A Fight for Survival

Camp Tocca

When David and Andrew boarded the bus from the train station. There was a blend of excitement, fear, and uncertainty that hangs in the air. David was still trying grapple with the thought of their impending arrival at Camp Toccoa. He could hear young men talking revealing  their backgrounds, motivations for enlisting, and hopes for the future. As they began to drive away from the train station. There were small towns, farmlands, glimpses of soldiers training in the distance - serves as a visual reminder of the world they are leaving behind and the challenges that lie ahead.

David had to admit, he was a bit worried for the girls; but knew they would be fine. They find a bench near the middle of the bus. They begin to talk about home and the war. Another man sits down next to them. David is able to get a few of his features; red hair and blue eyes, suddenly turns to them trying not to look so lonely, "So, you fellas ready to be paratroopers? Heard they jump out of perfectly good airplanes." he asks, the two Colorado boys. 

David smiles and states, "Just hope they got decent food at this Camp Toccoa. Ma's cooking is gonna be hard to beat." Andrew just states, "You ever been this far from home before?" They smile with a chuckle and the red hair guy sticks his hand out and greets the two men, "Well my name is Richard Winters, though most people call me 'Dick'" Andrew smirks and cracks, "Well people can be mean." David nudges and smiles and shakes Dicks hand, "Well my name is David Dietz friends call me LB, and this knucklehead is..." he in rudely interrupted my Andrew who sticks his hand out, "The names Andrew but most people call me Drew, its faster." Dick shakes his hand and settles back down. 

"So where you fellas from." Dick asks a deep Pennsylvanian accent. David responds, "Well we are from a small town in Colorado." Dick turns intrigued, "Wow, I've always wanted to go to Colorado. Do you ski, or hike a lot?" David smiles and shakes his head, "No, but were at one of our friends farm a lot." Dick, "Yeah." Andrew butts in, "Yeah we are, throwin' hay bales and ridin' horses." David chuckles and pushes the back of Andrew head causes him to retaliate. "Yeah, ya know Dick you remind me a little bit of one of our friends; the one that owns the farm." David pulls out a photo. 

"Wow she's a beautiful dame. Where is she now." David and Andrew look at each other, almost as if having silent conversation. David leans over and says, "Well, uh, you have to keep this on the down low." Dick looks at his new friends and nods, "She and another one of our friends are in a secret government program for the Army. A women's camp, called the Hunters. I don't know where the camp is. But I do know that her grandfather is running the show." Dick leans back and nods taking in the information. David just hoped that know else heard. Suddenly the bus stops and a tall, gangly man stomps onto the bus and yells, "Alright you have nine seconds to get off my bus or your running Currahee." The three rush to grab there bags and off the bus. They are met by an older gentleman, "Alright men. You don't know me, but I know you. My name is Colonel Sink, you will call me Colonel or sit. Am I clear." He turns to the man that yelled at them, "Lieutenant Sobel this is your Easy Company. You may proceed." Lieutenant Sobel nods and turns towards the now Easy Company. David could almost swear that he saw a glimpse of anger in the mans eyes. 

As the days turned into weeks, the men of Easy Company began to think that Sobel was making boot camp hell on earth. The only glimpse of hope running through them was talking about their previous life. Dick, Luz, Perco, Bull, Liebgott Boy were they wrong one morning they got into formation. Andrew got into formation next to Leibgott. That when they heard him, "You people are at the position of attention." He stops in front of 'Perco' a nickname given to the poor Italian soldier, "Private Perconte, have you been blousing your trousers over your boots like a paratrooper?" Perco answers the angry Lieutenant, "No sir." Sobel glances down, "Then explain the creases at the bottom." Perco responds, "No excuse sir." Sobel stays in his face, "Volunteering for the Parachute Infantry is one thing, Perconte, but you've got a long way to prove that you belong here. Your weekend pass is revoked." Perco sighs. 

Sobel reaches Luz, "Name." Luz opens the cartridge of his weapon and hands Sobel his gun, "Luz, George." Sobel sticks his finger in the barrel, "Dirt in the rear sight aperture. Pass revoked." 

Sobel once again walks around and then stops at Lip, "When did you sew on these chevrons, Sergeant Lipton?" The sergeant responds, "Yesterday sir." Sobel grabs a loose sewing string from his patch, "Long enough to notice this. Revoked." 

Sobel continues to go around, Malarky, Leibgott and then stops to be honest Andrew blanked out until Sobel was infront of him, "DeYoung falling asleep are we. I will not take you to war in your condition. Now, thanks to these men and their infractions, every man in the Company who had a weekend pass has lost it. Change into your PT gear, we're running Currahee." Andrew resist the urge to roll his eyes. Lieutenant Winters turns to face them and orders them to fallout, " 2nd platoon, fall out. You have two minutes." 

Back in the barrack the men of Easy take there uniform off. Andrew looks at Perco, "Come on Perco, lets go." Said man shakes his head, "I ain't going up that hill." Martin turn and yells at Perco, "Hey, Perconte, what are you thinking of, blousing your pants?" Perco becomes agitated and points at his trousers, "Shut up, John, alright, he gigged everybody." Martin looks at him. "Well, you should know better. Don't give him no excuses." Perco, "Excuses? Why don't you come here, look at these trousers and get down, and you tell me if there's a crease on them." 

As Easy steps out and begins there way to Currahee. a few soldiers stop and tease them, "Ah, Easy Company. Hey, while you're running, don't worry, we'll take your dames to the movies for you." Liebgott, who's standing next to Andrew in the front whispers, "Yeah, good, they need some female company." Easy begins to run towards the soldiers and nock their caps off. 

While Easy Company was running up Currahee Sobel yelled at them. "Where do we run?" The soldiers yell in sync, "Currahee." Sobel asks, "What does Currahee mean?" Around of responses, "We stand alone." David just concentrates on running next to Bull and Luz as Sobel continues his questions, "How far up, how far down?" "Three miles up, three miles down." David hears Andrew remark under his breath, "Wow, image that the same on the way up as it is down," Men who heard him chuckle silently. "Now, what company is this?" Sobel yells as he passes the company from the back, "Easy Company." "And what do we do?" The company continues to yell, "Stand alone." Guarnere's leg cramps up and begins to fall as his fellow brothers help him up and continue to run. Sobel runs past yelling at them to not help, "Do not help that man. Do not help that man. Do not stop. You've got thirteen minutes to get to the top of this mountain if you want to serve in the Paratroopers. Hi yo silver." How the hell is he not tired David asks himself. A the top of Currahee Andrew looks up to see Sobel with a stop watch counting their time. Lieutenant Winters makes it up first encouraging his men, "Come on, you can make it up here, come on. Come on, come on, Alley, let's go. Come on, Guarnere. Christenson, come on. You got it, let's go." Sobel taunts Wynn, "Never thought I'd see the day, Private Wynn. We are coming on 23 minutes. That may be good enough for the rest of the 506, but that is not good enough for Easy Company." 

On a night march David, Bull, and Luz are in the front watching as interrupts the silence up front, "I'm gonna say something." David whispers, "Finally." Luz looks at him and asks, "To who?" Bull answers while also calling out for his superior, "Lieutenant Winters?" Dick responds, 'What is it?" Bull, "Permission to speak sir." Dick gives a small smirk. "Permission granted." "Sir, we got nine companies, sir." Dick assures him, "We do." Bull asks what was one everyone's mind, well at least David's', "Well, how come we're the only company marching every Friday night, 12 miles, full pack in the pitch dark?" Dicks asks, "Why do you think Private Randleman?" Bull responds truthfully, "Lieutenant Sobel hates us, sir." Dick smirks again and turns to them, "Lieutenant Sobel does not hate Easy Company, Private Randleman. He just hates you." The rest of the company responds with a round of soft laughs, "Thank you sir." Muck laughs louder as David nudges him, "He hates you too, Muck." Luz responds, "My thoughts exactly LB."