Odds to Endings

Affiliated with ao3 account Odds_and_Endings History, writing, and other assorted interests.

[odds-to-endings]

“We…took a jeep and drove directly to Goering’s officers’ club. Nixon thought that he had died and gone to heaven. I told him, “This is yours. Take what you want, then have each company and battalion headquarters bring around a truck and take a truckload. You are in charge.” I have a picture of Nixon with his stash of liquor next to his bed as he awoke on VE-Day as proof that he did a good job in distributing the liquor, but only after he collected his personal spoils of war. Private David Kenyon Webster penned a different account of Goering’s wine cellar. Webster was shocked to find that “Hitler’s champagne in the cellar was new and mediocre, no Napoleon brandy, no fine liqueurs.” Webster was a Harvard man, a self-styled connoisseur of liquors. So was Nixon, who prided himself on being a Yale man. Before Webster reached the wine cellar, Nixon had already absconded with his personal booty and supervised the distribution of five truck-loads for the troops…On this occasion the Yale man pulled rank on the Harvard boy. Small wonder that Webster was disapointed in what remained. Nixon would have been first to attest that in the army, rank still had its privileges.”

— Major Dick Winters, Beyond Band of Brothers, pg. 221.

[searchingforacircuitbreaker]

Now we know who leaked this picture…

[odds-to-endings]

Laws regarding morals and defining prostitution were broadened in many communities with the encouragement and guidance of Ness’s Social Protection Division of the Federal Security Agency. The overall goal of revising the laws was to control the ability of women to meet and become sexually involved with soldiers. What resulted was a system in which women were hauled into jail for mere suspicion of promiscuity whenever possible. Once there, they were subjected to mandatory VD testing an dheld in jail for days at a time until the test results were returned A study of such women in Seattle in 1944 showed that of the 2,063 women held by Seattle police that year on suspicion of morals violations, 366 (17.3%) were found to have venereal disease. The majority, 1,697 (82.7%) women, were not diseased and yet had to spend four or five days in jail waiting for the results of a VD test. Often, they were released and no formal charges were filed against them, but they were referred to social welfare agencies that would counsel them on proper behavior. It was found that many of the women arrested were married.

-Emily Yellin, Our Mothers’ War

[odds-to-endings]

Some kind of Sunday service was planned for the next morning and when the local vicar arrived, the hall was still in a filthy state with half-empty glasses and bottles lying everywhere. I was in charge of the cleanup operation and was trying to figure out where to start when the priest asked if he could possibly use the stage. As I pulled back the curtains his face changed from a smile to one of total shock! Hidden behind the drapes were about a dozen comatose semi-naked men and women! I just shrugged and started to laugh. But the clergyman however, was most decidedly not amused and stormed off in a huff.

Ed Shames, Airborne

[odds-to-endings]

...The 101st had lost many good men during the liberation of Normandy. The division in total had suffered around 4,000 casualties, with 3rd Battalion, 506th, experiencing the highest percentage. Out of the 575 officers and men who jumped along Ed Shames, 93 were killed, approximately 75 taken prisoner and even more wounded.

-Ian Gardner, Airborne

[odds-to-endings]

As the colonel [Wolverton] was leaving he handed me a white mattress cover. "What do you expect me to do with that, sir?" "They want us to carry and use 'em as body bags to store our own remains should we be killed." "You gotta be joking, colonel. Who thought of that?" "The Medical Detachment - now down't forget, to make it easier for them to identify, you'll need to write your name, rank and serial number somewhere on the outside.

Ed Shames, Airborne

[odds-to-endings]

With my borrowed Thompson in front of me, I sprang through the hedgerow and jumped into the trench. Winters had told me to go take a look, then report back to him-but I figured I could take out the two Germans easily enough first... Halfway along the trench I stopped running and planted myself, the Thompson at hip level. My intent was to spray them both quickly, like...a gangster movie. Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger. There was no way McMillan, the lieutenant with the broken leg, could've known. He hadn't fired his gun after his jump. Somewhere, perhaps on the impact of landing, the Thompson's firing pin had broken. When I pulled the trigger, all I heard was a soft plunk. I racked it back, and a live round popped out. My borrowed machine gun was completely useless. I looked at the Germans. They looked at me...There were two of them and one of me. They were armed to the hilt. I had two knives and a canteen. Immediately from behind me I heard bursts of submachine gun fire. Earlier when I had crawled across the field, I hadn't seen Guarnere sneaking across after me. I've never been sure exactly when Wild Bill joined me. He may have just sprinted across, bold as ever, as soon as I reached the hedgerow. Bill had jumped into the trench behind me and was now firing by my side toward the two Germans.

Lieutenant Buck Compton, Call of Duty

[odds-to-endings]

“Far from beaten, on Sunday June 11, the German Fallschirmjäger Regiment 6 withdrew from Carentan and took up positions southwest of the town. The Germans had been joined by the newly arrived 17.SS-Panzergrenadier-Division...and were planning to break through American lines and recapture St-Côme, thus driving a wedge between Carentan and St-Mère-Église, forcing the 101st Airborne back to the beaches.”

-Ian Gardner, Airborne

For those who have watched Band of Brothers, you can apply the above excerpt to episode 3, “Carentan” - shown in the show is E Company’s refusal to withdraw (credited to Lieutenant Winters, who had yet to receive his official promotion to Captain) after F company withdrew, which forced D company to also withdraw - exposing E co’s right flank. On the other side of F company (to F’s right) was 3rd battalion, where Ed Shames was operating. This engagement is most commonly known as the battle of bloody gulch, although in his own words, Shames calls it “bloody gully”.

[promptdumpster]

Me: “I love this fic! Can’t wait for the next update!”

Fanfiction: “Updated: 1965-06-04.”

[dingdongyouarewrong]

old enough to remember when smut was called ‘lemons’ but young enough that i had absolutely no business knowing that smut was called ‘lemons’ at the time 

[tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors]

gentle reminder that the ‘&’ designation on Ao3 is for platonic relationships and platonic relationships only, and you should use the ‘/’ for any relationship the endgame is romantic for, even if the fic/series starts platonic

this isn’t a callout - i didn’t know either for a really really long time (like, only in this past year) but y’know - now you know

[nil-the-glitch]

don’t use AO3 but signal boosting for any followers who do

[odds-to-endings]

As we hiked up the road I could see a lieutenant from D Company lying in a ditch in the distance. His leg was mangled.

“Broken?” I asked. “Yeah. Krauts will get me for sure.” “Our medics will reach you before then.” “Maybe. Maybe not. Where’s your weapon?” he asked. “Lost it in the jump.” “Take mine. If the Krauts get me first, they might not shoot me if they see I’m unarmed.”

Lieutenant McMillan handed me his Thompson submachine gun. Although a different configuration of weapon than what I was used to, I had seen Thompsons and had shot them before...He gave me a couple of his grenades. I thanked the lieutenant and stood up.

We walked on.

-Lieutenant Buck Compton, Call of Duty

[books-read-in-nooks]

Me at 9:30pm, realising I still have plenty of time to read and sleep:

Me at 3:00am, still reading:

[inkspilledqueen]

Can anything beat that invigorating, freewheeling feeling of finally finally working out that infuriating plot point that’s been holding you back, or the ending of your story or how you’ll begin it?

[odds-to-endings]

...mischievously encouraged his friend to step outside and blow Reveille with all the power and finesse he could muster. Although it was well after dark the entire camp sprang into life as people started forming up on their respective company streets!

“In fits of laughter, we dashed inside as Sink’s voice angrily crackled across the loudspeaker system. “Whoever blew that bugle, I want him found and brought to my office immediately!” Of course Sink never discovered who it was and the event was soon forgotten.”

- Ian Gardner, Ed Shames (quote), Airborne

[spellthief]

[fuckyeahexistentialism]

If I’m able to, then perhaps I’ll be closer to portraying a true expression of love.

          -Hayao Miyazaki (x)

[igotablankpage]

So much this.

A close, intimate relationship between a boy and girl does not automatically mean it’s a romantic relationship.

Heck, a close, intimate relationship between between any two characters does not automatically make it romantic.

Sometimes, platonic is more than enough

[souliloquyyy]

has this been done before?

[odds-to-endings]

Legislators spoke on the record against women [in service] in no uncertain terms. One congressman said: 'Take the women into the armed service...who then will maintain the home fires; who will do the cooking, the washing, the mending, the humble homey tasks to which every woman has devoted herself; who will rear and nurture the children; who will teach them patriotism and loyalty; who will make men of them, so that, when their day comes, they, too, may march away to war?'

Emily Yellin, Our Mothers’ War