It was a situation there where everybody was happy to see the war coming to an end,
and the Germans didn't really have that much of a heart for it,
and they realized that the end was there.
They used to say that the only good Kraut was a dead one.
But there was something in there that, you know, hey that was a kid.
Most of 'em were kids, we all were kids.
They had a job to do the same way as me,
so, we went about and did the job that we had to do.
I think we thought that the Germans
were probably the evilest people in the world.
But…
As the war went along,
we found out also that it wasn't the Germans, per se.
A lot of those, a lot of those soldiers, I've thought about this often,
that man and I might have been good friends.
We might have had a lot in common.
He might have liked to fish, you know, he might have liked to hunt.
Uh, you never know, you know.
Of course, they were doing what they were supposed to do,
And I was trying to do what I was supposed to do.
But, uh, under different circumstances we might have been good friends.
[theme music playing]
[playing melancholic tune]
-That way. -[woman crying]
[Luz] Tell you one thing about the Krauts.
They sure clean up good.
Yeah, all you need's a little Mozart.
Beethoven.
-Sorry, sir? -That's not Mozart.
That's Beethoven.
[cow mooing]
[chickens clucking]
[Perconte] Come on, chicken.
All right, this one's got some, George.
You, uh…
You grab the chicken and I'm gonna grab the eggs.
Great, all right.
Just grab him by the foot.
Come on, chicken.
All right, if this thing bites me, Frank, I swear I'll shoot it.
[greeting in German]
Hold on! hold…
-But, George… -I'll be right back.
Hold on a second, hold on.
Hey, hey, hey, come on. I just wanna talk to ya.
I just wanna talk to you, that's all, I just wanna talk.
[woman speaking German]
Okay, look what I got, chocolate bar, huh?
You like that? You like chocolate, huh?
Hey, Luz, why don't you leave her alone?
Frank, why don't you just leave me alone, okay?
You don't like chocolate?
I don't like chocolate either. How about this?
Cigarettes. Camel?
-Yeah, you like that, huh? -Come on, Luz.
Frank, please, why don't you go make your omelet?
Well, you ain't getting none of my eggs, blockhead.
Jesus, my friend just keeps talking.
Here, I got two packs here, give it to your friends or something.
Why don't you come and sit down? Wanna sit down? Here?
Come on, that's it.
[cow mooing]
Hey, Frank, hold on.
Perc, Jesus, come on.
What?
That Captain Nixon?
I think so.
-What the hell's he doing in his harness? -I don't know.
Maybe we jumped into Berlin, the war's over.
Yeah, huh?
So, what happened?
-No dice with the fraulein? -No dice. She smacked me in the mouth.
Tell you what, though. Germany's looking like pretty good
-fraternizing territory, huh? -Yeah.
Did you lose your cigarettes?
[woman] Oh God.
God, ja, ja, ja.
-Oh God. -Hold up, hold up.
[laughing]
-That's right, yeah. -[door opens]
[Speirs] Janovec?
-Shh! -[Speirs] Janovec?
Oh, shit!
Sir.
Where's my stuff?
I thought I'd leave it over there, sir.
[chuckles softly]
[woman chattering in German]
[horn honking]
Over there.
-Here. -[honking]
-Thanks. -You're welcome, sir.
Oh, sir.
Morning, sir.
Morning.
You got a box all this stuff will fit into?
Yes, sir, I think so. Same destination?
Yeah.
Yes, sir, I'll make sure it goes out first thing in the morning.
Thank you, Private.
Your folks are sure gonna have quite a collection by the time you get…
Home, sir.
Finders keepers.
Yes, sir.
[radio playing song]
[sighs]
[Winters knocking] Nix?
Nix?
In here.
Dog.
Making combat jumps with the 17th while I'm in supply briefings all morning?
Yeah, lucky me.
Well, congratulations.
You're probably the only man in the 101st
with three combat stars over his jump wings.
Not bad for someone who's never fired
his weapon in combat, huh?
Really?
-Really, you've never-- -No.
Oh, not even with all the action we've seen?
Not a round.
So, uh…
How'd it go, this morning, the jump?
It was great, fantastic.
We took a direct hit over the drop zone.
I got out, two others got out.
The rest of the boys?
Well, they blew up over Germany somewhere.
Boom.
Yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry.
About what?
-Well, tough situation for the-- -Oh, yeah, the boys, yeah.
It's terrible.
Oh, well, wasn't me.
You know, the real tragedy is they also lost their CO,
so, guess who gets to write all the letters home?
Goddamn nightmare.
Got a visit from Colonel Sink this morning.
Mmm?
And how is the good colonel?
Concerned.
Still drinking nothing but the Vat 69, huh?
Only the finest for Mrs. Nixon's baby boy.
[chuckles]
That a problem up at Regiment?
What, this?
Is that what he said?
No, I just don't like it up there.
Good, so you'll be happy to hear
that Sink is transferring you back down to battalion S-3.
What do you think I should write to these parents, Dick?
Hear what I said, Nix? You've been demoted.
Yeah, demoted, got you.
'Cause I don't know how to tell them
their kids never even made it out of the goddamn plane.
You tell 'em what you always tell 'em, their sons died as heroes.
You really still believe that?
Yeah.
Yeah, I do.
Don't you?
[scoffs]
[Nixon] "The Co-operative for American Remittance to Europe,
or Care, has begun assembling food packages stateside
to assist those European families in dire need."
Which is presumably all of them.
So, uh, notes home to your family reminding them
to donate whatever they can, would be much appreciated.
I'm sure that you'll be happy to know Oklahoma! is still playing on Broadway.
[all] Yay!
♪ Oklahoma where the wind comes Sweeping down the plain ♪
♪ And the waving wheat Can sure smell sweet ♪
♪ When the wind comes ♪
♪ Right behind the rain ♪
[laughing]
O'Keefe, you were sitting on your bayonet there?
Why don't you leave the singing to Luz?
Hey, unless you wanna do like,
"Surrey with the Fringe on Top", O'Keefe.
Rita Hayworth's getting married.
[soldier] Oh, Rita, say it isn't true.
Abbott and Costello…
Wartime news.
"Resistance in the Ruhr pocket's crumbling.
It looks like there might be a breakout in Remagen."
Apparently the Krauts forgot to blow up one of their bridges
when they headed back over the line.
I guess the boys in the 17th Airborne did okay after all.
Ah, forget it, we'd be in Berlin by now, sir,
if it was us instead of them, huh?
That's right!
So, when d'you think we're gonna jump into Berlin, see some real action?
You in a rush?
No.
So, what, you wanna go home
with a Congressional Medal of Honor or something?
No, I just thought I'd ask.
Yeah, well, why don't you do us all a favor?
Don't think.
Damn replacements.
Mmm…
[speaking other language]
[Perconte whistling]
-Hallelujah. -'Bout time.
[Perconte] Yeah, well, consider yourselves lucky.
Nixon was giving another "current events" lecture.
So, tell me nothing's happening.
Nothing's happening.
Couple of artillery rounds at dawn, probably from across the river, but…
That's about it. It spooked Hashey, though.
[chuckles softly]
Here, Perco, I just finished it.
Oh, yeah, any sex in it?
Ain't that kind of book.
See ya.
Yeah, see ya.
[sighs]
[soldier] Okay, move on.
[objects clattering]
Hey, O'Brien. Relax, would you, I'm trying to read.
It's O'Keefe.
-Is that right? -Yeah.
Patrick O'Keefe. My friends call me Paddy.
[humming "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain"]
[continues humming]
Hey, O'Brien.
Shut up!
I told you it's O'Keefe.
D'you know why no one remembers your name?
It's 'cause no one wants to remember your name.
There's too many Smiths, DiMattos and O'Keefes
and O'Briens who show up here, replacing Toccoa men,
that you dumb replacements got killed in the first place.
And they're all like you.
They're all piss and vinegar.
"Where are the Krauts at?"
"Let me at 'em." "When will I get to jump into Berlin?"
Two days later, there they are,
With their blood and guts hanging out
and they're screaming for a medic.
Begging for their goddamn mother.
Them dumb fucks don't even know they're dead yet.
Hey, are you listening to me?
D'you understand that this is the best part of fucking war I've seen?
I got hot chow, hot showers, warm bed.
Germany is almost as good as being home.
I even got to wipe my ass with real toilet paper today.
So, quit asking about when you're gonna see some action, will ya?
And stop with the fucking love songs!
When you ship out? A few weeks ago?
Yeah.
It's been two years since I seen home.
Two years.
This fuckin' war.
[Speirs] Neither patrol found a single Kraut. None here either.
They'll be across the river by now.
-Let's send out a night patrol. -[typing]
Check out the embankment on the far side.
[knocking]
[clearing throat] President's dead.
Pair of queens bets.
All right, two bucks.
Nix.
No, I'm out.
All right.
Well, I'll call you two,
and I'll raise you another two.
Oh, I can't believe we're not gonna drop into Berlin.
No shit.
Ike's gonna let the Russkie's have it.
Hah, Russkies.
God damn it.
Let me tell you something, this war is not about fighting anymore.
It's about who gets what.
Why don't you deal me out of the next hand?
What about your money?
Are we waiting on him again?
Yep.
[thunder rumbling]
[dog barking]
[shouting in German]
Goddamn drugstore.
-Sir. -Sir.
Whoa, hey, guys, wait up.
-Hey, Dexter, how you doing? -Good to see you.
You know who that was?
No.
[indistinct chatter]
Morning.
Captain Nixon.
Good to see you, sir.
I think I have some mail for you.
Yeah, I was gonna drop it off this afternoon
with all the other 2nd battalion mail,
but since you're here…
Yeah.
Thanks. Listen,
I'm having some trouble finding some whiskey.
-Whiskey? -Yeah, a particular brand of whiskey.
Vat 69.
Exactly, right.
I gotta be honest with you, sir,
that ain't gonna be easy to find here in Germany.
Pickings are kind of slim here.
-Yeah, don't I know it. -And even if I do find some, sir…
it ain't gonna be cheap.
Well, that won't be a problem.
Hey, Vest, you hear the news?
Sorry, sir, I didn't realize that you were here.
What news?
300,000 Krauts just surrendered.
[whistles] Three hundred?
Yeah, we're moving out in an hour.
-One hour? -Yeah.
Uh, sir, sir.
Your mail.
Keep looking.
Excuse me, pardon me.
Get a move on, let's go.
[soldiers chattering indistinctly]
Jesus Christ, the dog?
Lew?
Cathy's divorcing me.
I'm sorry.
She's taking everything.
She's taking the house,
taking the kid,
She's taking the dog.
It's not even her dog!
It's my dog!
She's taking my dog!
Let's go, load 'em up, come on!
Sarge, what d'you have in here? Germans?
[Speirs] Hey, Perconte.
You got a lighter?
No, sir, I don't smoke.
Hey, where we headed?
We're going to the Alps, let me see that lighter.
The Alps?
Yeah.
-That near Berlin, sir? -No.
That's in Bavaria.
Birthplace of National Socialism.
So, that mean no drop into Berlin?
No drop into Berlin.
Hitler ordered the Waffen-SS to hole up in the mountains
and repel all the invaders.
He wants them to start a guerrilla war.
Invaders. Damn, I like the sound of that.
[Speirs] They'll die the last man trying.
Sir.
What?
My lighter.
All right, nice lighter.
Thanks.
Waffen-SS, huh?
Hey, looks like you're gonna get your wish anyway, O'Flannahy. Those guys
…Fucking crazy.
It's O'Keefe.
[soldiers singing] ♪ He ain't gonna jump no more ♪
♪ Gory, gory, what a helluva way to die ♪
♪ He ain't gonna jump no more ♪
♪ Christ was strapped around his neck Connectors cracked his dome ♪
♪ Suspension lines were tied in knots ♪
♪ Around his scaly bones ♪
♪ The canopy became the shroud He hurdled to the ground ♪
♪ He ain't gonna jump no more ♪
♪ Gory, gory, what a helluva way to die ♪
-You okay, Nix? -Yeah, I'm fine.
♪ He ain't gonna jump no more ♪
She hates that dog.
♪ His blood went spurting high ♪
♪ His comrades they were heard to say "A helluva way to die" ♪
♪ He laid there rolling round In the welter of his gore ♪
♪ He ain't gonna jump no more ♪
♪ Gory, gory, what a helluva way to die ♪
♪ He ain't gonna jump no more ♪
[indistinct chatter]
[Liebgott] There's gonna be good times, Web.
When we get home, I mean.
First thing I'm gonna do is get my job back
at the cab company in Frisco.
Make a killing off all those fucking sailors coming home, you know?
Then I'm gonna find me a nice Jewish girl
with great big, soft titties and a smile to die for.
Marry her,
then I'm gonna buy a house, a big house.
With lots of bedrooms
for all the little Liebgotts we're gonna be making.
She oughtta like that.
Hey, Janovec what ya reading?
Um, an article.
No shit.
What's it about?
It's about why we're fighting the war.
Why are we fighting the war, Janovec?
It seems that the Germans are bad.
Very bad.
You don't say.
The Germans are bad, huh?
Hey, Frank, this guy's reading an article over here,
it says the Germans are bad.
[Liebgott] So, what about you, Web?
You learn something new every day, huh?
I guess I'll finish school first and then, uh…
Wait a minute, finish school?
You mean all this time you've been talking about Harvard this
and Harvard that, and you ain't even finished?
For one thing I haven't told you anything.
Oh.
Yes, yes, I haven't finished. So, the fuck what?
All right, well breathe a little, Jesus.
Fuck.
It's just the way you always talked, you know?
We all figured that…
Hey, you know what, you're right. So, the fuck what?
So, what did you study?
Literature.
Get outta here. You serious?
I love to read.
-Do you? -Yeah.
Dick Tracy, Flash Gordon mostly.
Yeah, fuck.
[door slams]
[indistinct chatter]
[speaking German]
Tell her she's got five minutes.
[speaking German]
Sir, she says they've got nowhere to go, but the house next door is…
Hey, hey, d'you hear this? This guy says he ain't a Nazi.
Why in all of Germany I've never met one Nazi yet?
We're only gonna be here one night. You've got four minutes.
[speaking German]
Come on.
Let's go, go, move!
All of you, out!
[German soldiers marching]
[speaking German]
Look at 'em.
Even in defeat, they still know how to march with pride.
[speaking German]
Hey, you! Hey, you!
That's right, you stupid Kraut bastards!
That's right!
Say hello to Ford and General fucking Motors.
You stupid fascist pigs.
Look at you!
You have horses.
What were you thinking? That's enough, Webster.
Give it a rest.
Dragging our asses half-way around the world,
interrupting our lives.
For what?
You ignorant, servile scum!
What the fuck are we doing here?
Huh?
[yelling in German]
[gunshots]
[chattering]
I wanna send out some patrols.
We'll have dog here in the village. Easy and Fox in the woods.
Easy Company's gonna take the north-west.
-Lieutenant Lipton. -Sir.
Have 1st and 2nd Platoons swing up to the woods.
-Have 3rd swing around. -Yes, sir, 1st Sergeant Talbert.
You're not worried about an ambush, are you?
No.
Just in case we have to stay here for the night.
-O'Keefe. -Sarge.
Why the hell are you so jumpy, boy?
-I'm not jumpy. I'm fine. -Shit. [chuckles]
Can hear your heart pounding in Arkansas, boy.
Jesus Christ, give the kid a break, Bull.
-Hey, George. -Yeah?
Does this kinda remind you of Bastogne?
Yeah, now that you mention it.
Except, of course, there's no snow,
we got warm grub in our bellies,
and the trees aren't fucking exploding from Kraut artillery.
But, yeah, Frank, other than that,
it's a lot like Bastogne.
Right.
[Luz] Bull, smack him for me, please.
Thank you.
[indistinct chatter]
[Nixon] Hello?
Hello?
[gramophone idling]
[glass clinks]
[glass breaks]
[dog barking]
[O'Keefe] It sure is quiet.
[Perconte] He is right, fellas.
[gun cocking]
[birds chirping]
-[Perconte] You seen Foley? -[soldier] No.
Hey, guys. Any of you guys see any of the officers?
-No, speak to Popeye- -Hey Pop.
Popeye, you seen any officers? Nixon, Foley?
Oh, Speirs is searching them buildings right down the street.
What's the matter?
More, more, have you seen any of the officers?
Yeah, Major Winters is right in there.
Are you all right, Frank?
Major Winters, sir. Uh, we found something.
Oh, we're out on patrol and, uh, we came across this.
[Winters] What, what, what, what? Frank, Frank, what is it?
I don't know, sir.
I don't know.
Major, sir.
[Winters] Open it up.
Yes, sir.
Stand back.
Give us some room here, stand back.
Back, back.
[coughing]
Christenson, any of your men speak German?
No, sir.
I need Liebgott, Liebgott!
-Lipton, find me Liebgott. -Yes, sir. Liebgott!
Liebgott!
-Major needs you up front, right now. -Sure.
All right, boys. These people need care.
Give them water and any spare rations you might have.
Grab me some blankets, quick.
Oh, my God.
Dick?
[speaking German]
I'm sorry.
Here, take some water.
Jesus, Web, can you believe this place?
No.
[sobbing]
It's okay.
Better now.
[speaking German]
He said the guards left this morning, sir.
[speaking German]
-They burned some of the huts first. -[speaking German]
With the prisoners still in them, sir…
Alive.
[Nixon] Jesus Christ.
[speaking German]
Some of the prisoners tried to stop them.
Some of them were killed.
They didn't have enough ammo for all the prisoners, so…
They killed as many as they could…
[speaking German]
…before they left the camp.
They locked the gates behind them and headed south.
Someone in town must have told them we were coming.
[Liebgott] Yeah, I think so.
Will you ask him, uh,
ask him what kind of camp this is?
Um, what, uh…
Why are they here?
[speaking German]
He says it's a work camp for, uh…
[speaking German]
I'm not sure what the word means, sir.
Uh, unwanted, disliked maybe?
Criminals?
I don't think criminals, sir.
[speaking German]
No.
Doctors, musicians…
Tailors, clerks,
farmers, intellectuals, I mean, normal people.
[speaking German]
They're Jews.
Poles and gypsies.
[speaking German]
[crying]
Liebgott?
The women's camp is at the next railroad stop.
[crying]
Hey, Babe, come here.
[Malarky] Look at their arms.
Like cattle.
Goddamn.
Ah, Jesus.
[coughing]
O'Keefe?
I'm gonna call Sink.
Find Speirs and figure out how the hell to get them some food:
And water.
[Lipton] Let's go, let's pick up the pace, come on.
Sergeant Martin, get whatever we can fit on the deuce and a half.
Move, let's move.
[speaking German]
Shut up.
Take everything, take it all.
Check the back and shut up!
Check the back and see if there's any kind of a service.
Shut up!
I said shut up, you Nazi fuck!
You're not a Nazi?
My mistake, you fat fucking prick.
How about a human being? Are you one of those?
Or are you gonna tell me that you never smelled the fucking stench?
[speaking German]
Let him go, Web.
He says he doesn't know what the hell you're talking about.
[breath trembling]
Bullshit.
[clamoring]
Sergeant Talbert, this is chaos.
There's plenty to go round, please.
We've got more water on the way.
Dick, Major Winters.
[Winters] Yes, sir.
Sir.
This is Dr. Kent, the regimental surgeon.
Now, Doc, you tell Major Winters and Captain Nixon what you just told me.
Yes, sir. We need to stop giving these men food right now.
They're starving.
If we give them too much to eat too quickly,
they'll eat themselves to death.
We need to keep them in the camp till we can find a place for 'em in town.
You want us to lock these people back up?
-We got no choice, Nix. -Otherwise they might scatter.
We need to keep them centralized
so we can supervise their food intake and medical treatment.
So, until we find some place better…
Colonel Sink.
It's a crying ass shame, but let's get it done.
-Yes, sir. -I don't like it any more than you guys.
General Taylor?
Bob Sink, 506.
Sir, we're on, uh, we're at Landsberg, the other side of Buchloe.
We found something I believe you ought to see, sir.
I can't tell them that, sir.
You've got to, Joe.
Yes, sir.
Grant, Christenson.
These prisoners have to be put back in the camp immediately.
Let the men know.
[speaking German]
[men clamoring]
[church bell tolling]
Turns out I'm staying in the only dry friggin' house in Germany.
[Winters] Thought you weren't drinking the local.
Yeah, well.
Heard from Division.
Been finding camps like this all over the place.
Jesus.
Seems the Russians liberated one a lot worse.
Worse?
Yeah.
Apparently.
Ten times as big.
Execution chambers, ovens.
Oh, for cremating all the bodies.
[exhales] Jesus.
Locals claim that, they never even knew the camp existed.
-They say we're exaggerating. -[scoffs]
Well, they're gonna have a helluva education tomorrow.
General Taylor declared martial law about an hour ago.
Ordered every able-bodied German in town,
aged 14 to 80, to start burying the bodies.
That'll begin in the morning.
10th Armored are gonna supervise clean-up.
What about us?
We head out for, uh…
Thailheim, Thalheim, tomorrow.
1200 hours.
Kerchief, sir?
-What? -No, thanks.
Move along.
Over there.
[coughing]
[man coughing]
[crying]
Hitler's dead.
-Holy shit. -Shot himself in Berlin.
Is the war over, sir?
No.
We have orders to Berchtesgaden.
We're gonna move out in one hour.
Why, the man's not home?
Should've killed himself three years ago. Saved us a lot of trouble.
Yeah, he should've…
But he didn't.
[men playing melancholy tune]
[theme music playing] y tune]