"Captain Grey, this is third platoon, your stop" Winters said.
Dana walked into the room and nodded to the men, they stared at her, they couldn't believe their own eyes, a woman in charge, what was the brass thinking?
"Hey guys I am Captain Grey" Dana said
Winters closed the door and Dana was alone with third platoon.
A blonde got on his feet "lieutenant Compton or Buck" Buck said
"Pleasure" Dana said.
"sergeant Lipton" the sergeant said.
Dana looked around at the rest of the guys gathered in the room, it was hardly a full platoon, but she could work with that.
She turned to Buck "So what can you tell me about what has happened so far"
"Well this is what left of the platoon, we lost Popeye at Bret court, and he took one in the ass" Buck said.
Dana sat down and took of her helmet and jacket "So where am I bunking?" she asked.
"Captain, won't you be more comfortable with the other officers" Lipton asked
"No, I usually stay with the men, beside how can I get to know all of you if I don't stay with you" Dana shot the men her most flirtatious smile
That broke the ice and in no time they were talking and shooting the breeze, they told her about what they been through at Toccoa and about the chaotic jump. Dana just smiled and enjoyed their company
Emma and Charlie tried to get to know first platoon, who immediately took to them. With Emma's blue eyes she just begged for protection, Charlie didn't really get the time to settle in before she was called away and told there was a change of plan; she was going to be with Nixon at regiment S2. Sink thought he could use info about the future and he had a felling Charlie had a sharp mind and could help Nixon out.
The next morning the call came to move out, they were heading south towards Carentan.
The route was through Vierville to St. Come-du-Mont then across the river to Carentan.
Second battalion quickly took their objectives and Easy was defending Colonel Sinks CP in Angoville-du-Plain
The real problems then started for Dana and Emma; there was too much booze around. The young men was under too much tension to find a simple solution. Dana and Emma was, getting tired of drunken soldiers hitting on them and suggesting really offensive sexual favors. The men from Easy was perfect gentlemen, but didn't hold back on the booze.
It didn't help that the officers weren't much better, the only one not drinking was Winters and he had his own problem with Welsh, who had found a barrel of cognac and tried to drink it all himself, and often Winters wasn't sure he heard what he told him.
Emma and Dana was on their way to talk to Winters, demanding regiment do something about the men's behavior.
Walking into the CP, they saw Winters and Sink standing over a map, Strayer was on the horn talking to the 29th division's commander.
"Captain Grey, Captain Hunter, what can I do for you" Sink asked
"Sir, we were wondering if there has been any measure taken against the men's excessive drinking, sir" Dana asked Sink
"Well, it won't be a problem anymore; we are moving out, we been ordered to take Carentan, so now get" Sink said
"Sir, yes Sir" they said and saluted Sink and Strayer.
Emma let out a breath "a lot of good that did us" she said and smiled when she saw Luz and Bill head their way, they were the two men in her platoon she had become closes to.
"Hey boys, where you guys headed?" She asked
"To find something to eat, you two wants to join us?" Luz said
"Well, how can we say no to two such fine men" Emma said and winked at Bill
The four of them walked over to the first platoons post, Malarkey was attempting cook and everybody was giving him hell about it.
Dana and Emma found a beat up old couch and sat down. They were both starting to get tired and Dana drifted off to sleep, she woke up when she heard a familiar voice talking. She opened her eyes and saw Charlie standing at the door smiling at her.
"Well, hello sleeping beauty" She said and walked over and plumbed down next to Dana.
"Well, you are awfully chipper" Dana said.
"Well, if I tell you this, you need to keep under wraps ok" Charlie said.
"Do tell" Dana said suddenly wide-awake.
"I think something might be going on between Nix and I" Charlie said
"You think or you know" Dana said
"Well, we did have a hot and heavy make out session and I just can't stop thinking about it or him" Charlie said.
Nixon and Charlie had been on a recognizance expedition, when they had stumbled upon a group a Germans. Nixon had quickly grabbed Charlie and pushed her into a hedgerow and pushed her down, they both held their breath and waited for the Germans to walk past them.
When they were sure the Germans was gone Nixon had rolled of her and sighed, Charlie had rolled to her back and looked at Nixon, he was staring back at her and before they knew what happened they were locked together and they hadn't stopped until they were out of breath.
Charlie blushed and shook her head and looked at Dana, who was looking at Charlie with disbelieve in her eyes, sweet little straight up army Charlie making out with a soldier in the bushes.
"Well, you go girl, about time you got some action" Dana said.
"How about you? getting a little something, something or?" Charlie asked Dana throwing her head back and looked over at Dana.
"Oh you know there is only one warrior for me; you know that" Dana said.
"You will find him I am sure" Charlie said and smiled to Dana.
Dana got up, she had lost her appetite. Charlie and Emma was talking to Liebgott and Luz when she left.
There had only been one man for Dana most of her adult life, his only flaw was he was born 70 some years before her, he had been the man she had compared everyman at West Point to, knowing very well that no one would ever live up to him.
Emma, Charlie and Camilla had always given her hell about it and Dana had just laughed it off, figuring she would meet someone eventually, never had she dreamed she would actually meet the man himself.
Dana sighed and cleaned up against a building, she was reaching for her lucky stripes, when a lit smoke was handed to her and someone leaned on the building next to her.
"So you are one of the mysterious Easy women" A voice said
Dana turned her head and looked at the person standing next to her smoking, her heart about stopped; there he was the man of her dreams Ronald Speirs.
"Yeah I guess I am," Dana said
"Well nice to meet you Captain Grey" Speirs said and studied the woman next to him; she was a pretty girl, with her long wavy brown hair and green eyes that looked like they could see into the very debt of your soul.
"You too" Dana said, she opened her mouth to say something more, but he was gone. Dana sighed, yes exactly how history described him.
Heading back to quarters, she couldn't help but smile, she just shared a smoke with Ronald Speirs, and not a lot of women born in 1990 could say they did that.
"Ok move out, I want noise and light discipline and no playing grab fanny with guy in front of you, Luz" Emma said, they were on their way to take Carentan.
Easy company had their fair share of night marches with Sobel, so they were fully prepared for the march.
After marching two hours Emma stopped the company, Winters walked up to her "What's the problem Captain?" he asked
"We lost Fox company, sorry Dick" Emma said
"It's not your fault, this is about officers crapping out on their training, just send two men out to find Fox" Winters said.
This continued and together with the fact that regiment kept changing orders, Easy and the rest of the 506th were late, not reaching Carentan until 05.30 half an hour late.
The orders came to attack at 06.00.
First platoon under Emma was on the left side of the road, with second platoon and Welsh on the right and third under Dana was in reserve.
They were in the ditches, everything was Erie quiet. The Germans hadn't revealed their machine-gun position or fired any mortars.
At 06.00 Winters ordered "Move out" Emma kicked off the advance, running down the road toward the t-junction 50 away and her platoon followed.
The German machine gun opened fire straight down the road, it was in perfect position.
When the German opened fire, the seventh man stopped and stayed in the ditch and so did the rest of the platoon, trying to hide from the Germans.
Winters jumped out in the road yelling and screaming at the men to get moving, they didn't move, Winters grabbed them pulling them out of the ditch and pushing them towards the town, Winters was like a mad man yelling at the men and kicking them.
From the back Nixon, Charlie and the rest of the battalion HQ was hollering to Winters to get them moving.
Emma was up ahead trying to deal with German machine gun and Winters knew she was dead if he didn't get the men moving.
Finally the men started to move.
Mean while Emma was taking care of the German machine gun, she wondered where the hell everybody was, she and the men with her tossed grenades at the at the gun, followed by some burst from her carbine.
The rest of Easy poured into the Carentan cleaning out houses, Tipper got hurt and Emma dragged him back to the aid station
Lipton and Dana led third platoon into the intersection, there was an explosion in the street and Lipton got hurt taking some shrapnel in the cheek, wrist and on the top of his thigh. Dana noticed the blood and Lipton's scarred look, she checked his wound.
"Don't worry, everything is where it's supposed to be serge" She said.
"Talbert, carry Lip to the aid station" Dana said.
Talbert walked into the aid station and dropped Lipton on a makeshift cot; he motioned to Doc Hamlin to come take a look at him. Camilla walked and smiled to Lipton, she was a sight for sore eyes, even covered in blood and dirt, Lipton couldn't remember the last time a woman had smiled to him like that, not since before his wife had died "So what happened to you" Camilla asked
"Shrapnel" Lipton mumbled a little dazed from the morphine.
"Well, let's take a look at it" Camilla said and cut Lipton pants up to assess the wound.
She decided it wasn't too bad and that Lipton would live to fight another day.
Taking care of the wounded men and sending them on their way, Camilla weaved around the aid station checking on Lipton every so often.
When the jeep came for him she held his hand "I will see you back in England ok?" She said, and squeezed his hand.
Lipton couldn't wait to see the pretty lieutenant again.
A counter attack from the Germans was expected and Easy got order to go to high ground and dig in, with Fox and Dog company on their flanks.
Dana had first platoon dig in to a tactical position covered by the hedgerow and Emma did the same after consulting with Dana and Winters.
Ordering two in each foxhole, Dana ended up sharing a foxhole with Sergeant Talbert,
At 0300 Talbert was to be relieved from guard duty and he tapped Smith's helmet with his gun, Smith being scared and sleepy just saw a person in a German Poncho and stabbed Talbert with his bayonet, Talbert cried out and the shout for a medic sounded.
Dana who was half asleep woke up and sprinted to where she heard the shout for medic coming from, she could see Talbert leaning up against a tree and Smith kept repeating "I am so sorry, so sorry"
Camilla and Roe came running and started to work on Talbert, after being told by Camilla he would be fine, Dana decided to walk the line and check on the men.
She made a wrong turn and suddenly found herself walking into someone very solid and she saw Speirs standing there looking at her, "You got some jumpy men in your platoon" he said
Dana smiled "I sure do"
"Walk with me" Speirs said.
Dana walked with him, just before they reached her foxhole, Speirs stopped and Looked at Dana, he ran his index finger across her cheek and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear,
"don't wonder around alone at night, next time it might be the Germans you encounter" And then he was gone.
He was hot as hell, but also frustrating and Dana knew she was falling for him.
The order came to attack at 05.30 and right on time the attack started, the Germans had superior fire power.
Emma saw a German tank head their way, she grabbed a bazooka and pulled Welsh with her, "I'll shoot, you just load when I tell you to, I have to cook it and its weakest spot is when it tips up" Emma was calm and even when tank turned their 88 at them, she waited for the perfect moment to fire, after firing she just ran back to cover with Welsh hot on her heels.
Charlie was standing on a jeep, with Nixon, Strayer and Sink, watching the Germans almost over run the companies, Dog and Fox had to retreat and that left Easy high and dry.
"get Easy on the horn and tell them to retreat" Sink said
Charlie put her hand on his arm "Don't they will be alright" She said
Sink gave her a suspicious look and just then 2d armored came over the ridge and in minutes they had the Germans fleeing and Easy let the Germans have it.
Welsh screamed "hello beautiful babies"
Dana let out a breath and turned to high five Shifty next to her.
Not long after the 506th was pulled back to Aldbourne