I blinked again, having me realize that this was no dream: being in a plane strapped to the front of Lynn "Buck" Compton and about to jump out into the darkness of Normandy. As soon as we were told we were going to jump, I was rushed over to Colonel Sink's office, having me hear the news that they had no other alternative but to have me jump with the men in order to stay with the Company. I had no other way of getting there without being seen by the enemy and being killed. There was not a way to get there by car since it was all about flight and dropping in.
After being told the news, I was then introduced to Buck, who was going to carry me since he was the biggest in our company and a new recruit to the Company when we were in England. I never got to meet him earlier since I was training with the nurses and trying to keep my head above the water. He was kind, a big stature with an intense look on him. He was also friendly, having me think of him as the extended relative who wouldn't mind cracking jokes with you and making the situation lighter. He smiled widely at me, showing me a small movie star of smile that he must have used when he was younger. What a charmer.
Before we even left the base to go on the planes, I watched as the rest of Easy Company were getting ready with their packs and equipment. It made me even worse for me, since I had no idea where I was going to be heading and if I was going to see them again for awhile. We had a meeting point, but other than that it was up to us to find each other. That had me petrified since I wanted to make sure everyone in my Company was okay. Who knew what was going to happen to Eugene, if he was going to make the jump okay and if we were going to find one another. And Joe? Of all people that would flood my mind, his face and his smile was making my heart ache. After we kissed, it made me see him in a new and bright angle. Was it right to kiss him before we would even jump, with the thought of one of us not making it and being killed? It was all chaotic to me, way too chaotic. He even looked grave about it, packing his own things and seeing the look on his face said it all to me. I had no time to say goodbye to him as I was ushered away from the group over to Buck.
"You alright there, Princess?" Buck said to me over the roar of the plane as we flew into the darkness. I nodded my head, holding onto the straps on my body for dear life as I felt the plane rattle. Bombs were going off left and right around us, having me hear it and try to concentrate on what was good in my mind. This was going to happen, I knew that for sure. but to really live through it, diving into the enemy territory and hope that I make the jump that right there was beyond normal. I was wearing my combat gear with a bandana over my hair that was tucked under my helmet. I could feel the pendant against my skin as we moved in the plane, me standing there against an older and bigger man and was waiting for us to jump.
"Take a deep breath." I whispered to myself, closing my eyes and having me think about my family once more. Would they be proud of me now? I was about to jump to maybe my death and they were still alive and safe. So, this is what I signed up for in the end. I was signing up to death after all. After having a blink of light stream into my life from Joe, it would be flickering out in the end.
"Get ready!" We heard ahead of us, having me being moved and walked over by the bigger more built Buck as we were now at the edge of the plane. I looked out at the scene below me: the howling of the wind as we sped through the darkness in the sky, the lights flickering as the bombs were going off, and the howling of the other planes and bombs falling to their targets. This was real.
This was the reality.
"Hold on, La Noux!" Buck howled at me, having me clutch onto the straps in front of me and wait for us to be told to go out into the open air. I could feel my breath leave me as he jumped, my body falling with him as I said one last prayer before closing my eyes.
Please God, Protect them.
I opened my eyes, finding myself on the grass of an open field. I was still behind Buck, who was unfastening all of the belts and straps keeping us to the parachute. Within a moment, I undid my own straps, real easing myself from him for the firs time since we went on the plane back at base. Bombs were still going off around us as I stood up again, noticing that my legs were still wobbly and aching from the plane ride. I made it, I survived the jumped.
"Come on, we have to go find the others." Buck reminded me as he got up as well, having me run over to him and we both started to run. That was the next task, find the rest of our Company alive and try not to get hurt or killed by any Germans.
"We need to find Sainte-Mere-Eglise." I reminded him as we ran through the field where we were at. It didn't seem like the place that we were supposed to be was anywhere near us, a bit farther away. All I could see now were farm houses and open field, some cows running around because of the mass chaos and guns going off. I had no rifle with me, only a pistol and my medic pack over my shoulder and bouncing against my hip as I ran right behind Buck. He had the rifle in front of him, ready to fight with everything he had.
"Let's hide out here." Buck said to me in a huff as we ran over to a abandoned barn. There were no lights in here, and I saw nothing moving around the big structure as we ran into the building, hiding in the darkness. We were against the barn door as Buck pulled out his flashlight, placing it in my hands as he then got out his map from his pocket. We were both out of breath from the jump, covered in grease on our faces and our hands were still shaking.
"This is where we need to be." Buck explained to me as he pointed with his finger on the map, "I'm guessing this is where the others are going to be heading before we all head out for Sainte-Mere-Eglise. I saw a road sign out by the barn and the same name is here." I looked to where he was pointing to now on the map.
"We have about 6 miles ahead of us." I said aloud in almost a shocked tone, having me hear him take in a breath and fold the map backup, looking rather mad about us having to bust our butts over there. I got up from the courted position I was in, looking out from the barn door and into the open plain that we landed in. There were guns still going off in the distance, and maybe a fire or two started a bit away as Buck grabbed my arm gently.
"We have to head North, so down his road a bit." He pointed to the road that had the same sign that he found. I nodded my head to show that I understood, the both of us looking back and forth to make sure that we were going to be okay wherever we were going.
"Stay behind me, don't leave my side, okay?" He asked me in an authoritative tone.
"You got it." I answered, the both of us then going out into a bolt towards the road and heading in the direction that Buck pointed us to go. We had to make it there in four miles, and make it there alive. Joe was back in my mind again, having me wonder if he made the jump and was okay, from not being hurt from the Germans. He had to be okay, he knew what he was doing, right? I was still surprised that I made it this far, but I wasn't trained very well in hand to hand combat like the others were. It was like I told Joe: I was just a nurse.
And so the jogging began.
After going for at least 40 minutes of jogging along the roadside in the dead of night, I was getting a bit tired, though I knew that was not allowed at this point. We both stopped and took a breath, having me try to breathe in and out without killing my lungs. My feet were about to fall off and melt into the floor, but I had to put that aside as Buck looked left and right around us.
"I figured we have about another mile to go, so we can walk it from here." Buck explained to me, having me see him look back and forth around us. But before I could even react to him, I heard gunshots that were closely nearby, having the both of us freeze and go against one of the bushes that were against the road. We melted into the bushes, looking back and forth in a frantic to see where the gunshot was coming from. I felt as though I wanted to panic, beyond panic. But Buck remained cool and collective, rifle out and ready for anything that was to happen. I had no weapon, since my pistol would be nothing against a German rifle.
"Where was that coming from, Buck?" I asked him in a low tone, having me hear nothing at first but more gunshots in the distance. After a moment or two I then felt two arms around my neck, pulling me harshly and almost making me gag. I screamed out, knowing that it was not Buck who did that to me. He whirled around and saw what was happening with big eyes, moving away from me and standing in the middle of the road and watching as I was being held against my will against a body of some kind.
"Senken Sie Ihre Waffen! Übergeben Sie jetzt!" The soldier yelled against my ear as he was choking me from my spot. I could feel the air leaving me and my head about to go dizzy, and this must of ben the way I was going to die. Buck, within seconds, threw up his rifle and shot once, hitting the German solider in the throat and killing him within seconds. I felt the blood splatter my face as I gasped, the arms around my neck leaving me and his body hitting the bushes in a thud. After a moment of being in my position, I slowly looking behind me as the shot Buck gave out still rang in the air. The body of the soldier was in a heap on the ground, dead and cold. I escaped my first death, having me look back at Buck who lowered his rifle, walking over to me and gently taking my shaky hand in his own.
"Come on, Red. I got you." He ushered me off the ground and the both of us stood on the road, looking at the dead solider and having me breathe out once more and realize that this was the real war. I looked back at Buck, seeing him nod his head at me once before I could even place words in my own mouth to him.
"Thanks." I replied in my shaky breath.
"Don't mention it, Red. We're in this together remember?" He asked me cocking his rifle once more before giving me that intense look of war on his face, "Come on, we need to get out of here and find the rest of the men." I nodded in agreement, wanting to get away from the dead body as fast as I could. I had to get used to it, seeing dead bodies all around me and knowing that there will be some that I wouldn't be able to save. We both started to walk down the road, no running this time. It felt better that we were walking together and not having to always worry too much. We were close enough, to me at least.
I had to find my boys.
Once we reached our target destination, most of the fighting was done over with and done. I could still hear gunfire and see people trying to find each other and the other Companies in the area. Buck and I were doing the same, looking for any of the Easy Company men that were around. There had to be, but from what I was seeing as we walked into the square, I didn't see any of our men, not yet.
"Buck..." I said in a warning tone, but Buck nodded his head as we walked in side by side, another grave look on his own face.
"I know, Marley. But we'll find them." He reassured me as we scanned the area. Soldiers were running around, it was mass chaos trying to find people. But my eyes mostly saw blood, a lot of it on the men and they didn't look too good. My nursing side came out of me within that moment, having me clutch the sack that I was carrying and looking over at Buck.
"Buck, I have to help these men." I explained to him as he looked over at me with a stern look on his face.
"We can't separate each other, Marley." He warned, but I shook my head.
"I have to help them, Buck. These are army men and it's my side to help them get better. Just look around here in the square and find our boys and let me know if you find. I won't leave the area without you, I promise." I explained, seeing him stare at me for a good long moment or two before I heard the fateful cry for help.
"Medic! Any medics here?!" Someone yelled in the distance in pain. I moved away from Buck within that moment, rushing over to the sound of the cry of help and I saw men piling together in the corner of some building, already bandaged up and trying to get better. But there were others there that were still in need of help. I went for the first one that I could fine, going to my knees in front of him and started to get to work on his face and arms, getting my equipment out and ready for action. I threw off my helmet, having me feel the cool air against my neck and my bandana sticking to my forehead and hair as I went to work.
As I worked on the men, one after another, I felt as though I was back in New Orleans with a patient coming through the doors of my old hospital in need of immediate help. I did the best that I could do, going over every step with the blood and the bandages as if it was my second nature. It was all fluid motion for me, as if I was breathing air: so simple and so easy. I worked on at least 5 men, going to one after another and seeing them already look a bit better from their spots on the floor. But my mind, every once in awhile as I touched the soldier's battered and opened skin, would be on Easy Company and in wondering where they were.
After a good 10 minutes of working on men with another medic from another company, I got up from being on the floor and looked down on the hands: blood and tainted in grease from their faces and grass from the floor. It was the blood that got to me, soldier's blood. It wasn't my own, that I was used to every once in awhile, so it made my heart twist and turn in a bad way.
"Red! Where are you Red!" I heard Buck behind me, having me walk over to where he was with my helmet in hand. As I approached him, he had a big grin on his face as he was not alone: but with Easy Company. I saw Malarky, Toye, and Guarnene. I didn't see Joe, which meant he was in another location and that broke my heart. But I saw those three men and that brought me enough reassurance that if they made it, then Joe and Eugene would.
"Hey Red!" Toye said in a grin, walking over to me and giving me a huge hug, I hugged him back, having a breath of relief com over me as he pulled away from me and looked at me. Malarky hugged me as well, with Guarnene nodding to me with a small grin on his face. But it was when Malarky looked at my face and the color of his own face dropped and melted away.
"Jesus, Red. What happened to you." He asked, reaching out to touch my face and having me be confused for a moment. When he touched my face and his fingers pulled back, I saw the blood there and I realized what he was scared of, that I got hurt.
"A German soldier tried to kill me, Buck saved me from him." I reassured him, having me see him look over at Buck who just looked just an intense as before, not showing a grin or anything. It must have been too much as I then heard someone running over from behind them. We all looked, having me have a huge smile on my face as it was Eugene Roe coming over.
He must have heard my voice since his own face looked like it was on the brink of panic as he saw me. Within a moment, he pushed his way through the three men and pulled me in his arms, holding me in a vice grip as I hugged him back, almost wanting to cry from seeing him. He was safe, beyond safe since I could tell he must have been helping with wounded men. Once we pulled away from each other, he saw my face and framed it in his hands, looking like he was about to tear up from seeing the blood on my face.
"You okay? What happened?" He asked in a frantic state, having me see him going to medic mode over me. But I shook my head and I smiled weakly at him to show that I was okay.
"It's okay, it's okay, Doc. It's not my blood, I promise." I said to him in a rush, feeling him smile and pull me into another hug. we hugged for awhile, having me take a deep breath of relief and peace as he was here with me and he was fine. I looked past his shoulder as he was still hugging me, having me see Winters walk over to the both of us and looking rather relieved that we were there safe and sound. Doc pulled away, smiling at me once more as we both looked at Winters for the next command.
"Good thing you're here, La Noux. We're moving out for Sainte-Mere-Eglise."
And so, the War begins.
