Surprise! I bet you didn't think you would see me again so soon! Because this week is D-Day (and also my birthday!), I wanted to do something special and decided to upload twice this week. I'm very excited that Nora is finally making it to Bastogne. There are big things ahead for her. Thanks, as always, for reading!
December 10, 1944, Mourmelon-le-Grand, France
When Nora had complained about Captain Sobel, it had been without the knowledge that someone like Lt. Norman Dike existed. She would gladly take Sobel back now - missed him, even. And she missed Moose Heyliger, who hadn't even had a proper chance to lead, even more.
But most of all, she missed Dick Winters. He was still around, of course. She'd seen him regularly in the months they'd spent in Mourmelon, but it wasn't the same, and it was always in passing. This was why she'd insisted on sitting down to lunch with him when they got passes to Paris that coincided. She'd convinced Lipton to tag along as well. The two of them were having a conversation about the things they did and didn't like about Paris when they noticed that Dick was no longer paying attention.
"Winters, are you alright?" Nora asked, bringing his attention back. He was obviously having a hard time with losing Easy Company. Nix had also mentioned that he was still taking a kill he'd made back in October pretty hard.
"Yes, sorry. Just tired." He told them.
"Late nights discussing strategy?" Lipton asked.
"Something like that." Dick replied, still distant.
"Well, you should take a break in the evenings. Come see that John Wayne film they won't stop showing." Nora suggested.
"Maybe." Dick replied with a close-lipped smile. "I'm sorry to run out on you, but I think I'll take the bus back and catch some rest, if that's alright." He said, placing some money on the table for his meal.
"Of course," Nora said. "Get some sleep. I'll see you around."
After he left, Lipton and Nora exchanged a concerned look.
"He'll be fine." Lipton assured her. "He just misses Easy."
"Well, it misses him, too." She said as Lipton motioned for the check.
"What do you say we go walk around and spend some money?" He suggested.
"Yeah, I guess I'd better spend the money I took from Malarkey before he talks me into
giving him a chance to win it back." Nora said, earning a laugh from her friend.
Nora sighed as she tapped her pen against the wooden table. The page in front of her was still empty except for the words 'Dear Mrs. Meehan,' which she'd carefully scrawled at the top. The other men had long since filtered out of the large dining hall (which was also used as a multi-purpose area for lounging/playing cards after dinner), some in search of sleep and others in search of alcohol. Nora had wanted to grab a peaceful moment to take care of the thing that had been weighing on her heavily for months now. She rested her head in her hands, causing her hair to fall around it in a curtain - it had grown rather long in the last six months. She had considered cutting it many times, but now that the weather was much colder, she was concerned she would miss it if she did.
"Dear John?" A voice pulled her from her thoughts. She tensed in surprise and relaxed with a small sigh when she saw Speirs approaching. He was another person that she'd seen frequently in Mourmelon but only in passing. Nora stared at him for a moment, not immediately comprehending the question. He took a seat across from her, lighting a cigarette.
"The letter," He clarified, nodding to the sheet of paper.
"Oh," Nora replied. "No, it's not."
"You seem troubled over it." He observed. He took a long pull of his cigarette and then tapped it against the edge of the ashtray on the table before returning it to his lips. Nora watched the action, trying to decide how much she felt like sharing.
"I still haven't written Mrs. Meehan." She admitted finally. He didn't respond, and Nora kept speaking to fill the silence. "Lipton says I don't need to write. That it might provide more questions than answers." She explained. She fidgeted under his calculating gaze. "You know, since I'm…"
Nora trailed off, unsure why she was even explaining herself.
"It doesn't matter." She decided, gathering her pen and papers and moving to get up. "I'll just do it later."
"I could write it." He offered, though his tone was more matter-of-fact. Nora sat back down in surprise, staring at him. "You can still say what you want, it'll just be coming from a man."
Nora considered this for a moment, chewing on the inside of her cheek.
"I don't want to lie to her."
"Don't need to." Speirs said, motioning toward the paper in her hands "Give it here."
Nora slid the pen and paper to him. He placed his cigarette in the ashtray and took the pen. He looked at what she'd written and crumpled the paper in favor of writing on one of the fresh ones underneath. Nora watched as he carefully wrote the date and recreated 'Dear Mrs. Meehan' in his own neat script.
"My name is…" Speirs trailed off out loud as he began writing "Lt. Ronald Speirs, and I served with your husband in Aldbourne." All true so far. He stopped and it wasn't until he glanced back up at her that Nora realized she was supposed to continue.
"Tom was one of the finest leaders we've had." She began, feeling uncomfortable and unsatisfied with the way the words came out. Speirs didn't seem to think anything of it, writing them down exactly as she dictated.
"He was incredibly brave and selfless," she continued, "Always going out of his way to make sure that his men were well taken-care-of."
She paused for a few moments to think and Speirs waited patiently.
"All of the men loved and respected him, with good reason." She continued. "When his plane was hit, Thomas spent every last moment attempting to save his men. One soldier is alive today because of his efforts." She paused again, swallowing the lump in her throat at the mention of what he'd done for her.
"I know it is a small consolation for your loss," she began again, "but I wanted you to know that your husband had a lasting impact on countless lives during his time in Easy Company. He is dearly missed."
It was quiet for a minute as Speirs caught up and finished writing.
"Should I...add anything else?" She asked, suddenly unsure of herself again.
"Do you have anything else to say?" He asked. She shook her head.
"Then it's done." He replied, signing it. "Do you wanna send it, or should I?"
"I'll do it." She told him, taking the letter from him and glancing over it. She exhaled deeply as she looked over it, relieved that the deed was finally done. "Thank you. For helping." She added after a moment. Speirs shrugged a shoulder and picked his cigarette back up from the ashtray.
"I liked Meehan." He said. Nora suppressed a smile at the admission.
"Well, I should probably try to catch some shut-eye," She said, getting to her feet. "Thanks again. I'll see you around."
"Lieutenant." Speirs called out as she was walking away. "We're probably gonna be heading out soon. Be careful out there."
The next night, Nora sat next to Luz in the theater room while they showed the John Wayne film for the twentieth time.
"Look at me. I'm John Wayne. The costume department set me up with these great Navy Whites. Whaddaya think?" Luz mimicked loudly, his voice punctuating in a distinct John Wayne impression. Toye and Lipton, who sat in front of them, turned to glare at him.
"Luz, shut up." Toye whispered.
"I'm trying to watch this." Lipton griped.
"I've seen this movie thirteen times," Luz complained, dropping the impression.
"Well I haven't, so shut up." Toye said. Luz sighed but stopped his commentary. Behind them, Malarkey was loudly trying to scoot past everybody and get Skips attention, which turned everyone's ire on him for the moment. Nora eyed Luz, who looked absolutely miserable watching the movie and smirked. She waited for the female lead to come on screen.
"I'm Marlene Dietrich," She said, putting on her best German accent, which wasn't very good, "And I just borrowed my costume, my character, the cast, and the plot from the last movie I made."
Luz snickered, and everyone else groaned.
"Don't encourage him," Lipton chastised her.
"Here we go, favorite part," Luz announced, re-energized. "Got a penny?...Got a penny?...Got a Penny?" He repeated, getting louder each time. Lipton and Toye glared daggers.
Nora jumped in her seat at the sound of the theater doors being slammed open. She turned to see two officers from battalion headquarters cantering up the aisle. The lights flipped on, and the movie shut down, earning shouts of protest from the crowd.
"Elements of the first and sixth S.S. Panzer division have broken through in the Ardennes forest. Now, they've overrun the 20th infantry and elements of the 4th. All officers report to respective HQs. All passes are cancelled." One of the officers announced. Everyone groaned, beginning to file out of the room. Nora followed the others out, smiling at Winters as she passed by.
"Hey, you came!" She chirped, earning a nod from him. He was sitting with Buck, who didn't look so good. Nora gave him a small smile, too, before heading out to prepare for mobilization.
The ride to Bastogne was bumpy, and Nora wasn't exactly comfortable squeezed in between Babe and Toye, but the warmth that the proximity provided was almost enough to make up for it. Nora rubbed her hands together, blowing into them. Her jaw already hurt from the tension caused by her teeth chattering.
"I just wanna know what the hell we're supposed to do with no ammo." Babe complained. And no medicine, thought Nora, though she didn't voice the thought. There was no use in making everyone more nervous than they already were. For as long as they'd been stationed at Mourmelon, their supply still hadn't been replenished? It was ridiculous.
"What's your name again, kid?" Guarnere asked the replacement sitting across from them.
"Suerth. Suerth Jr." The kid answered.
"You got any ammo, junior?" Babe asked, unable to let the ammo issue go.
"Uh, just what I'm carrying." Junior answered.
"What about socks, junior? You got extra socks?" Someone from further down asked through the dark.
"A pair." Junior replied.
"You need four minimum." Muck said. "Feet, hands, neck, balls."
"Extra socks warms them all." Everyone chorused together.
"Well, since I only need three, he can have a pair of mine." Nora chimed in, getting a hearty laugh for her effort.
"You ain't got four pairs of socks." Guarnere argued.
"You're right, I don't. Sorry, Junior." She said.
"Yeah, none of us do. No socks, no ammo." Guarnere lamented. The men continued to pester poor Junior about what he had or didn't have until they discovered he had a pack of cigarettes. They passed around the cigarettes, and Lipton, who was sitting across from Nora, raised his eyebrows as she took one.
"Don't look at me like that - it's cold." She said defensively as Toye lit the cigarette for her, and everyone cheered.
After a few hours of griping and trying to keep each other warm, they arrived in Bastogne, on the outskirts of the Ardennes forest, which loomed a little too ominously over them for Nora's taste. The men jumped out of the truck and immediately turned their backs to unzip their pants and relieve themselves. Nora jogged in place with her arms wrapped tightly around her, trying to keep warm. She stopped when she noticed the replacement, Junior, eyeing her nervously. It took her a moment to recognize his concern.
"Just pick a place, kid. I'm not trying to watch you take a piss." She assured him. New replacements were always at a loss for how to navigate her presence.
"Yeah. She's trying to watch me." Guarnere called from somewhere behind the truck, causing the men to erupt in riotous laughter. Lipton, noticeably disgruntled by that exchange, came up to Nora and spoke to her quietly.
"Do you have to go right now?" He asked. Nora shook her head.
"I'm alright for now." She told him.
"Be sure and let me know if you need a lookout." He insisted.
"Thanks, Lipton." Nora said with an appreciative smile. "Will do."
"Hey guys, check this out." Babe beckoned, causing everyone to take notice of the procession of soldiers that were walking down the road. Their faces were dirty, and their eyes were vacant as they trudged along. The hair on the back of Nora's neck stood up and she glanced nervously at Lip. Easy Company men began to ask these men for their ammo and the men didn't put up a fight. Nora didn't need ammo, but they desperately needed morphine and bandages. She gently pushed through the crowd, asking the men if they had any syrettes or bandages they could spare. She was only able to glean a few from the crowd- another sign that whatever they'd endured in the forest had taken a high toll on them.
When they'd gleaned all of the supplies they could, they were ordered to head into the woods on foot. Nora walked alongside Lipton and Bull as they weaved between those looming trees, rifles pointed forward. The walk was nerve-wracking, mostly because they didn't actually know exactly where the enemy's line began. After a while of quietly walking in that direction, Winters ordered them to dig in while watching for signs of trouble.
"Foxhole buddies?" Luz asked, jogging up to Nora's side.
"I already told Lipton I would," Nora replied, "But if you want to lend your body warmth to
the cause, I'm not going to complain." She added bluntly, teeth still chattering. There seemed to be no getting used to this cold.
"Well, when you put it like that," Luz joked, pulling out his entrenching tool and staking out a space. Lipton and Nora followed suit. Nora used her body weight on the small shovel to try and make it break ground. The ground was so frozen, she was concerned that it'd take all night just to carve out a place to sleep. The biting cold was also making it hard to grip the handle properly. She looked up at one point to see them eyeing her as she struggled.
"Don't you dare suggest that I sit this out," She warned them. "I'll freeze to death if I stop moving."
They turned their attention back to their own work without a word. The ground was barely breaking at all - these tools weren't going to work until they got below the frost line. As the men began to realize this, they pulled out their bayonets and used them to stab through the top layer and break it up. Once they'd done that, they went back to their entrenching tools, dragging the mud out a little bit at a time.
The layer underneath the frost line wasn't much better. It was all watery, muddy slop that caked onto the shovel and then re-froze in the open air at a concerning rate. Nora had to keep smacking and scraping her shovel against a nearby tree to knock the frozen clumps off and start fresh. Whenever that didn't work, they had to pull the bayonets back out and chisel it away. When the hole was deep and wide enough for them to stand in, they were standing in water. Nora was extra conscious of the water that she was standing in and the water that seeped into the socks on her hands. She knew that keeping dry would be a matter of life and limb and found herself growing progressively more anxious about the dampness. She decided to use her helmet to start scooping out the water and it became her primary job as the other two continued to dig and churn up more of it. The more water she scooped out, the dryer the hole was, but the wetter she was, which made the work particularly frustrating.
"Doing okay?" Luz asked after that she'd gone quiet, and her work ethic had turned fastidious. She nodded wordlessly, and Luz and Lipton shared a look.
"This should be deep enough." Lipton announced, "Let's get the rest of the water out and find something to cover it with."
They managed to find a tarp to stake into the ground over their hole and immediately crawled down into it, pulling the tarp shut to keep out the wind. They huddled close together and talked to keep themselves busy until they fell asleep.
"I got cigarettes if we wanna share one." Luz told them, his voice shaking from the cold.
"We should save it for when we're more miserable than this." Nora suggested. It was hard to picture themselves being more miserable than this, but they weren't naive enough to believe that it would get better before it got worse.
"What's the coldest you ever been in your life?" Luz asked. Nora and Lipton glared at him. "I mean besides now, obviously."
The foxhole was quiet for a minute while they thought about it.
"When I was a kid - probably seven or eight - my dad got stationed in Wisconsin for a few years," Nora began, tucking her hands tighter into her armpits. "One time, we went to this parade. I don't know what time it was, but it was dark outside - pretty late. Anyway, we got there so early to get good seats, and we were so far down the line, that we ended up sitting there in the below-freezing cold for hours."
"Who holds a parade at night?" Luz interjected. Nora ignored him.
"I was wearing a lot more than this, too. One of those puffy snowsuits...winter boots...mittens. God, what I wouldn't give for a pair of insulated mittens right now. Anyway, I can still remember wiggling my toes the whole time and telling my mom how much they hurt."
At first, telling the story had a calming effect; eventually, the reminder of the looming threat of gangrene brought her careening back to reality.
"When I was in high school," Lipton said, "A couple of my buddies dared me to jump into a lake in the middle of January."
"No you didn't." Nora gasped, coming alive again.
"I did." Lipton said. Nora threw her head back, laughing.
"Please tell me you were naked." Luz teased. Even in the below-freezing weather, Lipton managed to work up a blush and withheld his answer. Nora and Luz laughed even harder.
"What about yours, Luz?" Lipton asked when they had settled back down.
"Mine's definitely right now." Luz replied, earning an elbow to the ribs from Nora.