Chapter Two: Training Begins

October 1942

Several hundredth men were standing in line for yet another medical check-up. Webster had been at tamp Taccoa for almost 3 months now. When he first came here he was assigned to F-company (1) with another 140-150 men, since then had lost several men who couldn't stand the hard training.

They had to run 6 miles before they even had their first breakfast there and already they had their first injured: twisted ankles, sprained muscles and cramps of all sorts.

The most favoured exercise by all the company leaders was making them run up and down Currahee. Currahee was a small mountain nearby the camp, three miles up and three miles down. Currahee was an old Indian saying which mean "We Stand Alone." Which was perfect for this whole division.

A few days ago, one of the guys in Webster's outfit, collapsed half-way up the mountain and lay prostrated on the side of the road for twenty minutes, before the ambulance finally came. They heard it was an appendicitis attack but didn't know whether he lived or died. (2)

Webster hasn't seen or heard from Liebgott since they arrived here and sometimes wondered whether he was still here. Every day he heard of people being sent home, being reassigned or simply leaving themselves. New recruits came and went making the people on top mutter. They wanted to find a solution so they made all nine company's, from Able through Item, do certain tests while their leaders scribbled notes on their pads. Luckily Webster always kept himself in shape so he didn't suffer as much as some of the others did.

When the tests where done, mutterings came of people being reassigned to other company's due to people leaving or their talents were needed elsewhere. So, here they are again for another check-up before possibly being reassigned.

Standing outside smoking, Webster and Richard Davenport, a friend he made while in F-company, waited their turn.

"Where do you think they'll put us?" asked Davenport blowing out smoke, Webster merely shrugged throwing the last of his cigarette on the ground., "Don't really care."

Davenport looked shocked, "You can't be serious. Haven't you heard the storiesabout Easy company?"

Webster merely looked at him. Davenport continued, "You know about Sobel! Man, have I heard stories about that guy. You could lose your weekend pass by just having your helmet on crooked. Jeez, I don't mind being reassigned but not to that nutcase. I like my weekends to myself, thank you very much and another thing…"

Webster chuckled but was glad when the nurse called him in before Davenport started ranting, something he quite enjoyed doing, especially when it came to their superiors.

Entering the barrack filled with men stripped to waist he handed his chart to some nurse who led him to a doctor who took it reading the results of his previous check-ups. Waiting for the doctor to acknowledge him he heard someone say "Joseph D. Liebgott, 25." Recognising that voice anywhere he looked around trying to find the man he hadn't seen in almost three months. Stepping back he saw the man he was looking for, three booths over doing an eye-exam. He was glad to see Liebgott was still here and looking good. Blushing at that thought, he snapped to attention when a loud voice yelled "Private!"

Turning toward the doctor he could feel every eye on him but none more so then Liebgott's. Risking it, he turned around and met Liebgott's amused grin, he could feel his eyes travel over his body, feeling sudden butterflies take up residence in his stomach, he did the same to him. Their eyes met again and both smiled. Their eye contact was broken when the doctor grabbed his shoulder yelling "Private!" again. He blushed, hearing the other soldiers chuckle and he quickly apologised. "Sorry…" The doctor harrumphed, "Name, age"

Webster stepped closer, "David Kenyon Webster, 22" The doctor made him do an eye-exam, before transferring him to do an ear-exam, then a general medical check-up which he all aced.

Two days later, the news came he was to be transferred to easy company alongside with Davenport, Howell, and some others. Most got to stay in Fox-company others were reassigned to Dog-company. Davenport grumbled the whole time he was packing. Webster, to be honest didn't want to be reassigned either, not because it was E-company but the fact he made many friends in F-company. Walking towards Sobel's office, Webster's thoughts strayed back to Liebgott and he wondered why the guy had such a hold over him.

Knocking on Sobel's door, they all entered to see several officers waiting for them. Sobel stood up, giving them the one-two on how he ran this company and introduced them to the officers: Lt. Richard D. Winters, Lt. Lewis Nixon, Lt. Warren R. Roush and Lt. Frederick T. Heyliger.

Everyone was then assigned to a platoon, Webster got first platoon under Lt. Winters and Sgt. Lipton, who he was yet to meet while most of the others got third platoon.

When they were dismissed they were shown to their barracks and their new comrades in arms. First Webster met Lipton who welcomed him with a smile, then some of the others he shared a barrack with: John 'Johnny' Martin, Frank Perconte, George Luz, White, Donald 'Hoobs' Hoobler, Darrell 'Shifty' Powers, Robert E. 'Popeye' Winn, Eugene 'Doc' Roeand Albert Blithe.

Lipton introduced him as "This here is Webster, rifleman and translator. He'll be joining first platoon from now on" They all looked at him for a moment before they all introduced themselves, showed him his bed and generally questioned him. He just smiled and answered all of their questions as best he could, he was 'thenew guy' after all.

He soon found out, that Perconte and Luz where the jokers amongst them. Luz was particularly good at imitations and he couldn't help but laugh as he did Sobel. Perconte liked to pull Martin's, who was more serious, strings and they often threw well meant insults at each other. Hoobler couldn't stop talking about this luger he was sure to bring back from the war and while they were on topic he quickly learned 'Shifty' was one hell of shot. A bit shy but really friendly just like his friend they called Popeye. The quiet ones where Blithe and White, who mostly spoke when spoken to. Roe was our resident doctor, a bit quiet and broody at times but damn good at his job apparently. Lipton was more of the mother hen of this group of ten men, making sure everything was ok, checking if everyone had everything.

Writing in his journal that night he had a feeling everything was going to turn out ok. No matter how hard the training was, as long as they had those kind of men beside them they could do anything.

His feeling was confirmed when the next day he met the rest of first platoon, then second and third platoon. Especially when he was introduced to the other translator in E-company: "David Webster, meet our other translator, Joe Liebgott." They both smiled when they shook hands, feeling the electricity again but this time they held on and Webster had to smile even more. Everything was going to be more then ok.

(1) I based this upon a letter he wrote to his parents. He started it with Company F , 506 Para. – Inf. Camp Toccoa, Ga. So I figured he was assigned to Fox - company before Easy company and decided to keep it in my story.

(2) This was not made up, it did happen.

To Be Continued in Chapter Three: Currahee!