When we left for bastogne, we were short of equipment.
We didn't have enough ammunition. We didn't have enough warm clothes.
But we had confidence...
That our higher military authorities would get to us whatever we needed.
And there was a Ridge with a tree line. We were dug in on that Ridge.
The Germans knew right where we were, and they really gave us a shellacking.
Well, like in bastogne we were down to one round per man there for a while.
There was this... the fog was in. They couldn't drop us, couldn't resupply us.
Every time they tried to drop supplies in to us...
They missed us and dropped them to the Germans.
One of the guys got hit in the arm with a piece of shrapnel.
Took his arm off above the elbow.
They were taking him out and he said, "get my wristwatch off my arm."
And then a medic came along and I think he really saved my life.
Because he stuck a syrette in a key position. Morphine.
Even today on a real cold night, we go to bed...
My wife will tell you that the first thing I'll say is, "I'm glad I'm not in bastogne."
Doc, doc, doc.
Doc, bandage. Take him back to regiment.
As you all know, general mcauliffe, acting division commander.
Give it to me straight.
We've been taking ground in one position, general, losing it in another.
Now it looks like a standoff. We're digging in on the edge of the forest.
We're under sporadic artillery fire, general.
We're taking a lot of hits and we have no aid station.
We've run out of food, we have no winter clothes, and we have little or no ammo.
The line's spread so thin the enemy wanders into our gp to use our slit trenches, sir.
We just can't cover the line.
Good morning, captain Nixon. You got anything to add for gen. Mcauliffe?
General. Yes, sir.
General, I took a walk on our line about 0300 last night.
I couldn't find the 501st on our right flank. I tied it in with a squad...
From our second platoon, but, sir, we've got considerable gaps in our perimeter.
I don't have enough people, sir. We're spread too damn thin.
Hold the line, colonel. Close the gaps.
This goddamn fog won't lift anytime soon, so you can forget about air cover.
Your 1st battalion just pulled out of foy, krauts on their tail.
Tanks. Artillery. Got no backup. There's a lot of shit headed this way.
Doc?
Can I scrounge a bandage from your aid kit, sir?
How are you fixed?
No plasma, couple of bandages, practically no morphine.
In fact, I tried to find my way up to 3rd battalion looking for supplies...
But I lost my way.
If you can't get over to 3rd...
Hook up with doc Ryan, he'll fix you up with what he has to spare.
Thanks, captain.
Eugene? Get everything you can. You're gonna need it.
- Spina. - Doc.
- What's happening? - We're digging in right along the line.
Yeah, this is it. So, what'd you get?
I got this, and I got myself a kraut bandage.
- What? This is it? - Yeah, that's it. That's all you got.
You know, 1st battalion's pulled out of foy. Heavy casualties.
So if they're pulling back, then what the hell are we doing sitting here?
We need morphine. This is all I got.
- You got extra scissors? - No. Just the one.
- First sergeant lipton? - Sir.
- What's this? Two medics in one hole? - Yes, sir.
What's gonna happen to us if you take a hit, huh?
- First sergeant, where's my foxhole? - It's back here, sir.
Maybe you missed it, huh? I'll walk you back.
- You're a bit close to the line here. - Goddamn it.
Sgt. Guarnere, did you keep your morphine from Holland?
- No. Hey, doc, I gotta talk to you. - How's that leg?
- To hell with the leg, I'm pissing needles. - Later.
Shit.
- You seen them? - No.
But they're out there. Depend on it.
- Cup of Joe, doc? - Gordon, I need scissors.
You got scissors? Sharp scissors.
Scissors? Well, let's see, I'll have to check the sewing room.
Might be upstairs in the study, that skinny old drawer in the middle of the desk.
All right. What about an extra syrette in your aid kit?
Hide your morphine, guys...
- Muck, you all right? - I'm good.
- Muck, malarkey, take cover! - We're okay!
Will you look at this shit? They peppered my helmet.
Hey, doc! Doc! Morphine!
- Here, take it. - Where's penkala?
Christ knows.
- Medic! - You guys hit?
- Easy, doc. How you doing? - Hey, are you crazy?
What are you looking at him for? Watch the goddamn line!
- You got a syrette? - What? No.
You'll be okay. The doc's coming!
- Doc! - Penkala!
- It's the artery. I feel it. - Penkala, let go.
The goddamn artery!
Penkala, loosen your fingers, goddamn it! Loosen them now.
- I'll bleed to death. - Relax your arm. Come on!
- It's not the artery. - I ain't going back, doc.
- What? - I ain't going nowhere, not in this shit.
You don't want to go out in this shit and you're yelling "medic"?
I don't need no go back to no aid station.
Well, you're in luck, penkala, because...
We don't got no aid station.
Penkala, scissors. I need scissors. You got scissors?
- What the hell I need scissors for? - Got your aid kit?
Right, well, you don't need this. Not yet. I do.
- Who got hit? - Penkala.
All right, here. This is what I want you to do.
I want you to take someone and work your way over to the 3rd battalion, all right?
You know what we need. Bandages, plasma, whatever you can beg, you beg.
All right, and get me some goddamn scissors. I can't get any.
And you get yourself a hot meal too, huh? Go.
You know, he told me he's a goddamn virgin.
Who?
The replacement in my foxhole, Julian.
Yeah?
Goddamn virgin. Just a kid.
The only virgin I know is the virgin Mary.
Hey, babe. Where the hell are we?
This way.
- I don't like it. - Where the hell's their battalion?
Shit. Come on.
Come on, come on. Give me a hand.
- Come on, spina. Move. - I'm moving. I'm moving.
Okay, we can spare a few bandages, but that's it. No morphine.
You're gonna have to go back to bastogne for plasma.
Bastogne? It took us an hour to find you.
- Doesn't your surgeon have plasma? - We don't have one.
No surgeon, no aid station. Nothing.
- Just me and my buddy. - Sorry, guys, but we just can't help you.
Take cover!
Get your butts out of here. We're pulling back!
- Come on, let's go. - Go! Go! Move!
Should've shot hinkle in the ass, and he would have shot him in the ass.
God bless you.
- These smell like my armpit. - At least your armpit's warm.
- You want syrup with that? - Hey, Joe, be honest.
What's in these things anyway?
- Nothing you won't eat, malarkey. - I won't eat malarkey.
Hey, hey. Maybe hinkle would like your share.
I should have shot him when I had the chance.
What, running backwards, babe?
- Anybody see lieutenant dike? - Try battalion op, sir.
- Try Paris. - Try hinkle.
Hinkle, sweetie, I'm home.
Hey, Eugene, it. Dike's got a full aid kit. Try him.
- Yeah, I'm sure he's not using his. - Maybe hinkle's got a syrette for you.
Eat your strudel.
Hinkle-vinkle, eat the armpit, huh?
Lieutenant dike. Lieutenant.
Can you spare something from your aid kit, sir? I'm real short. I need syrettes.
- What, morphine? - Yes, sir.
Wait a minute. These...
- What happens if I get hit? - I'll be there, sir.
- Syrette's in here, right? - Yes it is.
- Here. I don't plan on getting hit. - Thank you, sir.
Heffron. Hey, heffron, you okay?
Gene, what is with the heffron bullshit? You know my name. Why don't you use it.
It's Edward, right?
Edward? Are you serious? Only the goddamn nuns call me "Edward."
Hey, listen, I need to know whether you kept your morphine from Holland?
No. You asked already, remember?
No. I don't recall.
Hey. Hey.
Gordon, you want me?
Oh, yeah, morphine. 3rd platoon ponied up the contraband.
- You still looking for scissors? - Yes I am.
- Perconte. - Perconte.
- Doc. - Thank you.
Oh, and you'd better check on Joe toye out on the op. He's missing something.
- You guys okay? - They got hot food. Can you smell it?
- Toye, you missing something? - Home.
Ask him to dance, doc.
- Toye, show me your feet. - You watch the goddamn line, mcclung.
- Where are your boots? - In Washington, up gen. Taylor's ass.
I don't believe this.
- I can move better in bare feet, doc. - What happened?
Took them off to dry my goddamn socks, they got blown to hell, okay.
- Well, what's your size? - Nine, just like everybody else.
Frank, you keep cleaning those teeth, the Germans will see you a mile away.
Shoot him dead.
That's right, pee wee. You keep laughing.
Hey, doc.
Doc, my stuff. Come on, doc.
- You got a drug store in here? - No, I own my stuff.
- What are you looking for? - Scissors. Thank you, perconte.
My goddamn scissors.
- Sgt. Guarnere. - Marlene, is that you?
- Hey, doc, come here. - Uso, picking up syrettes.
- Alley, liebgott, you got any? - No, got used in Holland, doc.
You ain't using this stuff are you, doc? I mean personal, like.
Come on.
Hey, doc. Doc, I still got the itching. Every time I pee, it's murder.
Yeah, I'm sorry, but I just I don't have penicillin for your pirouette.
My what?
Lieutenant, make sure you move around a little, get your blood flowing.
- I can't feel my feet. - That's why you gotta move around.
You know, so you don't get trench foot.
- Should I take my boots off? - All you gotta do...
Is just loosen them up and keep moving.
Sergeant, I'm sorry. Look, I know it must be hell...
But I can't help you, all right? Just drink lots of water.
- Water? It's pissing that hurts. - Shut it. Shut the hell up.
What's going on here, bill? Who the hell's singing?
I'll find out, lieutenant. I'll find out.
- Stop them from singing. - I'll shut them up.
Lord, Grant that I shall never seek so much to be consoled as to console...
To be understood as to understand, or to be loved...
As to love with all my heart.
With all my heart.
Oh, Christ!
- Perconte, you getting a Jeep? - I'm on it, doc.
- Look what they did to my leg. - Easy op, this is perconte.
- Bear with me. Bear with me. - Sisk has been hit...
And I need ajeep. I say it again, I need a Jeep now.
They're moving, goddamn it! We need it now!
You'll be all right, sisk.
- Okay, sisk. It ain't that bad, ain't that bad. - It ain't that bad?
Okay, one pull.
No, doc, save the morphine. I can make it. I can make it. Save it.
All right, let's get him out of here.
- Where's the goddamn Jeep? - I don't know, but I hear it.
- Jesus Christ! - Skinny, you got blood all over my trousers.
- I'm real sorry, frank. - Get him up.
Damn it, skinny.
Tell spina I went in for plasma.
All the tanks, artillery, are pulled back to here.
We got no backup beyond bastogne. This is it.
The krauts captured the 326th medical and they took everybody.
Doctors, medics, the whole shebang. We got nothing.
They're giving the boys hooch for the pain.
- He took a mortar hit. Watch the leg. - Yeah, watch the leg.
- Move it. - Coming through.
Move it, fellas.
- No, no. Here. Put him here. - Yes, ma'am.
- Is he bad? - No, lower-leg wound. No morphine.
- Nurse, have you got plasma I can...? - Wait. Please.
Hey, what's going on here? Why ain't these men evacuated?
We can't evacuate. We're cut off.
This is as far as it goes.
I'm in heaven, doc.
- Nurse. - This way.
I need morphine. I need bandages. Whatever you got. We're down to nothing.
Okay, I can give you a little, but not a lot.
- You can have this today. Do you want that? - Oui. You got plasma?
- A little. Are you a surgeon? - No. We don't got no surgeon.
- What's this? - From the bed.
- What, sheets? - Yes, for bandages.
Okay.
- My name is Renee. - I'm gene. Eugene roe.
- Where are you from? - Louisiana. Half-cajun.
Can you get me back to the line?
Sure.
Eugene.
- Amen. - Amen.
Fight well for your god and your country. God bless you all. Stay safe.
That's it, guys. Nothing more to worry about.
We gonna die now, we gonna die in a state of grace. Isn't that right, babe?
Battalion want a reconnaissance patrol. Kraut hunting.
All right, I'll go. Take these. And give the boots to Joe toye. Tell him they're a nine.
Keep going till we make some kind of contact.
- Peacock's leading, right? - Right.
That asshole couldn't find a snowball in a blizzard.
That's what's happening. That's the order.
- Juhan. - Let me be the lead scout.
- Back in line, private. - All right, that's it. Let's move out.
Tactical columns, gentlemen.
Doc, it's a combat patrol. Why don't you stay back and keep your ass out of trouble?
- Yes, sergeant. - Yeah.
Come on, hoobler, pick it up.
Right. Move out.
- Fire! - Get down! Get down! Jesus!
Shit.
Bull! Christenson! Up on line!
- Johnny! - We got a man down!
- What have we got? - Kid's down. Julian.
- We gotta make a move. - I can get him, sarge.
- Suppressing fire! - Suppressing fire.
- One man down. Easy. - Covering fire.
Hold them down!
Easy op, right to my left. I have one man down.
Okay. Stay there. Don't move. Stop moving or they'll keep shooting.
- What's happening, sir? - We're pulling back. We made contact.
I gotta get to the op.
Don't move. Stop moving or they'll keep firing. Stop moving!
Fuck. Sarge, what...?
Pull back! We gotta pull back!
- Let's get the hell out of here! - Let's go!
Come on, stay with us. Stay with us. Hold on!
Julian, stay with us! Look at me. Stay with us! Look at me! Hold on.
- Heffron, move! - Don't move, Billy, we're coming back.
- We'll get you out of here. Just hold on. - Go. Let's go!
- On me, move! - Come on, let's go.
- Where the hell are we? - Straight ahead. Straight ahead.
Doc! Doc!
Okay. Chris said set it up on the rock.
Easy op. Easy op. Lightning, over.
- I need an a-Jeep standing by at the op. - Eyes sharp!
Okay, I got yourjeep, doc.
- Martin? Martin! - Sir?
- What's going on? - They got Julian.
- He's still alive. - We don't know that.
We gotta get him, sir.
- Did you hit an op or their line? - Their line.
We gotta go back, sir, get Julian out of there!
- No, fall back. - We lost peacock.
He's back at the op.
- Come on, Martin, fall back! - You all right, doc?
- Get him out of here! - We gotta fall back, doc.
Let's up and go!
Doc, we gotta move now. Come on, let's go!
- Get him up. - Doc, now! Let's go!
Move! Let's go. Back, fall back!
We couldn't get to him, captain. We tried. Babe tried. We couldn't get to him.
Hey, bufl let me sit in here with you guys.
Toye.
What you doing out here?
Thanks for the boots, doc. Doing fine.
Are you still having trouble with your feet?
Show me. Let me see it.
It's trench foot, toye. If it turns gangrene, you could lose it.
I ain't coming off the line, doc.
Well, you gotta stay dry. Massage your feet.
Change socks every day and dry the wet ones around your neck.
I'm working on it.
- You seen heffron? - No. Why?
He ain't in his hole.
Got you.
Heffron.
Eat it.
All right.
I promised him if he got hit, I'd get his stuff and bring it to his mom, you know?
- Now the fucking krauts'll strip him. - Hey, no. It's okay.
It's not. It's not okay.
I should have got to him.
Hey, what do you call those people again? Those cajun healers?
Traiteurs.
- You know, my grandma was a traiteuse. - Your grandmother? No shit?
She was. Laid her hands on people and cured them.
Took away sickness, cancer, you name it.
Your grandma did that? You're shitting me.
- I remember she used to pray a lot. - Yeah, I guess she had to.
Talked to god about the pain she pulled out.
Asked him to carry it away.
Jesus. I'm still trying to figure why they picked me for a medic. God knows.
Snap of a finger and just like that, you're a medic.
I've had enough playing doctor.
Hey, how about you?
Take cover!
Cease fire! Cease fire, goddamn it!
Sergeant, I don't understand. It was our own planes.
C-47s. They're bringing supplies. It's a drop. It's a drop. Come on!
All right, you help the doc. The rest of you, come with me.
- Medic! - Someone give us a hand here.
- Help! - Coming through.
This one through here. Now!
The artery, we gotta find the artery.
Anna!
Where did she come from?
The black girl.
The Congo.
How'd she get here?
Just like me. She came to help.
What?
Your hands.
My hands?
You're a good nurse.
No. I never want to treat another wounded man again.
I'd rather work in a butcher's shop.
But your touch calms people.
- That's a gift from god. - No, it's not a gift.
God would never give such a painful thing.
Nurse! Nurse!
We need some help over here.
- Got shrapnel though the stomach. - How bad is it?
Okay, get this one in first.
- Now we know how they felt. - What? Who?
The legionnaires. When they were watching the huns. Goths, the visigoths.
Visigoths? Jesus Christ.
Barbarians. They came right through here.
Right through these trees. Just sweeping down to burn the shit out of Rome.
That's a hell of a long ride.
So, what's college like, buck? You got time to hit the books...
With cheerleaders running their fingers through your hair?
Hell, babe, I can't even remember.
- Hey, it's doc. - Sergeant. Heffron. Lieutenant.
Wrap up.
Never calls anybody by their nickname.
- He once called me Edward. - Is that right?
- Edward? That's your name? - Yeah.
Funny, you" you don't look like an Edward.
Hey, doc. It's gonna get busy, pal.
Hold your fire, boys. Don't let them draw you out.
- Hold your fire! - Stay ready, boys.
What the hell are we gonna hit those things with, lip?
Stay ready. Hold your fire. Get ready, Walter.
Stay in your holes, guys.
All you back, platoon, you stay ready!
- Roe, smokey's hit. - Medic!
Hey, gene, let's go. Come on, let's go!
Okay, go!
- Doc! - Smokey?
- Hi, mo. - I got it. I'm keeping it for you.
- Smoke! - I can't feel my legs, gene.
Take it easy. My foxhole, get the plasma, now!
Here they come!
- Yeah, I got it. Go! - Machine guns, open fire!
- Shift fire, shift fire! - Left!
Sergeant lipton!
Doc, we gotta get the hell out of here.
Hey, come on. Stay with us, smokey. Stay with us!
Doc, we gotta get the hell out of here!
Keep the line!
You ready? All right, go!
- Stop. We gotta stop. - All right.
- Take the plasma. - All right.
Hey, hey.
Come on, Walt. Come on, buddy.
Hurry, doc. Come on, doc. I gotta get back to the line.
Okay, okay.
- Lip. - Yeah, buddy?
- You're standing on my hand. - Sorry, pal.
Look, hlgetyou another purple heart for it.
Hey! Hey, give us a hand!
I got you a ride, doc.
Jones.
Give it here. Okay, put him here.
Where's his tag? Where's his tag? What's wrong with him?
- Paralyzed. - What?
He's paralyzed. Can't feel a thing.
In the name of the father, of the son and of the holy spirit. Amen.
Eugene?
- Eugene. - Renée!
- Are you...? - Renée, I need some help here.
Are you all right?
Renee.
Here you go, man.
One for the doc.
I was sitting down to a Christmas Eve dinner of Turkey and hooch back at division op.
Damned if I don't like old Joe domingus' rancid-ass beans better.
- Hello, easy company. - Hello, sir.
General mcauliffe sent a message to the entire division.
Thought maybe your people would like to hear it.
- Oh, that should be your prerogative, sir. - All right.
General mcauliffe wishes us all a "merry Christmas."
"What's merry about all this, you ask? Just this:
We've stopped cold everything that's been thrown at us...
From the north, east, south and west.
Now two days ago, the German commander demanded our honorable surrender...
To save the usa. Encircled troops from total annihilation.
The German commander received the following reply.
'To the German commander: Nuts!'
we're giving our country and our loved ones at home a worthy Christmas present...
And being privileged to take part in this gallant feat of arms...
We are truly making for ourselves a merry Christmas."
- Merry Christmas and god bless you. - Nuts, sir!
Bill.
Picture of my girl.
Good-looking broad, buck.
She's...
She's finished with me.
Yeah. She's...
Just in time for Christmas, huh?
Just in time for Christmas.
Shit, I almost forgot.
- "Lucky strikes means fine tobacco." - Where the hell did you get those?
Merry Christmas, fellas. You gotta thankjolly old "Saint Luz."
- —Beautiful. - Here.
Here you go, penk.
I am shaking so goddamn much, I feel like I'm dancing.
Here you go, buddy. There you go.
- Frank, what are you doing? - It's Christmas, pee wee.
- Yo, frank. - What is it?
- Lemon powder snow cone. - Pass.
Merry fucking Christmas.
Harry.
- Fire's not a good idea. - Just a couple of minutes.
- We're in a Dell. - A Dell?
Like where fairies and gnomes live?
I swear I thought I could smell a fire.
I did smell a fire. Are you out of your mind?
- No, we're in a Dell. —huh?
- Down! - Crossfi re!
Oh, god!
This is captain Nixon. I need an a-Jeep to 2nd battalion op.
- Stay still, Harry. - Peacock, put that out!
Repeat. A-Jeep to 2nd battalion op.
Gene.
- Come on, doc. - Is he hurt?
- I don't know. - Move.
I gotta go.
Gene, come on. Get up. The captain's yelling. Come on, get up.
- Okay. - Okay.
Okay, get up. Not okay to lie down.
Come on, move. Jesus Christ. My hand. My goddamn hand!
Oh, Jesus!
Okay.
Stay still, Harry.
It's just a scratch, Harry. You're not getting out of here this easy.
Jeep's on its way. Hang tough.
Towel.
I got morphine in my pocket. Give it to him.
- Where do you want it? - Opposite thigh.
Okay.
Elevate his head.
Get him up.
There you go, soldier, take that.
Eugene, get yourself into town. Get a hot meal.
Get out quick!
Clear the road!
Get out quick!
- Stay out of there! - Are you nuts?
Medic! Get your ass out here!
Come on!
Report, every hour, on the hour, on the radio...
Or I don't know where the hell you are.
Everything okay?
Babe?
- Yeah. - Hey, how'd you do that?
You did that.
fix it up.
Hey, gene, you called me "babe."
I did? When?
Just now.
I guess I did.
Heffron, watch the goddamn line.