kirby laughed and it broke the tension.
Saunders had been standing close enough to hear the conversation. He was glad it was all over. Now all he had to worry about was the next Kraut attack.
The Germans weren't gonna give up that easy, they were told to break through. The lull in the battle lasted about forty-five minutes.
Kirby and Hutch moved to a new location, in fact Saunders' squad all moved so the Krauts wouldn't know where the shots were being fired.
The Germans began their assault. Again the men pushed them back. The Germans had lost three half-tracks and more men than they could count. It was a total disaster. The Germans were turning around and heading back. They would have to find an alternative route.
As the Germans turned, the men all along the FPL could hear one German screaming out Diese verdammten soldaten.
"Hey, does anybody know what that guy is sayin'?" Yelled Kirby
Lt. Huff lifted his head a bit.
"Yes Kirby. He really doesn't like us much. He is saying, "These damn soldiers!"
After holding the area for three days, the men were told to fall back to Bullingen.
The new men were glad to be leaving. They were cold, tired and hungry. To Saunders' men, that was just the norm. All they wanted was a slightly warmer place to rest before they had to fight again.
When they entered Bullingen, Lt. Huff walked over to Saunders. The lieutenant extended his hand.
"I want to thank you for all your help. I don't think I could have stopped the Germans without the help of you and your men."
"Lieutenant, for what it's worth, you did a fine job. You're a good leader."
"I'm a better leader because of you."
Saunders saluted and the lieutenant retuned it. The two men walked away each deep in thought.
Billy ran up to Saunders. "Hey Sarge, look there's the CP. Maybe they know where King Company is at?"
Kirby was eying the mess tent.
"I'm gonna check in. Why don't you guys follow Kirby? Apparently he found the mess tent. I'll meet you over there when I'm done."
Saunders tilted his helmet and smiled as he walked away. Kirby must have amazing eyesight, thought Saunders. He could spot food 500 yards away, a girl at least 1,000 yards and when it came to a bottle of wine, Saunders swore that Kirby could spot it a half a mile away.
Saunders knocked on the door of what once looked like a millinery shop.
He heard someone call out "enter".
He was overjoyed to see not only Cpt. Jampel but also Lt. Hanley.
"I see our lost lambs are back," said a smiling Cpt. Jampel.
"Yes Sir. We saw that we were cut off from Bilderberg. So I decided to try and make it here. We were on our way here and that's when we ordered to set up a defensive line."
"We know. Lt. Huff's commanding officer Major Stevens told us that he had commandeered you and your squad. He radioed in and said that you all should be commended for an excellent job."
"You look exhausted, there is a little pastry shop with your name on it. I had Brockmeyer put your duffel bags in the shop. So if there is anything else?"
"No Sir, I'm gonna go over to the mess tent, meet the squad and get something to eat. After that, all I wanna do is go to sleep."
"You all deserve a good rest. We'll talk tomorrow."
He slowly walked out into the very cold and still foggy day. At least we'll have meal and a warm place to sleep tonight. And maybe the Germans will decide they have had enough and will go back to Germany. It was a nice thought but Saunders had a feeling this was just the beginning.
THE END
An FPL or Final Protective Line is a line of fire established where an enemy assault is to be halted by the interlocking fires of all available weapons. "A Machine gun or other mass casualty producing weapon should be placed in a position where it can be fired along the length of the FPL.
Over the years, especially after 1900, many Cajuns migrated to the Houston, Beaumont and Port Arthur areas of Southeast Texas in order to work in the oil fields.
I used the name of Marie Luquette who was my 5th great-grandmother. She was born in St. Martinville, Louisiana in 1735 and died in 1795.
