It was three years since Lewis Nixon and I decided to join the paratroops.
And more than a year since we went to war.
Not knowing what would happen to us. How long we'd be fighting.
Where we'd end up.
I certainly didn 't expect to find myself in a place like this.
l thought it might be you.
Morning.
l heard reports about a redheaded Eskimo.
Thought l'd check it out.
Come to join me for a morning swim?
-Yeah. -You know me so well.
Here. lt's from Zielinski.
Oh, great.
What is that?
Ran into the regimental photographer.
Said he had all these photographs of the 506th. . .
. . .going all the way back to Toccoa.
-l traded them for a couple of Lugers. -That's a bargain.
-What will you do after this? -Get some breakfast.
No. After, after.
Funny you should mention it. l had a meeting with Col. Sink.
-Really? -Yeah.
Yeah, discussed the possibility of staying.
ln the Army?
Yeah. Yeah, as a career.
What'd you say?
l said l'd think about it.
-What do you think about New Jersey? -New Jersey?
There's a company in Nixon, New Jersey called Nixon Nitration Works.
-Sounds picturesque. -Yeah, well. . .
. . .oddly enough, l know the owners.
Probably gonna expect me to make something of myself.
l thought maybe l'd drag you with me.
Are you offering me a job?
We'll see how your interview goes, but a man of your qualifications. . .
. . .l think can scrape something up commensurate with your current salary.
Yeah, l'll think about it.
l. . . . l really appreciate it.
Yeah, just think about it.
Yeah.
Job offers.
Hard to fathom.
And the war wasn 't even over.
I was still getting used to hot showers and morning swims.
We'd entered Bavaria in early May with the hopes of capturing Berchtesgaden.
This famous town, high in the Alps, was the Nazi Party's symbolic home.
The heads of the Third Reich had houses there.
Though Hitler was dead, he had ordered the SS...
... to mount a guerilla resistance against the Allied advance from it.
The first step was blocking the roads.
-When do the engineers arrive? -Half an hour ago.
We're stuck here until they do, Nix.
lf you're the SS, you won't let us waltz into Hitler's house.
Probably throw rocks yourself.
Easy Company is willing to find another way up.
Duly noted. l recommended you to Col. Sink.
-Let's find out where Hitler lived. -Ron.
We don't know what's there. The colonel doesn't want us taking risks.
So the French will beat us to the Eagle's Nest?
l just had a talk with Gen. LeClerc.
He said he was first into Paris and wanted to be first into Berchtesgaden.
Told him l understood his point.
Now you outflank that French son of a bitch.
Yes, sir.
Easy Company leads. Assemble on the Autobahn.
Yes, sir.
Eerie.
Not even any natives.
That's because in this town you can't deny being a true Nazi.
-What do you mean? -You have to be to live here.
We need to find some place we can put the colonel.
How about right there?
No, no.
Wow.
Kitty would love this.
How many brides get a wedding present from Hitler?
You wanna take half?
l can't carry all this.
Whoever comes after us will take what isn't nailed down.
Well. Wouldn't want that to happen.
-Nice. -Don't even think about it.
-Maj. Winters. Sir. -More.
-Permission to climb the mountain? -What is this?
Wait one minute.
Have F Company guard the hotel. Set up roadblocks west of town.
l want Battalion HQ, seal the north, prepare for prisoners.
-Sgt. Grant. -And Harry. . .
. . .nobody gets hurt, not now.
And Easy?
Easy will head up through the Obersalzburg. . .
. . .and take the Eagle's Nest.
Hi-yo, Silver!
Yeah! Currahee!
The Eagle's Nest was Hitler's birthday present, built with Nazi Party money.
A mountaintop stone retreat 8000 feet up...
...accessible by a gold-plated elevator.
It was one of the crown jewels of his empire...
...and he was afraid of heights.
Here's to him.
No, goddamn it, listen.
Hitler, Hitler-- No.
Hitler, Himmler, Goering, Goebbels and the pope walk into a bar--
-Because he drinks too much-- -That's how it starts.
Hey, Adolf! Love your Eagle's Nest. l hope you don't mind.
We made ourselves at home. Love what you did with the place. Have a drink.
Come on. Just so we can say we saw you do it.
Listen up.
From Corps, just came in. ''All troops stand fast on present positions. ''
-Standing fast. -What does that mean?
Wanna hear it?
Ready for it? Listen up. German army's surrendered.
l got a present for you. Come on.
ls it? Yeah?
-What is this place? -Goering's house.
We found it yesterday. Had it on guard since.
-l'll vouch for that. -Eager to get off duty?
No, there's just so much to see and do, sir.
1 0,000 bottles of the finest liquor, wine and champagne...
...helped Easy Company mark the day the war in Europe ended.
lt's all yours.
Take what you want and have each company take a truckload.
We're going to Austria. You don't have to leave anything.
-Austria, sir? -Happy V-E Day.
Yeah.
V-E Day?
Victory in Europe.
Happy V-E Day.
Instead of a combat unit, we became an occupation force.
No one wanted to leave Berchtesgaden. Until they saw Austria.
So you reckon they'll make us run up those or ski down them?
Hey, how are you? Need a hand there?
Hi! Hi! He loves you.
Hey, lady, how are you?
l think the war is over!
We'll be comfortable here.
What will happen to us, to people like you and me. . .
. . .when there are finally no more wars to occupy us?
Have your men collect weapons.
Leave them at the church, school and airfield.
Very well.
Please accept this as my formal surrender, major.
lt is better than to lay it on the desk of a clerk.
You may keep your sidearm, colonel.
Heroic Army and Marine force dead mark the battlefield of Okinawa...
... where a bloody engagement is being fought.
Thousands of Yanks have been wounded or sacrificed their lives...
... to drive a fanatical foe from this base.
The Yanks progress slowly, facing one of the fiercest barrages of the war.
Each advance is gained by sheer grit in the face of withering fire...
...from a suicidal enemy being hammered back into the hills.
The going is brutal and casualties are high...
...but Okinawa is the next step towards victory over Japan.
A victory that can only be won by work, war bonds and heroic sacrifice.
-So when are we going? -We don't have a date yet.
Are we to tell the men right away?
Some have enough points to go home.
Not many, if their only medal's a Purple Heart.
l think most of us here will have enough.
Each of us will decide what to do. l don't know how long we'll wait. . .
. . .but l want those who are staying, and all replacements, ready to fight.
That means rifle ranges. Daily close-order drills.
Troop reviews. Above all, physical training. Get your NCOs on it.
They're gonna love you.
What are you crouching for, Perco?
-Think the deer's gonna shoot back? -Leave me alone.
How about y'all just shut up. Let Shifty kill us some dinner.
What's wrong? Tired of eating dried-up spuds three times a day?
l got an idea. Why don't we just shoot Bull and feed the company for a week?
Oh, goddamn it, Shifty.
You let him get away. Army ought to be glad to be rid of you.
l wish. Seems they want me to stay around a while.
-Serious? -How many points you need?
-Fifteen. -Fifteen?
Jesus Christ, l thought l had it bad.
No Purple Hearts, never was injured.
-Company! -Platoon!
Attention!
Right shoulder. . .
. . .arms!
Order. . .
. . .arms!
At ease.
Gen. Taylor knows many veterans, including Normandy veterans. . .
. . .do not have the 85 points needed to be discharged.
On this anniversary of D-Day, he authorized a lottery. . .
. . .to send one man home in each company, effective immediately.
For Easy Company, the winner is. . .
Come on, come on, come on.
. . .serial number 1 3066266.
-Sgt. Darrell C. Powers. -Shifty.
That's how it's done, Shifty.
Congratulations, Shifty.
Sgt. Grant will see 2nd Platoon takes over the checkpoint. . .
. . .beginning tonight at 2200.
-So much for our anniversary. -No shit.
Gen. Taylor also announced the 1 01 st Airborne Division. . .
. . .will definitely be redeployed to the Pacific.
So beginning tomorrow at 0600, we will begin training to go to war.
Come in.
l don't mean to interrupt you, sir. l just wanted to say goodbye.
You know, you was. . . .
You was. . . .
Well, it's been a long time.
-You got everything you need? -l gathered up my loot.
Pistols, mainly. Paperwork's all done.
l even got my back pay in my pocket.
Back home in Virginia. . . .
Well. . . .
l just don't rightly know how l'm gonna explain all this.
You see, l. . . .
l seen. . . . l seen. . . .
You're a hell of a fine soldier, Shifty.
There's nothing more to explain.
Thank you, sir.
Two days later, Shifty Powers was on a truck headed for a boat home.
Unfortunately, the truck was hit head-on by a drunken corporal.
Shifty had a broken pelvis, a broken arm and a bad concussion.
He survived, but spent months in a series of hospitals.
I wish I could say he was our only casualty in Austria.
l've decided. l got the points, l'm going back to Kitty.
Do you really think Kitty hasn't run off with some 4-F by now?
Son of a bitch. That's not even funny.
Harry, ignore him.
How do l tell her l could have come home, but decided to jump on Tokyo?
All right, so don't tell her.
She waited for three years. We'll be back in two years, three tops.
lt'll be over before you get there.
You'll be here six months waiting, and l'll be in Wilkes-Barre making babies.
-You didn't tell him? -l couldn't shut him up.
What? Tell me what?
-Guts and Glory asked for a transfer. -What?
1 3th Airborne are heading out for the Pacific right away.
lf l'm going, l wanna get it over with.
-Are you in on this? -l can't let him go by himself.
You're leaving the men?
They don't need me anymore.
Wounded in Normandy?
Yes, sir. ln the leg. lt was a minor flesh wound.
-Company E lost 24 men killed there. -Yes, sir.
Seventeen were in my commander's plane. lt went down on D-Day.
You were given command of the company on D-Day?
That's right.
Fall back to your original positions!
Everyone else maintain your pace of fire!
ln Holland, they bumped you to Battalion XO.
Yes, sir.
Bastards took your company away.
l fired my last shots there.
For the whole damn war?
Yes, sir.
You got through Bastogne without firing your weapon?
That is correct, sir.
-You were on the line the whole time? -Yes, sir.
Can't imagine a tougher test for a leader.
Having to sit through a siege like that, under those conditions.
-We got through it. -Find some cover!
Find some cover! Find a foxhole! Come on, take cover!
Take cover!
Come on, find some cover!
-So why do you want a transfer? -Sorry, sir?
Why do you want to leave your men?
lt's not that. lf the war was still on and l could do some good. . . .
Looking to have your own division some day?
No, sir.
-Not gonna make a career of the Army? -No.
Ye-- Well, l don't know, sir.
lf you think you need more experience to get stars on your helmet. . .
. . .let me tell you something, son:
You've done enough.
Thank you, sir. That's not my objective.
l took this meeting out of respect for your achievements.
And for the 1 01 st.
lf they do go to the Pacific eventually. . .
. . .you should be running one of the battalions.
Thank you, sir.
And frankly, your men earned the right to keep you around.
Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.
I would stay in Austria for the time being, waiting for orders...
...and trying to watch over soldiers with no enemy to fight.
-Lieb, l fucking hate this. -Oh, Jesus Christ. They fingered him.
One of the Polacks at the slave camps said this is where he lives.
-Which camp? -Whatever camp.
l'm under direct orders and l'm happy to follow it.
-ls this a personal thing, Joe? -What?
-ls this personal to you? -No, it's a goddamn order.
-Does Maj. Winters know? -Doesn't matter.
The fuck it doesn't. What if he's just a soldier? What if he's innocent?
What if he's commandant of a slave camp?
Which camp? You don't have any proof.
Were you at Landsberg?
You know l was.
Think he's a soldier like you and me? A fucking innocent German officer?
Where the hell you been for the past three years?
What?
Shut up.
Don't fucking lie to me.
See what you did to my fucking people!
That's it.
He's guilty.
-Liebgott says so. -He probably is.
Damn son of a bitch.
Shoot him.
-Shoot him! -No.
-Officers don't run. -The war's over. Anybody would run.
Summer in this Alpine paradise should've been a relief.
Especially now that we were at peace. Everyone just wanted to go home.
-France. France was the best. -Really?
Yeah.
Five years. l think l was in every country, but France was the best.
ltaly would be second for me. Russia is not desirable.
Ukraine, it was okay.
So when do you get out?
The unit is discharged. We leave when my captain gets transferred.
-lt is the end of my second war. -Jesus!
-l'm going home, to Mannheim. -l'll take this one.
Okay.
Hey, Webster. My relief.
-Don't salute the Germans. -Come on. l get a kick out of it.
Anyway, l got me a new enemy. The Japs.
Seventy-five points. How about you? You're a Toccoa guy, right?
-How many you got? -Wouldn't you like to know?
Discharged, huh?
-Go ahead, take off. lt's my turn. -Okay. See you at the farm.
Eighty-one.
l have 81 points.
Well, that's just not good enough.
See about getting you a ride.
Hey. Hey. Where are they going?
Munich.
Wanna go to Munich?
Get in.
Too bad.
Turn the wheel!
Oh, Jesus.
lt's Pvt. Janovec.
He was dead when they brought him in.
Seventy-five points.
-What? -He was 1 0 points short.
The enemy had surrendered, but somehow men were still dying.
Men who wanted to be home by now...
... who 'd served since before Normandy, were stuck because they lacked points.
They did have plenty of weapons, alcohol and time on their hands.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a guy jumps out of the hedgerow. . .
. . .shoves a knife against his throat and screams, ''Whose side are you on?''
l don't get it.
lt's D-Day. lt's 2nd Platoon's own Bill Guarnere.
Old Gonorrhea himself. Just landed in Normandy and all wound up.
''Whose side?'' What a character.
What happened to him?
Got his leg blown off in Bastogne.
Wait here.
You okay, Mac? You need some help?
They wouldn't give me any gas.
Krauts.
l tried to explain.
This fucking limey wouldn't listen.
l think he was a major.
-Look, private, we got a problem here. -Do you have any gas?
Why don't you give me your weapon?
Well, l guess l'll just use his jeep. l don't think he's gonna need it.
Hold on a second, all right?
Jesus!
Sarge! Sgt. Grant!
Sarge!
-Jesus. -What?
He's not gonna make it.
-You can't operate? -You'd need a brain surgeon.
And even if you had one, l don't think there's any hope.
Find the shooter, alive. Help me. We're gonna go find a brain surgeon.
He wants noncoms guarding roadblocks and men watching roads out of town.
Bull, Malark, take a squad and a witness to search houses.
-Can we shoot this bastard on sight? -Try and take him alive.
Where's Grant now?
They took him to a Kraut hospital to find a good doctor.
Open up.
Come with me.
-Why? -Get in the jeep.
-Where are we going? -To the hospital. Get in.
lf you're going to shoot, shoot. lf not, put the gun away.
Get in the jeep, now.
-What happened to him? -He was shot in the head.
Half-hour ago.
-Come on. -lf you want him to live, help me.
First, by putting that away.
-Let's go. -Let me drive.
We'll get there faster.
All right, see what we got here.
Jesus. Again, what a hand.
-Who's being beaten worse, me or him? -Wanna play a different game?
Same game, just shuffle them up good, huh?
-You all right? -Yeah, l'm all right.
Wanna go in there and join in?
l should go in and stop this.
Floyd, let's just play cards, all right?
-Where is he? -How's Grant?
-He okay? -Where is he?!
This him?
That's him.
Replacement. l Company.
Where's the weapon?
What weapon?
When you talk to an officer, you say ''sir. ''
Have the MPs take care of this piece of shit.
-Grant's dead? -No.
Kraut surgeon says he's gonna make it.
Hey, tough guy, on your feet. Come on, move.
Get up!
l guess they were Hitler's photo albums. Had a lot of pictures of him.
-You didn't take them? -That's right, sir.
l don't believe you!
l'll be watching you. You're dismissed.
You better not be lying to me.
-What? -Sir. . .
. . .if it's not gonna put you in a bind. . .
. . .l'd like to resign as company first sergeant.
lf l had my choice, l miss being back amongst the men.
l'd be happy to go to staff sergeant, wherever you wanna put me.
l guess you've earned your right to demote yourself.
Thank you, sir.
-Wanna take over Sgt. Grant's platoon? -That would do fine, sir.
All right then, report to Lt. Peacock.
Let me know if he gives you any trouble.
Oh, sir, you make your decision yet?
Yeah, l did.
So, what else is on your mind?
Easy Company will need a commanding officer postwar.
Somebody to keep them from killing each other.
That somebody better know what they're doing.
l couldn't agree more.
lt's irresponsible to leave them in the wrong hands.
They're too much of a valuable resource to the military.
You've decided to stay in the Army?
Yes, l'm gonna stay with the men.
Well, l'm glad to hear it.
So some of us would stay by choice.
Others were stuck, unless we could find excuses to send them away.
lt's an airborne exhibition. They have each Allied plane used in the war.
Uh-huh.
l mean, yes, sir.
You'll be an adviser to make sure they get it right.
-l understand, sir. -Sorry it's not a hospitable location.
No, Paris is just fine, if you need me to go. Someone has to be there.
We do. We absolutely do.
Your driver will drop you off at a hotel of your choice. . .
. . .and l don't think we'll see you back here anytime soon.
l won't let you down, sir.
Carwood, yes. . . .
You probably know, when the Army gives a man a battlefield commission. . .
. . .they usually don't let him stay with the same company.
Yes, sir. l figured this was coming.
They're afraid the men won't respect him as they would another officer.
Yeah. lt's a good theory, sir.
lt's idiotic. Especially in your case.
Nevertheless, they've let me choose where to reassign you.
l thought Battalion Headquarters might be a good place.
l can think of few better, sir.
Good. Good.
Right now, down at the airfield there is a German general. . .
. . .angry about having to surrender to Pvt. Heffron from Philly.
-lt's beneath his stature. -Understandable.
Yeah. l thought 2nd Lt. Carwood Lipton from West Virginia. . .
-. . .could soothe his ruffled feathers. -No problem, sir.
Major, is this the type of job l can expect from now on?
Yeah. Yeah. When we're not sunning ourselves by the lake.
Lieutenant.
With your permission, l'd like to address my men.
That'll be fine, general.
-Capt. Sobel. -Maj. Winters.
Capt. Sobel.
We salute the rank, not the man.
Liebgott?
Men, it's been a long war, it's been a tough war.
You have fought bravely, proudly, for your country.
You are a special group. . .
. . .who found in one another a bond. . .
. . .that exists only in combat. . .
. . .among brothers. . .
. . .of shared foxholes.
Held each other in dire moments.
Have seen death and suffered together.
l am proud to have served with each and every one of you.
You deserve long and happy lives in peace.
Towel, towel, towel!
Thanks.
Take a look at these two kids.
What the hell happened to them?
New Jersey, huh?
Yeah.
Think about it.
Yeah, l am.
You awake yet?
Awake?
Time to go to bed.
Come on, Jimmy.
-Nice play. -We got one down.
-Come on, Pee Wee. Get Webster. -Come on, Pee Wee, let's get him.
Buck Compton came back to let us know he was all right.
He became a prosecutor in Los Angeles.
He convicted Sirhan Sirhan...
...and was later appointed to the California Court of Appeals.
David Webster wrote for The Saturday Evening Post and Wall Street Journal. . .
...and later wrote a book about sharks.
In 1961, he went out on the ocean alone, and was never seen again.
Go, go, go! Yeah!
Johnny Martin would return to his railroad job...
...and then start a construction company.
He splits his time between Arizona and a place in Montana.
George Luz became a handyman in Providence, RI.
And as a testament to his character...
... 1 600 people attended his funeral in 1998.
Doc Roe died in Louisiana in 1998.
He'd been a construction contractor.
Frank Perconte returned to Chicago and worked a postal route as a mailman.
Joe Liebgott returned to San Francisco and drove his cab.
Bull Randleman was one of the best soldiers I ever had.
He went into the earth-moving business in Arkansas. He's still there.
Alton More returned to Wyoming with a unique souvenir:
Hitler's personal photo albums.
He was killed in a car accident in 1958.
Floyd Talbert we all lost touch with...
...until he showed up at a reunion just before his death in 198 1.
How we lived our lives after the war was as varied as each man.
Carwood Lipton became an executive directing factories across the world.
He has a nice life in North Carolina.
Harry Welsh, he married Kitty Grogan.
Became an administrator for the Wilkes-Barre, PA school system.
Ronald Speirs stayed in the Army, served in Korea.
In 1958, returned to Germany as governor of Spandau Prison.
He retired a lieutenant colonel.
-Get them round. -All right, Webster.
Easy Company. School circle!
For Easy Company, it was D-Day plus 434.
A fast man would've had it, Perco.
Listen up. Got some news.
Today, President Truman received the surrender from the Japanese.
War's over.
Regardless of points, medals or wounds...
...each man in the 1 01st Airborne would be going home.
Each of us would be forever connected by our shared experience.
And each would have to rejoin the world as best he could.
Lewis Nixon had tough times after the war.
He was divorced a few times.
In 1956 he married a woman named Grace and everything came together.
He spent his life with her, traveling the world.
My friend Lew died in 1995.
I took his job offer and was a manager at Nixon Nitration Works...
...until I was called into service in 1950 to train officers.
I chose not to go to Korea. I'd had enough of war.
I stayed around Hershey, PA, finally finding a little farm...
...a little peaceful corner of the world, where I still live today.
And not a day goes by that I do not think of the men I served with...
... who never got to enjoy the world without war.
lt's a very unusual feeling.
lt's a very unusual happening and a very unusual bonding.
We could depend on each other.
And so we were a close-knit group.
So brave, it was unbelievable.
l don't know anybody l admire more. . .
. . .than Bill Guarnere and Joe Toye.
They were very special.
l'm just one part of the big war. One little part.
And l'm proud to be a part of it. Sometimes it makes me cry.
The real men, the real heroes. . .
. . .are those buried over there and buried at home.
You thought you could do just about anything.
After the war. . .
. . .you lost a lot of that. At least l did. l lost that confidence.
You was hoping to stay alive. That's all.
Henry V was talking to his men.
He said, ''From this day. . .
. . .to the ending of the world. . .
. . .we in it shall be remembered.
We lucky few, we band of brothers.
For he who today sheds his blood with me. . .
. . .shall be my brother. ''
Do you remember. . .
. . .the letter that Mike Ranney wrote me?
You do?
Do you remember how he ended it?
''l cherish the memories. . .
. . .of a question my grandson asked me the other day. . .
. . .when he said, 'Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?'
Grandpa said, 'No. . .
. . .but l served in a company of heroes.' ''
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