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To calm the anticipated build-up, they showed their men a movie. Mr Lucky, starring Cary Grant and Laraine Day. It was hard to sit through a movie, knowing any night, they'd be called up for a jump. Nelly tried to sit through the film. But the trouble was, she couldn't sit still. So, she got up and left the wall tent. Outside, the wind was still bad but not as bad as before. Nelly shoved her hands into her pockets and started slowly walking back to the tents. And as she did, Guarnere, who seemed to be in a great hurry, accidentally knocked into her arm.
"Sergeant?" Nelly called after him.
His back still to her, Guarnere held up his hand. "Not now, Murry!" He snapped.
Frowning softly, Nelly rubbed the arm Guarnere crashed into. She continued her slow walk back to the tents. She didn't think she'd get much sleep – Nelly had hardly slept since they arrived in Upottery. But she didn't want to sit through that movie. And while walking back toward the tents, Nelly spotted her cousin with a couple of Officers.
"Ro – ". But Nelly corrected herself. "Lieutenant Speirs".
Speirs sent the two Officers he was with a nod. "Excuse me, guys".
"See you back at the tent, Ron". One of them said.
Nelly stayed where she was, and Speirs made his way over to her. Scratching the back of her neck, Nelly soon looked up at her cousin when he stood in front of her. A small smile settled on their faces. Nelly's hand left the back of her neck.
"Be careful". She said to him.
Speirs's face was torn between amusement and confusion. "That's something I should be telling you, kid".
"Well...". Nelly shrugged one shoulder. "Just...do it, anyway".
"Alright". Speirs agreed with a nod of his head.
Staring down at her hands, she began picking away at a fingernail. "I have...to tell you something".
"Okay". Because her voice sounded serious, Speirs felt on edge.
"I've never...said it before".
"Right".
With a sigh, Nelly left her fingernail alone. But she continued to stare at her hands. When she opened her mouth, Nelly realised the word got stuck in her throat. A frown met her face – it shouldn't have been that hard to say, not really. But there she was, standing before her cousin and finding words hard again. "Words are hard...". It came out as a whine.
Speirs appeared sympathetic. "Hell, I know that".
"You're...not weird...not really". Nelly began to say softly.
He smiled.
"I feel...happy...". Nelly said, "In Edinburgh and...and it's important that I like you – as you are and not because I have to because we're cousins". She said, "Because...I started hating dad when he sent me away...he never...loved me...and I always wanted him to love me".
The smile on Speirs's face saddened.
"But...". Nelly continued to stare at her hands. "But...I love you".
Speirs was known to be stern, fierce and a harsh leader at times. But he could feel his heart melting like butter when Nelly told him that. And it wasn't awkward or too much for Speirs to handle. They were family. And Nelly was right in saying, it was important to genuinely like a person in the family. Speirs thought back to when they first saw each other again in the forest back in America – she didn't have her boots, and she was cold. And he knew back then that Nelly Murray was his younger cousin. It was by chance they were reunited – maybe luck. Or fate. It didn't matter what it was, Speirs was just glad it happened.
Unfortunately, Speirs said all that in his head and he had left Nelly in silence – for over a minute. Eyes growing a little wide, Speirs looked down at Nelly. "Oh – shit, sorry...".
But Nelly didn't look hurt or upset. "Weird...". She joked to him lightly. But then she told him softly, "It's okay, Ronnie...".
With a nod, Speirs soon smiled. "Love you too, kid".
"Just...please, be careful". Nelly whispered – her voice sounded serious again.
"Hey...". Speirs set a hand on her shoulder. "I'll be extra careful, alright?"
"Okay". She whispered.
"But you've 'gotta be careful too". Speirs reminded her. "Listen to your NCOs and Officers – don't be brave. Just do your job, okay?"
Nelly nodded.
"If you need help, ask for it". He went on to say, "If you're hurt, get a medic. If you're scared, tell someone. Take care of yourself, eat, drink plenty and try and sleep when you can. Keep warm – keep your feet dry. Wrap the wet socks around your neck to dry, and put the spare ones on. Always have a foxhole buddy. Don't wander off alone – ever. If you hear anything, don't investigate – tell someone. Count your ammo – keep track of what you have left and what you can use. If you – "
Arms tightly going around his middle, Nelly's face crushed below his chest.
Speirs let out a small puff of air. "If you need me, I won't be far away". He finished softly while holding her back. "I'll be right next to Easy".
Nelly squeezed her eyes shut. "You said that...soldiers are meant to die...".
He frowned. "Not every soldier is meant to die". Speirs corrected himself. "Because who would win this war, huh? And I'm 'gonna do all I can out there...to make sure you stay alive".
"It feels...". Nelly whispered, "Weird".
Speirs nodded. "I know".
Arms leaving his middle, Nelly made to step back but Speirs had a tight hold of her.
"Just...wait a second". He mumbled.
With a tiny huff, Nelly nodded and wrapped her arms back around him. Letting out a quiet sigh, he let Nelly go after another ten or so seconds. Lighting himself a cigarette, Speirs's head tilted up toward the overcast sky. Nelly followed his stare. "Still windy". She commented.
"It'll die down by tomorrow". Speirs said, "We'll probably jump tomorrow night". He then faced Nelly and set her a tiny grin and ruffled her hair. "I like your hair, kid".
Looking up at her cousin, Nelly shared his smile. "Thanks, Ronnie".
Hand leaving her hair, he gave Nelly's arm a gentle shove. "You 'gonna get some sleep?"
Nelly snorted. "Doubt it".
"Well, you should...". But he stopped talking when noticing that Nelly was pulling a very concentrated frown. And with a frown of his own, Speirs asked, "What?"
"I didn't write back to your mum...". She whispered, "I was...I was going to but...I just...I think I forgot".
"You've been busy". Speirs reminded her. "You've been distracted".
Nelly's mind was always distracted. She nodded. "Yeah...you're right". Letting out a yawn, Nelly rubbed her heavy eyes. Speirs set a hand on her shoulder.
"Come on, let's get you to bed".
...
On the day of June 5th, the men stored their gear onto trucks – the trucks would drive their gear over to the planes while the men collected a packed chute and harness from the hangar. Nelly grabbed herself a chute and harness and then followed the rest of Easy toward the planes. It was windy but not windy enough to cancel another jump. It dawned on them now – after a prayer with Father Maloney, after shaking hands with friends and as they harnessed themselves up. It dawned on each man; they were about to jump in and fight. The feeling sent goosebumps up and down Nelly's arm and behind her neck. Stepping into her harness, Winters was there to tighten all the straps and fasten her up. Nelly's far away stare looked toward a group of British troops who had seen the action, who knew what it was like out there. Her Mae West vest was next.
Winters set it over her head and shrugged it into place. Then came her chute, which he attached to the harness. "Okay?"
"Yeah". Nelly replied quietly.
With that conformation, Winters attached the reserve chute around her middle. It was his job to get his men as comfortable as possible when it came to their heavy gear and parachutes. Though the harness was tight, the vest was constricting, and the chutes began to weigh her down, Nelly didn't complain. "Sit down, I'll strap on your leg bag, trooper".
But the leg bag was another kettle of fish – that thing was heavy. Sitting down, Nelly stretched her leg out and Winters strapped it around her right leg. He attached it to her harness and then held up the rope she'd have to pull to separate the bag from her leg. "This is your rope, okay?"
Nelly nodded faintly.
"Remember, release it only when your chute opens".
"Yes, sir". Nelly's head turned to her right, where she spotted Alex and Skip being strapped up and geared up by Welsh. Her chest felt tight at the thought of something happening to them – to any of her friends.
"Oh – are you okay, son?" Winters asked Hughes, who was sitting next to Nelly.
"Fine, sir...I think my harness is too tight, sir".
"Let me take a look, huh?"
Alex and Skip soon looked back at Nelly. Raising their hands with somewhat solemn smiles, they gave her a wave. A small smile met Nelly's lips as she waved back at them. Skip pointed to his lips, where he mouthed something to her.
"See you soon, Bilbo Baggins".
Smile softening, Nelly nodded and mouthed back. "Find the light". And she sent them a knowing look after. But then their new medic stood in front of Nelly, blocking the view of her friends.
"Airsickness tablets". He said, "Take one now and one thirty minutes after".
Nelly frowned up at him. "Why?"
Roe set her a warm smile. "Just do it, Murray".
Nodding faintly, Nelly swallowed one of the pills with a drink of water. And after making sure the pill had been swallowed, Roe left Nelly and moved on to the next man with the same order and instructions. The bundle of nerves inside her stomach intensified when she lost sight of Skip and Alex. Facing her plane, Nelly let out a shaky sigh and breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. Leaning back against her chute and pack, Nelly put on her jump gloves to stop her hands from burning against the ropes. And then completed the look by placing a helmet atop her head. Before she could catch her next breath, a hand attacked her face with charcoal and green grease – it was Toye's hand.
Nelly's eyes closed. "What happened to...no charcoal?"
"I changed my mind". He said, "Everyone's doing it".
"Okay".
When Toye finished, he gave her helmet a gentle knock. "You good?"
"Yeah". Nelly replied. "You?"
"Yeah, fine". Toye mumbled while checking her over.
Nelly found herself leaning further back against her chute. As the minutes ticked by, she was increasingly feeling more tired and drowsy. "Joe...". Her voice sounded small, "I'm tired".
"It's alright". Toye assured her as if knowing the reason behind her sudden drowsiness. "You can sleep on the plane, kid".
And while giving her Sergeant a faint nod, Nelly's eyes closed. She couldn't remember feeling tired before, Nelly wasn't sure what caused her to feel so drowsy. But then she remembered the airsickness pill Roe told her to take. "Fuck...". Nelly groaned quietly.
Looking at the pill in his hand, Malarkey then faced Winters. "I don't need this, sir".
"Just take the pill, son". Winters said while giving Malarkey's harness a tug, to make sure it was tight enough.
"But sir, I don't need 'em". Malarkey argued kindly. "I'm from Astoria. I've bobbed like a cork over the Columbia Bar plenty of times and never gotten sick".
"Take the pill, Malark". That was an order.
So, Malarkey took the pill. Winters smiled small and clapped his shoulder and then moved to stand before the men in his stick – all eighteen of them. His eyes briefly caught Nelly, who was near enough sleeping against her chute.
"God bless you all". Winters said and then proceeded to help the men onto their feet and push them and the added one hundred and twenty-five pounds around their bodies. It was 2215 hours.
The first man to board the plane was Malarkey. Then Guarnere, J.B Stokes, Brad Freeman, Joachim Melo, Thomas Burgers, Edward Bernat, Richard Davenport, Johnny Plesha, Cleveland Petty, Ron Bain, Robert Leonard, Eugene Jackson, Richard Hughes, Joe Toye, Eugene Roe, Joseph Liebgott. Nelly was the last enlisted soldier to enter the plane. Winters was the last person.
Nelly wasn't aware she was second to jump – she was barely aware they were on the plane. Her eyes opened and she saw the faces of the men. They were all a serious bunch now. No jokes, not a single word was spoken. And they all seemed to briefly look at one another in the eyes. Nelly didn't know what they were thinking – maybe they were scared, anxious and eager to fight. Or maybe they regretted ever volunteering for the Paratroopers. But as Nelly looked closer at the eyes shifting from man to man, she couldn't see an ounce of regret.
And Nelly smiled.
"Here we come Hitler...' ye old cunty bastard, 'ye!" She yelled.
Smiles – mostly shocked smiles – reached the faces of the men.
Liebgott gave Nelly's shoulder a clap.
She leaned back against her chute and the side of the plane. Winters moved up the fuselage, checking on each man before the pilots turned on the two engines. The men were trying their best to get comfortable. Winters mostly heard complaints about feeling tired after taking the air-sickness tablets. The Lieutenant would assure them that it was fine, the drowsiness wouldn't last long. Crouched in front of Nelly, Winters gave her harness a tug and then strapped up her helmet under Nelly's chin.
"Heroes". She practically slurred to Winters.
He looked at her. "What's that, kiddo?"
"We're...heroes, sir".
Winters smiled. "We are".
"Superheroes...because...we're about to fly". Nelly said to him. "But not me". She said through a sigh, "I think I'll fall flat on my face...I'm too tired to fly...".
"You've got your wings, trooper". He said, "You're 'gonna fly".
With a small hum, Nelly struggled to keep her eyes open. Her thick jump gloves rubbed at her heavy eyes. Winters's smile softened and he gave her arm a squeeze before sitting down next to her – he was the first to jump out of the plane. Guarnere was their push-man. If someone were to refuse, Guarnere would simply push them out of the plane. Winters couldn't have picked a better push-man.
At around eleven pm, the plane engines roared to life. Inside the fuselage, the growing roar of the Pratt and Whitney's was deafening. Their plane rattled and vibrated as its motors build up speed. Normal conversations, if any, had to be delivered via shouts. Then the plane began to roll forward. Nelly's eyes opened slightly at the loud noise and movement. Appearing confused, she looked up at her Lieutenant and gently tugged his jacket sleeve.
Winters sent her an assuring smile. "You're okay, Murray!" He said above the engines. "You go back to sleep! I'll wake you when we're crossing the Channel!"
Nelly finger-gunned Winters weakly and then fell back against Liebgott's side – Liebgott was almost sleeping. At 2315 hours, the lead Skytrain roared down the runway. The pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Charles H. Young commander of the 439th Transport Group, leaned back on the wheels and pulled the C-47 into the air. Its propellers bit into the night, fighting to gain altitude. He was followed by plane after plane in rapid succession until all were aloft.
Once Winters and his sticks plane was airborne, one of the transports crewmen removed the hatch and shoved a large equipment bag by the doorway. It was Winters's job to kick that bag out of the doorway and follow after it once they were ready to jump. Anticipating jumping into the night and doing what felt like a good idea at the time, Winters attached a thirty-foot rope to the equipment bag and tied the other end of the rope to himself.
Aloft, the transports carrying the 506th divided up into two serials, with forty-five planes led by Young in the first, and thirty-six in the second, ten miles to the rear. The group of thirty-six C-47s included eight planes carrying Easy Company.
The air armada turned on a south-easterly heading and disappeared into the gathering darkness.