The Beginning of the End

(Source)

Sgt. Stump Gentile walked into the old German bunker carrying a package under one arm and a stack of mail in his free hand.

"Hey guys, look what caught up to us!" He sang out as he held the mail aloft. The men immediately crowded around him. After a few minutes, when everyone who had mail was settled back down, one man looked rather downcast.

"So Billy, you didn't get anything?" Gentile asked, looking at Pvt. William Zerbst.

Zerbst looked up, "Nah Sarge, looks like everybody back home forgot about me. Since my brother's ship went down in the Pacific in '43, it's like they forgot I exist."

"Man, that's awful." Cpl. Charlie Gammell said, he looked through his mail and found what he was looking for, "Here Billy, take this. It's from a girl back home who just wants to write to a GI, I hardly know her. Maybe she'll write you if you write her back."

"Seriously Corp?"

"Why not? Hey Stump, what's in the box?" Gammell looked at his sergeant with a wicked grin.

"I'll bet you can smell what's in here, can't ya?" Gentile said. But he shook the box, it sounded like what he expected, then said, "They're probably kinda busted up, but Hell, they're probably still good. Ma sent them maybe four weeks ago."

Gentile tore open the box, there were a number of smaller boxes inside. He opened one, cookies.

"Okay, they're a bit crumbled, but..." He tasted one of the bigger chunks, "yup, still good. Dig in fellas. Ma told me I had to share."

The men all dug in, as they gobbled down home made cookies, 2nd Lt. Stephen Hernandez poked his head in, "Stump, Charlie, a word?" He looked at the cookies, one of the men handed him one of the bigger chunks.

Hernandez bit into it, "Whose Mom made these?"

All the men answered in unison, "Stump's Mom!"

"L.T.?" Stump asked, gesturing towards the door. Hernandez nodded and the three men went outside.

"Fox Company got their asses handed to them yesterday. They were ambushed by at least three tanks. They lost four Shermans destroyed, one damaged, 16 dead crewmen. Six halftracks knocked out, with sixty men out of action, thirty-three of whom are wounded, twenty-seven dead." Hernandez sighed after telling Gentile and Gammell the news.

"So I take it our vacation is over?" Gentile asked.

"Yup, 1st Battalion takes the lead tomorrow while 2nd licks their wounds. They'll be in reserve."

"Any replacements come in?" Gentile asked.

"Yup, ten newbies for us, they're over with Cap'n Palminteri now, 2nd platoon is back up to full strength. Here's the names of your new guys, Stump." Hernandez handed Gentile the list.

Pvt. Herman Bridges

Pvt. Derrick Quinn

Pvt. Jesse Noble

Pvt. Fred Walter

"All fresh out of training I'll bet." Gentile grumbled.

"I know, I know, but Bridges is an older guy, 35 I think. He's a volunteer. The others are two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old. So you ain't the youngest man in the platoon anymore Charlie." Hernandez slapped Gammell on the shoulder.

"Lemme see that list, who's the kid?" Gammell leaned in, Hernandez pointed at the last name on the list, Fred Walter.

"Holy shit, I know that guy. He's from the next town over back home. Played baseball against him." Gammell exclaimed.

"Small world, eh Stump?" Hernandez chuckled.

"Yeah, I mean Vermont has like ten people in the whole state, we get two of 'em." Gentile laughed.

"Hey, there's more than ten people in Vermont." Gammell said with mock offense.

"Really?" The lieutenant scoffed.

"Yeah, there's like fifty or so, course, most of them are in Burlington, college town." Gammell smiled and winked at Gentile.

"Come on hayseed, let's get back inside before those other guys eat all the cookies."

"Tomorrow morning, zero-five-hundred, be ready to roll. Woodstock's tanks will be in the lead, halftracks in the rear. Be ready to roll." Hernandez ordered.

"Roger that, boss. Oh-dark-f**king-thirty. See you then. If it ain't too dark that is." Gentile answered.

"Carry on gentlemen." Hernandez walked off shaking his head and laughing.

"Charlie, you keep on eye on the new kids, watch your own ass as well." Gentile grumbled, he had grown to rely heavily on his assistant squad leader. Gammell was young, but a solid soldier. Maybe the new Vermonter was the same way.

"So this Walter kid, farm boy?" Gentile asked.

"Yeah, his Dad owns one of the biggest dairy farms in the state. Fred's been working on that farm since he could walk, heck, he was driving a tractor by the age of seven. I think you'll like him Sarge, a serious kid." Gammell said.

"He as big as you?" Gentile knew that Charlie was over six feet and a solid two hundred pounds.

"Actually Stump, he's bigger than me."

"This I gotta see." Gentile said as they reentered the bunker.

"Ah shit, you bastards ate all my Ma's cookies!" Gentile said as he looked at the empty boxes and crumbs on the table.

Everyone laughed, then Pvt. Ross Flowers pulled an unopened package from off of his bunk. "Hell Sarge, we wouldn't do that to ya."

"Ah gee, thanks Posey, you guys are all right..." Gentile paused, "...for a bunch of assholes." He said, smiling from ear to ear.

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