There was no warning when the Germans broke into the Ardennes.
Rory was sleeping, as were the rest of her friends from their room.
The lights were suddenly turned on and the Sargent's who had been watching a movie were now getting their guys up to get ready. Rory, like most guys, rubbed their sleepy eyes and stumbled out of their bunks. Still half asleep, they put on their clothes and began to pack up their things. Though, Toye did tell them;
"leave everything you don't 'wanna take with you, here. They'll be kept in storage".
"Where the hell's the Ardennes?" Heffron grumbled.
Toye shrugged;
"I don't know, Babe…no one does. All's I know, the Germans have overrun the 28th Infantry and elements of the 4th".
"Why can't someone else do it?" Jackson asked.
"Good question". Toye said, "but I don't got an answer for that…come on, quickly, huh? We've 'gotta check our supplies".
"This is all we've got, Sarge". Garcia said, "we haven't been resupplied yet".
Toye sighed;
"shit…alright, 'lemme find Buck…head out when you're ready".
When their Sargent left, Heffron shared a worried look with Jackson and Rory.
Rubbing her lips together, she said to them;
"well…we've 'gotta find something".
"From where?" Heffron asked, "most of our stuff ain't back from being repaired".
"We got other problems". Julian added, "we don't have winter clothes".
Rory frowned;
"how'd they expect us to live out in the cold without a coat?"
Frowning, Jackson shook his head;
"I 'dunno".
"Just how fucked are we?" Heffron added.
Again, Jackson shook his head;
"pretty much fucked, Babe".
Rory left the room and slung her musette bag over her shoulder.
With a tiny sigh, she said;
"Winters'll know what to do…".
"You think?" Jackson asked, while he and Heffron followed behind her.
"He's 'gotta". She said, "there's 'gotta be something, right?"
"Roo, he don't do supply runs". Heffron reminded her.
"Yeah…you'd be better seeing the supply Sargent". Jackson said, "I'll do that, okay? Babe, see if they've got any warm clothing. You know, socks, gloves, scarves…big coats".
Heffron nodded;
"alright".
"Great". Jackson said, "I'll see about ammo and weapons".
Leaving the barrack, the trio dispersed and went off in a different direction.
Stepping out into the night, Rory could feel the cold air hit her full force. She shivered and dug her hands deep into her pockets, to save them from going numb and turning blue. Rory hadn't felt a chill like it and the nerves didn't help much either. But soon, she spotted a blazing fire. And like a moth to the light, she moved towards the warm glow.
Hands coming out from her pockets, she hovered them towards the flame.
Rory figured she'd allow her hands to warm-up first, before setting off to locate Winters. But as it turned out, she didn't need to look very far. Winters, Peacock and Buck were all heading towards the fire. Looking up towards Winters, he sent her a tiny smirk;
"was this your idea, Rory?"
Shaking her head, Rory replied;
"someone way smarter than me, sir".
"Lieutenant Peacock. Lieutenant Compton". Dike soon addressed, while heading towards them. The man soon looked at Winters, "Captain Winters".
"Oh, Lieutenant. I've been looking for you". Winters said.
"Sir, we have a problem". Dike stated.
And Rory felt relieved, assuming Dike was about to address their lack of supplies.
Unfortunately, he didn't;
"Colonel Strayer has not yet returned from some wedding he's attending in London. Can you believe that?" Dike sounded appalled, "we're going to the front – we're going to the front here, and our CO isn't even in the same damn country-"
"you have a bigger problem, Lieutenant Dike". Winters cut him off, "you have men returning to action without proper cold-weather clothing and not enough ammo".
Dike's demeanour dropped;
"sir?"
"I suggest you take canvas of the entire base". Winters said, "get what materials you have before you roll out. Or have you done that already?"
Quietly, Dike responded;
"no, sir".
"K rations". Winters almost barked out, "as many as you can scrounge. We don't know if we'll be resupplied or not".
"Yes, sir". Dike sounded more confident this time.
"What about ammo?" Peacock asked.
"There is no more ammo". Winters replied.
Rory felt her shoulders sink into her body, a feeling she was all too familiar with.
"Distribute it amongst the men as best you can". Winters further ordered, "so at least everybody has something".
"Yes, sir".
"Lieutenant Compton, Lieutenant Peacock". Dike voiced, "inform Lieutenant Shames of the situation. Get all the Platoons as best equipped as you can, and then report here to me, understood?"
"Yes, sir".
The two Platoon leaders walked off.
Dike's eyes then landed on Rory;
"what are you doing here, Private – uh - Private…".
He forgot her name.
Clearing her throat, she whispered;
"Doe, sir".
"Right, of course". Dike muttered, "what are you doing here?"
"Private Doe was waiting for me, Lieutenant Dike". Winters said, "this way, Rory".
Leaving the warmth from the fire, Rory followed Winters.
Passing through hurried men, who were trying to locate supplies, they stood next to a truck, the first truck which had made it into camp. Giving her a nod, he asked;
"everything okay?"
"Well, sir…think my questions been answered". Rory mumbled, "we ain't got nothing".
Winters frowned;
"yeah…we're all facing the same problem, trooper".
She had hoped Winters would know what to do.
And did feel a little gutted that he didn't but it was out of his control. Rory tried not to let her worries show. But it was clear to see she was nervous. A lot of men were. Especially the replacements who came in after Holland.
As she expected, Heffron and Jackson also came up empty-handed.
The three of them created a tiny circle and expressed their concerns;
"if the Krauts don't get us, the weather will". Heffron said.
Jackson sighed;
"come on, Babe. Let's not think about that, huh? We might not even be out there that long".
"You really think that?" Heffron asked, with a raised eyebrow.
Jackson mumbled;
"not really, no".
It felt hopeless.
They didn't have winter clothing and were low on ammo.
And they had no idea what they were about to step into.
But then, another problem came to mind.
Rory frowned;
"that's not all…Dikes 'gotta lead us out there".
Heffron groaned;
"shit…don't remind me, Roo".
"Hey!" Toye called, "you three, come here!"
Breaking the small circle up, the trio walked over to Toye.
He was standing with Guarnere and Sargent Martin.
"Find anything?" He asked them.
They shook their heads;
"nothing, Joe". Jackson mumbled.
Toye sighed;
"alright – Jackson, you're acting as Corporal. 'Gonna need some good assistance out there. You up for that?"
He nodded;
"sure, Joe. Whatever you need".
"Good". Toye approved, "grab the rest of the squad. Bring 'um here. Trucks are starting to arrive. We'll be packing up soon".
With another nod, Jackson quickly scurried off.
Looking behind him, Martin said;
"should probably do the same…". He then looked over at Heffron, "have you seen Julian, Heffron?"
"Not recently, Sarge". He replied, "last we saw 'um…he was in our room".
Toye's hand fell on Rory's shoulder;
"you doing good, kid?" He asked.
She nodded;
"fine, Sarge". She replied, despite her growing nerves.
Rory didn't think anyone was doing one hundred percent "good".
And while waiting for the trucks, Rory couldn't help but think back to Winters words in Paris. That the brass didn't expect them to see combat until Spring.
She was glad she didn't get her hopes up.
…
Soon enough, the transport arrived to take the men to the front line.
There wasn't any space inside the trucks. The men were packed in the back, like sardines. Shoulder to shoulder, knees to knees, they sat and waited for the trucks to roar to life. And though their bodies were close to one another, it was still cold. White mist blew out of their mouths like angry dragons. And teeth chattered, like a machine-gun firing out.
Inside the dark truck, Rory felt scared.
They were barely briefed for this venture into combat. No one knew where the Ardennes were. And that's what frightened Rory the most, heading into the unknown. They weren't sure how long they'd be stuck in the back of the trucks for. And they were trapped. Locked up like caged cows heading to slaughter.
Rory jumped and let out a tiny gasp when the truck roared to life.
Frowning, Jackson looked down at her.
Slowly, the trucks started to move out of camp.
They passed slowly through Mourmelon and then slammed down on the gas for the long stretch of road out in front of them. Unfortunately, the road was bumpy. The war had created many potholes, causing men's stomachs to swirl around inside of them. The drivers couldn't do anything to ease the journey. Despite their headlights being on full, they couldn't avoid the holes on the road.
Toye, who was sitting opposite his three youngest guys, decided to brighten the mood.
Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth and started to sing.
Jackson snorted with a tiny smile.
Toye belted out, "I'll be seeing you", his go-to-song.
He smiled and gave the three of them a nod;
"come on!" He encouraged, "sing-along, huh? Babe, you've got a good voice".
Heffron's eyes brightened up;
"I do, huh? Bill says I don't".
Guarnere barked out a laugh;
"don't let it get to your head, Babe. Toye's only messing with you!"
Jackson gave Rory's arm a nudge with his elbow;
"your turn, Roo".
She frowned and shook her head;
"I don't sing…".
"It'll make you feel better, kid". Toye told her, "works for me, every time".
Sighing, she mumbled;
"fine…but I ain't doing all the words".
The Sargent grinned;
"alright, fair enough. Just give us a few lines, kid".
With another frown, Rory said;
"I ain't even sure how it goes properly".
"Quit making up excuses!" Guarnere said from the tailgate.
"Yeah, just sing the song, Roo!" Muck added.
Her frown deepened;
"oh, I ain't 'gonna sing it if you're all 'gonna listen".
Rolling his eyes with a grin, Malarkey said;
"that's what we're here for, Roo".
"Yeah, moral support". Buck said, "come on, champ. Give those pipes a test".
Scratching the end of her nose, Rory looked at her boots;
"don't laugh at me".
"We can't promise you that". Heffron teased with a smirk.
"Everyone, shut up!" Guarnere said, "Roo's 'gonna sing us a song".
With another loud sigh, Rory cleared her throat.
Raising her head slightly, she started to sing;
"I'll find you in the morning sun…
And when the night is new.
I'll be looking at the moon.
But I'll be seeing you….".
When she finished singing, Rory went bright red and covered her face.
The men all began to clap loudly and cheer.
Some even slammed their hands against the side of the truck, to create a louder noise.
Heffron grinned and wrapped his arm around her shoulders;
"what a treat!" He exclaimed.
"Oh, leave her alone". Jackson said with a smile, "she's gone as red as a damn tomato".
They ended up laughing when realizing how much they had overreacted with their cheering.
Toye had once again, lifted the morale.
But the laughter stopped, and the mood dropped. The journey was beginning to get uncomfortable. Both on their stomachs and their kidneys. After hours inside the back of a truck, rolling down a bumpy road, men began to puke into their helmets. Soon, the truck had a horrible stench of vomit. Which made the men even more nauseous.
Rory, like most of the men, began to feel miserable.
Only, she also felt scared.
With her friends getting sick and the trucks showing no sign of stopping, Rory began to worry about where they were going. It felt like they had been inside the truck for hours. And it could have been. Rory looked over at Toye, who was having a cigarette.
Leaning forwards a little, she asked him;
"Sarge? How long we been on this truck?"
"Just over four hours now, kid". Toye told her, "pretty damn miserable, huh?"
Rory nodded;
"yeah".
But it gave her a sense of comfort, knowing she wasn't alone in feeling miserable.
"You feeling alright?" Toye asked.
And flinched again, when Heffron and Jackson puked into their helmets.
Rory shrugged;
"I'm fine, Sarge". She replied, "just worried 'bout…well, everything".
Toye sent her his best-assuring smile;
"hey…no matter what it is, we'll get through this, kid".
"You feeling alright, Sarge?" Rory asked him.
He smiled small and nodded;
"sure am, kid…don't you worry 'bout me, huh?"
Rory leaned back against the truck again, just as Jackson finished puking into his helmet. He groaned and felt too weak to lift his head. Looking at him, Rory frowned and gave his arm a gentle rub. And when Heffron finished getting sick, Rory rubbed his arm too.
…
The truck stopped.
Opening the tailgate, the men escaped away from the stench of vomit.
Jumping down onto the ground, they searched for a place to empty their bladders. But most men just pissed where they stood. Rory tried her hardest to shield her eyes while navigating away from the men who were revealing themselves. Of course, it wasn't just the men who had a full tank, Rory had to search for a place too.
They had stopped on the side of a road, the trucks were parked, seeming to stretch on for miles. On either side of the road, were fields and small clusters of trees. For the men who had taken care of business, they filled up holes with petrol and threw a lit match inside. It created large and inviting warm flames. The men made their way towards the flames, desperate for some heat. Because it was freezing. Rory's body couldn't seem to stop shaking.
"You've got fifteen minutes!" Buck warned them, "smoke 'em if you've got 'em!"
Rory crossed the road and looking down, she saw her boot splash into an icy puddle. Frowning, she pulled her boot out and gave it a shake. Small pieces of ice flew around on the road. With a small sigh, Rory gripped onto the strap of her rifle and continued crossing the road.
"Welcome to Belgium!" She heard a voice say.
Rory stopped when she reached the other side of the road.
Following the voice, she soon found Winters and Nixon walking over to Colonel Sink.
"This area's known as Bastogne". Sink said, "strategic crossroads town. Seven roads leading in, seven roads leading out, which makes it ideal for Kraut armour. Now, Ike wants to make sure that the Krauts can't use those roads, so, we're 'gonna put a perimeter around Bastogne, dig in and sit tight. 2nd Battalion will be deployed here, to the east in this wooded area-"
"thank God, barely made it". Major Strayer soon turned up.
He was wearing his Class A uniform, perfect attire for a wedding.
"Better get yourself some OD's, Bob". Sink told the man lowly.
Strayer nodded;
"okay". And walked off.
Sink continued with the briefing;
"1st Battalion to the north on your left flank. 3rd Battalion's in reserve – Andy, let's roll!"
Before Sink could head back into his jeep, Nixon told him;
"sir, we're a little short on ammunition".
"How short?" Sink asked.
"There was a limited supply in camp, sir". Winters responded.
"Captain". Sink said, while getting into the jeep, "you beg, borrow, or steal ammo, but you defend this area".
"Yes, sir".
"Yes, sir".
Both Captain's replied, while saluting the Colonel.
When Sink's jeep moved out of the way, Rory's cover was spotted.
With a raised eyebrow, Winters walked over to her;
"okay, Rory?"
Her eyes moved away from Sink's jeep and up towards the Captains.
Rory didn't nod or shake her head.
Instead, Winters could see the small amount of fear in her eyes.
"We'll get ammo". He tried to assure her, "I'll get you all ammo".
Stuffing her hands into her pockets, Rory nodded.
He then added;
"we always find a way, trooper".
Rubbing her lips together, she soon mumbled;
"Bastogne, huh?"
Winters nodded, with a tiny sigh;
"looks like we're heading for the woods, Rory".
"Ain't a good ride to this place, sir". She mumbled, "everyone got sick".
He frowned a little;
"you were cramped up in the back of those trucks like sardines…were you alright?"
She nodded;
"I didn't get sick". Rory said.
With a sigh, she grumbled;
"now, I've 'gotta find a place to pee".
"Don't go too far". Winters told her.
Rory stepped off the road and onto a field;
"I won't, sir".
With business taken care of, Rory wandered back across the road and headed towards one of the many blazing fires. She squeezed herself in between Heffron and Jackson and warmed up her hands. They didn't spend long beside the fire because the men had to start putting them out. Shivering once again, they walked back towards the trucks. Heffron and Jackson both sparked up a cigarette. Rubbing her eyes, Rory looked towards the road and found an unexpected sight.
Hundreds of American soldiers, many of them wounded, walked down the road, heading away from the line. They looked frightened and pale. And gave them a warning;
"they'll kill you…they'll murder you-"
"get out while you can".
"Jesus Christ…". Heffron whispered.
Rory frowned;
"how come they're walking away?"
Jackson shook his head;
"I ain't sure…but they've got ammo, Roo – look".
Easy ignored the panic chatter among the retreating men and started to grab what they could from them. Ammo, mostly. Rory managed to grab another round of ammo for their machine-gun and some clips for her rifle. Stepping away from the men, she found her way to Heffron and handed him the long strip of ammo;
"here, Babe".
He smiled small;
"thanks, Roo".
More luck soon followed, when a young Lieutenant riding a jeep full of ammo showed up. There, the men grabbed what they could get their hands on and shared out it out between the men, so everybody had something. It was at that point, where the sound of a distant battle could be heard. Rory swallowed hard and tried to shake off the nerves.
The Lieutenant who had come with more ammo was named George Rice from the 10th Armour.
"You got any more mortar rounds, sir?" Muck asked the man. "We're real short".
"Well, I'll try and make another run of I can". Rice replied, "but – uh – don't count on anything".
"Thank you, sir". Muck said, while taking a box from Winters, "I'll take this, Captain".
Standing a little bit away from the keep, Rory watched Rice sat himself back down behind the wheel;
"a Panzer Divisions about to cut the road south". Rice told Nixon and Winters, "looks like you guys are 'gonna be surrounded".
"We're Paratroopers, Lieutenant". Winters said, smoothly, "we're supposed to be surrounded".
"Good luck".
"Thanks".
"Kid, come here!" Toye called for Rory.
Turning away from the road, she walked over to her Sargent, who soon handed her a few more magazines for her rifles and one grenade. Rory began to tuck her ammo away. She noticed no one had a coat. They were all doomed with their thin and light jackets.
She felt someone gently knock her helmet.
Turning around, Rory looked up and saw Buck.
He smiled;
"you good, sport?"
Rory nodded;
"good, sir".
"Toye's got you well looked after, huh?" Buck said, "you listen to him, right? Don't go wandering off and getting lost again, Roo".
She shook her head.
Rory wouldn't dream of it.
"I ain't going nowhere, sir".
When it was time to leave, they marched in their columns.
Following the road, 2nd Battalion soon reached the town of Bastogne. It was near enough empty. The roads and pavements were destroyed by tanks and shells. And many of the buildings were barely standing. Rory's eyes wondered around the town. She could see a few civilians braving the cold and handing some of the men hot cups of coffee.
They soon reached the heavily wooded area between Bastogne and Foy, named the Bois Jacques. The area was scattered with dead and frozen American and German bodies, some in grotesque poses, providing grisly evidence that bullets had been flown down there earlier.
Easy had been ordered to dig in on the left side of the forest. And like in Holland, the line was stretched thin, with many gaps to close. Fox Company was placed on the right with Dog in reserve. Winters set up his HQ directly behind Easy's position.
Outposts were set up; radio wirings were set in place for contact.
The section of their woods became home to Easy.
They just hoped they didn't have to call this place home for long.