SCENE. It’s December, 1944. Bastogne, Belgium. The men of the 101st Airborne Division are surrounded, defending the vital road junction, as seven German divisions close in.
Men of Company F, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment – just down the line from the famed “Easy Company”, not the same guys at all – are coming out of their foxholes after a German bombardment.
PRIVATE JEB RANKIN (a farm boy from Alabama): Hoooo-iiiie, that was something.
TECH SERGEANT FOURTH CLASS ANDREW “ANDY” PILSNER (the platoon radioman): I heard Lieutentant Ratchett in Third Platoon got blown up. (The others shake their heads in that “glad it wasn’t me” manner).
PRIVATE FIRST CLASS GUISEPPE “JOE” RANDAZZO (a former streetcar conductor from Southie in Boston): Rattled my fillings.
STAFF SERGEANT WILLIE BUXTON (a Montana rancher turned NCO, and the platoon sergeant): Everyone OK?
CORPORAL JAMES “JIMMY” STEVENS (a former rendering plant worker from Indiana): Crissake. Why do we do this.
RANDAZZO (Sardonic): To defend democracy.
RANKIN (earnest): To liberate Europe.
SECOND LIEUTENANT LLOYD MOUNTEBANKE (A Yale Business School graduate who is the platoon leader): That’s incorrect.
RANDAZZO: Sir?
MOUNTEBANKE: This is why we’re fighting:
RANKIN: We’re sittin’ here thousands of miles from home, so…people can kill babies, sir?
RANDAZZO: Ma’Donn (crosses self).
MOUNTEBANKE: You heard the woman. Carry on. (Exits into the woods as suddenly as he appeared)
STEVENS: (Sotto Voce) That doesn’t seem right…
BUXTON: OK, men, that’s enough jawing. You heard the Lieutenant. We’re fighting to kill babies. Now get some top cover on those foxholes.
And SCENE
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