Tuxedojunction: Thank you so much for your lovely review. I was really worried writing this. I'm no real writer and this stuff is really hard to do. So your review couldn't have come in a better time. Thanks again!

Chapter Six: Carentan

June 8th 1944

Having spent the last two days with men he barely knew Webster couldn't have been more happy then when he sauntered into Saint-Marie-Du-Mont to be welcomed by his fellow easies.

They clapped him on the shoulder, showing the stuff they found. Perconte even had an armful of watches who were still ticking. Webster looked on impressed when a voice caught his attention.

"So, you finally made it, huh?" turning around he saw Liebgott leaning on a nearby jeep. Webster saw he was more relieved then he let on and answered with a quick "Yeah"

Flicking away the rest of his cigarette, Liebgott stood up, "So, picked up anything good?" Smiling Webster came to stand by Liebgott and produced the luger and German jump knife he picked up. While Liebgott showed his Nazi flag, Webster whispered a quick "I'm glad to see you Joe."

Liebgott looked up, staring in Webster's eyes and he was about to reply when Blithe, Shifty, Christenson and Talbert interrupted. With a last glance, Liebgott moved away to show his flag to Talbert who proudly presented his German poncho.

Even though Liebgott didn't say it, Webster knew he was glad to see him and he smirked taking a bite of his chocolate. Much time to reminisce they didn't have 'cause a few minutes later had Lieutenant Welsh yelling for them to 'fall in' . Moving down the line, Webster heard him say "We're taking Carentan. It's the only place our troops can move inland, otherwise they're stuck on the sand"

Webster seemed to remember Colonel Sink saying something when Luz voiced his thoughts "Give us three days and three nights of HARD fighting and you will be RELIEVED!" Everyone laughed at Luz's impersonation and laughed even more when he added "Remember boys Flies spread decease, so keep yours closed!"

Everyone fell in formation, first platoon in front followed by second and third. When they moved through the fields, they tried to stay as quiet as possible, they weren't even allowed to smoke. They continued walking even when it began to turn dark. They made several stops but only because Fox company kept losing their way and when they stopped again Webster sighed. He listened to Welsh talking to Hoobler, who was lead scout, when his suspicions were confirmed. A tap on his shoulder followed by a "What's going on Web?" made him turn around to see Liebgott, Toye and Guarnere crouched down behind him

"We lost Fox company"

He nodded as they muttered an "Again?"

"Welsh sent Hoobler and Blithe to find them…" added Webster as he saw Winters and Nixon making their way up front.

When they found Fox company they moved back forwards. During their walk there they came across a few German troops, but they offered little resistance and no one was injured though it did slow them down some.

When they made it to the outskirts of Carentan it was night and they were allowed to sleep before they attacked the town in the morning.

June 12th 1944

Their orders were easy as they all lay on the main street leading to Carentan. First platoon, under Welsh was to move in the middle hard and fast. Quickly followed by second and third platoon, covering the rear.

It was easier said then done and when Winters gave the signal to move forward, the Germans opened fire, killing several men in one blow. Webster rolled in a nearby ditch just like everyone else trying to take cover. The only problem was they were out in the open and had in fact no cover at all. Everyone knew it but still they refused to move.

Webster looked up to see Winters out in the open yelling at them to move out, jumping into the ditch and literally kicking butt. No one had ever seen Winters like that and it was all they needed to move forwards into town.

Standing up, Webster prayed as he dodged the bullets. As soon as he made it into town, he hid behind a stone wall on the right. Orders were being given for First platoon to check the houses on the right, two men per building. Webster moved to the nearest house followed by McGrath as they threw in a grenade and checked the house once it exploded.

Meanwhile, Liebgott was on the left side of the town doing to same thing. He and Tipper entered a shop and checked it. Liebgott left as Tipper checked the back of the house. A loud explosion coming from the very shop he just left made him turn around yelling "Tipper? Tip? Answer me!" When he saw his friend stumbling out seriously wounded he held him close trying to comfort him before he and two other men moved him of the line.

Loud explosions followed by Lipton yelling "They got us zeroed! Spread out! Get out of the street" had them all running and hiding behind the nearest wall. Webster looked around the corner in time to see an explosion hit near Lipton, blowing him into a wall. He looked on as Grant checked him before moving Lipton of the line.

A few hours later, they had the Germans on the run and they were finally able to move the wounded to a makeshift aid-station. After ushering some German POW's out of a house, Webster stumbled upon Blithe sitting in a corner holding his weapon. Nodding to the others to continue he leaned down whispering "Blithe?" the man in question jumped up waving his weapon in all kinds of directions.

Webster frowned. "It's me Blithe, Webster. What's wrong?" Blithe sighed in relief, looking up at the sky he muttered, "I can't see…" Not quite catching it Webster said "What?"

Blithe looked back down, staring in Webster's face, seeing but not seeing, "I can't see Web, I can't see."

"Jeez…" muttered Webster, then he took Blithe's weapon and put it down, "Come on buddy, I'll take you to the aid-station so Doc Roe can take a look at you." Blithe only nodded as Webster took his elbow and led him to the aid-station.

After explaining Blithe's condition to Roe, Webster looked around to see all the wounded. He sighed in relief as he didn't see that one familiar face he was dreading to see. He patted Blithe's shoulder before leaving, bumping into a limping Lieutenant Winters. "Sir."

Once outside he lit a cigarette sighing, when someone yelled,

"Hey Web! You wounded or something?" shielding his eyes from the sun, Webster walked towards Martin shaking his head. "No, just dropping someone off" a new voice interrupted their conversation "Who?"

"Blithe…" muttered Webster as he pointed towards Liebgott's bloody face. Liebgott shrugged, wiping at the blood "Tipper."

Webster merely nodded and turned his head as Martin asked "What's wrong with him?" Webster frowned and Martin rolled his eyes adding, "Blithe! What's wrong with him?"

"He can't see."

"What happened? He took a shell fragment or something?" asked Ramirez who was sitting close by,

"No, Doc couldn't find anything wrong with him. He just can't see…" everyone frowned at what Webster told them. It didn't made any sense.

That evening several men including Tipper and Lipton were moved to a field hospital near Cherbourg for treatment. They could do only so much in an aid-station.

June 13th 1944, Outskirts of Carentan

The next day they were moving out again. Easy company once again at the front of an advance. Walking down yet another field with long grass, Webster listened to Perconte complain to Hoobler about the sticky situation they found themselves in when a shell exploded nearby. Everyone hit the deck crawling in the opposite direction the shelling was coming from. Rolling through he bushes Webster opened fire at the hedgerow opposite of theirs.

After some shooting the Germans left them alone and everything quieted down. Everyone dug themselves a nice deep foxhole which they shared with another soldier. Winters and Welsh walked back and forth making sure everyone was ok, wounded were taken care of and transported out.

They were to stay put until morning, unless the Germans attacked first. Trying to catch some sleep Webster awoke several times, first time by the Germans singing, next time by some commotion coming from third platoon. Curious he stood up to see what it could be, Moore, who he was sharing his foxhole with told him Smith stabbed Talbert when he thought he was a German. Luckily Liebgott was nearby and stopped Smith from killing the man. He also gave first aid until Spina made it.

Talbert was going to be ok and was already being shipped out of here.

At first light the German started to attack, throwing anything they had in their direction. Both Platoon leaders and the NCO's moved back and forth urging them to keep firing at anything that moved. When German tanks began firing on their left flank they realised they were as good as on their own. Most courageous thing Webster saw someone do was when Welsh and McGrath moved to the middle of the open field and started firing on the tanks until they hit one. Luckily both of them hit a homerun and made it back alive.

All of sudden large explosions blew the German line wide open and Webster could see Sherman tanks making their way over. The Germans soon made themselves scarce and the battle was over.

They had some time to rest and eat something before they moved to the next French town.

June 14th 1944

Easy company moved in to yet another French town, filled with Germans, over a makeshift bridge, the engineers build that night, to try and take it.

There weren't as many Germans as in Carentan but they certainly stood their ground as they fired one shell after another.

Webster was making his way down theedge of that town when a shell exploded behind him. (1) It knocked his helmet of as he landed hard and face first on the ground. When he tried to get up, he noticed his arm was bleeding a little. He didn't think it was too bad and moved back forward. After awhile his arm began to sting a little bit and his jacket was drenched in blood. Seeing as the city was almost theirs he decided to get it fixed up, thinking it would take only a couple of minutes before he could join the rest of easy company again.

Walking in the aid-station, Roe and Spina already set up, he was yanked further inside and placed on a bed. When he started to protest Roe told him to sit still as he cut his jacket open. Then and only then did Webster see how bad it really was. There was a huge piece of shell sticking out of his arm and he frowned. Seeing the look on his face Roe asked "What?"

Looking at his wound as Roe tried to pry the fragment out, he muttered "It doesn't hurt that much like I thought it would."

After disposing the piece Roe sprinkled on some sulpha to stop the bleeding. Webster declined the morphine and Roe muttered "Nerves were probably severed, less pain that way" and bandaged his wound. Then he took a piece of paper scribbling something down.

"I'm transferring you out Private."

Webster looked shocked "What? No, look doc it can't be that bad. I can still move, come on." Roe merely shook his head and started to walk away, Webster put a hand on his shoulder "Please Gene, I swear it doesn't hurt much."

Roe stopped and turned around looking in Webster's eyes, "If you don't get it taken care of you could lose your arm Web. I'm sorry" and walked back off leaving Webster sitting by himself. A small sniff made Webster look up and see Liebgott standing there clearly having heard every word.

Webster tried to smile but couldn't, closing his eyes he hung his head. He felt glad when Liebgott didn't leave instead put a hand on the back of his neck rubbing it slightly.

The next day Webster was transferred to the same field hospital which held Lipton before they were both transferred back to Aldbourne, England. There Webster found himself at a general hospital for revalidation and after that found himself in the warm and welcoming home of the Smith family awaiting news from his comrades.

Liebgott in the mean time spent fifteen more days on the line, before they were pulled back to a field camp north of Utah beach. There they enjoyed some well deserved rest, hot food and showers before being transferred back to England themselves.

By the time easy company was pulled of the line on June 29th, they had lost 65 men.

During their stay in France, easy company was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for what the regiment did in Normandy.

(1) This more or less happened the way I described it. Webster was wounded that day so I did not make this up. I don't really know how serious it was, I probably made it more dramatic then it was. I blame my overactive imagination for that ;) He was transferred out though.

To be Continued in Chapter 7: Replacements