Apparently, Sergeant York took issue with Guarnere's language as he and Winters lent a hand to help the others out.
"No offense, but there ain't no callin' to blasphemy the Lord like that."
"None taken, Sergeant," said Lipton. Turning to Guarnere, he whispered, "Heads up fellas, Bill and the rest of you try and watch your mouths. The Sergeant is a religious man and we need his help to get out of here." Lip held out his hand and Guarnere stepped out of the boat onto the stone platform.
Wild Bill looked at Lip then back at the stern man in his early thirties. From the looks of things, he had a hard life. Lines already formed around his eyes made him seem even older. "All right Lip, I'll do me best."
"It looks as if I am the one who owes you an apology, ur, Sergeant York is it?" I'm Bill Guarnere from East Philly. This here is Babe Heffron."
"Proud to know you," said the taciturn Sergeant, who shook hands with the men as they made their way off the boat. Most of who were in awe of the legendary hero of World War I, who single handedly, shot thirty.
Major Winters, Captain Nixon, Lieutenants Compton and Lipton huddled together and talked in hush tones. Buck was the first to speak. "Dick, this whole thing is just becoming down right bizarre. I mean for Christ's." Buck looked over at Sergeant York who was busy shaking hands with Popeye and Shifty before continuing, "For Pete's sake, he doesn't look a day older than he did in 1919. He has to be at least sixty something by now, and his uniform looks brand new."
As usual, Dick Winters listened to his officers but kept his own counsel. Compton and Lipton now seemed flabbergasted by the whole mission. Nix looked edgy as if he could use a drink, and though Winters felt sure that the chances were nil for a bottle of Vat 69 turning up; it would not surprise him if one suddenly floated by.
"Major Winters, said Sergeant York.
"Yes, si…Sergeant." Winters caught himself, but it did not seem right to be addressing a highly decorated war hero who now was suppose to be enjoying civilian life on his farm in Tennessee.
"My orders are to lead you men up to this cave that's just up that away. I've got a good fire going. I got kinda tired waiting around with nothin' to do so I took the liberty of catching some trout. These here waters," he pointed to the lake, "are just full of the finest trout I ever did see." So if your men are ready, y'all can just follow me."
"That's fine Sergeant." Winter signaled for Buck and Lip to get the men ready to move out. He turned back to York. "On behalf of the men, I want to thank you Sergeant for supplying us with fresh meat. It has been over a month since my men have really eaten well."
"Yes, sir. I been in the trenches. A man can become right puny on Army grub." Some of it at t'weren't fit to feed the hogs. I hope you don't mind my saying so sir, but you seem right young to be a Major. You must have seen a whole heap of fightin'."
"You are correct Sergeant. My men and I have been together for three years, and we have been in combat for almost two of them."
Nixon watched as two men, who obviously were quiet by nature casually carried on a conversation as if they had known one another for years. He needed to focus on something right now so listening to Dick and Sergeant York seemed to do the trick, but he wondered how much longer he could hold out without a drink.
Meanwhile the men talked amongst themselves as they made their way up to another cave. "Can you believe this Shifty," said Popeye. "My Daddy thinks the world of Sergeant York."
"Yeah, so does mine, but how did he get here and how come he looks so young? I mean, he's gotta be in his sixties."
"What's the word Muck," asked Lip?
"Oh, I don't know Lip. Just being led up to another cave by none other than Sergeant York, while trying to get over the fact that I am suppose to be dead. I guess it is just another day in the Army, but I don't think it will play in Kokomo."
Toye and Guarnere were bringing up the rear. "So, watcha think Joe?
"I think I am frickin' loosing my mind, but other than that I feel ok." He carefully scoped out the area, seeing no movement, Toye was the last man to enter the cave. This mission was getting on his last nerve.
True to his word, Alvin York presented the men of Easy Company with an opportunity to eat fresh fish. They took out their gear and using makeshift frying pans, they all sat down and enjoyed one of the best meals they could remember in some time.
"Sergeant York, would you mind telling us how you got here," asked Shifty?
"Well son, I don't rightly know. I was asleep in the trenches when someone who said he was General Pershing's aide woke me up and told me the General needed to see me right away. So, I follows him all the way to the back of the line and lo and behold, it's the General himself. He tells me he's got a special mission for me, and I'm supposed to go with some men who were kinda dressed like you guys. So, not bein' one to argue with a General, I saluted and followed these men, and we got in the most unusual contraption I ever did see. It looked like a car but there was no top, and it could go over rocks and through streams just as pretty as you please." He stopped and sipped some coffee.
We arrived at a farmhouse that's just down the ways apiece, and there I met another officer only he was a Colonel. He went by the name of Sink. I guess from the looks on you'uns faces that you know him."
"That's correct Sergeant. Colonel Sink is head of our Battalion," said Winters. "He is a fine officer."
"I'll take your word for it," replied York. This made everyone laugh. "Well, I didn't stay there too long. Some woman named Ellen Menden something. I can't rightly get my tongue around her last name. Anyway, she fixed me one of the finest meals of stew and baked bread that I think I can recall. While I was a eatin', this Colonel Sink explained that I was to come up here and wait for a group of men being led by a tall red hair fellow. I reckon that'd be you Major, and I'm supposed to stay with you'uns until we make our way back to that there farmhouse in the morning."
Talbert put Shifty and Popeye on KP duty. The other men pulled out their cigarettes and tried to settle in for the night.
Once again, the officers sat in a corner discussing the recent news amongst themselves. "I believe there is a pattern to some of this," said Winters.
"Don't keep us in suspense Dick. Tell us all about your theory, but I hope it doesn't include little green men from outer space," asked Nixon. He was getting punchy now, as well as claustrophobic.
"Let me ask all of you some questions first," said Winters. "Nix, what were you doing before you made your rounds?"
"I was asleep in my foxhole," he said.
"How about you Buck?"
"I was asleep in the hospital when Hoobler woke me up. It scared the crap out of me. I thought I really had gone over the deep end. I think you are onto something Dick because both Guarnere and Toye were asleep when I first saw them."
Nixon's eyes lit up. "All of the men were asleep. Luz said that was why he was late coming back. He had fallen asleep at the aid station and the doctor did not have the heart to wake him. When Perconte found us, he was just coming onto guard duty so until that time he must have been asleep."
"It still doesn't get us anywhere," said Winters. "People do not share the same dream or if they do I never heard of it."
"Neither have I, but even Sergeant York said he was asleep when Pershing's aide paid him a social call," said Nixon.
Shifty and Popeye were back and while some of the men were already asleep. They started talking to Sergeant York about how he captured 131 German prisoners.
Sergeant York, sipped his coffee and said, "It was like this fellas. "The Germans got us, and they got us right smart. They just stopped us dead in our tracks. Their machine guns were up there on the heights overlooking us and well hidden, and we couldn't tell for certain where the terrible heavy fire was coming from…And I'm telling you they were shooting straight. Our boys just went down like the long grass before the mowing machine at home. Our attack just faded out… And there we were, lying down, about halfway across and those German machine guns and big shells hittin' us hard."
After describing how all of the officers were either wounded or killed, he realized he had to do something or they all would be wiped out. "And those machine guns were spitting fire and cutting down the undergrowth all around me something awful. And the Germans were yelling orders. You never heard such a 'racket in all of your life."
"Sound a lot like Bastogne," said Shifty. "Pardon me for interrupting sir, but the way you describe that battle sounds a whole lot like the one we were in before we came here."
"Do tell. I thought some of you fellas had seen some serious fightin' by the way you'uns look, no offense."
"None taken Sergeant," said Bull, who was working on a fresh cigar.
"Yes, sir, but please continue," said Popeye.
I didn't have time to dodge behind a tree or dive into the brush... As soon as the machine guns opened fire on me, I began to exchange shots with them. There were over thirty of them in continuous action, and all I could do was touch the Germans off just as fast as I could. I was sharp shooting. I don't think I missed a shot. It was no time to miss… All the time I kept yelling at them to come down. I didn't want to kill any more than I had to. But it was they or I. And I was giving them the best I had."
Knowing that Alvin York's religious beliefs preached against fighting, he remembered Guarnere's early doubts about the Major. "Some of the men here had reservations about Major Winters when we first went into France," said Shifty. "I reckon cause he is a Mennonite, but I tell you he is the finest CO that Easy Company has ever known."
"I've heard tell of Mennonites. They don't believe in killin'. Well, I don't either. I'm just as much agin takin' another man's life as I was before I went to war, but when you see your buddies bein' killed and the enemy is a shootin' at ya. Well, ya knows they means to kill ya, so I reckon' I did what any man has to do when he is faced with death. All we can do is hope that God will forgive us in the end. I know he's forgiven me."
Everyone grew real quiet.
"Your Colonel Sink said you'uns been fightin' Germans same as me, but only they call themselves Nazis. He explained some of the things they been doin'. I tell you it makes my blood run cold to hear of such evil doings. I didn' know men could be so mean. If we meet up with any of them there Nazis tomorrow, I tell you fellas, I will stand right with ya and do my fair share of shootin'.
"We will proud to have you with us Sergeant," said Major Winters. "Mind if I join you?"
"No, sir," said Popeye and Shifty. They looked at one another and hoped that the Major had not overheard all of their conversations. They sat quietly for a while sipping coffee and staring into the fire.
"Your men think right highly of ya Major," said York.
Winters looked up and smiled when he saw Shifty and Popeye were nervous. "It goes both ways, Sergeant," he said.
"As it should be," said York. He watched while Winters stood up and finished his coffee.
With his eyes on the two boys from Virginia, Winters said, "Tomorrow is going to be a big day boys. You better get some sleep. Sergeant York would you mind coming with me."
"Yes, sir," said Shifty and Popeye in unison. They both didn't think they would be able to sleep. However, all of the excitement and many surprises caught up with them, and they quickly dozed off.
Winters gathered his officers as well as Sergeants Toye, Guarnere, Talbert and now York. In the morning, I want three scouts and Sergeant York to guard the perimeter outside of this cave. Sergeant York has a map of the area. The latter pulled it out and spread it out on the ground. It was as detailed a map as Nixon had ever seen. "From what I gather we are right here." York nodded and Winters continued. Our objective is to reach this farm community, which is more than a couple of miles away. According to Sink, the enemy infiltrates this area by using some type of mechanical devices disguised as trees and rocks. What make this difficult is this whole area around this cave and along the hillside looking down on this valley is pockmarked with small wooded areas. Tonight, Captain Nixon and I are going to do a little reconnaissance outside this cave to make sure we are not walking into a trap. Sergeant York I would like you to join us. In the event, we run into trouble, your objective is to reach that farmhouse. Now I have not told the men this because I was waiting until tomorrow, but Sink's orders are no prisoners. Apparently, the enemy is ruthless, and shows no mercy." Winters observed the men and they were all nodding as they realized the level of severity the mission was taking on.
Lipton took the first watch as Winters, Nixon and York made their way outside for the first time in what seemed like days. The men breathed deeply. Luck was with them, there was good coverage around the entrance of the cave. The men should be able to make their way out without being observed. Winters studied the lay of the land and began making his plans on how to get the men into position as they moved down the hill. Across the valley, Winters could see lights in the distance that he realized it must be the farming community. He paused for a moment and asked God for guidance tomorrow, as well as help him get everyone in Easy through this mission. Winters's thoughts were soon interrupted by Nixon.
"Dick, I think I have found something."
Winters and York followed the sound of Nixon's voice. Soon they were standing around what appeared to be one of the biggest trees that most of them had ever seen. "Three guesses as to what kind of tree this is," said Nixon. The other two had never come upon a tree so wide in girth or as tall. "Gentlemen, this is one of California's famous Sequoias or Giant Redwood trees. What is unusual is the fact that this particular species is not indigenous to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In fact, it is only found along the Pacific coast.
"And I don't suppose Red Woods are made of metal" said Winters, who just pried a piece of metal off instead of what should have been tree bark. "This has to be the point of entry. They were standing in what almost could be described as a large indentation at the base of the pseudo tree. The three men easily could stand inside of it.
"It still doesn't explain how the enemy uses it to transport men or equipment," said Nixon, but something this size could easily hold almost a battalion. We could try and set explosives around it."
Sergeant York was quiet. He had never seen such a tree that really was made out of some metal. All this talk of transporting men inside of a tree sounded like some sort of bad fairy tale. "This is beyond anything I've ever seen sirs."
"That's all right York. Let's spread out and see if there are similar trees are anything else out of place," said Winters. For almost two hours, the men scaled rocks and examined trees. The only other finding was an unusual rock formation to the east of the cave's entrance. It too was made of metal when one examined it closely. Tired and in need of rest, the three men made their way back to the cave where they found an anxious Lipton and a sleeping Buck.
"Did you discover anything sir," asked Lipton.
"Yeah, Lip," said Nixon. "You could say that. Do you have a plan for tomorrow Dick?"
Winters looked back down at the valley below. Women and children lived in those houses, and if this was Pennsylvania as he and Nixon suspected, then he would be fighting on his home turf. "Yeah, Nix, I believe I do."
"Lipton I want your squad up at 0400 and move them…." Winters described the formation he believed would be necessary if they were to succeed against an unknown enemy and the size of its force.
Quotes are from the Wikipedia biographical excerpt of Alvin C. York.