My feet hurt. My legs hurt. My arms hurt. Nothing could have prepared me for this march or anyone else, for that matter.

We had marched 40 long and gruelling miles and we were finally allowed to set up camp at 2300 hours. The camp was situated on a bareness hill. There was literally no shelter; there wasn't a tree in sight so the bone chilling, cold, and bitter wind swept over the campsite.

Luz, Liebgott, Webster, Skip, Malarkey, Penkala and I were all huddled in a small tent like penguins. I was the lucky one who got to sit in the middle of the huddle because I was the smallest and therefore the most likely to get 'ill'... well that is what I made them believe anyway.

"Has anyone got the stoves started yet?!" I called out to anyone who could hear outside the tent "I'm bloody freezing...and starving"

"We can't get the stoves started" an irritated voice replied back suggesting that the same question was being asked a lot outside the tent.

"Oh well that is just fantastic" I moaned, sheltering my face from the wind that blew in through the tent flap.

"You need a little bit of meat on your bones, Shorty" Luz snarled and flexed his muscles like Popeye the sailor "Then you can have guns like these"

"Ay, Luz. Save the Popeye impressions for Popeye Wynn"

Before anyone had time to laugh, Shifty appeared under the tent flap with jam smeared bread.

"This is all we are being given" he said and started distributing the pitiful meal to us.

"Seriously, this is it?" Malarkey said. He turned up his nose and inspected his 'meal'.

"So much for hot chow" Penkala sighed and started eating.

I stuffed the piece of bread in my mouth. I was so hungry that I didn't even care what we ate, food is food.

"You hungry or something?" Web asked me with a warm smile.

"Mmhmm" I said with a mouthful of bread and jam.

"Shift, come in" Lieb said shuffling in closer and everyone edged back to allow Shifty somewhere to sit. Ordinarily, having eight men squished into a two man tent would have caused problems but we were all too cold and pissed off to care. Not one of us protested about having even less space after Shifty's arrival.

My foot started to throb. It felt like hot liquid was pulsing through it trying to burst out of my toes. Once the furious pulse had drained away it felt like tiny needles were making their way from the soles of my feet out the top. Then it went numb.

"I can't feel my foot!" I shouted, wincing in pain.

"You're that cold?" Penkala asked from behind me, his speech muffled by Luz's hair in his face.

"No" I said still wincing in pain as I tried to free my trapped foot "It's under Skip's fat ass!"

The tent started to shake with laughter.

"It's not funny!" I proclaimed, still trying to free my foot "Move your ass Skip!"

Skip looked around for a free space to sit in "Sorry, Shorty, I can't move"

"Ow" Malarkey moaned, clutching his cheek "Shifty, you just elbowed me in the face"

"Sorry" Shifty said, shuffling away from Malarkey, ending up half way out the tent.

I cried in pain "Everyone get out!"

They all moaned and sighed.

"It's cold out there" Penkala protested, hugging himself
with his big bear arms.

"GET OUT!" I screamed, slapping Skip on the back of the head. I didn't care how loud I was being.

"Geezus, alright, alright!"Skip cried out, surrendering with his hands in the air.

Slowly Shifty started to back out the tent flap and everyone exited our little hobbit cave...except me.

They all peered in through the tent flap at me and laughed uncontrollably at my struggle as I tried to shuffle my way out with my legs in the air.

"Oh ha ha" I said sarcastically "Someone, help me out, I need to walk this off"

Everyone turned away from the tent abruptly and they all fell silent.

"What is the meaning of all this noise?" Captain Sobel asked one of them.

Shit.

"Wilson, Sir... Wilson was in pain, Sir" Shifty replied.

"And why was Wilson in pain private?"

I peered through a tiny gap in the tent. Luz was biting his lip in a desperate attempt to not explode with laughter. I couldn't see anyone else but I could imagine that they all had to strain themselves to prevent combustion of giggles.

"Muck was sat on Wilson's foot, Sir" Shifty explained, finally, after a long pause.

"And where is Wilson now?" Sobel raised his voice.

Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit.

I gulped loudly. I knew I was in deep shit.

The tent flap shot open and Sobel stood in the entrance. Someone must have given me in. His massive brows moved half way up his forehead as he stared at me.

"Get up, Wilson. You are in the presence of your Captain!" he bellowed in my face. The wind rattled the tent mirroring Sobel's rage.

I forced myself to try and move but I obviously wasn't moving fast enough for Sobel. He reached in inside the tent and pulled me by my bad foot out of the tent.

Everyone was gathered around outside watching.

I shot up quickly to stand to attention, ignoring the pain.

"Wilson, I have always thought that you do not have what it takes to become a Paratrooper" Sobel stepped towards me "And I still stand by that, Private"

Everyone's face dropped. They probably thought what I was thinking...I'm out. My heart was racing. I could hear every heartbeat, clearly, in my ears. These men were my life now; this company was my life now. I couldn't leave.

"Sir"-

Before I could explain myself and beg for the Shitheads forgiveness, he said "You have lost you're weekend pass for the next month, Private" then he walked away.

Once Sobel was finally out of ear shot, I exhaled loudly and said "Shit. That was fucking close"

Every Easy Company man that witnessed the display shot over to me and patted me on the back. They all seemed to be as happy as I was that I was staying after all.

"Shit, Shorty" Lieb shook his head "Be careful, alright. I don't want to see you getting your ass kicked out"

"Yeah, Short ass" Luz poked me in the side and I jumped "Watch your back" he winked at me and I stuck my tongue out at him like the little kids we were.

"Everybody, got some sleep, we've got another long and hard day tomorrow" Lieutenant Winters said in his calm and comforting voice.

There was a chorus of "Goodnight, Lieutenant"

Everybody obeyed him and started to walk to their tents, bent over and stiff like old pensioners. If our enemies could see us now, whether they are to be Japs or Krauts, they wouldn't fear us that is for sure. We looked like a Company of 90 year olds. It would be like taking candy from a baby...or should I say it would be like taking a walking stick from a pensioner.

Ouch, Geezus, stupid fucking Sobel. My foot hurt more than ever now. I could really do with a flaming walking stick.

"Wilson" Winters voice called out to me.

I straightened up and trudged over to him. I started to feel disappointed in myself. It felt like I was back in Primary school again, walking sheepishly over to my favourite teacher to get a good telling off. But this time I wasn't getting told off for drawing daisies on the teachers black board.

"Yes, Sir" I said shyly, like a little kid. At least he can't cane me, I thought to myself. Not that Winters would do that anyway. But Sobel sure would.

"You really shouldn't act the way you do, around the Captain"

"I know, Sir" I dropped my head in shame "I'm sorry"

I really liked Winters. Everyone did. The fact that I had disappointed him was a terrible feeling. It almost felt worse coming from Winters than it did my parents.

"It's ok, Private" his friendly face light up "I'm just trying to look out for you"

I smiled back at him mirroring his warm presence "Thank you, it means a lot, Sir"

His cheeks blushed a little and he looked at the ground timidly. He often got embarrassed easily, especially when we all talked about the female species and considering none of them had seen a proper female for endless months it was often our topic of conversation. Unfortunately.

"Get some sleep, Wilson"

"I'll try, Sir. You see, I'm sharing with Luz and let's just say he isn't the quietest of sleepers"

He blew a little, short, rush of air out of his nose and smiled "Goodnight, Wilson"

"Goodnight, Sir" I said and turned towards my tent.

"Oh and Wilson" Winters called out to me.

I turned again "Sir?"

"I've always had faith in you. I know you will make a great paratrooper"

"Thank you, Sir" I couldn't help but smile like an idiot "I will do everything I can to make you proud, Sir. I won't let you down, I promise"

My excitement made him blush, again "Goodnight, Soldier"

"Goodnight, Sir"

...

Day two was worse than day one. When we awoke on the second day all our weapons were stuck to the ground under a layer of frozen ice. Hell even our boots and socks were frozen stiff.

But boy, day three was something else. When we finally set up camp we were all so dead beat that we had to struggle to move to get chow. Especially Malarkey. The poor sod couldn't even stand up so he had to crawl on his hands and knees to the chow line.

Malarkey, like a number of others, was told to ride to Atlanta in an ambulance, our final destination. But sure enough they all carried on. As much as it pains me to say this...I guess we can kind of thank Sobel for drilling that will to carry on into us.

"Finally!" I called out in relief "Only one more mile to go"

Just as I had finished talking we were greeted by a marching band.

"Looks look Strayer arranged a little treat for us" Luz drawled sarcastically, slumping under the weight of his radio.

Before we knew it flocks of people flooded the streets and sidewalks as we walked our final mile to the finish line.

Banners and flags danced around in the breeze. The pleasurable sound of cheering and adoring people sparked an unexplainable energy inside all of us. That whole day we had toiled but for some reason, now, we all found it so effortless.

The majority of the crowd was women. They had all gathered to cheer on their soldier boys. It was kind of creepy to see the way they looked at us. But of course that was only my opinion; the rest of Easy co. loved it, especially Liebgott no doubt.

"I don't know about you, boys" I said quietly with a warm glow on my face, to anyone who could hear me "But this really makes me feel proud to be a part of the 101st Airborne"

"That's because we are the roughest and toughest sons n bitches in the whole godamn army" Gordon said enthusiastically, in front of me. He fist pumped the air a few times, very sheepishly to avoid looking out of formation.

We had done it, 118 miles in 33hours and 30 minutes of marching time. The Germans or Japs better watch out for 2d Battalion because we were no longer a Company of pensioners, we were Easy Company.