[theme music playing]
I uh, standing in the door I could see…
the lights on the drop zone,
and I had to assume that was our drop zone,
way in the…
Ahead of us.
And, uh, so that we had the red light,
I had everybody standing up ready to jump,
so, when the plane started to get hit,
and suddenly the pilot gives me the green light,
I'm out the door, immediately.
We got such a opening blast from the opening shot,
from the prop-blast that it broke this chin strap
that we had on this helmet of mine,
and that's when I lost this famous leg-bag,
that everybody talks about, just from the shock of the opening.
It just flew right off my foot.
We came from the sky.
We hit, and in any direction you went
there would be enemy, you knew it.
And, uh, that was all part of what you accepted.
How do you prepare yourself, mentally?
Each man must do that himself.
Each man must prepare himself mentally,
to, uh, make that jump.
At the back of your mind you, you know, you wonder
what's gonna happen and all that.
You know you've been trained and trained and trained
and what your job is gonna be, and what you're supposed to do and--
Oh, that's what you gotta think about, you know?
And we lost a lot of people that night,
but, uh, you try to put it all out of your mind.
[engine whirring]
Give me a light.
Lip, did Evans make it?
Yes, sir.
He's in Lieutenant Meehan's stick, sir.
[soldier] Lieutenant Meehan!
Lieutenant Meehan.
Will could use some help.
Will.
Will, hey.
Will, I need your help here.
[engine whirring]
[airplane rattling]
[distant explosion]
[indistinct radio chatter]
Get ready!
Stand up!
Hook up!
Equipment check!
Sound off for equipment check!
Ten okay!
Nine okay!
-Eight okay! -Seven okay!
Six okay!
Five okay!
Four okay!
-Three okay! -Two okay!
One okay!
[distant explosion]
[engine whirring]
[shouting indistinctly]
[engine sputtering]
Jesus Christ! Let's go, let's go!
-Does that light look green to you? -No, let's go!
I'm hit! [groans]
[gunfire]
Jesus, tell Meehan to get them out of there!
[screaming]
Two o'clock!
-[pilot 1] Oh, Jesus Christ! -[pilot 2] Hold it steady!
-[Winters] Go! -[soldier 1] I wanna jump, sir!
[Winters] Now, listen to me stay on the plane,
You're not jumping!
He's okay.
[soldier 1] No sir, no!
All right, sonofabitch.
[soldier] Where's the goddamn DZ?
Maybe it's three more minutes on this bearing!
We get any lower,
we ain't gonna need any friggin' parachutes!
Slow down!
We gotta get some altitude!
They can't jump at this speed!
We there?
Oh God!
Oh, no!
Oh!
Let's go!
[gunfire]
[grunts]
Flash!
Shit!
I don't think that's the correct reply, trooper.
I say "flash," you say "thunder."
Yes, sir, thunder, sir.
[both panting]
Musette bag.
Coach?
Sir, it's Hall, sir.
I was on the basketball team.
[Winters] Leg-bag?
[Hall] Prop blast got it, sir,
And my radio and batteries with it.
[Winters] Mine, too.
Mine are somewhere behind those trees.
Okay.
Follow me.
[gunshots]
[Hall] To hell with that!
[gunshots]
Wait until they reload.
[indistinct shouting]
[Winters] Go.
Aren't you D Company?
[Hall] Able, sir.
Guess that means one of us is in the wrong drop zone, sir?
[Winters] Yeah, or both of us.
[Hall] Do you have a weapon, sir?
[Winters] Just my knife.
Do you have any idea where we are, sir?
Some.
[sighs wearily]
So, you're a radio man?
Yes, sir.
Well, I was until I lost my radio on the jump.
I'm sure I'll get chewed out for that.
Well, if you were in my platoon,
I'd tell you you were a rifleman first and a radio man second.
Well, maybe you could tell that to my platoon leader
when we find him.
If we find him.
It's a deal.
First, I need your help.
We'll locate some landmarks to get our bearings.
Keep your eyes peeled for buildings, farmhouses,
bridges, roads, trees.
[chuckles]
[Hall] I wonder if the rest of them are as lost as we are.
[Winters] We're not lost, Private. We're in Normandy.
[rustling]
[ticking]
Who's that?
Lieutenant Winters, is that you?
Get in here, sit down.
-Any weapon? -No, sir.
As soon as I hit that prop blast, so long leg-bag.
All I got is this knife and some TNT.
These 82nd boys got their M-1s, though.
Oh, man, 82nd, where the hell are we?
Sir, I saw a sign back thataways, said, "Sainte-Mère-Église."
[Winters] Flashlight.
-Raincoat? -You got a raincoat?
Yeah.
[gunfire in distance]
We're about seven kilometers away from our objective.
And four hours away from when we need to have it secured.
So, we got a lot of walking ahead of us.
You men will stick with us until we find your unit.
Let's go.
-Hey, Sarge, where are we going? -Causeway number two, Utah Beach.
The Germans flooded the fields inland.
We don't clear those routes, our boys ain't going nowhere.
Five of us won't secure a road.
That louie don't even have a weapon.
[soldier 1] I don't remember hearing about any railroads near our objective.
[soldier 2] I'm telling you, this is the spur line parallel to the river.
We should be coming up to a road and bridge ahead.
-[soldier 1] Yeah, how would you know? -Because I studied sandtails.
-Probably a friggin' train or-- -Shh.
-[soldier 3] Flash. -[soldier 1] Thunder.
Lieutenant, is that you?
Malarkey?
-[soldier 1] Sir. -[soldier 2] Sir.
-Glad to see you. -Hey, fellas.
-Is everybody okay? -[soldier 3] Good to see you.
-Nice to see you guys. -[Winters] Keep moving
-Guarnere. -Sir.
You and Hall up front.
[Guarnere] Who the hell is Hall?
[distant gunfire]
[horse neighing]
[soldier speaking German at distance]
Lipton. Go.
Guarnere.
[horse neighing]
Wait for my command.
[indistinct shouting]
[horse whinnying]
[shouting indistinctly in German]
That's enough, Guarnere!
Everyone okay?
[all] Yes, sir.
Next time I say wait for my command, you wait for my command, Sergeant.
Yes, sir.
[horse whinnying]
[gunshot]
Here you go, Lieutenant.
Kraut weapon.
Fine, Quaker.
What's that guy's problem?
Gonorrhea.
Really?
His name, dummy, Guarnere, gonorrhea, get it?
So besides having a shitty name, what's his problem?
None of your fucking business, cowboy.
-[Winters] All right, let's move out. -[soldiers] Sir.
[Winters] Quietly.
[Guarnere] Did you see him? He just sat there.
He didn't have a weapon.
What's he gonna do, shout at 'em?
Shouts at me for killing krauts.
He just wanted you to wait for his command.
Joe, he don't even drink.
[insects buzzing]
[cow mooing]
Lipton, Wynn.
Anybody need supplies or ammo, now's the time to get it.
McDowell, you okay?
Yes, Sergeant.
Then let's go.
Hey, I promised my kid brother I'd fetch him back a Luger.
So I got first dibs, okay?
Check that one.
[planes soaring]
-It's the Navy. -The landings have started, let's go.
-Let's move it out. -Right on time.
Yeah, tell that to him, cowboy.
My name's Hall.
That so?
Let's move out.
You just gotta learn to return his fire is all.
You gotta realize it ain't about you.
-He just heard his brother-- -Malarkey, shut your yap.
His brother got it at Cassino. Found out before we jumped.
[indistinct chatter]
[distant explosion]
[soldier] Morning, sir.
Battalion sure will be happy to see you guys.
-[Winters] Where? -At the farm, sir.
Top of the morning to you fellas.
-Enjoying the war? -[all laughter]
Where are you from, son?
Eugene, Oregon.
Eugene?
You gotta be kidding me.
Popeye, did you hear this? I'm from Astoria.
-You don't say. -Yeah, Orange Street.
What gives? What… what are you doing in a kraut uniform?
Volksdeutsche.
Come again?
My family answered the call.
All true Aryans should return to the fatherland.
Joined up in '41.
You're shitting me, right?
[soldier] Hey, Malarkey, stop fraternizing with the enemy.
Get over here!
What got you to Eugene?
I was born in Eugene.
Really?
[soldier 1] Popeye.
Hey, Popeye.
Hey, Harry.
Carry on.
[soldier 2] Oh, Easy Company.
Welcome.
-Good to see you. -Good to see you.
And this here's Hall, Able Company.
[Guarnere] Known as cowboy.
-You from Texas? -Manhattan.
[soldier 3] Lieutenant Winters.
-Hey boss, how ya doin'? -What's goin' on?
-What's the hold-up? -Not sure.
[cannon firing]
Five'll get you ten,
-it's got something to do with that. -Yeah.
It's good to see you, Dick.
Yeah, you too, Buck.
What's the situation?
Ah, not good. 90% of the men are still unaccounted for.
Lieutenant Meehan?
No, no one's seen him, or anyone from his plane.
You know, if he is missing,
wouldn't that put you in line to be the next commander of Easy?
[distant explosion]
Hey, Lieutenant Speirs.
How many men have Dog Company got assembled?
A handful, maybe 20.
-You the only officer that made it? -So far.
Still waiting for orders.
You got some cigarettes?
Here.
Hey, keep the pack.
Yeah, so I was in the plant in '39.
That's when I was at Monarch tooling propeller shafts.
No kiddin'.
What are the chances of that, huh? You and me 100 miles from each other,
working at practically the same job, geez.
Hey, Malark, we're waiting on you.
Yeah, I'm coming.
Well, I gotta run, I'll see you around.
Yeah, see you around.
[speaking German]
Here you go.
[thanking in German]
Thank you.
[gunfire]
Shit.
Easy Company?
Easy?
Hey, any of you guys know where Easy Company is?
-You seen Lieutenant Meehan? -No, not yet.
Well, Major Strayer wants Easy Company's CO. Up front.
Well, I guess that means you, Dick.
-[loud explosion] -Come on.
Son of a bitch.
Hey, Malark, where's the best chow?
In Berlin.
-Round them up. -[soldiers] Yes.
[Strayer] And the MGs?
[Officer] I'd say right around here, sir.
I can't be sure.
There's some kraut 88s up ahead.
Up ahead and to the right about what, 300 yards?
Up through those gardens.
They're right between us and causeway number two.
Firing on to the boys landing at Utah.
-Think Easy can handle it? -Yes, sir.
'Cause my guess is they're doing some terrible damage there.
[indistinct conversation]
[Winters] The 88s we've been hearing,
have been spotted in a field, down the road aways.
Major Strayer wants us to take 'em out.
There are two guns that we know of, firing on Utah Beach,
and plan on a third and a fourth,
here and here.
The Germans are in the trenches,
with access to the entire battery,
and with machine-gun cover in the rear.
We'll establish a base of fire
and move under it hard and fast with two squads of three.
[Guarnere] How many krauts they think we're facing?
No idea.
No idea?
We'll take some TNT along with us, to spike the guns.
-Lipton, your responsibility. -Yes, sir.
Liebgott, you'll take the first machine-gun with Petty, A gunner.
Plesha, Hendrix, you take the other. Who does that leave?
Compton, Malarkey, Toye, Guarnere.
Okay.
We'll be making the main assault.
-Understood? -[all] Yes, sir.
All right, let's pack it up, boys.
Shouldn't he be outside with the other Able Company guys?
See you around, Hall.
Lipton, when you see we've captured the first gun,
I want you and your TNT as fast as possible.
Yes, sir.
Okay, just weapons and ammo, drop everything else.
Got any spare ammo in a pack or a musette bag, bring it along.
[Lorraine] Lieutenant, sir?
I was wondering, sir, you need an extra hand?
Ain't you Sink's jeep driver?
-So? -Oh, shit.
What's your name, trooper?
-Lorraine, sir. -You're with me, Lorraine.
-Compton, second squad. -Yes, sir.
All right, you heard the word, let's move, let's move.
[cannon firing continues]
[indistinct shouting]
[shouting indistinctly in German]
Three cannons.
[cannons firing]
[whispers] Petty, we've got enfilading fire.
[Petty] Right, let's go. Stay down.
[soldier shouting in German]
[Compton] MG-42s.
I'll draw their fire to the right from the truck.
Take two men and hit 'em from the left.
-Okay, go. -Right.
Take Ranney, envelop right, give covering fire.
Lorraine, on the machine-gun.
Don't give away your position until you have to.
And I want that TNT
as soon as you see we've captured the first gun.
-Go. -Yes, sir.
[cannon firing continues]
[soldiers speaking in German]
Go.
I can't see nothing.
[shouting in German]
[soldiers shouting in German]
Come on, Buck.
Oh, shit!
[groans]
[grunts]
Let's go! Let's go!
Follow me!
[bullets flying]
Come on.
[panting]
[Wynn] Oh, fuck!
It just got my ass!
[indistinct shouting]
Sorry, sir.
Jesus Christ!
Fucking jeep jockey.
Shit, I'm sorry, sir.
I screwed up.
[German soldier shouting]
Grenade!
Joe, Joe, roll on, roll on!
[screaming]
God!
Shit.
You are one lucky bastard, Joe.
Guarnere, Malarkey, Lorraine, secure that gun!
Compton, covering fire.
Yes, sir!
[panting]
Where are you hit, Pop?
I can't believe I fucked up.
-My ass, sir. -Your ass?
[Compton] Oh, shit.
Hey, Popeye, how bad is it?
I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to fuck up.
I don't think it's too bad.
You think you can make it back yourself?
I think so, sir.
Let's move out.
[Compton] Right, here we go.
Drop your weapon, Pop.
Yeah.
[Compton] Come on!
One, two, three!
Get down, Dick, get down!
Pop!
Popeye, get down!
Winters, one o'clock!
[bullets fly]
Grenade!
Toye!
Let's go! Get out of there! Get out of there!
Toye!
-Joe! -Jesus Christ.
Fucking twice.
[soldier] Jesus Christ!
Lorraine, through, go!
Malark!
Ranney, let's move!
They've got the first gun.
[Winters] There's the second gun.
Grenades first.
-Then keep going, go! -[Compton] Right.
Okay.
[Winters shouting]
[speaking German]
[in English] No make dead!
[Toye] Shut up.
-[speaking German] -Shut the fuck up!
[in English] No make dead.
Stay down, stay down!
Compton! All right, cover for me.
We must be doing something right. Look.
We got 'em so confused they're firing on their third gun.
We better blow this thing before they figure out what's happening.
-I'll see what's keeping Lipton. -All right. Toye, cover Lieutenant!
I think one of those dead krauts has a Luger.
[soldier] So what?
Keep your head low, Petty.
Come on, move it!
Have a little suppress in fire, why don't you?
[Petty] Jesus Christ!
Malarkey!
Now you stop firing?
-Beautiful. -Shit.
Christ, they must think he's a medic or something.
He's gonna need a goddamn medic.
Okay, okay, okay.
Malarkey!
[gunshots]
Get low!
What the hell are you doin', come on!
Forgot your friggin' Luger?
You want I should go get it for you, you stupid mick?
Where's Lipton with that TNT?
Don't know, sir.
[Lipton] You'll be all right, Popeye.
-I'm sorry, I messed up. -Don't be sorry.
-Hey, Sarge? -Yeah?
You think this is a ticket home?
Maybe.
Shit, I just got here.
Hiya, cowboy.
Shut your fucking guinea trap, gonorrhea.
He's all right, that kid.
Jesus, you got a whole kraut platoon out there.
[Winters] Probably more, Captain.
You need help?
I need ammo, sir, lots of it!
And TNT!
I've got TNT, sir.
Good job, Private.
Jesus.
[Winters] Hall, ready!
Sir, I don't have any way to set it off, sir.
[bullet clinks]
[Winters] Fire in the hole!
Plesha, covering fire.
Third gun, here!
Lorraine, grab some more of those potato mashers and follow me.
Malarkey, Hall you two, go!
[bullets flying]
[Compton] Running a little low on ammo, sir.
[Winters] How about you, Malarkey?
Okay.
Think you got enough to take the third gun?
We'll soon find out, Dick.
Malarkey, let's go!
Toye, cover!
Okay, Hall, keep your head down.
Hall!
Leave your TNT!
Fire in the hole!
Markey, cover the front!
Go to the cannon, go.
[gunfire]
Hey, Sarge.
I'm looking for battalion headquarters.
Are you kidding?
It's back thataway.
You mean over--
[Winters] Fire in the hole!
[German radio chatter]
TNT!
Don't need it.
What?
Don't need it!
Hall!
Hall?
Where'd he come from?
Winters, Hester said you needed ammo!
Malarkey!
As much as you can, everyone!
You mind if D Company takes a shot at the next gun?
All yours.
Let's go, Dog Company!
Up and at 'em, D Company.
Compton!
[Compton] Who is that, Speirs?
[Winters] What's he doing out of the trench?
[Compton] Oh, what the hell's he doing?
[soldiers screaming]
Oh, Jesus.
Sir, had a little trouble getting through that first field.
Oh, Christ.
We're gonna need it at the next gun.
Once it's blown, tell 'em to pull out.
-Go! -Yes, sir.
[Winters] Compton, police them both, then pull out!
Lorraine, Toye, move out!
Move out! Move out! move it out!
MGs first.
Fall back to your original positions.
Everyone else, maintain your base of fire.
Okay, back to battalion!
Go, go!
[Winters] They were 105s, not 88s, sir.
We disabled them and pulled out.
I figure there's maybe 40 or so krauts
still manning three MG-42s to the rear.
Hey, Popeye.
[soldier] Watch it!
Forty?
Yes, sir.
We killed maybe around 20, so, yeah, probably there's 40 left.
I think we need artillery, or maybe mortars might do the job.
[jeep honks]
Going my way?
Sure.
Sir.
Careful, don't hurt yourself.
Nice ride you got here, Nix.
[Nixon] Straight from Utah Beach.
We should put 'em to work before they're missed.
[Winters] By nightfall, 2nd battalion had secured Sainte-Marie-du-Mont,
and elements of the 4th Division were beginning to move men and material inland.
[soldier screaming in pain]
Most of the 101st Airborne, including Easy Company,
were still scattered all over Normandy,
and the success of the invasion was far from certain.
We had an hour to rest and scrounge whatever food we could
before we had to move south and secure the town of Courville.
[engine sputtering]
[soldier 1] I don't wanna die in the back of this damn truck, is what.
[soldier 2] Come on, you're stepping on my legs.
Jesus, let me out of here.
[Compton] Light, light discipline.
Guarnere, close that flap.
Let the krauts cook their own goddamn food.
-How are we doing, Malark? -We're doing good.
-Doing good? -Yeah.
What do you know about cooking, you're Irish.
If you have a reservation someplace else--
Just start dishing it.
-Thank you. -Shit.
[indistinct conversation]
Jesus Christ, give me some air.
[soldiers laughing]
Evening.
Hello, sir.
Did something die in here?
-Yeah, Malarkey's ass. -[laughter]
Uh… Any word on Lieutenant Meehan yet, sir?
No, not yet.
Don't that make you our commanding officer, sir?
Yeah, it does.
Sir?
Joe, the lieutenant don't drink.
It's been a day of firsts.
Don't you think, Guarnere?
Yes, sir.
Carry on.
Goodnight, sir.
Oh, Sergeant?
Sir?
I'm not a Quaker.
If he's from Lancaster County, he's probably a Mennonite.
What's a Mennonite?
[Nixon] Hey!
-Dick. -[soldier] Wait up!
-What? -You know that map you found?
It had every kraut gun in Normandy on it.
-Oh, yeah? -Yeah.
Here.
Don't ever get a cat.
What's on your mind?
I lost a man today.
Oh.
Hall.
Thanks. A John Hall, New Yorker.
Got killed today at Brécourt.
I never knew him.
Yeah, you did.
Radio-op, 506th basketball team, Able Company.
He was a good man.
"Man."
Not even old enough to buy a beer.
[sighs wearily]
Not hungry.
Hey, Dick.
I sent that map up to division.
I think it's gonna do some good.
[somber music playing]
[Winters] That night I took time to thank God
for seeing me through that day of days,
and prayed I would make it through D Plus 1.
And if, somehow, I managed to get home again,
I promised God, and myself,
that I would find a quiet piece of land someplace
and spend the rest of my life in peace.
[theme music playing] my life in peace.