Lucky Strike

Goddamn it, Evans! Be careful.

Sorry, Top. It's these damn roads.

It's fucking pea soup out there.

Didn't you, um, tell me

you was a professional truck driver in Chicago?

Detroit, First Sergeant, and yeah.

Well, then why don't you quit your yapping

and let's get these resupplies to Schoenberg

and we'd be done?

Yeah, Top.

Done would be real nice.

Everybody's saying we could be home by Christmas.

What the fuck are you talking about, Evans?

These bastards just broke through our front line

like an ax through butter,

and they planned in the worst weather

so we couldn't get air support.

They ain't stupid.

And it's dangerous thinking it's over.

It ain't goddamn over,

and I don't know if it'll ever be over.

Just keep driving, Evans.

We gotta be there by 0800.

God!

Fuck!

We gotta get outta here.

Let me check on it.

Stop, stop, stop!

Evans, it's not gonna work.

Fuck.

We're stuck, guys.

Lancaster, help me with this winch.

What's going on, First Sergeant.

On it, Top.

- What's that, Sarge? - Don't move.

Be careful.

Fire!

Go. Let's finish this.

What was the name of the Black American in Berlin?

Jesse Owens.

They all look the same.

But they don't all run the same.

We're 10 hours late. Let's go.

- Let's go. - I hate Lucky Strikes.

-Shut your mouth. Faster! -Yes, sir.

Let Schmidt lie there. We don't have time for him.

Yes, sir.

I said get in!

Mrs. Caldwell?

Yes.

Hi. My name's John Castle.

I'm a colonel in the United States Army.

I got your name and address from Galvin.

Yes, what can I do for you?

Well, I'm here to talk about your pension plan, ma'am.

Do you work with Galvin?

I-- I do.

But, ma'am, I promise this-- This won't take long.

99th Infantry.

99th Division. 324th Engineers.

Hmm.

Battle of the Bulge.

-That's correct. -Hmm.

Yeah, my son...

My son was there too, 761st.

It's quite a unit, I heard.

-They, uh... -Colonel Castle,

you said you worked for Galvin?

With them, not for them.

Well, my lawyer says that I'm not supposed to be talking

to anybody that works with Galvin.

Is that coffee that I smell, ma'am?

Yeah, I just...

I just put on some. Would you like some?

Like my life depends on it.

I can't believe Galvin Industries

has given away my whereabouts like that.

Well...

there was a lot of persuasion and a little sweet talk.

I assure you, it didn't come easy, ma'am.

They're a very serious corporation.

Very, very serious people over there.

Oh, I know that for sure.

They're very serious...

about not paying me my pension.

Thank you.

-That's why I'm here, ma'am. -Is that right?

Yes, ma'am.

Well, I have been threatening them for years.

Mm.

They know that I don't have the money to take them to court.

Are you some kind of army lawyer?

No, no.

But I know some of the folks over at Galvin,

and I do know that they hold you in high regard.

- Me? - MM-HMM.

Really?

Top of the line employee.

Yeah, that's what they said, top of the line employee,

their words right there on your file.

Not that I need anyone to tell me though.

I know.

-You know? -Hmm.

Firsthand.

You don't mind, do you?

Old habit.

Help yourself.

Cheers.

- Hey, you two. - K-rat's on the truck, let's go.

Miller, what the fuck are you doing here?

Hey, you heard him, move that shit out.

- All right, I'll-- - Hurry the fuck up.

Hey, Ram, I might need your help with this.

-Top. -Sir.

- How much time do we have? - Get this shit out.

Like 30 minutes, sir.

Anybody seen Miller?

- Cash. - Cash!

- Cash! - Sir.

- Get over here. - Anybody seen Miller?

-Yes, sir. -We're gonna get you treated.

You're going back with the colonel,

and then probably on a steamer home

with that million-dollar wound.

Congratulations.

To hell with that, sir. We're nowhere near done here.

Well, you are.

This is a horrible time to leave, sir.

-The company needs me. -Yeah.

Well, I guess we'll just have to win the war without you then.

-Probably faster, actually. -Yeah, Cash.

You're the unit egg ball anyway.

Remind me who you are again, green boy.

And you burn the Lucky Strike logo first.

Yeah, yeah, all right.

Sir.

Captain Castle,

everybody knows that you qualified for deferment.

You got a point to make?

I do.

I mean, here you are, Captain.

Mm... Right, truth, justice, and the American way.

Exactly, we're both here to do our part.

Right.

You lost three fingers, Cash,

so you're going to the hospital,

and the goddamn colonel's driver is gonna take you there.

Feel honored.

-Yes, sir. -Good morning, sir.

Let's get inside.

It's so cold, I think my nuts fell off two miles back.

Yeah, you're telling me.

Uh... What's Charlie Company's status?

We have full sections and individual engineers

mining and blowing up bridges where they can.

I also got some guys on the front line.

Other than that, we're pretty much ready to roll.

All right, well, we got Able and Baker

already out there with their M1s,

so I'm counting on Charlie Company.

Okay, guys, get the maps out.

Hey, Ram, grab our maps.

Moving, Top.

- Here you are, sir. - If there's one thing

the Krauts are good at, it's making noise.

Yeah.

All right, Aventi, turn Lassie off.

Yes, sir.

All right, no time for small talk.

This road here between Lanzerath and Elsenborn,

now that's about what, five miles from here would you say?

Seems right, sir.

I know it, sir. Yeah, it's a little under that maybe.

Okay, well, we need you to block that road this morning.

All right? German counteroffensive

has been going on for three days, and it is massive.

Hitler's probably jacking off

because he's running the same game plan in the Ardennes

that he ran four years ago, and it's working, again.

But we're not gonna let the Fuhrer

have the glory, all right?

We're gonna stop these bastards down

and make sure they get nowhere near our fuel depots.

There's one more thing.

It's the 1st SS Panzer-Division coming down that road.

Damn.

Used to be Hitler's bodyguards.

The worst of the worst.

You boys have never fought anything like them, all right?

No one in the 99th has, I can promise you that.

Right, now, these guys, they are not...

They're not soldiers, all right?

They're fucking murderers.

Just two days ago, some soldiers from the 285th surrendered,

threw down their weapons, put their arms up,

and the SS lined them up and mowed 'em down

right there on the spot just like that.

Jesus.

And that has been happening nonstop.

So when it comes to the SS, there are no rules.