Waiting was part of the job
The two GIs are equipped for action but are not yet fighting. Their M-1943 field jackets and Garand rifles place them within the familiar appearance of later-war American infantry. The inspiration is the uncertain pause: guarding a position, waiting for instructions or watching another group move ahead.
A pair changes the atmosphere in a way a lone sentry cannot. The men appear to share a task, even without a dramatic exchange between them. In a winter display they help connect the gun teams, vehicles and officers into an army that also had to wait, listen and stand watch.
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