For me, most of what made this show great were all the gutted buildings and blown up cities with rubble lining the streets. The sound of tanks, or halftracks blazing through muddy roads made it all the more realistic in re-creating what I imagined to be war time Europe. Secondly, I always loved the fact that the Germans spoke German. This made it all the more mysterious and helped build up tension. There's nothing worse than not knowing what your enemy is thinking or saying!
Everyone has their favorite Combat episodes, but my favorites always centered around an "outcast" character, the one who must redeem himself in the end after the whole squad has given up on him. I also liked whatever comic moments there were.
For example, in the episode "Birthday Cake" also had its moments, especially at the end when Littlejohn gets punished on his birthday for being such an idiot in the field trying to protect his precious cake. 
In the 60's, life was relatively simple, and the TV shows followed suit. Though these shows could be complex in their plots, and at times just as engaging as modern film, the programs were simple. In the end, they resolved problems quickly without wasting any ounce of action. Looking back now at one of my all-time favorite 60's TV shows, I find that Combat! was one of those marvelous shows. For one thing, it moved quickly and followed a typical 50's and 60's TV formula: it provided dynamite entertainment without all the high-tech computer FX that plagues modern film andTV.
60's era TV actors were all-American and strong, yet their characters showed concern in a more virile manner. They didn't need to show the "human side" of weakness that all of us knew were within each and every one of us. What was the point? We watched television to be entertained and escape real life. Why did we need to be reminded of our weaknesses?
To this day I ask, where are the Lieutenant Hanleys that can take the blow and come up charging?
Hanley was as rough a cob as any of them; he was "large and in charge." The actor Rick Jason was the best choice for this role. He had me convinced every step of the way that he was in charge. He even seemed smarter than the colonels and generals handing down his orders. I remember seeing the movie "Patton" in the 70's and thinking that Hanley was far tougher than Patton any old day of the week.
Watching these episodes now is like a sweet homecoming. I especially enjoy seeing them in black and white. One of the things that I really love too is just how many bloopers there were in this show!
Vic Morrow as "Sgt. Saunders"
Sgt. Saunders was my all-time hero. He led the squad, held them together, and was the voice of morality in a world gone crazy with war. No matter how tough it got, Saunders got tougher. His trusty Thompson was the model for the most relished toy I think I can remember owning.
"Rick Jason as "Lt. Hanley"
Some terminology you had to know to be a Combat fan:
The Germans were a class unto themselves, and I had never seen a more formidable and entertaining enemy than the German soldiers. Their strategies were beyond belief. First of all, they always stood up to get shot. Second, whenever they attacked the squad, they never waited for everyone to make it out to the open, but instead shot the first American that showed himself, thus giving the entire squad ample time to "TAKE COVER!" Even as a kid I was never fooled, and realized that the Germans weren't as stupid as they were portrayed on television.
Obviously, the Germans were much smarter than this, but for 1960's television, they made the perfect victims. Playing Combat with friends made being a German a tough choice because they never lasted for very long. It was natually assumed that playing a German meant that one was to be shot down quickly as a general rule of thumb.
In my neighborhood, one kid had these great German toy accessories that I really envied. He had a helmet, Luger, and a tall pair of black rubber boots that looked like the genuine article. He also had some toy "Potatoe Mashers".
Many great actors and character actors portrayed the Germans, and there was always one that usually spoke perfect English. One episode in particular that I loved was "Cry from the Ruins" where the Americans and the Germans laid down their weapons and worked together as a team in an attempt to rescue a french woman's baby buried in a collapsed building.
Time to hand out those purple hearts! How many times have these guys been shot up in the field? With each episode it seemed like someone was going to take one in the arm or leg, and usually did. Just how many purple hearts did these guys have anyway? Littlejohn seemed to be the odds on favorite for getting wounded. Arm, leg, hand, or shoulder wounds were the most likely. Anything in the stomach or chest was deadly so we couldn't have that.
Just as "Star Trek" had their "Redshirts" (the ones who died first and quickly-usually before the opening credits), Combat likewise had their own victims. They were usually the ones you didn't recognize. If they had a speaking line or two in the beginning, they were probably going to survive. If they didn't, they were history.
All things considered, as an adult I learned so much more about WWII, its history, the battles, and about the forces themselves. Looking back on "Combat!" I find that it was actually quite realistic, and faithful in many ways, at least as much as it could be and still be a popular and surviving prime time television show. In my area, Combat was never really featured in syndication for any reasonable length of time, so I literally hadn't seen this show for many, many years. I'm surprised at just how much I really love it again, and how it has become a #1 in vintage viewing pleasure.
One of the saddest episodes was one that took me completely by surprise called "The Little Carousel". 
Who could've possibly predicted that the innocent young girl wanting desperately to be a good nurse would step on a booby trap and be blown to pieces. The episode was built up strong by Saunders' obvious fatigue and nerves being stretched to their limits. He was irritable and always yelling at the girl to get lost (so she wouldn't get killed or seriously injured.) He'd already lost enough men in war. It was much better to be cruel than deadly. However, the girl would not go away, nor be swayed by his austere warnings and commands. It was a terrible ending to a great episode.
The third generation of "combateers" is now ready for duty. I now share these great shows with my grandson who loves them, and watches with great eagerness (or for as long as his 3-year old attention span will allow). Listen for yourself as he describes wanting "Popcorn and watching army men and bad guys."
