I watched the Combat! pilot "A Day In June" today for about the 200th time to honor the very special day June 6th. I always loved this episode almost above all the others because it gives us all such a glympse into the different emotions that our boys are capable of. Like, The Party, we get to see a brief look at the cast on a holiday. We get to see Hanley and Saunders fight over a girl (Oh, that lucky Hazel!), bets made and lost, and Caje playing chess with a buddy. This look into the insincere part of the soldiers' souls is very rare for Combat! On the other hand, we also get to see the veterans of Combat! before they were ever vets. We witness the look of dispair on Caje's face when he loses his first buddy, as well as the uncertainty and open grief on Sgt. Hanley's face when he watches his first man die.
It is not unusual to see frightened GIs wondering what the day may bring, but it is unique to see our guys in this position. Yes, A Day In June offers a lot to any Combat! fan. Without it the series would not be the same and so much of the characters would be lost. This is also the only episode where Hanley isn't an officer, and that respectful distance between him and Saunders doesn't exist. I just can't get over him calling the Lt. "Hanley" and I love that smug smile that Saunders has when he says,"Oh Sergeant Hanley, your good conduct ribbon is on backwards!" This is also a neat episode because we get to hear Caje, Hanley, and Saunders all sing, if only for a moment. I could go on and on about why I adore this episode. I have seen it dozens of times and it never loses its charm or its appeal for me. (Hey, seeing those men in Class A uniforms makes it for any gal in her right mind!)
Hazelnut

By Josephine naylor on Unrecorded Date:

I prefer to see Hanley as the tall, dark and handsome, lieutenant who is a good platoon leader loved and respected by his men. Him acting like an infactuated silly school-boy in this episode just doesn't sit well.

By Rose Ann Schrock (Carbine) on Unrecorded Date: