England: Lost 1943
They were lost. Again. It didn't really surprise the guys of Easy who had been placed under Sobel's command for the maneuver for the day. George Luz happened to be one of the 'lucky' few who had the honor of following Captain Chickenshit around the background of England. They all felt sorry for Tipper who was in charge of handling the maps and paperwork for Sobel as well. Every time they turned around the chickenshit was demanding to see the map. It was really no surprise when the Captain called for a halt as the platoon came fast first with a barbed wire fence. What made it even more priceless was the fact that he had decided to wear not the required uniform of a paratrooper, but the rather obnoxious fighter pilot jacket he had somehow acquired. It was all the men could do to keep from laughing their asses off openly in front of him.
As the men came to a halt they instantly took a knee in a 'U' shaped pattern so all sides were watched for the enemy. "Why is there a fence here?" Sobel asked, shocked, as he glanced down at the barbed wire strands. "There shouldn't be a fence here." Turning back toward the men, ignoring the man beside of him, he started yelling. "Tipper! Tipper give me th-" at the tapping of the mapcase on his arm he turned toward him. "The map."
Aggravated, Sobel flipped the case open only giving it a glance before turning back toward the platoon. "Perconte. Luz. Get the men..Get the...Take cover behind those trees!"
George and Frank exchanged glances before standing. "Come on guys. Move out! Come on move!"
Still at the fence Sobel stared down at the mapcase using his finger to trace over the lines. "There shouldn't be a fence here."
Hix Xo cleared his throat. "We, uh, could always go over it, sir."
"Really," Sobel said giving the man a flat stare. "That's not the point. Where the God damned-! Where the God damned hell are we?"
Once the men were out of hearing distance from the Black Swan, one of the men sighed. "Hey. Perconte- Sobel's lost again ain't he?"
Frank snorted, "Yeah. He's lost." It was the twinkle in his eye that got a raised brow. "Hey! Hey, Luz!"
Shouldering his rifle George pushed his way over to his friend. "Yeah?"
The twinkle in Perco's eyes was still there as he gave a wry grin. "Can you do Major Horton?" Thankfully George just snorted and did his best impression of the Major. "Does a wild bear crap in the woods, son?" All about them the men snorted and chuckled.
"Shh," Perco hushed them. "Think the good Major can goose this schmuck? Get us movin?"
For a moment George stood there stunned. A shy little smile crossed his face as he motioned toward where Sobel was standing, "Geeze I don't know.."
Skip and the others were right behind him. "Come on! You gotta, Luz! You gotta!"
"All righty. Just this once." As the men took a knee and encouraged him on, Luz tried his best to shush them.
Meanwhile, back at the fence, Sobel muttered to himself as he read the grid. "Three point six..three, three. Isn't that the intersection?"
Tipper gave a small sigh and watched. "No, sir, it's here. You're a full grid off."
Sobel raised a hand and rubbed at his brow under his helmet. "Damnit."
"Is there a problem, Captain Sobel?" 'Major Horton' called out.
Instantly the man rounded on the hiding spot. "Who said that? Who broke silence?!
Tipper snorted a little laugh. "I think it's Major Horton, sir." He had to duck his head as Sobel turned toward him white as a ghost. ".....Major Horton?" his CO croaked. "Wh-what is he? Did he join us?"
"I think..maybe he's moving through the platoons sir?" Tip was going to have to buy George a beer for t his one.
"What is the God Damned hold up Mister Sobel?!" Trying his best, Luz shushed the guys about him. If they blew this they were all dead.
Sobel replied, "A fence, sir! We're, ah...god...A barbed wire fence, sir!"
"Oh that dog just ain't gonna hunt! Now you cut that fence and get this God Damned platoon on th' move!"
There was a moments pause as Sobel stared shocked toward where the Major was. "Yes, sir!" Rounding on Evans he demanded his wire cutters. Within a matter of minutes the platoon was on the move again and Sobel none the wiser.
As the men came to a halt they instantly took a knee in a 'U' shaped pattern so all sides were watched for the enemy. "Why is there a fence here?" Sobel asked, shocked, as he glanced down at the barbed wire strands. "There shouldn't be a fence here." Turning back toward the men, ignoring the man beside of him, he started yelling. "Tipper! Tipper give me th-" at the tapping of the mapcase on his arm he turned toward him. "The map."
Aggravated, Sobel flipped the case open only giving it a glance before turning back toward the platoon. "Perconte. Luz. Get the men..Get the...Take cover behind those trees!"
George and Frank exchanged glances before standing. "Come on guys. Move out! Come on move!"
Still at the fence Sobel stared down at the mapcase using his finger to trace over the lines. "There shouldn't be a fence here."
Hix Xo cleared his throat. "We, uh, could always go over it, sir."
"Really," Sobel said giving the man a flat stare. "That's not the point. Where the God damned-! Where the God damned hell are we?"
Once the men were out of hearing distance from the Black Swan, one of the men sighed. "Hey. Perconte- Sobel's lost again ain't he?"
Frank snorted, "Yeah. He's lost." It was the twinkle in his eye that got a raised brow. "Hey! Hey, Luz!"
Shouldering his rifle George pushed his way over to his friend. "Yeah?"
The twinkle in Perco's eyes was still there as he gave a wry grin. "Can you do Major Horton?" Thankfully George just snorted and did his best impression of the Major. "Does a wild bear crap in the woods, son?" All about them the men snorted and chuckled.
"Shh," Perco hushed them. "Think the good Major can goose this schmuck? Get us movin?"
For a moment George stood there stunned. A shy little smile crossed his face as he motioned toward where Sobel was standing, "Geeze I don't know.."
Skip and the others were right behind him. "Come on! You gotta, Luz! You gotta!"
"All righty. Just this once." As the men took a knee and encouraged him on, Luz tried his best to shush them.
Meanwhile, back at the fence, Sobel muttered to himself as he read the grid. "Three point six..three, three. Isn't that the intersection?"
Tipper gave a small sigh and watched. "No, sir, it's here. You're a full grid off."
Sobel raised a hand and rubbed at his brow under his helmet. "Damnit."
"Is there a problem, Captain Sobel?" 'Major Horton' called out.
Instantly the man rounded on the hiding spot. "Who said that? Who broke silence?!
Tipper snorted a little laugh. "I think it's Major Horton, sir." He had to duck his head as Sobel turned toward him white as a ghost. ".....Major Horton?" his CO croaked. "Wh-what is he? Did he join us?"
"I think..maybe he's moving through the platoons sir?" Tip was going to have to buy George a beer for t his one.
"What is the God Damned hold up Mister Sobel?!" Trying his best, Luz shushed the guys about him. If they blew this they were all dead.
Sobel replied, "A fence, sir! We're, ah...god...A barbed wire fence, sir!"
"Oh that dog just ain't gonna hunt! Now you cut that fence and get this God Damned platoon on th' move!"
There was a moments pause as Sobel stared shocked toward where the Major was. "Yes, sir!" Rounding on Evans he demanded his wire cutters. Within a matter of minutes the platoon was on the move again and Sobel none the wiser.