Comic Title: Our Army at War #217
Publisher: DC (National Periodical Publications, Inc.)
Address: 909 Third Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: March 1970
On Sale Date: December 30, 1969 Newsstand Date December 30, 1969
Source: Comic Reader, #76

Newsstand Date December 30, 1969
Source: Newsdealer Magazine, V24 #11

Copyright Date December 30, 1969
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1970

Frequency: Monthly (semi-monthly Feb.)
Cover Price: $0.15
Page Count: 32
Circulation: 180523
Editor: Joe Kubert

Title: "Surprise Party"
Pages: 14

Feature(s):
Sgt. Rock (of Earth-1)

Writer/Artist: Joe Kubert

Feature Character(s)

• Sgt. Rock (last appearance in Our Army at War #215; next appearance in G.I. Combat #141)

Supporting Character(s)

• Easy Company (Woeful Willie named; last appearance in Our Army at War #215; next appearance in G.I. Combat #141)
• Bulldozer (last appearance in Our Army at War #215; next appearance in G.I. Combat #141)
• Ice Cream Soldier (last appearance in Our Army at War #215; next appearance in Our Army at War #219)
• Little Sure Shot (last appearance in Our Army at War #215; next appearance in G.I. Combat #141)
• Wild Man (last appearance in Our Army at War #215; next appearance in G.I. Combat #141)
• Jackie Johnson (last appearance in Our Army at War #215; next appearance in Our Army at War #220)

Villain(s)

• A unit of German soldiers (no further appearances)

Other Character(s)

• An unnamed captain (no further appearances)

Synopsis:
Sgt. Rock thinks Easy Company is keeping a secret from him. Before he can question them, he is ordered to make a surprise attack against an enemy position which is holding a bridge. Rock, Bulldozer, Ice Cream Soldier, and Little Sure Shot cross the river in a raft. Enemy frogmen try to take them from below. Rock sees air bubbling to the surface and orders Easy to drop live grenades into the water. The frogmen are killed, but the raft is capsized in the blast.

Rock and the others swim to the enemy shoreline. They are quickly captured by a large number of German soldiers. The enemy commander questions them. Rock tells them that he was sent to destroy their tanks, so that the rest of Easy could cross the bridge. The Nazis then prepare for the bridge assault. However, the rest of Easy has crossed the river and flanks the enemy position. After a fight, the Germans are forced to surrender. Rock admits that his team was sent as decoys.

After the fighting is over, Easy surprises Rock for his birthday. They have gotten him a new uniform and helmet to replace his tattered one. However, the bag containing the fresh uniform was hit by shrapnel during the fighting. It is now in worse shape that the one Rock usually wears.