A Soldier of No Importance [ Band of Brothers ] 1

TWENTY SEVEN

This was it. Alice stood in the large hanger at Fort Benning, heart racing and body trembling. Her gear weighed heavy on her body. For the fifth and final time that week, she found herself actually thankful for the rigorous training Sobel had put them through during their Toccoa months. But before each jump from the C-47, she really did think about what she owed the Captain.

Tower Week had come and gone quickly. All time spent in training had been stuffed full of information. She found herself spending any free hours going over procedures in her head. As Tower Week came to a close, they set their sights on the final stage: Jump Week.

The first jump from the airplane had been simply sensational. By far the worst part had been standing in the plane, hooked up, waiting. It had just been so much waiting. The boys had enjoyed teasing her and each other about the quite intimate pat down required for equipment check. But when the time came in the plane, all thoughts of the fact that Bill Guarnere of all people had the job of checking her stuff did absolutely nothing to make her embarrassed. In fact, she just trusted him to make sure she didn't die, and that brought a great deal of comfort.

When the Sergeant Airborne had ordered them ready to jump, she'd all but blacked out. She didn't remember much after that first jump other than the screaming winds around her, and the sudden weightlessness as she left the body of the C-47. 

Then she'd done it three more times. By the end of the fourth jump, she'd done more smiling than sweating. Alice had spoken much to the other men the whole day. Her thoughts occupied her too much. Guarnere picked up on it at least once and made sure to point it out. And now, at 2200 hours, she would make her fifth and final jump. The Night Jump would make or break the chances at being a certified paratrooper.

Alice shuffled where she stood in the hanger. Joe Toye stood in front of her, Bill Guarnere behind. She twirled a bit of hair that had fallen out of her helmet. Chewing at her lip, Alice waited for them to get the all clear to board the airplane. 

"One more to go, sweetheart. This is it."

She turned where she stood to look at Bill. With a quick nod, she smiled at him. Her body still shook, despite having done four jumps already.

Guarnere reached up and adjusted her helmet. It had fallen a bit over her face. "Right. You might wann'a be able to see."

Alice flashed him a tight smile. She tapped him on the helmet. "Don't die out there." 

He grinned right back. "We ain't at war yet."

A commotion made them both turn. The Sergeants Airborne stood at the plane and gave them the all clear to board. Slowly but surely, the men of her group moved forward. Each step made her tremble. The thought of flying through the air again kept her smiling.

Her feet hit the ladder up. Bill kept her steady for a moment from behind as she moved up into the plane. Joe Toye hoisted her in the last bit. She moved to her seat.

It only took a few minutes before the engine roared to life for the fifth time that day. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins. As their C-47 rolled out of the hanger, she glanced out the window nearest her. Darkness fell all around them. The plane shook, rattling. Belts with metal clasps dangled around and hit the plane sides. 

Alice started counting back from one hundred. She focused her mind on only that. Her thoughts cleared.

"Hook up!"

Alice snapped to attention. She held up the small hook that would hold her to the plane. At the command, she stood and moved into the center of the plane. The light at the door glowed red. Her breathing shallowed. Her body trembled.