Band of Brothers

We had lost some very good men there.

Toye and Guarnere had lost their legs there.

Gordon was badly hit. A number of other people were killed.

It was a difficult situation there.

I don't know the exact amount of men that got killed in that.

But six, seven of them were real close friends of mine.

Skip Muck died and Eugene Roe came to me...

...about 10 minutes after he was killed.

He wanted to see if I wanted to go look at him.

I said, "No. I wouldn't be able to stand that." So I didn't go.

After Bastogne, we went to Haguenau.

We wanted to see what was across the river, what strength they had.

You feel you'll live through the war.

You have a feeling it's starting to ease off.

You can't account for it...

...it's a gut feeling, but everybody had that feeling.

I believe I might be able to live through it.

So walk carefully. Take care of yourself.

What the 101st Airborne did in the Battle of the Bulge made it famous.

Papers called them "The Battered Bastards of Bastogne."

They were now pulling into the comparative paradise of Haguenau...

...the sounds of the war coming from across the river.

I had missed Bastogne.

I knew what I heard around the replacement depot.

That the war would soon be over.

Thanks for the lift.

When I was able to rejoin Easy Company...

...they didn't look like heroes who just helped win the war.

- George Luz! - Yeah?

It's me. Come on, I haven't been gone that long.

Jesus. Yes, you have.

Now, look what I've found.

Hey, guys. Sgt. Martin, Sgt. Ran...

What do you want, private?

Sorry, sir. I'm David Webster, I'm back from the hospital.

Good for you.

- Where's the rest of the guys? - This is everybody.

Come on, Sgt. Martin, this can't be everybody.

What about Hoobler, where's he?

You know, Lt. Foley, 2nd Platoon lost more guys than we did.

They're really short-handed.

Report to 2nd. They'll find you a place.

Next truck up, Webster, you'll find 2nd. Move.

Hey, guys.

Some lieutenant told me to report to 2nd.

- Your name's Jackson, right? - That's right.

Who's leading the platoon?

- Sgt. Malarkey. - No officers?

- I guess you didn't hear. - No, what?

They're making him lieutenant. He's on the fast track.

- Really? That's great. - Isn't it?

Jackson, help me up, will you?

- So you come from the hospital? - Yeah.

Must have liked that hospital, because we left Holland four months ago.

I wasn't only there. There was rehab, the replacement depot.

I'm sure you tried to bust out and help us in Bastogne.

- How would I have done that? - Popeye found a way.

So did Alley, back in Holland. And Guarnere...

Where is Guarnere? He still platoon sergeant?

- No. - Let's go.

- He got hit. - Yeah?

Yeah, Bill got hit. Blew his whole leg off.

1st Platoon, moving out!

Hold along this line till I figure out where we're going.

Sarge? Sarge...

What's the matter, Webster? Nervous in the service?

No, no, I'm fine, sarge.

Go make sure Capt. Speirs wants you with us.

Capt. Speirs? What happened to Capt. Winters?

He's running the whole battalion now. Go.

Easy Company had a new C. O. to go with the other new faces.

The guys I knew were gone or different than I remembered.

I went through D-Day and Market Garden, but because I had missed Bastogne...

...I was treated as a replacement and felt like I was starting all over.

- Look who it is. Nice digs, huh, Lip? - Yeah.

- Sgt. Lipton? - Look what I found.

- Feeling all right? - He's got pneumonia.

I'm sorry.

Why? He's alive, he's got a couch, a goddamn blanket. He's snug as a bug.

Sgt. Malarkey said to check if I should be in 2nd Platoon.

Have a seat, Webster. We'll get you situated.

How long have you been sick?

Long enough.

- He wants us to cross the river. - Yeah, I bet that water's cold.

Should be able to get you some boats.

Had to be a full moon. So much for the cover of darkness.

It's gonna leave the patrol exposed.

- Is this the company CP for Easy? - Yes, sir.

As you were. Lt. Jones looking for Capt. Speirs.

He's on his way, sir. Why don't you sit down?

Can you get me coffee? Want coffee?

- No, thank you. - All right.

What platoon are you in?

We're about to find that out.

- You got any soap? I need a shave. - I'll send some down.

- Know what you'll do? - I'll let Speirs handle it.

Capt. Speirs, sir. This is Lt. Jones.

Will you go back and sack out? There's beds with fresh sheets.

I will, sir. Just trying to make myself useful, sir.

Listen up.

Regiment wants patrol for prisoners.

This one comes from Col. Sink, so it's not my idea.

The river is the line of resistance. We have to cross it.

What do we do?

There's a three-story building on the enemy side.

It's occupied. You can have 15 men. Think hard about who you want to lead.

You'll need a scout, a translator. The battalion's on covering fire.

- When? - Tonight. 0100.

- Yes, sir. - Speirs?

I want this to be safe.

Don't take any chances on this one. We're too far along for that.

Speirs? I wanna discuss who might go.

- Who are you? - Lt. Jones, sir.

Right, our West Pointer.

- Yes, sir. - When did you graduate?

June 6, sir.

June 6? Of last year?

D-Day, yes, sir.

All right, don't get hurt.

Sir, I'd like to volunteer for the patrol.

- Speirs, talk to you in an hour. - Yeah.

Lt. Jones.

We're short on officers. You think a non-com could lead this?

I can think of a few possibilities.

Martin? Malarkey? Grant?

- Most of the NCOs could use a rest. - Captain. Request permission to go.

There's your answer.

No. You don't have any experience.

- Report to 2nd Platoon. - Yes, sir.

Tell... .

Tell Heffron, Ramirez and McClung they're going.

Yes, sir.

Sir, this is Pvt. Webster.

Sir, I'm Pvt. Webster from 1st Platoon.

I just got back from the hospital.

Lt. Foley said go to 2nd, but Sgt. Malarkey...

- Fine, 2nd. Take... . - Lt. Jones.

Lieutenant. OP 2.

Come on.

- Are other officers in the platoon? - No, sir, just Sgt. Malarkey.

He's getting a battlefield commission. Maybe he'll be assisting you.

Who's that? Webster?

Yeah. How you doing, Sgt. Kiehn?

- Hi, Webster. - Hi, sarge.

- Look what we scrounged. We got spuds. - Is OP 2 this way?

Shit! Move! Go!

Shit, they spotted us!

- Is that it? - I think so.

Go! Go! Go!

Come on! Get over here, get over here!

All clear! All clear!

Okay, okay.

Ready?

- Wait. It was Heffron, McClung and... - Ramirez. Come on.

- Hey, guys, this taken? - Go ahead.

Sergeant, this is Lt. Jones, just assigned to 2nd Platoon.

Platoon Sgt. Malarkey.

Congratulations on the battlefield commission.

- The what? - They're making you an officer, no?

Me? No. You must be thinking of 1st Sgt. Lipton.

My mistake. So you're without a platoon leader?

Not any more, lieutenant.

Right.

So you wanna introduce me to the men?

Well, some are sleeping downstairs. The rest are right here.

Sergeant, a patrol's being planned for tonight, 0100. Across the river.

Regiment wants POWs for interrogation.

What's the situation?

- Hey, Web. - What?

Come here. I wanna talk to you a second.

Why?

- You want some coffee? - No.

- Fifteen. - Fifteen what?

Looeys since D-Day.

- Any mortars? - 60s out back.

- He out of high school? - West Point.

West Point? Isn't that where lke went?

- Yeah. He graduated with his son. - Shit. So... .

What do you know about this patrol thing?

- Nothing. - You gotta know something.

- I don't. - Bullshit.

You were at the CP. This is a prisoner snatch, right?

Hey, Chuck, listen to this.

Come on, Webster. Spill it.

Capt. Speirs is to pick 15 men.

Lt. Jones wants to be one of them.

Let the kid go. He could use the experience.

Probably could find 14 replacements to help.

I take it this was an outpost when you arrived?

Doggies from the 79th Infantry. They left quickly.

- What's the report on enemy activity? - Expect flares, some mortars.

Scattered 88s, snipers.

Yeah, we dodged some mortars on our way in.

We also got some sort of railroad gun back there.

Shells the size of a deuce and a half. Sounds like a freight train.

- They didn't try to cross the river? - No.

They have roofs over their heads, like us.

I don't think anybody wants to do anything stupid now.

- I know you know. - Just give us the names.

Who?