Back Up the Hill

National Archives

"Nate, I hate to tell you this, but I need you to take your platoon back up Bloody Hill." Captain Tony Palminteri really did hate to tell his 2nd Platoon leader this news, but Captain Josephson, commanding the battalion, had told the new commander of Charlie Company that there were reports that the Germans had abandoned the position after two M-10 Wolverine tank destroyers had somehow made it up the muddy trail and destroyed the Panther which had wreaked havoc on the attack a few days before.

"I've got a number of new recruits in the platoon, both my platoon sergeant and the leader of 1st Squad are pretty banged up, really Sir, why us?" Paddock didn't look happy, every night when he tried to go to sleep he could imagine that he heard the screams of his men on that hill.

"Nate, Tex wants you guys to have the honor of being the first men from Charlie Company back on top of that hill. Able Company is nearly at the position, but their commander is brand new to the job and he's as timid as a baby deer. To put it bluntly, Tex said he wanted one of 'his' men up there, not this new guy." Palminteri, being new to the unit, wasn't aware of some of the politics behind the scenes. He did know that Josephson, who used to command C Company, tended to prefer that company and within Charlie, he trusted Paddock's platoon more than the others.

Paddock thought about that for a second, "Able knows we're going to be moving through them to get up on top?"

"Yup."

"What do we do when we get up there? Hold and wait?"

"Improve the defenses where you can, I'm sending a bazooka team and a .30 cal team with you. Find good spots for them, good teaching opportunity for the kids. Make use of it."

"All right, you're the boss. What time you want us up there?"

Palminteri checked his watch, it was approaching noon, "Be ready to move in thirty minutes."

"Let me see the new roster Stephen, I need to start learning new names I guess!" Paddock couldn't believe that the platoon was back up to strength. Cpt Josephson even let him move his sniper team out of 1st Squad to be a platoon asset.

"Here you go Sir, I think Jimmy even spelled everybody's name correctly." Sgt Hernandez handed over the neatly typed list. The platoon's guide had rustled a typewriter from somewhere and had actually volunteered to be the platoon's unofficial clerk. Paddock had okayed that without a second thought.

Command team

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1Lt Nathan Paddock Platoon Leader

Sgt Stephen Hernandez Platoon Sergeant

PFC John Myerson Radioman

Cpl Jimmy Winston Platoon Guide/Clerk

Attached from Company

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T/4 Harry 'Doc' Milbury    Medic

Sniper Team

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PFC Charlie Gammell Sniper

PFC Jackson Hebert Spotter

Messengers

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PFC Herman Shapiro

Pvt Robert Jennings

Basic Duty Privates

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Pvt Jim Romano

Pvt Will Jones

Pvt Michael Johnson

Pvt Peter Romanov

Pvt Jeff Chambers*

1st Squad

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Sgt Jack Wilson Squad leader

PFC Dennis Adams BAR man (H)

Pvt Chris McWhorter Asst BAR man

Pvt Brad Gonzales* Rifleman

Pvt Ben Campbell* Rifleman

Pvt Anthony Lewis* Rifleman

Cpl Melvin "Cat" Katz Section leader

PFC Joseph Welch Grenadier (H)

Pvt Justin Long* Asst Grenadier 

Pvt Rocky Groves* Rifleman

Pvt Ronald Harris* Rifleman

PFC Duck Simpson Rifleman

2nd Squad

Sgt Greg Jenkins Squad leader

PFC Mike Cantwell Grenadier

Pvt Mark Rizzo Asst Grenadier 

PFC Hector Lopez Rifleman

Pvt Frank Genovese Rifleman

Pvt John Kilpatrick Rifleman

Cpl Jake Johnston Section leader (H)

Pvt Henry McTeague BAR

Pvt Jesse Phillips Asst BAR

PFC Harry Mitchell Rifleman

Pvt Dave Hudson Rifleman

PFC Adam Roberts* Rifleman

3rd Squad

Sgt Stump Gentile Squad leader

PFC Homer Ginter Grenadier

Pvt Leon McKinney* Asst Grenadier

Pvt Riley Taggert Rifleman

Pvt Jeb McCall Rifleman

Pvt Sydney Hogue* Rifleman

Cpl Jim Holloway Section leader (H)

PFC Keith Watson BAR (H)

Pvt Ken Buchanan* Asst BAR

Pvt Joe Gray* Rifleman

PFC Karl Taylor* Rifleman

Pvt Thomas Spencer* Rifleman 

Attached from Weapons Platoon

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.30 Cal MG Team

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Corporal Judd Maxwell Squad Leader

PFC Jim Weber Gunner

Pvt Matt Smith Asst Gunner

PFC Peter Werther Ammo Bearer

Pvt Steve Pacheco Ammo Bearer

Bazooka Team

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Corporal Tim Jones

Private Bob Wells

Extra Attachments - Engineers

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SSgt Vince Kimble

Cpl Rodolfo Garcia

(H)  Returned from hospital

*    New recruit

Source

"Who are these engineers you have listed, Stephen? We don't have any engineers assigned."

"Ah, yeah, Captain Josephson sent 'em over. They have mine detecting equipment, seems Able Company found some mines up there this morning the hard way."

"The hard way? How many guys they lose?"

"Three - one KIA, two wounded. It's one of the reasons the captain ordered Able to hold in position, their skipper was trying to take some initiative. He's new, can't find his ass with both hands and a hunting dog, as the captain put it."

"Damn! All right, it's time. Those two guys have to be our engineers." As he said that, Paddock pointed at two men carrying SCR-625-C mine detecting equipment.

"Sir, I'm Kimble, this is Garcia. I guess we're heading up the hill with you guys."

(Source)

"That you are Staff Sergeant. Until we get up there, you can walk with us. You ready Sergeant Hernandez?"

"Yes Sir, let's do this."

(Source)

After reaching Able Company's position, Paddock looked around. Scarcely 75 men on the line, very understrength for a full company, no doubt they'd be heading to the rear to absorb new replacements as well. He saw Able's commander, a man he didn't know, and walked over to him.

"Sir, I'm Nate Paddock, my platoon is headed up the hill to see if the Krauts are really gone."

"What's this lieutenant, no salute? I'm your superior officer, you should salute me!"

Paddock just shook his head, "With all due respect captain, if I was to salute you and a Kraut sniper was watching, I'd be marking you for death. We don't salute at the front. Sir."

"I see, well, I'm Captain Raymond Griffin, the Third. Class of '39. Do you have written orders for me?"

"Ah, no sir. Is your radio out? Captain Josephson said nothing about giving you orders, just that we're to check in and make sure your guys know we're passing through your lines. As in, please don't shoot at us." Paddock wondered how this man ever became an officer, let alone got to command a line company. Being a war time graduate of the Point, he had no idea that the old Army had had a lot of that sort of nonsense.

"Ah no, my radio is fine, shouldn't battalion call me?"

"Sir, with all due respect, I just work here all right? What battalion wants you to do is a bit above my pay grade. Now, begging the Captain's pardon, I need to get my guys up there, it's going to be dark in a few hours and we need to get in position. Perhaps you should radio battalion."

"Very well, but I don't like this lieutenant."

"Begging your pardon Sir, it's war, you ain't supposed to like it." With that, Paddock signaled to Hernandez and 2nd Platoon headed up to the old German trench line, which, thank God, everyone thought, was deserted.

"You know you probably haven't heard the last from Captain Griffin, the Third." Hernandez said with a grin. He also checked the small cook fire they had going. The command element had to eat too, and the squads had already had their chow and were taking up their assigned positions.

"Yeah, I know. But what's the Army gonna do, Stephen, take away my birthday, send me to combat duty? F**k Captain Griffin, the Third. Though you didn't hear me say that Sergeant."

"Say what Sir?"

"Smart ass."

"Yes Sir, absolutely." Hernandez grinned again, "Did you check out that Kraut tank L.T.?"

"Yeah, mean looking mother isn't it?"

"Still, those Wolverines messed it all up, didn't they?"

"Yeah, those tankers have got real balls to go up against those Panthers and Tigers. Me? I'd rather dig a deep hole than sit in one of those steel coffins." Paddock had friends who went armor, two of them had already been killed in action. One in Normandy and the other in the advance to Aachen. "Yeah, Stephen, it's the infantry for me."

Hernandez gestured at the German trench with its detritus of shell casings, bandage wrappers, and the other assorted junk of war, "Yes Sir, just look at these luxury accommodations. Gotta love the infantry."

Paddock laughed and said, "Hey, we coulda joined the Navy, right?"

"No thanks, Sir, boats sink, and they also burn just like a tank. I'm good right here in my hole in the ground. Dirt doesn't burn."

"No, I guess it doesn't." As Paddock said that he realized that there were a lot of ways to die in a war, none of them pleasant. "Get some sleep Sarge, I'll take the first watch."

"Don't have to tell me twice L.T., wake me when you're ready."

As he watched the sergeant cover himself with his blanket, 1Lt Paddock wondered if the Krauts had given up on this hill. Or would they come back? F**kers loved to counterattack didn't they?

It was getting colder at night, Paddock rather wished for a nice barracks and a glass of wine at this point. "If wishes were horses..." he muttered at the stars.

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