"When the French army liberated Paris, they pulled back all the black troops. They replaced them with more...familiar faces. But I know what we did. And at what cost. And I'm proud of it."
—Colonel Henry Walker, U.S. Army
The night of October 21st was clear. A light breeze was blowing out of the west, pushing before it a mixture of scents that were native to the French capital.
"It's not raining. That's something, anyway."
Lieutenant Colonel Henry Walker, U.S. Cavalry, glanced down at the young second lieutenant sitting next to him. "I thought you were supposed to be tough, Lieutenant. Is a little rain going to bother you?"
"No, sir. Just saying."
"Well, I can't imagine any of the Germans being too thrilled at the prospect, either. And a little rain would keep the stench down, for once."
It was true. In the nearly two years since the Hun had driven into Paris and established his headquarters here, the city had fallen into disrepair. The streets were filthy, and there were no trash or sewer services. Most of the citizens had been evacuated, so there weren't even the usual crowds of beggars and thieves on the streets.
It made sense, though, in a way. Why bother to maintain a city that was going to be taken back in a matter of days? The Allies had broken the German lines days ago. By now, General Pershing's army had to be less than twenty miles away.
Pershing, thought Henry, shaking his head. He'd be surprised if the old man still had a command by the time this was over.
Not that he cared, really. Henry wasn't much interested in politics and the backstabbing that went with it. He just wanted to win the war.
He turned and looked down the long line of American soldiers, sitting astride their mounts. It was an impressive sight. Almost half the U.S. cavalry force in France was assembled here.
Of course, they'd be outnumbered when the shooting started. There were probably more than a million Germans within a few miles of Paris. The U.S. forces had broken through their lines, and had pushed several divisions ahead, but only a few units had reached Paris.
The 341st and 342nd regiments had come up first, and were holding the Seine.