“No war can be won without young men dying. Those things which are precious are saved only by sacrifice.”
—Stephen Ambrose, Band of Brothers
Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Division fought bravely in Normandy and overcame incredible challenges. They knocked out heavy machine guns at Brecourt against difficult odds. Despite being surrounded, Easy Company valiantly held onto Hell’s Highway during the battle of Market-Garden. Market-Garden was a failed mission, but the company prevented it from becoming a complete disaster.
On 16 December Hitler launched his final offensive in the Ardennes, an action which caught the Allies totally by surprise. The men of the 101st were resting and General Eisenhower sent them in an effort to hold the strategically important city of Bastogne.
By mid December, Easy found itself part of a defensive ring around Bastogne, again surrounded by enemy troops. This never appeared to faze the men of Easy Company and when a message was sent by the German commander to the city, inviting the US forces to surrender, he received a single word reply, NUTS!, despite the fact that the soldiers of the 101st were short of ammunition and other necessary equipment, and were unable to count on artillery or air support.
No company could have been better equipped mentally and physically for such an action and they held on until relief came from General Patton. [1]
The story of Easy Company fascinates me. I love their tenacity and unwillingness to cede any ground to the enemy. They refused to surrender, even under terrible circumstances. Generations of men and women have been inspired by their loyalty and care for one another, dedication to the mission, and their courage to run into enemy fire for the sake of the cause.
During World War 2, America found itself waging war on many fronts, and when there was a hole in the line, Easy Company met the challenge.
Many Fronts
Christians, too, find themselves waging war on many fronts. Like the battle of Bastogne, the enemy surrounds us. Good soldiers, however, are disciplined: they know their job, and they do it. When holding ground, a good soldier waits in his bunker with his eyes straight ahead, watching the line for the approaching opposition, ready to warn his comrades.
Carl Trueman, in his recent work The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, aptly writes,
“Every age has had its darkness and its dangers. The task of the Christian is not to whine about the moment in which he or she lives but to understand its problems and respond appropriately to them.”
Brothers and sisters, we must hold the line, even as our ranks thin more and more with each passing day and each passing “fad.” Satan wants to build strongholds in our communities, our churches, and our families, so we have to keep our eyes ahead, identify the opposition, stand our ground, and fight — for the sake of the church.
Looking Ahead
In the coming weeks, we’ll survey the battlefield together: the terrain, the enemy, and what it will take to destroy the Devil’s fortresses. I want to identify and size up the current challenges Evangelicalism faces today, and there are many of them. I’ll focus on six, major battle fronts the church must engage to remain faithful to Christ: Biblical Illiteracy, Wokeism, Elitism, Safeism, Feminism, and Deconstruction.
Until next time,
Do your job, soldier!
Dick Winters and the men of Easy Company: https://www.military-history.org/regiment-profiles/the-story-of-easy-company-the-506th-infantry-regiment.htm