We Happy Few | Band of Brothers

Chapter 14: The Great Adventure

On May 31st, 1944, Easy Company arrived in Upottery, England, where they would be stationed until they dropped into Europe. 

"2nd Platoon, listen up!" new arrival and assistant 2nd Platoon leader, Lynn 'Buck' Compton, instructed the men as they hopped out of the backs of the trucks that had transported them to the airfield. "I want the 1st squad and A-side tents right up there."

As the orders continued to fly, Margot and Annie helped the rest of the men unload the trucks and set up the tents. While Margot reached up to help Smokey unload their machine gun, Annie shot her a worried look. After just hearing the story about the NCO rebellion back in Aldbourne, she was concerned for her friend.

Noticing the glare, Margot shook her head in slight amusement. "Oh, Annie, it's not that big of a deal. I'm still here, aren't I?"

"That's not the point!" Annie threw her hands up into the air. "What if you had been sent home? You would leave me here all by myself?"

"Annie," Margot warned. "You're making a big deal out of nothing here. Why don't you go yell at Guarnere or Martin about it? They did the same thing I did."

"Neither Guarnere nor Martin are my best friend, now are they?"

Margot was just about to respond when Lieutenant Compton approached them. "Ladies," he greeted with a smile. "I just wanted to introduce myself personally. I, like many of the men around here, have heard a lot about you two."

Annie's demeanor switched from angry to sweet in a matter of seconds. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." She saluted. "But I promise, we're nothing special."

"Speak for yourself." Margot joked as she hoisted the heavy M1 Browning over her shoulder with a grunt. "I'm one hell of a markswoman if I do say so myself. Plus, I play a mean game of darts."

Buck let out a loud, booming laugh. "I'll have to see that for myself."

"Which one?" Margot cocked a brow. "The shooting or the darts?"

"Both."

●●● 

"St. Marie Du Mont," Lieutenant Meehan spoke loud enough for everyone to hear as he pointed to the maps behind himself and explained the plan for the eventual drop into Europe. "Causeway number one. Causeway number two. The ultimate field problem. The estuary of the Douve river divides two beachheads, code name Utah, here, and Omaha, here. Seaborn infantry will hit these beaches in force at a date and time to be specified. H-hour, D-day. Airborne's objective is to take the town of Carentan, thus linking Utah and Omaha into a single, continuous beachhead. Each trooper will learn this operation by heart and know his and every other outfit's mission to the detail."

Standing to his feet, Dukeman rose his hand. "Lieutenant Meehan?"

"Yes, Dukeman?"

"Sir, are we dropping tonight?" he asked the question that was burning in everyone's mind. 

"When it's time for you to know, we'll let you know," Meehan answered, which was code for 'I don't know either'. "In the meantime, study these sand tables, maps, and reconnaissance photos until you can draw a map of the area by memory. Now, we will drop behind this Atlantic wall five hours before the 4th infantry lands at Utah. And between our assembly area and the town's objective, there's a German Garrison, right here in this area, St. Marie Du Mont. Easy Company will destroy that garrison." 

"Yay," Margot whispered as she searched her pockets for a cigarette. When none came up, she reached forward and plucked the extra one Liebgott had sitting behind his ear. 

Turning around, Liebgott looked to the girl and sighed. "Oh, come on. That was for later."

"Well," Margot placed the cigarette between her lips as Bull reached over to light it for her, "now it's for now. Thanks, Lieb."