phrases, sayings, idioms and expressions at

Band of brothers

Posted by Pdianek on January 13, 2004

In Reply to: Band of brothers posted by Shkval on January 13, 2004

: "The point is, it don't matter where we go. Once we get into combat, the only person you can trust is yourself and the fella next to you.

: Hey, as long as he's a paratrooper.

: Oh, yeah? And what if that paratrooper turns out to be Sobel?

: If I'm next to Sobel in combat, I'm moving on down the line. Hook up with some other officer, like Heyliger or Winters.

: I like Winters, he's a good man. But when the bullets start flying, I don't know if I want a Quaker doing my fighting for me."

: What is here "moving on down the line" and "doing my fighting for me"?

: Thanks in advance.

Paratroopers line up in their plane or helicopter prior to jumping out parachuted. The line moves fast. If you don't want to be next to someone you don't trust, you move down the line to jump in front of or behind someone you *do* trust. Sobel displayed untrustworthy behavior prior to this conversation, I'm betting.

"Doing my fighting for me" means, in part, covering for your buddy, firing at enemy soldiers, etc. Quakers (members of the Society of Friends) rarely enter combat, as they do not believe they are entitled to take human life. Perhaps Winters is a Quaker, one of the few in combat (known as "fighting Quakers"), or perhaps he merely holds similar opinions? In any case, the speaker respects Winters, but doesn't trust him to act aggressively under fire from the enemy.

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