Maybe One Day

Chapter Twenty-Two: Taking Foy

January 13th at 0900. 

After months and months of clearing the forest and getting hit with artillery barrages, we'd finally be assaulting Foy. I was happy that we were finally going to be making some kind of progress, but I knew that we'd have a lot more casualties. Dike. 

"I don't know what we're going to do, Lip. Dike is an empty uniform and I'm worried for the lives of our men. We've already lost so many." I rubbed my eyes and took a sip of coffee. 

"I'm reporting to Winters later... I'll raise my concerns and see if anything can be done." 

"I've already said my piece about Dike... I wish I was out there fighting with you guys."

"You used to be regular infantry, right?" he asked, sitting down next to me.

"Yeah, I did. Part of a special company that helped the allies in the Battle of France. You remember the stories I told everyone at Toccoa?" I chuckled. "Everyone gathered around me like children. They were so eager to hear anything I had to say..." 

"You're different to any other girl they had met before. We had all heard rumors and stories about you but never expected you to waltz into our barracks." 

"I was supposed to be headed home on leave when the date got moved up, you know? I hadn't seen my mama in about two years at that point. It was four years by the time we got to Brooklyn. I miss my mama sorely, and my two younger brothers. Where are you from, Lip?" 

"Huntington, West Virginia." he replied. "It's been a long time since I've been home as well. My parents were in a car accident when I was ten. My dad died and my mom was paralyzed, so that left me as the man of the house I guess. What about your parents? You talk about your mama a lot."

"My parents came here from Germany just after the first World War. Isaac and I were just little babies. My mother was German Jew, my father was German and raised Catholic. Growing up Isaac was pretty skinny and I was technically the oldest, so I took on a lot of responsibilities. It wasn't so bad growing up, but my dad wasn't the nicest fellow around after a while. I was on leave after basic training when he decided he was going to leave my mother because of Volksdeutsche. He's actually fighting for Germany." 

"Shit, really? I never knew that." 

"I don't really talk about him much. I resent him for leaving my mama high and dry, all sick and frail like she is. I'm really worried about her. I haven't gotten a letter in a long time so I hope everything is okay." I took a look at the watch Luz had been able to rustle up for me. "Get some rest, alright? I want you bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow." 

---

I stood at the treeline with Spina and Geney, watching anxiously as the men started crossing the field that offered little to no protection. When they reached a certain point we were all off and running. About halfway there was when the 88s and tank shells started falling and the machine gun fire ripped through the air. I skid to a halt beside Liebgott and crouched down to the ground. Coughing up a storm, I quickly fiddled with my canteen before turning my attention back to the matter at hand. 

"EASY COMPANY! HOLD UP!"

Dike's shout tore through the din of battle and I froze in my spot. 2nd platoon was still out in the open. I looked at where Dike was huddled by a hut and back at 2nd platoon. 

"Jesus Christ Lt. you're gonna get them killed!" I said. "2nd platoon, find some cover! Find some cover!" I shouted. 

Lipton heard my shout over everything and repeated it to the men who were more than happy to oblige. I looked all around me as the Germans were starting to zero in on our position. Men were getting thrown through the air like they were weightless. They were wounded and dying and there was nothing that I could do.