The unwanted sound of bullets penetrating the Sweet Bird was then heard.
The machines were heard while the Sweet Bird gunners returned fire at the German planes.
The sound of more Messerschmitt bullets penetrating the Sweet Bird was heard.
“I’m hit!” Mark, one of the Waist Gunners, yelled out from the radio net.
The machines were heard while the Sweet Bird gunners returned fire at the German planes.
“I got one of the bastards!” Robert, the Tail Gunner, yelled out from the radio net.
Fifteen more Messerschmitt’s raced after the formation of B-17s.
The machines were heard while the Sweet Bird gunners returned fire at the German planes.
The sound of more Messerschmitt bullets penetrating the Sweet Bird was heard.
Andy glanced out his engine just in time to see a Messerschmitt fire at the wing on his side of the plane.
The Messerschmitt fired its machine guns at the wing, and engine one exploded into flames.
“Engine one is on fire,” Andy yelled out into the radio net.
Jason immediately shut down engine number one then noticed he was losing fuel on the right-wing.
Then Jason saw something out of the corner of his eye, and he saw another Messerschmitt coming at his wing.
The Messerschmitt fired its machine guns at the wing, and engine four busted into flames.
“We lost engine number four, and we’re also losing fuel,”
Jason said into the radio net. Jason looked out his windows at the countryside below. “We’ll have to ditch. Get ready guys,” he said into the radio net.
Andy shut off engine number four while Jason started their descent to the German countryside.
Jason quickly removed his photo of Cindy and him under the Sweet Bird from his jacket pocket and kissed it. He shoved his photo back into his jacket pocket and continued with his descent to the German countryside.
It was quiet inside the Sweet Bird while everybody thought about their potential fate while they rapidly descended down to the German countryside.
Jason’s story with life after being shot down in Germany continued.
It was peaceful in the German countryside except for the sounds of the Messerschmitt’s attacking the formations of B-17
bombers a few miles away.
In a large field of a small farm that contained numerous huge boulders, ten cows grazed.
The Sweet Bird glided down to the field, with two engines out, landing gear down.
It headed toward the trees at the other end of the field.
The Cows continued to graze in place, unaware of the big airplane that was headed in their direction.
The Sweet Bird scrapped the tops of the trees while it descended to the field.
The wheels of the Sweet Bird touched down in the field.
The Cows finally scatter out of the way.
The Sweet Bird rolled down the field then the right landing gear smacked into a rock, and it snapped off. The right-wing scrapped the ground.
The nose of the Sweet Bird plowed into the field.
The nose smashed into another large rock, and the nose section cracked open while the Sweet Bird flipped over landing in the field with a loud bang.
The dust soon settled, and the field got quiet again.
There were a small farmhouse and barn at the other end of the field.
Lucas, a forty-five-year-old German farmer, rushed out of his barn after he heard the sounds of the Sweet Bird crashing in his field.
He looked in the direction of his field.
He got furious at the sight of an American bomber that crashed on his land. He got even more enraged when he couldn’t see his cows in the field believing they ran away.
He rushed back inside his barn.
At the Sweet Bird, Jason, Kirby, and Andy dragged Gerard out of the wreckage.
They dragged him fifty feet away from the wreckage and lay him on the ground.
Jason knelt by Gerard and felt for a pulse on his neck. He looked devastated while he looked back at Andy and Kirby.
“He’s gone.”
From the Sweet Bird, Don and Jerome dragged Mark out of the wreckage.
They dragged him over to Jason, Andy, and Kirby.
They placed Mark next to Gerard. “He’s dead,” Don told Jason.
Jason and Andy looked back at the Sweet Bird and saw Robert and Warren drag Mike out of the fuselage.
They dragged Mike over to the other crew members then place Mike next to Mark.
“He’s gone,” Robert told Jason.
Jason, Andy, Kirby, Robert, Warren, Jerome, and Don all looked down at their three dead crewmates. They all took a few minutes to grieve over the loss of their fellow friends.
“Let’s bury them and leave before the Krauts show up,”
Jason told everybody.
Lucas suddenly appeared with a pitchfork in his hand, and he was furious. “You stinking Americans!” he cursed out in German behind their backs.
Jason, Andy, Kirby, Robert, Warren, Jerome, and Don all turned around and saw Lucas with the pitchfork in his hand.
They knew this German was pissed.
Lucas quickly stabbed his pitchfork deep into Andy’s chest.
Andy’s eyes widened in shock, never expecting to be stabbed with a pitchfork during the war, and he collapsed to the ground.
Jason, Kirby, Robert, Warren, Jerome, and Don all whipped out their pistols and aimed them at Lucas.
By the time Lucas realized he had made a mistake by stabbing Andy, it was too late. Jason fired off a shot, and the
bullet hit Lucas in his forehead. Lucas flew backward and landed on the ground dead.
Jason and everybody rushed over to Andy.
Andy looked up at Jason, and he wheezed, and blood oozed out of his mouth.
Jason held Andy’s hand, as he could sense he wouldn’t pull through.
Andy wheezed and coughed up more blood.
Kirby, Robert, Don, Jerome, and Warren watched over the field for any other German civilians that might want to kill them.
“I, I, I don’t know if I can be your partner now,” Andy strained to tell Jason.
“I’m so sorry for the way I acted when I thought I lost Cindy,” Jason said with a remorseful tone about his behavior.
“That’s okay,” Andy replied then wheezed and coughed up more blood.
“I’m cold. Really cold,” Andy said then he wheezed. “I know,” Jason replied.
Andy’s body trembled a little then he exhaled his last breath, and there was a blank stare in his eyes.
Andy’s hand went limp in Jason’s grip.
Jason’s eyes well up at the sight of his dead friend in front of him.
Kirby, Warren, and Robert continued to scan the field over for any more threats.
“There’s a storm coming,” Warren said when he notices black clouds heading in their direction.
“There’s a farmhouse over there. We can hide out there for the night,” Kirby added when he spotted the house.
Jason stood up and looked at the approaching storm and farmhouse.
“Okay, let’s stay at the house and wait out the storm,” Jason told everybody. He looked at Warren and Robert. “Go back to the plane, destroy the bombsight and get the maps,” Jason ordered.
“You got it,” Warren replied.
Warren and Robert dashed off to the Sweet Bird.
After Warren and Robert came back from the Sweet Bird with the maps and confirmation that they destroyed the bombsight, they all headed over to the farmhouse.
Jason, Kirby, Jerome, Robert, Warren, Don all cautiously walked to the front door of the farmhouse. They had their pistols ready for any encountered trouble.
“Ready?” Jason quietly whispered to everybody who nodded in agreement.
Jason slowly opened the front door, and they all quietly entered the house with pistols ready.
Jason and everybody quietly stepped into the living room where nobody was visible.
They cautiously walked through the room and entered the kitchen where nobody was visible.
“Do you think that farmer lived alone?” Jerome quietly whispered to everybody.
“That’s possible,” Don whispered back.
“Let’s check the bedrooms,” Jason whispered to his men.
They all quietly walked out of the kitchen and headed down the hallway where it was also quiet.
They peeked into a bedroom where nobody was visible. It was a bedroom for a girl, so they figured someone was hiding in the house.
“Check out that room,” Jason whispered to Robert and Warren.
Robert and Warren quietly entered the bedroom and checked the closed and under the bed.
They walked back into the hallway.
“Nothing,” Robert whispered to Jason.
They all quietly walked farther down the hallway. They peeked into another bedroom that looked like a boy’s room.
Jason motioned to Jerome and Don to check out the room.
Jerome and Don quietly entered the bedroom and checked under the bed and the closet.
They walked back to the hallway.
“Nothing,” Don whispered to Jason.
They peeked into another bedroom that looked like an adults room where nobody was visible.
“I don’t think anybody’s home,” Warren whispered out to everybody.
They turned around to walk back down the hallway when a whimper was heard coming from that bedroom. nJason motioned for everybody to be quiet while they went to investigate the bedroom.
They walked around the bed and didn’t see anybody. Jason peeked under the bed with his pistol and saw Ingrid, the forty-five-year-old wife of Lucas and Carla, the ten-year-old daughter shivering in fear.
Jason stood up and looked at Kirby. “Tell them to get out from under the bed,” Jason told Kirby.
“Get out from under the bed,” Kirby said in German.
Ingrid and Carla slowly crawled out from under the bed, scared to death and were on the verge of crying.
“Tell them they won’t be harmed. I promise,” Jason told Kirby.
“We promise we won’t harm you,” Kirby told Ingrid and Carla in German.
Ingrid’s eyes welled up, and she held Carla tight against her body, as they both were still scared to death of the American soldiers.
“Ask them where her other child is?” Jason told Kirby.
“Where’ the other child?” Kirby asked Ingrid in German.
Ingrid looked scared while she glanced atKirby. “Wilhelm is at his grandmother’s home,” Ingrid lied to Kirby in German.
“She said he’s at the grandmother’s,” Kirby told Jason.
“Scour this house for another child. Check the basement if they have one and then check the attic,” Jason ordered Robert, Warren, Don, and Jerome.
“In work,” Warren replied.
Robert, Warren, Don, and Jerome rushed out of the bedroom and started their search of the house for another child.
“Tell her we’re hungry and ask if she could please get us some food,” Jason told Kirby.
“We’re hungry, so could you please get us some food?”
Kirby asked Ingrid in German.
“Yah,” Ingrid replied while wiping away tears.
Jason and Kirby escorted Ingrid and Carla out of their bedroom.
Jason and Kirby escorted Ingrid and Carla into the kitchen.
While Robert, Jerome, Warren, and Don searched the entire house for another child, Ingrid started making a meal for the Americans.
Thirty minutes later, Ingrid and Carla were quiet and scared while they made a big bowl of Eintopf, a bean soup, for Jason and the other guys.
Robert, Jerome, Don, and Warren searched every nook and cranny of the house and didn’t find another child. Jason believed Ingrid’s story was correct, and the child was at the grandmother’s house.
Ingrid and Carla sat cowered in one corner of her kitchen while they watched the American’s eat the soup. “Are they going to kill us?” Carla whispered to Ingrid, as she was scared to death.
Ingrid looked at the Americans, and she feared the worse.
“I don’t believe they will,” Ingrid whispered back to Carla.
Ingrid and Carla continued to stay cowered in the corner of the kitchen while Jason and his crew finished the soup.
After Kirby ate his soup, he searched the house for any weapons that Lucas might have owned. He found a shotgun with shells, and Jason recommended that they take it with them.
An hour had passed, the storm was over, and Jason and his crew rested after their meal.
Jason walked to Ingrid’s bedroom window and peeked out the curtains. From the windows, it appeared to be quiet out in the field by the Sweet Bird.
He walked out of the bedroom and headed back to the kitchen.
“Warren, Robert, Jerome, and Don, go find some shovels and bury those guys out there including the farmer,” Jason told them.
Warren, Robert, Jerome, and Don walked out the kitchen door and headed to the barn.
Jason and Kirby escorted Ingrid and Carla into her bedroom.
Kirby, with Lucas’ shotgun, kept an eye on Ingrid and Carla while Jason peeked out the bedroom window.
From the bedroom window, Jason saw Robert, Jerome, Don, and Warren walk to his dead crewmembers with shovels in their hands.
Jason moved away from the window and glanced over at Ingrid and Carla who sat on the bed, still scared to death. He felt so bad about forcing his way into their home. But a war going on and they needed to survive.
Kirby watched Ingrid and Carla while Jason studied his maps to determine their escape plans.
The rest of the Sweet Bird crew members were still outside digging graves.
Thirty minutes later, Jason stood outside the farmhouse and looked at the sun while it dropped below the horizon.
Jason went back inside the house and back into the bedroom.
Twenty minutes later, Warren entered the bedroom and saw Jason while he leaned against the wall with an eye on Ingrid and Carla, who were still on the bed.
“We got them all buried including that farmer,” Warren told Jason.
“Thanks,” Jason replied, then looked at Ingrid and Carla.
“Take Robert, Don, and Jerome and get some food out of the kitchen. Don’t take it all, just enough for a few days,” Jason said.
“Got it,” Warren said then walked out of the bedroom and headed down the hallway.
Jason and Kirby stayed in the bedroom with Ingrid and Carla.
Ten minutes later, Warren walked back into the bedroom.
“We have enough food and supplies. We’re ready to leave,”
Warren told Jason.
“Good, we’ll meet you in the living room,” Jason replied.
Warren looked at Ingrid and Carla. “Should we kill them?”
“No way!” Jason replied while he looked at Ingrid and Carla. “Go find some rope,” he told Warren.
“Okay,” Warren replied, then rushed out of the bedroom.
“What are you going to do,” Kirby asked Jason.
“Tie them up but not too tight so they can get out of the rope after we’re gone,” Jason replied.
“Sounds like a good idea. I don’t believe they’re a threat,”
Kirby replied.
Warren returned to the bedroom with some rope. “Here you go Jay Jay,” Warren said while he handed Jason the rope.
Ingrid and Carla looked scared of the rope, and Ingrid’s eyes welled up, thinking the Americans were going to kill them.
“Kirby, tell them that I’m not going to hurt them. I’m only going to tie them up,” Jason said.
“We’re not going to hurt you. We’re going to tie you up,”
Kirby told Ingrid and Carla in German.
Ingrid and Carla still looked scared while they huddled together on the bed.
Jason walked over to the bed with the rope. He loosely tied Ingrid and Carla’s hands behind their back.
“Tell them we’re leaving and I’m sorry about the death of her husband. He didn’t leave me any other option since he killed my friend,” Jason told Kirby.
“We’re leaving and sorry about your husband. He shouldn’t have killed our friend,” Kirby told Ingrid in German.
Ingrid and Carla sobbed over being reminded that Lucas was dead.
Jason and Kirby, with Lucas’ shotgun, walked out of the bedroom while Ingrid and Carla still continued sob.
Jason and Kirby walked into the living room where Warren, Robert, Jerome, and Don waited with the supplies they raided from the kitchen.
“Where we going, Jay Jay?” Robert asked.
“I think we should head west to Belgium and hopefully we can find some of their resistance fighters who can help get us back to England,” Jason replied to his men.
“Sounds like a good plan,” Jerome replied.
“Let’s move out,” Jason told his men.
They all walked to the front door and stepped outside.
Jason and his men stood by the side of the farmhouse. “Let’s head west and hopefully find Belgium,” Jason told his men while he pointed in the direction where he saw the sunset.
Jason and everybody walked toward some nearby woods.
“Halt!” a German male voice yelled out from the front of the house.
Jason and his men froze in their tracks ten feet from the woods, and they suddenly realized they were caught.
Jason and his men turned around and saw fifteen German Infantry soldiers with rifles aimed at them.
“Drop your weapons,” the German officer yelled at Jason and everybody in English.
Jason and everybody else dropped their pistols on the ground. Kirby also dropped Lucas’ shotgun down on the ground.
The other fifteen German soldiers rushed over and circled Jason and his crew.
“Come!” the German officer yelled at Jason and his men and motioned with his Luger pistol.
The German soldiers marched Jason and his crew over to a waiting truck that was located one hundred feet away by the road. While Jason and his crew members were marched to the truck, he saw Wilhelm, a thirteen-year-old blonde German boy standing with Rudolph, a fifty-six-year-old farmer, while they stood by a car. He realized that Wilhelm was Lucas’ son and Ingrid sent him over to Rudolph’s house so he can contact the German Infantry at the nearby base.
Jason figured the Germans would take them out into the woods and shot them. All he could think about was not marrying Cindy and having a long life with her while they were marched away from the farmhouse.
Jason’s story about being captured by the Germans continued.
A few days had passed.
Jason and his men were sent to a German
Durchgangslager, which was a transit camp where they were processed and interrogated. But Jason and his men were tough, and only gave their names, ranks and serial numbers.
After the transit camp, Jason was sent on a train to head out to another camp. He was jammed into a boxcar with numerous American and British POWs.
It was a long train ride to their next destination with frequent stops so the prisoners could relieve themselves along the tracks.
It was an overcast day when the train made its final stop, and all the POWs were ordered out of the boxcars.
Jason got out of the boxcar with fifteen other POWs, and they were greeted with forty German soldiers with rifles.
“Get in formation!” the German officer in charge yelled at the POWs in English
Jason and the other POWs got in formation, and he was on the outside.
“Move it!” the German officer yelled at the POWs.
The formation of prisoners marched in the direction the other German soldiers headed.
After thirty minutes of marching, the POWs finally reached their new home, a German camp called Luft Stalag XXG.
The POWs were marched through the barb-wired front gate of the Stalag.
The POWs were marched further into the Stalag.
They were stopped in the middle of the dirt area, which was the center of the camp.
German soldiers quickly closed and locked the front gate.
Berndt Dunstan, a thirty-five-year-old German Sergeant, walked up to the formation and he waited without saying a word.
The POWs glanced around their new home away from home and saw a perimeter barbed-wire fence around the whole camp.
Periodically positioned around the fence were wooden guard towers, where German soldiers had machines ready to shoot any POW that attempted to escape.
They also saw many one-story wood barracks with crawl spaces and other numerous wooden buildings.
The whole Stalag was built on land with yellow sandy subsoil.
The German soldiers stood guard over the POWs, and they stayed in formation for twenty minutes.
Jason glanced over to his right and saw the large building that had the Nazi flag hanging outside.
He saw Otto Bruker, a forty-five-year-old German Colonel with a smirk while he stared at the formation from the glass windows of the door. Colonel Bruker loved making the new prisoners stand in formation for an extended period after they arrived in his Stalag.
Colonel Bruker had a rough complexion and a constant severe deadpan glare and rarely smiled unless he harassed one of the prisoners.
Hans Wolfe was an eighteen-year-old baby faced Private that stood next to Colonel Bruker. Otto was the administrative clerk for the Colonel and was happy he got this duty instead of being on the front line.
“Let’s go, Private Wolfe,” Colonel Bruker barked out his order.
Hans snapped up to attention from behind his desk and grabbed his hat.
Hans opened the door for Colonel Bruker. Colonel Bruker put on his hat and stepped outside. Colonel Bruker walked down the small steps of his building with Hans tagging behind him like an obedient servant.
Colonel Bruker marched over to the formation of POWs.
He stopped at the front of the formation and glared at the POWs.
Hans stopped by the side of the formation where Jason stood.
Colonel Bruker paced back and forth in front of the formation with his dangerous glare to intimidate the soldiers.
“My name is Colonel Otto Bruker. I’m in charge of your home away from home,” Colonel Bruker said in English while he walked around the formation.
He walked over to the front of the formation. “Therefore, if any of you are thinking of running away,” he said. He stopped at the front of the formation and glared at the POWs.
“You’ll be shot!” he promised.
He walked up to one of the POWs and kneed the man in his groin.
The man dropped to his knees and clutched his crotch in pain. Colonel Bruker strutted around to the side of the formation proud of himself for kneeing the POW. “For security reasons, I will be reading your outgoing and incoming letters. You are only authorized to write to your family. No friends. No lovers. Just family,” he told the POWs in a threatening tone.
Jason frowned while Colonel Bruker walked past him.
Colonel Bruker noticed, he got pissed, and he rushed back over to Jason. He grabbed Jason out of line and immediately kneed Jason in his crotch.
Jason dropped to his knees in pain.
“This is my Stalag, and you will obey my orders! “Now, those two displays are a friendly reminder that I won’t tolerate any misbehavior or attempts to escape my Stalag. I will be offended that you want to leave this place that the Third Reich built for your comfort,” Colonel Bruker addressed the POWs.
He reached down, grabbed Jason by his hair, and painfully pulled him upright.
Hans frowned at the sight of Colonel Bruker, as he disapproved of his rough treatment with the prisoners.
Colonel Bruker walked around with another smirk to the front of the formation.
“Get these prisoners to their barracks,” Colonel Bruker ordered Sergeant Dunstan.
“Yes, sir!” Sergeant Dunstan snapped to attention and saluted.
Colonel Bruker marched away to his building, and Hans followed.
“Move out!” Sergeant Dunstan yelled at the POWs and led the way to the barracks.
Ten minutes later, Jason was in his barracks that consisted of wooden bunk beds stacked three high and a charcoal burning stove in the middle of the room.
Jason looked around the room. He noticed most of the POWs that have been here for a while are thinner. He looked worried about his future while he looked for an empty bunk.
Jason rushed over, grabbed a bottom bunk, and quickly got on his back. He stared at the bottom of the bunk above him.
All he could think about was Cindy, and what was she doing at this exact moment in Chipley Springs.
After they found empty bunks, Sergeant Dunstan entered the barracks and summoned all the new POWs over to another building.
In this building, the new POWs pictures were taken for their Luft Stalag identification card.
Thirty minutes later, the barracks was quiet and grim while the POWs lay in their bunks.
Jason removed his photo of Cindy and himself from the inside of his pants. He was able to keep this picture since he was captured because he hid them in his underwear.
His eyes welled up while he look at Cindy and prayed he would be together with her soon.
The barracks door opened, and Hans entered with mail in hand for the older POWs.
A few of the POWs smiled at Hans while he dropped off their mail on their bunks.
Jason saw Hans, and he quickly shoved his photo back in his shirt pocket, but one of the corners stuck out.
Hans continued to deliver the mail around the barracks.
He dropped off the last letter and was near Jason’s bunk.
He walked over and smiled at Jason. “Hello, my name is Hans Wolfe,” he said then extended out his hand.
Jason looked a little apprehensive, but his gut told him that Hans was not a threat, so he shook Hans’ hand.
“I’m Jason, Jay Jay, Jenkins.”
Hans sat down on Jason’s bunk. “I’m sorry about Colonel Bruker. He thinks he’s God. I hope he didn’t hurt you.”
“I’m okay.”
“I hope my English is good.”
“It’s perfect.”
Hans smiled over Jason’s compliment.
Sal walked over and patted Hans on his back. “How’s Hans today?”
“Good,” Hans replied to Sal.
Sal walked away and headed to his bunk.
The sight of Sal and Hans made Jason feel he could trust this young German.
“I’m from Kaiserslautern, where are you from?” Hans curiously asked Jason.
“Glen Burnie, Maryland,” Jason replied.
“Are you near the ocean? I’ve always wanted to go to a beach,” Hans said while he looked like he was dreaming of visiting paradise.
“No, but I have visited the beach in Ocean City, Maryland,”
Jason replied.
“I see. So, are you a pilot?” Hans asked with a warm smile.
“Yes, I am,” Jason replied, leery on providing any additional information.
“I want to be a pilot. It’s my true love. Maybe after the war, I will learn how to fly,” Hans replied with a gleam in his eyes. Then Hans’ eyes caught the part of Jason’s picture while
he protruded from his shirt pocket. Hans quickly grabbed the photo from Jason’s shirt pocket.
Jason cringed thinking his photo was gone forever and Colonel Bruker would be beating the crap out of him.
“Is she your wife?” Hans asked while he stared at the picture.
“She’s my fiancé,” Jason replied a little worried.
“She’s beautiful,” Hans said while he continued to stare at the photo.
“Thank you.”
“I take it you fly B seventeens?” Hans asked.
Jason knew he couldn’t ignore the question since Hans had proof in his hand. “Yes.”
Hans placed the photo back in Jason’s shirt pocket. He then opened up his shirt pocket and removed a photo. He showed Jason his photo of a pretty nineteen-year-old German girl. “My girlfriend, Emilie.”
“She’s pretty,” Jason replied while he looked at the photo.
“Thank you,” Hans said while he shoved his photo back in his shirt pocket.
“Make sure Colonel Bruker doesn’t see your picture. He’ll take it away, and you’ll never see it again.”
“Thanks, Hans,” Jason replied.
Hans smiled while got up from Jason’s bunk.
He walked away and headed to the door.
Captain Ralph Whiteberry, a thirty-five-year-old P-47
fighter pilot, walked over and sat on Jason’s bunk.
“Ralph Whiteberry,” he said then stuck out his hand.
“Jason, Jay Jay, Jenson,” he replied, then shook Ralph’s hand.
“So, what’s with that German kid that delivered the mail?”
Jason asked,
“Hans is harmless. In fact, he’s the only German that’s friendly toward us. The rest of them are waiting for an excuse to fill us up with lead.”
“How long have you been here?” Jason curiously asked.
“Three months, and it’s boring, and the food is lousy,”
Ralph replied.
“Well, I guess it beats being killed,” Jason said while he thought about his dead crew members.
“It does,” Ralph replied.
Jason yawned.
“I’ll let you get some rest,” Ralph said then got off Jason’s bunk and headed back to his bunk.
Jason closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep since the long trip to this camp was exhausting.
Jason had a dream while he slept in his Stalag bunk.
In his dream, he walked with Ralph and some four POWs around the Stalag during their daily walk.
They walked to the rear of the Stalag and saw a huge section of the perimeter fence was missing.
They looked around, and all the towers were void of guards.
Jason, Ralph and the four other POWs smiled at each other at the sight of the missing fence section. Jason, Ralph, and the four other POWs slipped through the missing section of fence.
They had huge grins while they bolted to the nearby woods free as birds.
A few minutes later, Jason, Ralph and the four POWs ran through the woods and came upon a large field.
They saw a C-47 Skytrain Army cargo plane that waited with its engines running at the end of the field.
When they got to the middle of the field, Jason saw Cindy step into view of the C-47 cargo door. She waved at him with a huge smile then blew him kissed
Jason waved back and was happy that Cindy came to rescue him from the Germans.
Jason ran faster to Cindy, but she and the C-47 suddenly taxied away.
Jason ran faster to Cindy, but she and the C-47 taxied away faster.
The faster Jason ran to Cindy, the farther she and the C47
moved taxied away.
Then Cindy and the C-47 disappeared.
“Halt!” a German soldier yelled from the woods. Jason stopped and saw that Ralph and the other four POWs were gone. Then all of a sudden, fifty German soldiers rushed out of the woods and aimed their rifles at Jason.
They all fired their rifles at Jason.
Jason woke up from his dream in a panic, and for a split second, he thought he was shot.
He sat up in his bunk and looked a little dazed and confused.
After a few seconds, he realized he was still alive in the German Stalag. It was a bad dream.
Ralph walked over and stood by Jason. “It’s time for our fine German cuisine,” he jokingly told Jason.
Jason got out of his bunk and followed Ralph and the other guys out of the barracks.
Jason, Ralph, and the other guys walked over to the wooden chow hall.
A little while later in the chow hall, Jason sat down with Ralph and looked at his bowl of thin soup and slice of black bread.
“Is this all we get?” Jason asked Ralph.
“Yea. If you want something nice, you better hope your family sends you some food through the Red Cross,” Ralph replied, then ate some of his soup.
Jason looked around and could easily spot the POWs who have been in this Stalag for a long time, as they were really skinny.
Jason looked down at the soup and wondered how skinny he will become. He ate this tasteless watered down chicken soup.
After their German cuisine, Jason walked around the area of the Stalag provided to the POWs for exercise.
Jason started a slow jog to make sure he would stay in the best of health possible while he was in prison.
Later that evening, Jason relaxed in his bunk and stared at this photo of Cindy and him by the Sweet Bird.
The barracks door opened and Sergeant Dunstan entered with some postcards in hand.
Jason saw the Sergeant and immediately shoved the photo in his shirt pocket.
“New prisoners up here!” Sergeant Dunstan yelled out.
Jason and five other POWs all got up from their bunks and walked over to Sergeant Dunstan.
“You will write to your mommies and daddies, and you will only tell them that the Third Reich is taking good care of their babies,” he told them while he held up some postcards and pens.
Sergeant Dunstan handed out the postcards and pens to the new POWs. “Private Wolfe will pick these up in one hour,”
he said then he turned around and headed to the door.
Jason and the other POWs all walked back to their bunks with the postcards.
Jason sat up in his bunk and started writing on his postcard.
“Dear Cindy, I’m alive and well in a German Stalag. I love you, and we’ll be married as soon as the war is over,” Jason wrote on his postcard.
An hour later, Jason lay in his bunk while some of the other POWs played some poker or slept.
The door opened, and Hans entered the barracks.
He walked around and collected the postcards from the other POWs.
Hans walked up to Jason’s bunk. “Hi Jay Jay,” Hans said then looked concerned. “I’m sorry, can I call you Jay Jay?” he said. “Sure, Hans,” he said while he handed Hans his postcard.
Hans didn’t look at the postcard while he shoved it at the bottom of the other cards.
“How long were you a pilot?” Hans curiously asked Jason.
“Over a year,” Jason replied.
“I hope you don’t mind me asking about flying. I won’t tell Colonel Bruker,” Hans stated with sincerity in his eyes. “No problem, as long as it’s about planes in general,” Jason replied.
“Ya,” Hans responded, then he looked a little concerned.
“I better go back. Colonel Bruker will be mad if I spend too much time here in the barracks,” he said then rushed away.
“Hey Jay Jay, want to play some poker?” Ralph asked three bunks over where three guys were playing on a bunk.
“Sure,” Jason replied, and he was looking forward to playing some poker. He learned the game during his pilot training days and loved it.
The story of Jason's life in the Stalag continued.
After their breakfast of thin chicken soup and black bread, Colonel Bruker had the POWs in formation so he could walk around them for his daily dose of intimidation.
Jason and the POWs stood in formation.
Bruker strutted through the formation and inspected them.
He stopped at a POW, glared at him square in his eyes, and punched the POW in the stomach.
The POW bent over in pain.
Colonel Bruker moved down the formation proud of himself.
"You will have an assignment. You will be building a new barracks for my men starting tomorrow," Colonel Bruker told the POWs while he walked through the formation row.
Hans stood by the formation and frowned at the sight of Colonel Bruker's behavior.
"Which one of you is Jay Jay?" Colonel Bruker asked while he walked through the formation row.
All the POWs remained quiet and didn't respond to the Colonel's question.
"Come now, if this Jay Jay doesn't come forward, I'll punish everybody," Colonel Bruker said while he continued to walk through a formation row.
Jason didn't want everybody to get in trouble, but he couldn't understand why the Colonel wanted to see him. "I'm Jay Jay," Jason called out then raised his hand up in the air.
Colonel Bruker pushed his way through the formation and headed over to Jason.
He glared at Jason for a few seconds. “What did I do?”
Jason thought to himself while he looked at Colonel Bruker's cold grey eyes.
Colonel Bruker opened up a coat pocket and removed a postcard. He looked at the postcard then repeatedly smacked Jason's cheek with the card.
Jason cringed, as he knew he was in trouble when Colonel Bruker looked back at the card.
"Cindy, I love you, and we'll be married as soon as the war is over," he read from Jason's card. "How romantic," he replied, then clutched his heart pretending to be in love.
Colonel Bruker looked pissed while he tore up Jason's postcard into tiny pieces and let it raid down to the sandy soil.
"You'll be denied incoming and outgoing mail for six months!"
Colonel Bruker yelled at Jason then he noticed his shirt pocket was unbuttoned and the corner of a photo poked out. He got curious and reached over and snagged the photo out of Jason's pocket.
Jason got pissed with the Colonel but remained unruffled.
Colonel Bruker looked at the photo. "Is this Cindy?" Jason nodded in agreement with his question.
"Too bad she'll never see you again," Colonel Bruker replied with an evil smirk then he shoved Jason's photo into his pants pocket.
Jason wanted to lunge at the Colonel but refrained thinking they would shoot him on the spot.
Colonel Bruker removed his Luger and beat Jason across his forehead.
Jason dropped to the ground in pain. He had a bloody gash above his left eye where blood flowed down in his eyes and down his cheek.
Colonel Bruker had a proud smirk with his
accomplishment with Jason while he stared at him, couched down in the dirt.
Hans felt sorry for Jason while he watched him stand up, and blood flowed down from his forehead.
Bruker walked away from the formation. "Dismissed and get that man some medical attention. I don't want him bleeding all over my Stalag," Colonel Bruker yelled out while he strutted over to his building.
Hans followed Colonel Bruker while he went into his building.
The POWs broke formation and milled around the area.
Ralph and another POW rushed over to Jason and walked him over toward the medical building.
An hour later, Hans worked at his desk on some paperwork.
"Private Wolfe," Colonel Bruker yelled out from his office.
Hans jumped up from his desk and rushed into the Colonel's office.
Hans rushed into his office and snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir."
Colonel Bruker gave a return salute. "Put my trash in the incinerator," he ordered then returned to his paperwork.
Hans walked over and picked up the trash can.
Colonel Bruker had a smirk while he watched Hans leave his office with his trash can.
Hans walked out of the building with the trash can in hand.
He walked through the Stalag to the incinerator located on the other side of the compound.
He opened up the incinerator door and emptied the contents of the can inside the fire.
His eyes flashed open when he something of interest. He quickly reached inside and removed Jason's photo saving it from a nearby flame.
He discreetly shoved the photo in his pants pocket. He closed the incinerator door and walked away with the trash can.
Hans walked the trash can back to Colonel Bruker's building.
Later that night in the barracks, some POWs played poker, some paced bored around the room, some slept in their bunks.
Jason was in his bunk and stared at the bottom of the bunk above him. He got depressed with a bandage over his left eye.
The barracks door opened and Hans entered with mail in hand.
Hans walked by all the bunks and gave the POWs their mail.
Hans walked to Jason's bunk, with a hand behind his back.
Jason stared at the bottom of the bunk above his bunk.
"I know, no mail," Jason said to Hans.
Hans smiled while he whipped his hand from behind his back and dropped Jason's photo on his chest.
Jason's eyes lit up when he saw his photo of Cindy on his chest. "Thanks, Hans!" he said while he grabbed his photo and looked at Cindy.
Jason shoved the photo back in his pocket and made sure it wasn't visible.
"I felt bad for Bruker tearing up your postcard," Hans replied then he looked around to make sure no other POW was watching. The coast was clear, so he unbuttoned a button from his shirt, and he removed two postcards and a pen. He discreetly handed them to Jason. "One for your girlfriend and one for your family," he said.
Jason couldn't believe his eyes over that act of kindness by a so-called enemy. "I don't know what to say. I wish there were something I could do for you," Jason said while he quickly wrote to Cindy on one of the postcards.
"Can you teach me about being a pilot? About how to fly an airplane?" Hans asked with a gleam in his eyes.
"It would be my pleasure," Jason replied while he started on the postcard to his parents.
Hans waited while Jason wrote a postcard to his parents.
Jason was finished and handed the postcards back to Hans.
Hans shoved them inside his shirt and buttoned it up. "I'll make sure the Colonel doesn't see these, and I'll get them out in the mail. And I'll try to sneak in any letters that might arrive before the Colonel throws them away," Hans told Jason.
"When can I learn about flying?" Hans curiously asked.
"How can we talk without Colonel Bruker finding out?"
Jason asked.
Hans thought for a few seconds. "We can meet at night at nine here in your barracks. The Colonel is asleep by then," he told Jason.
"It's a deal," Jason said then he stuck out his hand. Jason and Hans shook hands to seal the deal.
Hans walked away with a smile and headed to the door of the barracks.
Jason removed his photo of Cindy and him under the Sweet Bird and recalled all the beautiful times they had together.
After dinner of more thin chicken soup and black bread, Jason walked around the allowed area of the Stalag for some exercise.
Later that night, Hans slipped into Jason's barracks at nine.
Hans walked over and sat on Jason's bunk. He unbuttoned his shirt and discreetly removed something wrapped in a napkin.
He discreetly handed it to Jason.
Jason unwrapped the napkin and saw it was a bratwurst from the German soldiers' dinner.
"What about some for the other guys?" Jason whispered to Hans while he discreetly munched on his bratwurst.
"I will get some for them when I can," Hans replied.
Jason discreetly munched on his bratwurst while Hans watched.
After he ate, Jason spent twenty minutes and explained the principles of how an airplane can fly.
Hans left Jason's barracks excited about learning something about flying an airplane.
During the next three weeks, Jason moped around the barracks and the Stalag. All he could think about was what was Cindy doing at this exact moment in England.
He also spent time teaching Hans about aerodynamics by using a paper airplane.
Because of the poor diet provided by the Germans, Jason dropped fifteen pounds in weight.
Two weeks later, Jason lay in his bunk with thoughts about Cindy.
Hans entered the barracks with for his daily mail duties.
He finally arrived at Jason's bunk and smiled when he sat down. He discreetly unbuttoned his shirt and reached inside, removed a letter, and he handed it over to Jason.
"Thank Hans," Jason replied with a smile while he opened up the letter.
"I'll see you later tonight for another lesson?" Hans asked.
"Okay," Jason replied while he unfolded the letter.
Hans got up off the bunk and headed to the barracks door.
Jason read his letter.
"Dear Son, I'm so afraid the Germans will harm you while you're held, prisoner. I do have some good news to tell you.
We just heard that Peggy will return home soon. She also wrote to us about that English girl you were dating while in England.
You hurt her feeling deeply, and your father and I are ashamed of what you did to her," Wilma wrote in her letter.
Jason set his letter down and looked worried that his parents are now upset with him for falling in love with Cindy.
Later that night, Hans and Jason had another lesson where Jason explained taking off in an airplane.
Two more boring weeks had passed in the Stalag, and Jason couldn't stop thinking about Cindy. It was the thought of her that was giving him the strength to survive this POW camp.
Jason received a package from home that the Red Cross delivered to the Stalag. He opened it up to find some of his mom's chocolate chip cookies, some toothpaste, a toothbrush, and brownies Peggy made. The cookies and brownies were a little stale from the long journey across the ocean, but it still tasted better than the food in the Stalag.
Three more weeks had passed, and the weather was freezing with snow, and the POWs finished building the new barracks for the German soldiers.
Jason dropped a little more weight, and his daily jogs around the allotted area were getting shorter and shorter. He was also depressed because he wanted to receive letters from Cindy. All he got were letters from his mom, stating Peggy was still in love with him.
Colonel Bruker also continued with his regular routine of formation inspections where he would harass the POWs, and everybody eventually got punched sooner or later.
Jason continued to teach Hans about flying an airplane during the nights. They sometimes discussed aviation in his barracks or sat outside in the cold night up against a barracks wall. When they sat outside, they would have to duck into the crawl space of the barracks to avoid the searchlight illuminating their bodies.
More months had passed, and it was early January 1944, and the POWs were even more depressed.
Some POWs play cards, some lay in their bunks, and some paced. But they all had one thought in common, and that was a better life outside this Stalag.
Hans entered the barracks with some mail to deliver.
After he dropped off all the letters, he stopped by Jason's bunk.
"Hi Jay Jay," he said and sat down on Jason's bunk.
Jason thought for a few seconds. "Can I trust you, Hans?"
"Sure, we're friends," Hans replied then leaned closer to Jason. "But don't tell Colonel Bruker," he added with a chuckle.
"Will you sneak out letters to Cindy?" Jason quietly asked.
Hans thought about his offer for a few seconds, then he looked nervous. "I would love to, but I can’t. Colonel Bruker would shoot me if he found out. I'm sorry, Jay Jay," Hans replied and felt terrible about not helping him.
Jason looked depressed, and Hans felt terrible.
"I wish we had a record player. I'm missing music something fierce," Kent one of the card players said.
Jimmy paced up and down by some bunks, and then his eyes lit up. "Yeah, Glenn Miller's In The Mood," he called out to the other POWs.
All the POWs smiled in agreement when they remembered dancing to that song.
Then William used his hands to simulate a sax and sang out the introduction to In The Mood.
Bobby jumped up on cue and simulated a trumpet and sand out the trumpet introduction to In The Mood.
Then Sal, Tony, Steve, and Roger all jumped up and simulated the other instruments and sang out the rest of the introduction to In The Mood.
The pretend band got in front of the barracks and sang out the song while they pretended to be playing instruments.
The rest of the POWs got up from their bunks and danced with each other.
Jason got off his bunk and danced with his photo of Cindy in his hand.
Tom grabbed Hans and danced with him.
It was a party atmosphere while they sang and danced around the barracks.
The barracks door slammed opened, and Colonel Bruker stormed inside with his Luger in hand.
He saw the party and fired a bullet into the ceiling. The POWs all stopped dead in their tracks.
Tom hid Hans behind them and then Hans snuck under a bunk. A few other POWs stood by that bunk shielding him from the Colonel's view.
Colonel Bruker walked around and glared at all the POWs.
"Enough! Any more of this, and I'll have you all shot on sight!"
he barked while walking around the POWs glaring at them.
Bruker walked by the POWs that shielded Hans from under the bed. He stopped and glared at them, and they just avoided eye contact.
Colonel Bruker walked away from those POWs.
"Lights out!" Colonel Bruker said while he walked to the door.
Colonel Bruker turned out the lights then left the barracks.
The POWs helped Hans get out from under the bunk.
Hans looked relieved while Jason walked back over to him in the dark.
"I'll do it," Hans told Jason.
"Do what?"
"I'll sneak out your letters," Hans replied.
Jason smiled then looked concerned. "But what about Colonel Bruker?”
"I'm tired of that old bully.”
Jason patted Hans on his shoulder. "Thanks."
"You better wait a few minutes to make sure Colonel Bruker is back in his building," Tom said.
Roger and Tony peeked out the window and saw the light in Colonel Bruker's bedroom from his office building turn out.
"It's safe, Hans," Tony said while he continued to look out the window.
Hans walked to the door and left the barracks.
Jason, Tony, Tom, Roger, and Bobby looked out their windows and watched while Hans snuck across the Stalag to his barracks.
After they were satisfied, Hans made it back safely back to his barracks, they all got in their bunks.
While Jason lay in his bunk, all he could think about was writing a letter to Cindy.
It was the next morning, Hans snuck into Jason's barracks and gave him some paper, an envelope, and a pen.
Jason immediately lay in his bunk and wrote Cindy.
"Dear Cindy, I'm doing fine here in the German Stalag. I think about you every day and knowing that one day we'll be married keeps me strong in this prison. I love you," Jason wrote in his letter.
He stuck the letter in the envelope and got it ready to be mailed.
An hour later, Hans entered Jason's barracks and rushed over to his bunk.
Jason handed him his letter, and Hans shoved it into his shirt. Hans rushed out of the barracks.
Jason lay in his bunk and couldn't wait to get a letter from Cindy.
An hour later, Colonel Bruker was finished looking at the outgoing letters from the POWs. He handed them to Hans for further processing out of the Stalag.
When Colonel Bruker walked back into his office, Hans reached inside his shirt and removed Jason's letter to Cindy.
Hans shoved it in the middle of the other POWs letters.
The POWs letters went out later that afternoon.
That night, Jason had another dream, and in his dream, he was at in a church in England. He was dressed in his best suit, and Cindy wore a white wedding gown.
"Do you Jay Jay take Cindy Grant to be your wife?" the Preacher asked Jason.
"I do," Jason quickly replied with a smile.
"So do you Cindy Grant take Jay Jay to be your husband?"
the Preacher asked Cindy.
"I do," Cindy replied.
"You may kiss your bride," the Preacher told Jason. Jason and Cindy kissed.
"I now pronounce you Mister and Misses Jason Jenkins,"
the Preacher said.
Jason and Cindy turned around, and there was only a handful of attended his wedding.
In the front row were his mother and father and Wendy.
Also in the church were six of the POWs from his barracks, including Ralph.
His POWs buddies clapped and cheered.
His mother and Wendy wiped tears out of their eyes. Jason and Cindy walked down the aisle.
Jason woke up from his dream and looked around the barracks with a huge smile. That smile soon dissipated when he realized he was back in the Stalag.
It snowed that night, and when the POWs woke up the next morning, it was freezing outside.
Colonel Bruker had the POWs of Jason's barracks outside so his goons could check their barracks for any contraband.
Jason walked around the Stalag in the fifteen-degree weather with the other POWs.
Jason thought he was going to get frostbite walking around, and then noticed Richard who looked weak and could barely
walk. He kept an eye on Richard because he's been so sickly and weighed a little over 100 lbs.
Richard dropped to the frozen ground and lay motionless.
Jason rushed over to Richard and felt his neck for a pulse.
"He's dead," he told another POW that ran over to assist.
Jason and the other POW stood up when three German soldiers ran over with their rifles aimed at them. Two other soldiers ran over, and they grabbed Richard's boots.
They dragged Richard's dead body across the frozen ground to the medical building.
Jason walked around, and all he could think about was being back in Cindy's arms.
The story of Jason’s life in the Stalag continued. Two months passed, and it was now April 1944.
To this day, Jason never received a letter from Cindy even though he wrote her ten letters. Since he didn’t receive any letters from Cindy that made him even more depressed, and made it even more challenging to maintain a positive outlook on life. So he would spend his days moping around the Stalag and even quit jogging. Hans would try to cheer him up but couldn’t shake Jason out of his depression.
Then on one late April day, Hans entered Jason’s barracks with the mail.
Hans walked by Jason’s bunk and dropped off his letter.
“I’ll come back later,” Hans said then walked away.
Jason looked hopeful but got disappointed when the only mail he got was another letter from his mom.
He opened up the envelope and removed the letter. “Dear Son, I hope you’re well in that German prisoner of war camp.
Peggy’s been home for months and finally got discharged from the Army. But I’m still saddened that you wanted to marry that English girl. Hopefully, since you’ve been away room her, you’ll come to your senses. I can imagine all she wants is a free ride to America. We’re just so lucky that Mister Moore didn’t fire your father from his job. We’ll talk more about getting back on track to marrying Peggy when you return home. Take care of yourself in that prison camp, Love Mom,” Wilma wrote in her letter.
Jason put the letter down and stared at the bottom bunk over him. His eyes welled up, as he missed Cindy terribly, and there was no way he would ever marry Peggy.
Ten more months passed, and it was now the end of February 1945, and Jason weighed one hundred and twenty pounds. He looked sicker, more depressed, and about to give up on life.
There were rumors, thanks to Hans, going around the POWs that they were going to move the Stalag and they were going to start their march in a few days.
It was a Tuesday, and the weather was clear blue skies and a little chilly.
The guards in the towers kept a vigil eye on the POWs while they moped around the Stalag. It was their morning exercise.
While Jason moped, he removed his photo of Cindy and him under the nose of the Sweet Bird and a tear dropped on the photo. He shoved the photo back in his shirt pocket.
He walked around for a little while longer and saw Hans.
He stuck his hand in his pocket and walked toward Hans.
He walked by Hans and discreetly handed him his letter to Cindy without making eye contact.
Hans discreetly shoved the letter into his pants pocket and walked away.
Thirty minutes later, the sound of machinery was vaguely heard from the back end of the Stalag deep in the woods.
The sound of machinery from the back end of the Stalag got louder from the woods. It now caught the attention of the guards in the wood towers, as this wasn’t expected.
The POWs stopped walking around the Stalag and looked in the direction of the machinery sounds.
“Then one of the POWs eyes lit up. “That sounds like our tanks,” he told a few of the POWs standing near him. It didn’t take long for that suspicion to spread to the other POWs walking around the Stalag.
The sound got louder, and it was apparent it was American tanks.
The guards in the wood towers started shooting their machine guns in the direction of the sound in the woods.
The sound got louder, and it was apparent tanks were approaching the Stalag.
The guards in the wood towers continued to fire their machine guns in the direction of the approaching tanks.
One of the wooden towers and a huge section of barbed wired fence exploded after being shelled at by a tank.
All the POWs stopped dead in their tracks, while a glimmer of hope shined in their eyes.
Then gunfire came out of the woods at the rear of the Stalag. Two guards tumbled out of their wooden towers, and they slammed into the dirt dead.
Four M4 Sherman tanks roared out of the woods toward the hole they made in the Stalag perimeter fence.
The POWs eyes lit up with joy at the sight of the tanks.
The POWs all cheered and finally smiled and looked alive.
Bullets zinged around the Stalag grounds while the German soldiers and American Infantry soldiers all exchanged gunfire.
The POWs all dropped to the dirt for cover.
Colonel Bruker ran out of his building in a panic and ran toward the barracks.
Bullets continued to zing in the dirt while the German and American Infantry soldiers exchanged gunfire.
Colonel Bruker watched while some of his soldiers were shot dead.
Another wooden tower exploded when a bazooka took it out. Colonel Bruker stood there fearless while he looked around his Stalag that was now being invaded. He was furious.
Jason scampered into the crawlspace of one of the barracks.
He looked around and saw Hans hiding in the crawlspace of another barracks.
They saw each other and gave little waves.
Then around one hundred American Army ground pounders walked out of the woods from behind the tanks, and cautiously entered the Stalag grounds while firing their rifles at the German soldiers.
Another wooden tower exploded from a bazooka.
Bullets continued to zing around the Stalag grounds, and more POWs scampered into the crawl spaces of the buildings.
German soldiers ran between the barracks, and some of them dropped to their knees and fired at the approaching American soldiers.
Hans watched from under his hiding place while some of his fellow soldiers were shot dead.
Colonel Bruker rushed between the two barracks and saw his dead soldiers on the ground. He fired his Luger at an American soldier and killed him.
While he looked around, he spotted Hans cowering under a barracks. He got furious and stormed over to the building.
“Get out you coward!” Colonel Bruker yelled at Hans.
Hans slowly crawled out from under the barracks, and during the process, Jason’s letter slid out of his pocket and landed in the dirt.
Colonel Bruker saw the letter and curiously picked it up out of the dirt. He looked at the letter and saw it was addressed to Cindy Grant in Chipley Springs, England. Colonel Bruker got furious when it dawned on him Hans had been smuggling letters out of the Stalag. He reached down and grabbed Hans up by his hair. From under this hiding place, Jason watched while Colonel Bruker pulled Hans up by his hair to his feet. He knew this wasn’t going to be pretty and wanted to save his friend. He saw a dead German soldier five feet from his hiding place. He realized it was Sergeant Dunstan, so he quickly crawled over and grabbed the dead sergeant’s rifle.
“Traitor!” Colonel Bruker yelled at Hans and whipped out his Luger. “And traitor’s should be shot!” he yelled while he aimed his Luger at Hans’ forehead.
Jason quickly fired a round from the German rifle.
Colonel Bruker dropped dead to the ground with a headshot.
Hans looked stunned, then relieved when he saw that Colonel Bruker was no longer a threat.
Three Sherman tanks crashed through the barbed wire fence with the trailing Army soldiers.
The POWs all stood up at the sight of the Army soldiers, and they all cheered.
Some POWs grabbed the rifles of the dead German soldiers.
The POWs aimed their rifles at the German soldiers who all immediately dropped their rifles and raised their arms in the air and surrendered.
Jason ran over to Hans who stood there in disbelief that the Stalag was captured. He got scared, and his eyes welled up.
Jason placed his arm around Hans for comfort.
“It’s over. It’s finally over,” Jason cheered.
Hans smiled then looked down and saw Jason’s letter still in Bruker’s dead hand. He reached down, grabbed the letter, and handed it to Jason. “You can deliver this in person.”
Jason took the letter with a huge smile, and his mind filled with positive thoughts of being with Cindy once again. An Army SSgt walked up to Jason and pointed his rifle at Hans.
Hans got scared and raised his arms in the air.
“Sarge, I’m Lieutenant Jenkins, take good care of this Private. He was friendly to us while in this Stalag,” Jason told the sergeant.
Four other POWs walked up to Jason. “He’s right Sarge, this German was friendly. Take good care of him,” one of the POWs confirmed.
“We will,” the Staff Sergeant replied then grabbed Hans’
arm and escorted him away.
Hans looked back at Jason, and he seemed so scared while he was being escorted away to the other captured Germans.
“Don’t worry Hans, everything will be alright! I’ll find you in Kaiserslautern after the war!” Jason called out to comfort his friend.
Hans smiled at Jason while being escorted away.
Another Army sergeant walked over to Jason and the other POWs. “Is everybody okay?” the sergeant asked Jason and the other POWs.
“We’re fine,” Jason replied but kept an eye on Hans.
Two weeks later, Jason was in an Army hospital in England.
He spent four weeks there getting medical exams and received a healthy diet and got some of his weight up.
During the days in the hospital, Jason would stroll around the hospital grounds for some exercise. Then he started to jog at a slow pace when he felt ready. He also wrote Cindy three letters and wondered why she hadn’t come to visit him.
Then the night before he was to be discharged from the hospital, Jason had another dream.
In his dream, Jason and Cindy were married and bought a farmhouse in Iowa. He lived in a white two-story house with a wrap-around porch. He had a red barn where he housed his bi-wing airplane for his crop duster. business. He was married to Cindy, and they had a son, who was now four years old. In his dream, life was excellent, and he was so happy.
It was now the middle of April 1945, and Jason was discharged from the Army hospital. The Commander of the airbase also paid him a visit and pinned Captain bars on Jason’s uniform.
Jason returned back to the Chipley Springs airfield, where Colonel Franklin granted him two weeks leave.
So Jason got dressed in his Army Tunic uniform and rushed off to the English town of Chipley Springs.
The story of Jason’s life after being a prisoner of war.
Jason walked down the streets of Chipley Springs with a box of chocolates in hand and a huge smile on his face. Life was going to get better in a few minutes, and he couldn’t wait.
Jason walked with a spring in his step while he walked into the door to Cindy’s apartment building.
He went inside.
Jason walked down the hallway to Cindy’s apartment door.
His heart raced.
He paused while he let his heart settle down. He took a deep breath, knocked on her door. He nervously waited, and his legs started to shake a little.
Cindy’s apartment door slowly opened, and Jason’s heart raced faster. He had visions of Cindy rushing up to him and hugging him so tight that she might break a rib.
Elizabeth Shaw, a seventy-six-year-old English woman, from appeared inside Cindy’s apartment.
Jason quickly leaned over and kissed the old woman on her lips, thinking it was Cindy.
Elizabeth was in shock, and she pushed him away.
Jason saw Elizabeth and turned red with embarrassment.
Albert walked down the hallway and passed by Jason while he headed to his apartment with a small grocery bag in his arms.
“I’m so sorry you must be Cindy’s grandmother. I’m Jay Jay, your future son-in-law,” Jason said with a huge warm smile.
“I’m sorry, I’m not Cindy’s grandmother, and I’ve never heard of you or her. You must have the wrong apartment,”
Elizabeth replied.
Albert stopped at his apartment door while he stared at Jason. He had this feeling that he’s seen Jason before and tried to remember where and when.
“No. Cindy Grant lives here as I’ve spent many hours in this apartment. We’re engaged to be married,” Jason responded, and his stomach started to get a little upset.
“I’m sorry, but I live here all alone,” Elizabeth replied.
Jason looked lost and a little confused. “But I remember Cindy Grant living here,” he said while then looked around the hallway to make sure he didn’t enter the wrong building. “No, I remember Cindy living here,” he added.
Elizabeth thought about his last comment for a few seconds. Then her eyes lit up when she remembered something.
“Wait right there, young man,” she said then went back inside her apartment.
Jason curiously waited out in the hallway.
Albert still stared at Jason while he tried to remember why that young man’s face seemed so familiar.
Elizabeth appeared at the door with a bundle of letters in her hand. “These letters for a Cindy Grant kept on arriving here after I moved in. I was hoping that she would return so I can give her the letters, but she never did,” she said.
Jason saw the letters in her hand, and he looked like he wanted to cry. “I wrote those letters while I was in a German prisoner camp,” he said.
Elizabeth handed Jason the bundle of letters.
“Good day, young man, and I hope you find Cindy,”
Elizabeth said, then closed the apartment door.
Albert continued to stare down the hallway, and then it dawned where he knew Jason.
Elizabeth reopened her door. “But you are a good kisser,”
she said with a wink and a smile then closed her door.
“Where is she?” he said while he just stood there staring at the bundle of letters in disbelief.
“Excuse me, sir,” Albert said while he walked up to Jason.
Jason turned and saw Albert approach him.
“I’m Albert and couldn’t help but overhear. Miss Grant moved away, oh, well over a year ago,” Albert told him.
Jason looked hopeful when he heard that bit of news. “Do you know where?” he quickly asked.
“I don’t know where but I do know she married a British pilot,” Albert replied.
It took a few seconds then it hit Jason like a ton of bricks.
“Did you say married?” Jason asked to make sure he understood Albert.
“Yes, she married a British pilot,” Albert responded.
Jason still looked at Albert in disbelief. “Married a British pilot? But why? She was supposed to marry me?”
“She was pregnant, and he did the right thing, and he married her. He’s not like you Americans, who shagged our girls and leave them behind,” Albert replied.
“Pregnant? Are you sure?” Jason asked in disbelief.
“I’m sure. I saw him propose right where you’re standing.
He claimed he would help her raise the baby,” Albert responded and had a little smirk, as he hated it when the Americans left pregnant English girls behind.
“She was going to marry me. I proposed and gave her an engagement ring before I got shot down by the Germans,”
Jason said while he fought back his tears.
Jason opened up his pocket on his coat and removed the photo of Cindy and him under the nose of the Sweet Bird. He showed the photo to Albert. “This photo kept me strong in that German Stalag thinking I would return and marry Cindy.”
Albert started to feel sorry for Jason. “I’m sorry young man, but she moved away,” he said.
“She was going to marry me!” he said and looked depressed, and his eyes started to well up.
Jason let the box of chocolates slip out of his hand, and it dropped to the floor.
The box opened and spilled pieces of chocolate on the floor. Jason turned and moped down the hallway with the bundle of letters in his hand.
Albert watched Jason while he moped down the hallway.
He smiled when he looked down at the box of chocolates.
Albert quickly bent down and scooped up the chocolates and shoved them back in the box.
He rushed down the hall to his door before Jason returned to claim his candy he left behind.
Jason moped down the street from Cindy’s apartment building.
He moped over, sat down at a bench, and looked at the bundles of letters.
Jason spent five minutes on the bench while looked at all the letters and saw the postcard he first wrote.
“She never read one single letter,” Jason said while his eyes welled up.
He got up from the bench, walked down the street, and found a trash can. He dropped the letters into the trash.
Jason walked in a daze down the street and headed to the nearest English Pub.
Jason went inside up to the Chipley Springs Pub and ordered a pint of Ale at the bar.
He grabbed his pint of Ale and walked over and sat down at a table.
Jason sat in a stupor while he drank his Ale, and all he could think about was Cindy getting pregnant and marrying another man.
Wendell, a sixty-eight-year-old English man, sat a nearby table looked over at Jason. “Hello Yank,” he said while he raised his glass of Ale in the air for a greeting.
“She left me,” Jason told the old man.
“Who left you?” Wendell curiously asked Jason.
Jason grabbed his glass of Ale, got up, walked over, and sat down at Wendell’s table. He removed his picture of Cindy and showed it to the friendly Englishman. “Her name is Cindy.”
Wendell looked at the picture and noticed the nose of the B-17. “Oh, you were a bomber pilot? My son was a Handley Page Hampden bomber pilot,” Wendell while he took a sip of his Ale. He wiped away some tears. “He was shot down some
years back,” Wendell added while he took a gulp of his Ale remembering his son.
“My B seventeen was shot down, and we were captured by the Germans. I was sent to a Stalag for a long lonely time. All I thought about was getting out of there and returning to England to marry Cindy,” Jason said with a depressed state.
“What happened to Cindy?” Wendell curiously asked then sipped his Ale.
“While I was a POW, she got pregnant and married another pilot,” Jason replied, and he started to look pissed.
“I’m sorry about that chap,” Wendell said and drank some more of his Ale.
Jason gulped down his glass of Ale then got up from the table.
He walked over to the bar and bought another glass of Ale.
He walked back and sat down with Wendell at his table.
For the next two hours, Jason drank with Wendell and told him the whole story of his life with Cindy and Peggy.
Two hours later, and Jason staggered out drunk from the Pub. He staggered down the street in search of a place to spend the night.
Jason staggered to the outskirts of Chipley Springs and found a small patch of woods.
Jason staggered into the woods and immediately relieved himself of the last two glasses of Ale.
Jason stumbled while he sat down in the dirt and leaves.
He fell on his back and fell fast asleep.
Jason woke up late the next morning with a bad hangover.
He stood up and brushed off the dirt and leaves off his uniform.
His eyes widened, he rushed over to a tree and vomited.
Jason moped back into Chipley Springs and eventually found a small restaurant.
He went inside and drank some coffee and had a muffin.
After breakfast, Jason moped down the street where Cindy’s apartment was located.
He found the bench by the street near her apartment and sat down.
Jason spent the whole day sitting on that bench while staring at his photo of Cindy and himself under the nose of the Sweet Bird and glanced back at her old bedroom window .
The sun dropped below the horizon, and Jason got up from that bench near Cindy’s apartment.
He moped down the street and headed into the Chipley Springs Pub.
Jason bought some fish and chips and another glass of Ale.
He sat down at a table and ate his dinner.
An hour later, Jason was on his third glass of Ale and sat at his table in a depressed stupor while he thought about Cindy dumping him.
An occasional English man would come over to chat with Jason, but they soon left after he started whining about Cindy getting pregnant and marrying another man.
Everybody in the Pub soon got tired of Jason flashing the photo of Cindy and hearing his story over and over again.
It was eleven that night, and Jason staggered out of the Chipley Springs pub dunk with his photo of Cindy in his hand.
He moped down the sidewalk while he stared at the photo.
He stopped, ripped up the photo into small pieces, and let it fall to the pavement.
Jason staggered down the street and headed to those woods at the outskirts of town.
After Jason relieved himself from the last two glasses of Ale, he plopped back down in the dirt and leaves.
He soon fell fast asleep.
Jason woke up the next morning with a splitting headache, and after he brushed off the leaves and dirt, he headed back into Chipley Springs.
Jason walked back to that restaurant and had numerous cups of coffee. Some of the patrons were a little disgusted with the smelly appearance of Jason.
After his coffee breakfast, Jason walked the streets of Chipley Springs in hopes of finding Cindy.
“Maybe that old man in her apartment building was mistaken,” Jason said while he thought about Cindy some more and couldn’t believe she would marry someone else.
After a few more minutes of walking the streets, Jason spotted an older couple approaching him on the sidewalk.
“Excuse me, do you know where I might find Cindy Grant? She’s a beautiful blonde English woman,” Jason asked an older couple while they walked down the sidewalk.
“I’m sorry, but we don’t know a Cindy Grant,” the man replied.
Jason reached inside his coat pocket to remove his photo to show them but realized he tore it up last night. “Thank you,” he said, then walked away.
“My lord, that yank looks deplorable,” the lady told her husband.
“He also smells like he hadn’t taken a bath in days,” the man replied.
“I wish they would stay at their airfield,” the lady said while they walked down the sidewalk.
Jason continued to walk around the streets of Chipley Springs.
“Do you know Cindy Grant?” Jason asked a woman while she walked down the sidewalk.
“No,” the woman quickly replied, then rushed away leery of Jason.
Jason walked out of Chipley Springs and visited all the areas in the country where he spent some romantic times with Cindy.
Later that day, Jason walked back into Chipley Springs and moped around the streets searching for Cindy.
He saw a young couple and rushed across the street.
“Excuse me, do you know Cindy Grant?” Jason asked while he rushed over to the couple.
A young woman stopped and thought for a few seconds.
“Ah, yes, I remember her. She got pregnant by some pilot then he married her, and they moved away,” she replied to Jason.
“Do you know where?” Jason curiously asked.
“I believe it was Sheffield,” she replied.
Her male companion thought for a few seconds. “No, I believe it was Manchester,” he replied.
She thought for a few seconds. “Or it could have been Birmingham?” she replied with a look that she was unsure.
“Anyway, we know she moved somewhere up north to stay his her in-laws while she had the baby,” the man replied. Jason moped away in a daze and crossed the street and almost got smacked by a car.
Jason moped down the street and headed back to the Chipley Springs Pub.
Jason entered the Pub and bought another glass of Ale.
He sat down at a table and started drinking his sorrows away.
It was eleven-thirty that night, and Jason staggered out of the Pub drunk.
“The fucking bitch left me!” he screamed out while he stood by the door and swayed. “Fucking bitch!” he yelled again the headed down the sidewalk.
He staggered down the sidewalk and almost fell flat on his face a few times.
An old man walked down the sidewalk toward Jason.
“She cheated on me! My soul mate cheated on me!” Jason slurred out the old man and swayed.
The old man rushed away leery of Jason.
“She doesn’t love me!” Jason mumbled while he staggered down the sidewalk.
A middle-aged man and woman approached Jason on the sidewalk.
Jason stopped by the couple. “The bitch screwed another man. Can you believe it? She screwed someone while I was in a German Stalag,” Jason slurred out while he swayed.
Jason’s eyes widened, he swayed forward, and then he vomited on the front of the woman’s dress.
The woman jumped back and screamed at the awful sight of her dress.
The man got pissed and punched Jason in his face. Jason dropped to the sidewalk and looked dazed and confused.
The man and woman rushed away while the woman sobbed about her dress.
A Jeep with two MPs raced down the street and stopped by Jason.
The two MPs, Jack and Wally, jumped out and rushed over to Jason.
“The bitch cheated on me!” Jason screamed at Jack and Wally and was too drunk to notice that they were MPs. Jason stood up and looked down the street, where Cindy’s apartment was located. “Why did you leave me, you fucking bitch!” he screamed.
Jack whacked Jason on the back of his head with his nightstick.
Jason dropped to the sidewalk and was out cold.
Jack and Wally grabbed Jason by his arms, and they drabbed him to the Jeep.
They lifted him up and threw him in the backseat.
They got in the Jeep and drove off down the street toward the airfield.
A little while later, Jack and Wally drove up to the MP
building.
They got out of the Jeep, grabbed Jason by his arms, and dragged him out of their vehicle.
They dragged him to the MP building with his feet trailing.
Inside the MP building, Jack and Wally dragged Jason to one of the open jail cells.
They threw Jason onto the bunk in the cell then slammed the door shut.
Jason stayed passed out on the jail cell bunk.
The next morning arrived, and Jason woke up in a daze in the jail cell. It took Jason a few minutes for him to realize he was in a jail cell. Then he started to sweat when he saw the MPs and realized he was in a military jail.
An hour later, SSgt Vinny Barber walked up to Jason’s jail cell and unlocked the door.
“Colonel Franklin wants a kind word with you, Captain,”
Barber said with a smirk.
Barber escorted Jason out of the MP building.
A few minutes later, Jason stood at attention in Colonel Franklin’s office while he paced back and forth. But he was hungover and swayed a little almost falling over a few times.
Colonel Franklin stopped and looked at Jason.
“I believe this is the second time we’ve met under these conditions,” he yelled at Jason.
“Yes sir,” Jason replied while he stared straight ahead.
“What’s your excuse this time?” Colonel Franklin yelled.
“No excuse, sir. Just being stupid over a girl,” Jason replied.
Colonel Franklin was silent while he decided how he was going to handle this situation.
He paced around, then sat behind his desk. “Well, Captain Jenkins, I remember the first time you acted stupid over a girl,”
Colonel Franklin said.
“Yes, sir,” Jason replied.
Colonel Franklin looked at Jason. “ Well, I’m going to factor in your time spent in the German Stalag, and I’m going to factor in that since we’re about to end this war any day now, I’m giving you another chance.”
“Thank you, sir,” Jason replied.
“Get back to your barracks, I’m grounding you for two months, dismissed,” Colonel Franklin said.
“Yes sir,” Jason replied, then saluted and left his office.
Jason spent the next three weeks working at a desk job and then he was discharged in May since Hitler was now dead and Germany surrendered.
The story of Jason’s life after returning home to Glenn Burnie, Maryland.
June 1945 now arrived, and after a long boat ride across the Atlantic Ocean, Jason took the train from New York down to Baltimore.
The New York train pulled into the Mount Royal train station one mid-morning and stopped at the platform.
People started pouring out of the train.
Wilma and Wendy stood on the platform, anxious to see Jason.
He stepped off the train with his duffel bag in hand and looked depressed to be back home.
Jason stood on the platform then saw Wilma and Wendy while they waved at him.
He smiled while he watched Wendy run over to him.
Wendy immediately hugged Jason. “I missed you,” she said while she hugged.
“You look, great sis,” Jason replied.
Wendy hugged him tight then leaned up at his ear. “What about Cindy?” she whispered.
“She’s the past, and I don’t want to talk about her anymore,” Jason whispered back in a depressed tone in Cindy’s ear. Wendy looked concerned with she separated from hugging Jason.
Wilma walked over, and her eyes welled up at the sight of her son still alive. “Welcome home son!”
Jason hugged Wilma.
Wilma saw his scar when they separated from his hug.
“Did the Germans do that?” she asked while she touched his reminder of Colonel Bruker’s kindness toward the POWs.
“Yes.”
Wilma looked upset for the Germans scaring her son.
“Let’s get you home,” Wilma said.
Jason walked down the platform with Wilma and Wendy.
They got into their 1939 Chevrolet and drove out of the parking lot.
“Is this our car?” Jason said from the backseat while Wilma drove down the street.
“Daddy bought it after Mister Moore gave him a promotion,” Wendy replied from the front passenger seat.
Wilma looked like something bugged her then she couldn’t keep it inside any longer. “I don’t know why you wanted that English girl, Jason. Peggy’s the one you should marry,” Wilma said in a scolding tone.
“I’m exhausted from my trip and really don’t want to talk about that right now,” Jason replied, then closed his eyes.
Wilma and Wendy both looked concerned during the drive home.
Later that day, Wendy and Jason sat on the swing on the wrap-around front porch of their new Victorian home while Wilma prepared dinner in the kitchen.
It was quiet while Jason sipped on his bottle of Arrow beer and Wendy cuddled next to him.
“I have a boyfriend, his name is Sidney, and he’s simply dreamy,” Wendy replied with a gleam in her eyes.
“What does he do?” Jason asked.
“He’s selling insurance at his father’s office and plans to take it over one day,” she replied with a smile while she thought about Sidney.
“He sounds nice,” Jason replied, then sipped his beer.
“I’m also working as a waitress down at Kirby’s Diner and saving my money for secretary’s school,” she replied.
“What are our plans?”
Jason thought for a few seconds. “I don’t know yet. I just don’t know,” he said then sipped his beer. “I might take a few months off and sort things out.”
Wendy had a gut feeling that something was wrong with her big brother. “Did Cindy dump you?”
Jason hesitated to respond but saw the concern in her eyes.
“We were engaged just before I flew the mission when I got shot down. When I returned back to England, I learned that she got pregnant by a British pilot and married him,” Jason said then he gulped down the rest of his beer.
“I’m sorry about that,” Wendy replied, then gave him a kiss on his cheek to show her support. “She sounded nice, and to be honest, I never really cared for Peggy,” she added.
Jason kissed the top of her head. “Thanks, sis,” he said the stood up to get another beer.
Wendy waited on the swing while Jason went inside to get another beer.
A few minutes later, Jason walked back out of the house and saw his father, in a suit, while he walked up to the walkway to the porch.
Hank’s eyes lit up the second he saw Jason on the porch.
“Welcome home, son,” Hank said when he stepped on the porch.
Hank hugged Jason, and his eyes welled up so happy his son survived the war. “I’m so glad your home, now we can get things back to the way they once were,” Hank said while he separated from the hug. He noticed Jason’s scar above his left eye. “War wound?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Jason replied while he remembered that day.
“Did a bullet gaze you while flying your B seventeen?”
Hank curiously asked.
“No, some German Colonel beat me with his Lugar while I was in the Stalag,” Jason replied.
“Bastards!” Hank replied mad at the Germans for hurting his son. He stepped back a little. “How do you like your old man wearing a suit to work?” Hank said with a gleam in his eyes.
“You look snappy,” Jason replied.
“Yep, Mister Moore gave me a nice promotion and a desk job, and I can now afford a car,” he said that gleam still in his eyes. “That’s nice dad,” Jason replied but really didn’t want to hear about Mister Moore.
“How do you like our new fancy house?” Hank asked so proudly of his new home.
“It’s sure fancy,” Jason replied.
“Well, take a few days to relax, Mister Moore wants to see you in his office. I think he’s going to offer you a nice paying job,” Hank replied and was excited of Jason working down at the plant. “Well, let me go check up with mother on how’s dinner coming along,” Hank added then patted Jason on his back then went inside the house.
Jason sat down on the porch and looked bothered. “What are you going to do?” Wendy asked, concerned. “ Maybe, I might reenlist back into the Army,” Jason replied while he took a drink of his beer.
“I don’t blame you if you did,” Wendy replied while she cuddled next to Jason.
An hour later, Wendy helped Wilma set the table for dinner.
While they were placing the pot roast on the table, someone knocked on the door.
Wilma had a smile on her face after hearing the knock.
“I’ll get it,” she said then rushed over to the door. Wilma opened up the door, and Peggy entered the living room.
Jason cringed at the sight of Peggy but knew he would have to face her sooner or later.
“Look at our special dinner guest,” Wilma said with a smile.
“Hi Jason,” Peggy said with a sparkle in her eyes when she looked at him.
Jason hesitated for a few seconds. “Hi, Peggy.”
Wilma winked at Jason while she walked past him and headed to the kitchen.
Wendy discreetly rolled her eyes at the sight of Peggy.
Peggy walked up to Jason, gave him a hug, and kissed him on his cheek. “I’m so happy you survived that Stalag. I was worried sick when I heard the news,” Peggy said while she placed her arm around Jason’s arm.
“I’m happy to survive that Stalag also,” Jason said.
“Dinner’s ready,” Wilma called out while she brought out a bowl of mashed potatoes and placed it on the table.
“Let’s eat!” Hank told everybody.
Peggy walked Jason over to the table and made sure they sat by each other.
Hank and Wilma smiled at the sight of Peggy sitting next to Jason at the table.
“Jason, daddy wants you to come by the office in two days.
He wants to talk some important business,” Peggy told Jason with a warm smile.
“I know, father already told me,” Jason replied but wasn’t interested in meeting with her father.
Everybody started eating, and Jason hated every moment of that dinner with Peggy by his side.
After dinner, Peggy wanted to take Jason out for a night of dancing, but he politely declined to state that he was still exhausted from the long journey home.
Peggy left a little disappointed but pretended that she understood.
Two days passed and Jason went to visit Kenny Moore at his plant.
Kenny sat down with Jason at a couch in his office. Peggy sat in a nearby chair.
“I’m so happy to see you returned safe and sound from that war,” Kenny told Jason.
“Thank you, sir.”
“I can forget everything that happened over in England.
After all, there was a war going on, and people are under a lot of
stress. So now we can return things back to normal,” Kenny said while he winked at Peggy.
“Of course they will, daddy,” Peggy replied with a warm smile at Jason.
“Now Jason, I’m prepared to offer you a job as vice president of production. We’re going to branch out and start assembling television sets. I believe those devices are going to be huge in the future, and there’s a company called Murray Industries that has a new television design. They want my plant to assemble the sets. We’ll start out with a small production line, and I predict that in five years, we’ll be doubling that line,”
Kenny told Jason and followed up with a pat on a back.
“Well sir, I really appreciate the offer, but I’ve been doing some thinking during the last day, and I’m going to reenlist back in the Army Air Corps. I want to get back to being a pilot,”
Jason replied.
Peggy looked extremely disappointed with Jason turning down her father’s job offer.
“Well, I can respect that,” Kenny replied then looked at Peggy, who looked upset.
“Well sir, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll be going. I promised dad I would do some painting at the house,” Jason said then stood up from the couch.
“Well, son, please give my offer some serious thought before you reenlist,” Kenny said while he stood up.
“Yes sir,” Jason replied while he stood up.
Kenny and Jason shook hands then they walked to the door.
Peggy pouted while she watched Jason leave her father’s office.
Later that night, Jason had a little fight with his father and mother when he told them that he planned on turning down the job offer at Kenny’s plant.
So he stormed out of the house and walked down to the nearest bar to drink his sorrow’s away.
Two hours later, Jason, with hair a mess, sat drunk at a bar with a few patrons. There was a bottle of whiskey that was half-emptied on the bar in front of Jason.
Peggy entered the bar, looked the place over, and smiled when she spotted Jason.
She rushed over to the bar and sat down next to Jason.
“It’s you,” he slurred out, then took another drink.
She straightened out his hair with her fingers.
He shooed her hand away and took another drink. “The past is over. We must move onto our future,” Peggy told him.
Jason looked over at Peggy and his eyes well up when he thought about Cindy.
“What happened to Cindy?” she curiously asked. “I don’t want to talk about her right now,” Jason slurred out then took another swig of whiskey.
“Did she dump you?” she asked.
“Fucking bitch,” Jason slurred out then took another drink of whiskey.
He looked back over at Peggy, she leaned in and kissed Jason’s lips.
Jason was drunk, and he accepted her lips.
Peggy pulled away from Jason and grabbed his hand. “I better drive you home. I don’t want you getting lost while walking home or hurting yourself,” she said then helped Jason off the stool.
She grabbed his whiskey bottle and walked him to the door.
Once she got outside, she walked Jason to her father’s brand new shiny black 1945 Cadillac.
She helped him into the passenger seat then she got behind the wheel.
She started the car up and drove away.
Instead of driving Jason home, she drove out to the country.
Jason was still too drunk to realize she wasn’t taking him home. He just sat in the passenger seat in a drunken stupor and stared out the window thinking about Cindy.
A little while later, Peggy drove her father’s Cadillac down the dirt driveway to the old man Adam’s farm. She knew he was out of town, so she parked the car by the barn.
She got Jason out of the car and walked him to the trunk of the car. She opened up the trunk and removed a blanket.
After she closed the trunk and she walked him over to the barn. Once they got inside the barn, she placed the blanket on the ground.
She gazed in Jason’s eyes. “Just believe that I’m Cindy tonight,” she said then she immediately kissed his lips. Jason was too drunk to come to his senses, so he accepted her kiss.
Peggy slipped out of her high heel shoes.
She then untied Jason’s shoes, slipped them off, and removed his socks.
Peggy unbuttoned Jason’s shirt and tossed it over to some hay. She unbuttoned her dress and slipped out of it and tossed it over to Jason’s shirt.
Jason swayed drunk while she unzipped his pants and slid them down his legs. He stepped out of his pants, and she tossed them over by her dress.
She lowered his boxer shorts, and he stepped out of them.
She unclipped her bra and removed it.
She then lowered her panties and slipped out of them. She stood naked with Jason and kissed his lips.
She then lowered Jason down to the blanket.
She started kissing Jason, and he was too drunk to resist.
The story of Jason's life after returning home to Glenn Burnie, Maryland continued.
The next morning he woke up in old man Adam's barn.
He looked around dazed, confused, and hungover.
Then he noticed his clothes with Peggy's clothes in the hay.
"What?" he said while he scratched his head. Then realized he was bare-ass naked. His eyes widened when he looked his left and saw Peggy asleep on her side and saw her bare ass cheeks.
"What's going on?" he said while he stared at Peggy's ass cheeks.
She woke up and rolled over to her back. "Good morning sweetheart," she said while she yawned and aimed her breasts at Jason.
Jason couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her fully naked body.
It hit him hard when it dawned on him. "Did we?" he asked and was afraid of the answer.
Peggy had a warm smile. "Yes, we did darling, and you were wonderful," she said while she lovingly ran her fingers up and down his arm.
He bolted up and rushed over to his clothes.
Peggy had a smirk while she watched Jason quickly dress in his clothes.
She got up and strolled over naked to Jason while he slipped on his boxer shorts. "We can do it again," she seductively said while she leaned in and kissed his lips.
"I got to go. I promised dad some help with painting the house," he said then quickly slipped on his pants.
Peggy slipped on the panties while Jason wore his shirt.
"Let me get dressed, and I'll drive you home," she said while she placed on her bra.
Jason slipped on his shoes and shoved his socks into his pants pockets.
He rushed over to the barn door and left the barn.
"But I'll drive you home!" Peggy yelled out while she ran to the barn door.
"I'll run home," Jason yelled back while he ran toward old man Adam's dirt driveway.
Peggy finished getting dressed while she watched Jason run down the dirt driveway. She felt hurt but had an evil smirk on her face while she placed her high-heeled shoes on her feet.
Jason was pissed with himself while he ran down the road into town.
A little while later, Jason ran down a street in Glenn Burnie.
Wendy was on waitress duty at Kirby's Diner this morning.
She was at a table and poured coffee into a man's cup. She glanced at the window and saw Jason while he ran down the street. “What's wrong?” she thought while the look on Jason's face indicated he was upset. She didn't pay attention, and the coffee overflowed from the man's cup.
"Hey!" the man yelled out in a panic jumping over to avoid hot coffee in his crotch.
Wendy looked, and her eyes widened seeing coffee pouring out of the cup, and flowing all over the table.
"I'm so sorry," Wendy said then immediately grabbed her towel and soaked up the hot coffee before it ran over the table into the man's pants.
Back in his neighborhood, Jason continued to run down the street. "How could I be so stupid?" said Jason, and he wanted to kick himself in his butt.
Later that afternoon, Jason sat on the front porch swing, drank coffee, and popped aspirin.
Wendy walked up to the walkway to the front porch, exhausted from her shift at the diner.
She looked concerned when she entered the porch and walked over to the swing.
"What happened this morning?" she asked while she sat down on the swing.
"What do you mean?" he replied, then sipped some more coffee.
"I saw you run by the diner in a panic this morning. I almost poured coffee on this man's lap."
Jason looked back at the living room window to make sure their mom wasn't within hearing range. He leaned over to Wendy's ear. "I did something idiotic last night. Really stupid!"
he whispered to her.
"What?" she curiously whispered back.
"I got drunk and then apparently I took Peggy to old man Adam's barn last night. We spent the night, and when I woke up, we were both naked," he whispered.
Wendy's mouth dropped open, and she shouldn't believe her ears. "You did what?"
"I had sex with Peggy last night," he whispered again.
Wendy looked at Jason in total shock.
"I'm so stupid," he said while he slapped his forehead with his free hand. He cringed, as he still had a headache from his hangover.
"You need to stay away from that girl," Wendy replied and looked worried for her big brother.
"I will," he replied, then drank the rest of his coffee.
A month had passed.
Jason painted his parents' house to kill some time while he figured out his future.
He was also successful in avoiding Peggy, but he didn't notice when she drove by the house numerous times while he painted the house.
The house was all painted, and Jason sat on the front porch swing drinking a bottle of Arrow beer.
Kenny's Cadillac drove down the street, and it parked in front of Jason's house.
Jason cringed when he saw Peggy get out of the Cadillac and walked down the walkway to the front porch.
"I knew it was too good to be true," he quietly said to himself while he took a drink of beer.
"Hello Jason," Peggy said in a sweet voice the second she stepped on the porch.
"Hi, Peggy," he replied, then took a sip of his beer looking away from her.
Peggy looked a little nervous while she walked over and sat down on the swing next to Jason.
Jason looked away while he sipped on his beer.
"The house looks good. You did an outstanding job painting it," she politely told him while she looked the house over.
"Thank you," he replied, then took another sip of beer and silently prayed she would leave.
Peggy fidgeted and looked nervous, as she was itching to say something but hesitated for the correct words.
Jason took another drink of his beer.
"I'm pregnant," she quickly blurted out.
Jason spat out his beer and choked on some. After he stopped choking, he looked at her. "What?" he asked, unsure he correctly heard what she told him.
"I'm pregnant."
Jason looked stunned. "Pregnant? How is that possible?"
"Remember our romantic night at old man Adams barn?"
she said.
Jason thought for a second, then it dawned on him when he remembered waking up naked that morning. He rubbed his head in frustration. "What do we do now?"
"The right thing. Or bear the fury of daddy for getting his little girl pregnant. And then he'll probably fire your father."
Jason felt trapped, and wanted to scream.
"I would hate it if your parents would lose this beautiful house. I know your mother loves it so dearly," she said, staring at Jason to make him sweat.
Jason didn't respond, and he took another drink of beer.
Peggy glanced over at the beer bottle in Jason's hand. She quickly snatched the bottle from his grip and got up from the swing.
She walked to the edge of the porch. She poured the rest of his beer out on the flowers below.
She walked back to the swing and sat down. "I'll tell my parents tonight that you had a change of heart and decided to marry me. We'll get married in two weeks, and then they'll believe we conceived after we were married," she told him.
"But won't your doctor say something to your parents?
After all, Dr. Benson plays golf with your father," Jason replied.
"I didn't have Dr. Benson look at me. I saw a doctor in Baltimore to be discreet," Peggy responded and looked serious.
Jason looked trapped and didn't have a way out of this dilemma.
An hour later, Peggy was gone, and Jason still sat on the front porch swing and looked stunned.
Wendy walked down the walkway in her waitress outfit, exhausted from another shift at the diner.
She saw Jason on the swing the second she stepped on the porch and sensed something was wrong.
"What happened now?" she asked while she sat down on the swing next to Jason.
Jason spent the next few minutes telling Wendy that Peggy was pregnant, and he doesn't have a choice but to get married.
Wendy was furious, as she knew Peggy tricked him so they could get married. "I'll always be here for you," she said then rested her head on his shoulder.
"And I'll always be here for you," he replied and placed his arm around his sister.
That night, Wilma and Hank were in heaven with the news that Jason finally decided to marry Peggy.
Kenny and his wife, Sally, were also elated that the wedding was finally going to take place. Peggy insisted that the wedding take place within two weeks before Jason chickened out again.
During the next week, Wilma, and Sally spent all of their free time putting together the wedding plans.
Also during that week, Kenny got his future son-in law's office ready to start his job after the honeymoon.
Two weeks passed, and it was the day of Jason and Peggy's wedding.
In a room in the church, Jason wore a tuxedo while he paced back and forth, still hating the thought of marrying Peggy. He often wished he died over there in Germany. This is my death sentence. He said over and over again in his mind.
Hank entered the room in his tuxedo and saw Jason while he paced back and forth. "I was nervous on my wedding day. I believe I vomited three times before going to the altar," Hank said then chuckled while he remembered that day. "I almost vomited on your mom," he added and chuckled again.
He walked over and patted Jason's shoulder. "Don't worry.
You'll survive this beautiful moment. I promise."
Jason looked like he wanted to vomit. "I need some fresh hair," he said then walked to the door.
"Hurry back," Hank said while he watched Jason leave the room.
Jason walked down the hallway and passed by a door that was cracked open.
"Peggy, I'm glad Jason came to his senses," Donna, Peggy's best friend and maiden of honor, said from inside the room with the cracked door.
Jason walked a little farther down the hallway then he got curious.
He walked back to the door and listened.
Inside the room, Donna helped with the final touches with Peggy's wedding dress.
"He came to his sense because I tricked him," Peggy replied to Donna.
"How's that?" Donna curiously asked.
"You better promise to keep this a secret. Because if you don't, I'll have your daddy fired from the plant," Peggy replied.
"I won't tell a soul. I promise!" Donna swore.
"I told Jason I was pregnant," Peggy replied with an air of cockiness in her voice.
"Oh, my God! When did that happen?" Donna replied, shocked.
"We spent the night in old man Adams barn little over a month ago."
"I can't believe you had sex before you got married,"
Donna replied a little shocked.
"I didn't have sex with him. Jason was too drunk to do anything but fall asleep," Peggy replied with a smirk.
"You lied to him?" Donna replied.
"It was the only way I could get him to marry me. But you should have seen what that I did to that English bitch that Jason wanted to marry," Peggy said with another smirk.
"What?" Donna curiously asked.
Jason kicked the door opened. The girls screamed.
Jason stormed inside the room, and he was furious. He stormed over to Peggy. "You lied about being pregnant?" he yelled in her face.
Peggy shook. "It was the right thing to do. We're destined to be together forever. After all, you cheated on me with that fat English girl," Peggy stated.
"What else did you lie about?" Jason yelled out.
Peggy hesitated if she should tell him. "That's not important anymore. Our love and future are more important.
She's the horrible past from England that you must forget forever," Peggy responded while her eyes welled up.
Jason got ready to slap her, but he refrained, knowing that would make him the bad guy.
He stormed out of the room and almost knocked down Wendy, who entered after she heard the conservation in the hallway.
Wendy looked out into the hallway then looked back at Peggy, who looked scared.
Wendy smirked while Peggy rushed past her and out of the room.
Wendy and Donna rushed out of the room and into the hallway.
Jason ran out of the church and headed to the parking lot.
Peggy ran out of the church and stopped while she searched for Jason in the church grounds.
She saw him while he ran to his father's car. "Jason!
Please don't leave me!" she yelled out and ran toward the car. Jason started the car up.
Peggy ran over to the car.
Jason slammed the car in reverse and backed up.
He slammed the car into first gear and stomped on the gas pedal.
Peggy's wedding dress was sprayed with dirt and grass while Jason raced the car out of the parking lot.
She looked down at her dress that was covered in dirt and grass. She looked at Jason's car while it sped down the road. She dropped to the ground and started sobbing. "What's the matter, dear?" Wilma and Sally said the second they ran up to Peggy.
"Jason ran out at our wedding?" Peggy sobbed out.
"He did what?" Kenny asked while he ran up to Peggy along with Hank.
"Jason ran out at our wedding?" Peggy sobbed again into her hands.
"Why would he do that?" Kenny asked while he glared at Hank.
"I don't know," Hank replied baffled with Jason's behavior.
"He ran out because Peggy tricked Jason into marrying him by making him believe she was pregnant," Wendy tattled.
"She did what?" Kenny asked a little unsure he heard Wendy correctly.
"She tricked Jason into marrying her by making him believe she was pregnant," Wendy repeated.
Sally looked at Donna, who stood next to Wendy. "Donna, what do you know about this?" she asked.
Donna looked nervous about saying anything. "I don't want my father to be fired," she nervously replied.
"Donna, if you lie to me, I'll fire your father. Now tell me the truth, and I won't fire him," Kenny said and looked serious.
Donna looked at Peggy, who continued to sob. "Peggy told me she lied to Jason about being pregnant so she could trick him into marrying her," Donna replied.
Peggy looked like she wanted to kill Donna for telling her secret.
Peggy got up and stormed away to the church. Kenny and Sally ran after Peggy.
Hank and Wilma looked worried while their car was just a small dot way down the road.
From the car, Jason's eyes welled up while he drove away from the church. He reached under the front seat and pulled a whiskey bottle he stashed under there a few days ago.
He looked at the bottle then rolled down the window. He tossed out the bottle and heard it shatter on the road.
He drove off down the street.
Jason returned home later that night and had a little heated argument with his parents for running out on the wedding. But they eventually understood that Jason was tricked and it was never mentioned again.
Two days later, Wendy went down with Jason to the Army recruiting station where he reenlisted in the Army Air Corps.
Two weeks later, Wilma and Wendy took Jason back to the Mount Royal train station for the third time and last time left home for the military.
Back to reality back in 1978 at Spencer’s museum.
Outside the bomber room, Cindy waited and looked at her watch. “Where is she?” Cindy quietly said to herself while she continued to look around her museum for the person who wanted to meet with her.
She glanced inside the Bomber Room and got curious noticing the crowd gathered around the Sweet Bird display.
She went inside the Bomber Room.
Inside the Bomber Room, the crowd all loved the story of Jason’s life.
Some women wiped away tears, and even a few men also discreetly wiped away some tears.
“Same old story of a woman tricking a guy into marriage,”
one of the men said from the crowd.
His wife elbowed him to indicate she didn’t like his comment. A few nearby men chuckled over that sight.
“After I reenlisted, I was stationed at MacDill in Florida for B twenty-nine training. Kenny Moore fired dad, so I sent him fifty percent of my pay until he found a job four months later in Baltimore. Then a few years later, I transferred into the Air Force, where I spent the rest of my thirty-year career. I retired as a Colonel in seventy,” he told the crowd.
Robyn gave Jason a kiss on his cheek as she felt sorry for those events that happened so long ago.
“What happened to Hans?” one of the men curiously asked from the crowd.
“In fifty-four, I was stationed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Since Hans lived in Kaiserslautern, I was able to see him again. Hans would rent an airplane at a local German airport, and I gave him some lessons. I got my flight instructor’s license a few years before that while stationed in Illinois. I really don’t regret shooting Colonel Bruker to save Hans life. He’s
now a pilot for Lufthansa airlines, and I see him occasionally when he flies to the states,” Jason told everybody.
“What happened to your lovely sister?” a woman in the crowd asked.
“She married Sidney in forty-eight, and they had a beautiful daughter named Robyn,” he said then kissed Robyn’s cheek.
Then he looked saddened while he remembered something else.
“But then a drunk driver killed Wendy and Sidney in fifty-eight.
Since my parents were too old, I took in Robyn and raised her,”
he added.
“And he was a wonderful father and uncle to me,” Robyn said while she kissed his cheek.
“Did you never married? Or tried to contact Cindy?”
another woman curiously asked from the crowd.
“No. Peggy tried to trick me into marrying her, and as far as Cindy went, I thought about contacting her, but she was married, and I knew I couldn’t have her. So why bring up that heartache again?” he responded.
“Not all women will break your heart, Uncle Jason.”
All the women in the crowd nodded in agreement with Robyn.
“She right,” a woman added.
“I never stopped loving Cindy. She still has my heart,”
Jason said with sadness in his eyes.
Robyn gave Jason a little hug.
“Jay Jay, is that you?” Cindy’s voice curiously called out from the crowd.
Jason’s eyes widen, as that voice sounded so familiar.
He looked at the crowd for the source of that female voice.
Cindy pushed her way through the people and stopped the second she saw Jason on the bench. She stared at him, then her eyes widened like she saw a ghost. “Oh, my God! It’s you, Jay Jay! It’s really you! But, how can this be?” she said while her eyes welled up.
Jason looked at Cindy, and then it dawned on him; it was the girl he loved so long ago. Then he seemed stunned at the
sight of Cindy and got mad. “You said you would never love another man!” he yelled at her.
“But I thought,” Cindy replied while she walked up to him.
“You thought? When it looked like I wasn’t coming back, you thought of another man. That’s what you thought!” Jason said, interrupting Cindy.
She rushed over to Jason. “No! It wasn’t like that!” she replied while her eyes continued to well up.
Everybody in the crowd watched in awe while Jason’s life story continued in real life.
“Of course not. It’s like this,” he said while he touched his scar above his left eye. “A souvenir of trying to keep your memory alive while in a prisoner of war camp.”
“Jay Jay, please let me explain!” she pleaded.
Jason stormed off pushing his way back through the crowd.
Robyn looked back at the photo on display and then looked at Cindy and saw her “Cindy Spencer” name tag.
Robyn got up from the bench and ran after Jason and grabbed his arm. “Uncle Jason, I had no idea she was your past love when I set up a meeting.”
“You did what?” he asked, upset with Robyn.
“I set up a meeting to discuss opening up a bigger place at this airport. I thought you might have a better chance down here in West Haven.”
“I don’t ever want to see or talk to that woman!” he snapped back and started to walk away.
Robyn grabbed his arm and stopped him. “Maybe she has a valid reason for leaving you. I think you should hear her out,”
she scolded him.
“The only valid reason is she let someone screw her, while I was a POW,” he yelled back.
Robyn looked back and saw Cindy wipe away some tears.
“No! If you don’t give her this chance, you’ll lose her forever.
So quit being a stubborn old fool!” she snapped back at him.
Jason looked at Robyn then he looked at Cindy, who was visibly upset. He thought about leaving but knew Robyn would be on his case about this for years.
He walked back to Cindy. “Okay, at least I can hear your side of what happened,” he said while he sat down on the bench near Robyn.
It was total silence while everybody curiously waited for Cindy to tell her side of the story.
“I remember that day your plane flew off on that mission,”
Cindy said.
Robyn stood next to Jason and placed her hand on his shoulder while Cindy continued with her story.
Cindy’s story about what happened back in England during World War II.
Back at the Chipley Springs airfield, Cindy stood by the corner of the Administration Building and watched while the B-17s waited in line for their turn to take-off.
Cindy saw that the Sweet Bird that was second in line to take-off. She silently prayed while she watched the Sweet Bird roll down the runway and was soon airborne.
She watched while the Sweet Bird banked to the right and flew off with the other B-17s.
She waited by the side of the building until the B17s were just small dots in the sky.
She turned around and went back inside the Administration Building to return to her typing.
Like all days when Jason flew out on a mission, Cindy was nervous, and her stomach was upset while she worried while she typed all those Army letters.
During her lunch break that day, Cindy rushed into Chipley Springs and talked with a local Priest. She was elated when he agreed to marry Jason and Cindy, and couldn’t wait to tell him when he returned from his mission.
It was later that day, and word started to spread throughout the building that the bombers were returning from their mission.
Cindy got up from her typewriter and rushed over to the side exit doors.
Cindy stood at her spot at the corner of the building. She looked to the sky where the B-17s were small dots approaching the airfield.
A few minutes later, the B-17s started their turn to final approach for the runway.
Her heart raced while she watched the planes took turns and landed on the runway.
“Four planes are missing,” an officer was heard from the front of the Administration Building.
Cindy’s stomach got upset hearing that news and had a strong feeling something was wrong.
She ran toward the flightline to get a closer look at the planes while they taxied off the runway.
Her heart raced while she watched while the B-17s parked on the flightline and she couldn’t see the Sweet Bird.
When it was safe, Cindy ran to the flightline for a closer view .
Cindy rushed down the flightline, and she had a horrible gut feeling something was wrong when she couldn’t find the Sweet Bird.
She saw Captain Clint Leigh while he walked away from his B-17 called Hitler’s Nightmare.
She rushed over Clint. “Excuse me, where’s the Sweet Bird?” she asked him with concern in her eyes.
Clint looked at Cindy’s worried eyes, and then he looked sad when he remembered hearing about her.
“I’m sorry, they got shot down, and we don’t know if they survived,” he answered with sadness in his eyes.
Cindy stared at Clint for a few seconds, then it dawned on her what happened to Jason. She dropped to her knees and sobbed in her hands.
Clint got Cindy up on her feet, hugged her, and she sobbed in his chest.
Clint placed his arm around her, and he walked her back to the Administration Building.
During the rest of that day, Cindy looked like a zombie while she attempted to type some letters.
The next two weeks were horrible for Cindy, as she didn’t sleep a wink worrying if Jason was dead or alive.
One night, Cindy nervously paced outside the Let’s Boogie Down dance hall. She looked exhausted with bags under her eyes while she eyed the door of the dance hall. Her stomach had been in constant turmoil from not knowing the fate of Jason.
She watched while soldiers entered and left the dance hall.
Her eyes widened the second she saw Clint step out of the dance hall, and she rushed over to him. “Excuse me, has there been any word on the crew of the Sweet Bird?” she asked and looked worried.
Clint looked remorseful at Cindy. “I’m sorry. We got word that gravesites of some of the crew members were found by the wreckage in a field by a farm,” he told her.
Cindy’s eyes welled up while she feared the worse. “Was Jason, Jay Jay, Jenkins one of them?” she asked, and her stomach was in turmoil while she waited for his response.
“No,” he told her.
Cindy looked relieved. “Is he on his way back to England?” she asked with hopeful eyes.
Clint looked at Cindy’s hopeful eyes. “I’m sorry. I also heard he was captured by the Germans and is probably in a Stalag,” he said.
Cindy’s eyes welled up, her knees shook, and she dropped to the ground in shock. She looked up at Clint. “Can I write to him?”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Clint replied while he helped her up on her feet.
Cindy smiled at Clint for being so kind.
Two weeks had passed, and it was Saturday morning. Cindy was in her apartment, drinking tea while she wrote a letter to Jason.
She wrote four letters so far, and Clint promised he would pass them onto the Red Cross.
Someone knocked on her apartment door.
She got up, walked over, and opened her door.
She saw Peggy standing out in the hallway, in her Army uniform, and it was an uncomfortable moment.
“I don’t hate you for what happened. I fully accepted the fact that Jason loves you more than me,” Peggy said from the hallway and looked sincere.
Then Peggy suddenly looked bothered and glanced down the hallway. “Mind your own business!” she yelled, then looked back at Cindy. “I’m sorry, but some old man was peeking out his apartment door spying on me,” she said.
“That would be nosey Albert. So, why are you here to see me?” Cindy asked a little bothered by her presence.
“May I please step inside for a few minutes?” Peggy asked politely.
“I don’t think we should be talking to each other,” Cindy replied.
“Please, I have news about Jason,” Peggy replied and looked serious.
“Okay, please come inside,” Cindy said while she stepped aside from the door.
Peggy walked into her apartment, and Cindy closed the door.
There was a moment of awkward silence while Peggy removed a hanky from her purse.
Cindy’s stomach started to get upset while she watched Peggy wipe her eyes with the hanky.
“I found out from the Army,” she said then wiped her eyes again with her hanky. “That Jason died from being shot while he and some other POWs, tried to escape from a German Stalag,” Peggy added with some more wiping of her eyes with the hanky.
Cindy looked at Peggy’s red and watery eyes.
Peggy reached in her purse, removed a folded letter, and she handed the letter to Cindy.
Cindy opened up the letter and saw it was official Army correspondence. Cindy read it then looked like her soul was
ripped out of her body. It stated that 1st Lieutenant Jason Jenkins was fatally shot in Luft Stalag XXG while attempting to escape. She dropped to the floor and sobbed into the letter.
Peggy helped her up and hugged her for comfort. Cindy cried all weekend over the death of Jason.
Monday morning arrived, and Cindy, with red puffy eyes, walked in a stupor to her typing job on the airfield.
She walked to her desk, sat down, and removed the cover off her typewriter.
Sergeant Wilson walked up to Cindy’s desk and looked serious.
“Major Parker would like a word with you,” he said then turned around and walked away.
Cindy got up from behind her desk and walked over to Major Parker’s office.
She knocked on his opened door.
“Please come inside Miss Grant,” Major Parker said while he looked up from his desk.
Cindy walked inside his office. She was curious why the Major wanted to see her, as this never happened in the past.
“Please have a seat, Miss Grant,” Major Parker said with a serious tone.
Cindy sat down in the chair in front of his desk.
He looked square in Cindy’s eyes. “Sergeant Wilson, reacting on an anonymous tip, found some stolen medical supplies hidden in one of your desk drawers,” Major Parker said.
Cindy’s eyes widened in shock, overhearing his statement, and she got nervous. “I didn’t steal any medical supplies. I swear!” Cindy nervously replied.
“I don’t have a choice in this matter, you’re fired,” Major Parker responded with a serious look. “Please gather up your personal belongings, and you’ll be escorted from the airfield,” he added then returned to his paperwork.
Cindy got up and was dazed while she walked to his office door.
Cindy walked back to her desk where Jack and Wally, the MPs, waited for her to return.
“I need your identification card, Miss Grant,” Jack asked.
Cindy opened up her purse and removed her identification card that granted her access onto the airfield. She walked to the side door with Jack and Wally by her side.
Jack and Wally walked Cindy to the gate and watched while she walked back into the English community.
Cindy moped down the street and headed back to her apartment in Chipley Springs.
Later that day, Cindy sat on the bench on the sidewalk near her apartment building. She held the picture of her and Jason under the nose of the Sweet Bird. Tears ran down her cheek and dropped on the picture while she thought about Jason.
Back to reality back in 1978 at Spencer’s museum.
The eyes of all the women in the crowd welled up after hearing Cindy’s story.
Jason looked at Cindy with a change of heart. “I’m afraid that was probably Peggy’s doing. And I bet she paid Sergeant Wilson to create a fake letter about me being shot by the Germans,” he said.
“You were right, she was pure evil,” Cindy added.
Jason nodded in agreement.
“Whatever happened to her?” Cindy curiously asked.
“Around nineteen sixty, I heard she was married with four kids. Her husband took over the plant after her dad died that year. The plant went belly up around sixty-eight and I then I lost track of her,” he told Cindy.
Kimberly pushed her way through the crowd and walked up to Cindy. “Sorry I’m late mom, I had a flat tire on the Interstate,” she said.
Jason saw Kimberly and looked surprised. “Kimberly?
What are you doing here?”
Kimberly saw Jason on the bench. “Jason? I’m surprised to see you here,” she said then looked at the crowd that gathered.
“What’s going on here?” she curiously asked.
“Those two had a love affair in back in England during World War II,” a woman in the crowd replied.
“Who had a love affair?” Kimberly asked while she looked at the woman in the crowd.
The woman in the crowd pointed at Jason and Cindy.
Kimberly looked surprised at Jason and Cindy. “Jason’s the love you told me about?”
“Yes,” Cindy replied while she looked at Jason and still couldn’t believe he was alive.
“But I thought you said he died while in a German prisoner of war camp?” Kimberly asked a little confused. “So
did I, but I just learned that someone else lied about Jason being killed to keep us apart,” Cindy told Kimberly.
“Her name was Peggy,” another woman in the crowd called out. Kimberly looked at the woman in the crowd then she looked back at Jason. “Oh, my God. And I tried to get you two to date. Wow!” she said when it dawned on her.
Cindy looked surprised. “Jason’s your flight instructor?”
“Yes, and a good one at that,” Kimberly replied to butter Jason up a little.
Jason got curious while he looked at Kimberly. “So, if you don’t mind me asking, who was Kimberly’s father? Did I know him?”
There was a moment of silence while Cindy looked at Kimberly, and she got really nervous and fidgeted. She pondered hard in her head on whether to answer Jason’s question, then she decided it was time to come clean. “Kimberly, I was hoping to break this news some other way,” she said to her daughter then she looked at Jason. “Jay Jay,” she said, then paused for a few seconds, as this was difficult to say.
“Kimberly’s your daughter.”
It took a few seconds for it to sink in Jason’s head when he remembered that night of sex after he proposed and then his mouth dropped open in shock.
Kimberly looked stunned with the sudden news stated by Cindy. She looked at Jason then she looked at Cindy, and she looked a little confused. “What?”
The crowd was stunned and felt they were in a drama movie.
“Jason’s your biological father,” Cindy told Kimberly.
Kimberly looked at Jason then back at Cindy. “Why didn’t you tell me this when I was younger?” she asked still a little baffled with the sudden news.
“I’m so sorry, Kimberly. But at the time, we felt it would be best that you didn’t know,” Cindy replied.
“How could not telling me about my real father, be best for me?” Kimberly yelled at Cindy then stormed off.
“Cindy got up off the bench and ran after Kimberly.
Jason got up off the bench and ran after Cindy.
Robyn stayed behind and looked shocked while the crowd followed Jason.
Robyn ran after the crowd.
Kimberly ran out of the Bomber Room and headed through the aircraft displays.
Cindy ran out of the Bomber Room and chased after Kimberly.
Jason ran out of the Bomber Room and chased after Cindy.
The crowd ran out of the Bomber Room and chased after Jason.
Robyn ran out of the Bomber Room and chased after the crowd.
People in the aircraft display room curiously saw the crowd, with Kimberly in the lead while they headed to the front doors.
Kimberly ran out of the front doors and headed to the parking lot.
Cindy ran out of the front door and picked up speed while she headed Kimberly.
Kimberly got out of breath and stopped running.
Cindy ran up to Kimberly. “Honey, I know we should have told you, but I loved Jay Jay so much. Then your father took care of me after I was devastated, thinking Jason was dead,”
Cindy said out of breath.
“All these years I was lied to?” Kimberly replied out of breath, and her eyes welled up.
“Pete couldn’t have children, so the day you were born, he thought of you as part of him. He was scared to death you would never think of him as your father if you knew about Jason,” Cindy said while her eyes welled up.
Kimberly walked away from Cindy.
Jason ran up to Kimberly and grabbed her arm, stopping her. “Kimberly.”
She looked back at him. “What do you want?” she angrily yelled.
“She was only doing what she thought was best. She wanted you to have the full experience of having a father,” he told her in a fatherly tone.
“I want to be left alone,” Kimberly said then shook Jason’s arm away. She walked away and crossed her arms.
Jason walked back to Cindy, gazed into her tearful eyes then gave her a hug.
The crowd all smiled at the sight of Jason and Cindy making up after all those years.
Robyn ran up to Jason, and she smiled at the sight of Jason and Cindy hugging.
“Let’s go get something to eat or get some coffee,” Jason told Cindy while he watched Kimberly pacing back and forth pondering the sudden news.
“That would be lovely,” Cindy replied.
Jason walked Cindy back to her museum.
Robyn and the crowd tagged behind them. Everybody.
walked back into the museum.
They headed to the High In The Clouds restaurant located at the opposite end of the building from the Bomber Room.
In the restaurant, Cindy, Jason, and Robyn sat down in a booth.
The crowd sat nearby them and other tables so they could listen.
After the waitress left with their drink orders, the story continued.
“My father was furious when he found out I was pregnant and got fired. He disowned me, and after two weeks, I was kicked out of my apartment, and I was homeless,” Cindy told Jason.
Jason stroked Cindy’s hand to show his support.
“Then I met Pete Snyder one night while I was crying on a bench in Chipley Springs. He was so sweet and took care of me by letting me sleep on the couch of his apartment. Four months later, even though he knew how much I loved you, he proposed, and I accepted.”
Jason turned his head to hide his hurt feelings, but he knew that life sometimes sends you down the safest path available at the time.
Cindy’s eyes welled up, and she blew her nose into a hanky.
“Then as time flew by, I was in love with Pete as he was so sweet and taking care of me, yet I was still in love with you,” she said then showed Jason her left hand. “I never removed your engagement ring, and Pete understood I wanted to wear it,” she added.
Jason smiled at the sight of his old ring.
“Pete taught me how to fly, then we immigrated to the States in March of sixty-six. He moved his aviation company to Atlanta and became extremely successful,” she told him.
Jason opened his mouth to say something; then he hesitated and got a little nervous. He took a breath of courage.
“Are you still married to Pete?” he curiously asked.
Cindy wiped away some tears. “Pete passed away eight years ago,” she replied.
Jason discreetly looked relieved with that answer. “I’m sorry to hear about that,” he replied to be polite then he gazed into her eyes. “How did you get the Sweet Bird?” he curiously asked.
“I found a German in Frankfort who salvaged parts from German and American aircraft left behind after the war. He ran into financial trouble and sold things off. I bought your nose section six months ago.”
“I’m surprised you found it,” he said while he held her hand.
“This was my prized piece for the museum,” she replied.
“Why did you build this place?”
“It was a dream of Pete’s. His parents were rich, and when they passed away in sixty-seven, they left him millions of dollars.
He wanted to put some of that money into building a museum.
But he passed away before he could start building the place. So I decided to make his dream come true.” Cindy said then gazed into Jason’s eyes. “But seeing you now, made me realize how much I still love you. The war and Peggy sure ruined our
chances of having a life together,” she said while holding Jason’s hand.
“But our lives aren’t over yet. And I believe you accepted my marriage proposal a long time ago,” Jason said with a loving smile while he touched his old engagement ring.
Cindy looked at Jason then she kissed him.
Robyn’s eyes welled up so happy to see her uncle kissing his true love.
The eyes of all the women at the nearby tables welled up.
“I want to be with my new family,” Kimberly said while she walked up to the booth.
Jason, Cindy, and Robyn turned around and saw Kimberly standing by the booth.
Jason got up from the booth and walked over to Kimberly.
“My beautiful daughter,” he said while he hugged her.
“Dad,” she replied, and her eyes welled up.
Jason’s eyes welled up while he hugged Kimberly. Jason separated from Kimberly then looked over at Robyn. “Robyn, meet your cousin, Kimberly.” Robyn got up from the booth, walked over.
Kimberly and Robyn hugged.
The people at the nearby tables all clapped in joy with the sight of all the hugging.
Then on the loudspeakers, Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade song started playing.
Jason looked over at Cindy. “Remember dancing to that song at the Let’s Boogie Down dance hall?”
“Every time I heard it since that day,” she replied with a loving smile.
“Well, may I have this dance?” Jason asked while he offered Cindy his hand.
Cindy took Jason’s hand and assisted her out of the booth.
They started slow dancing by their table.
At the nearby tables, a few of the women dragged their husbands out of their seats and started slow dancing with them.
Robyn and Kimberly watched with loving eyes while Jason and Cindy slow danced once again.
Six months had passed, and Jason and Cindy spent every weekend together.
He would fly his Cessna 172 down to West Haven on the weekend, and she would fly her 1941 Stearman up to Sandbar Island the following weekend.
During one weekend, Jason and Cindy attended Mandy’s wedding in Melbourne. Mandy was shocked over the sudden turn with Jason’s decision on attending her grand event.
A month later, Jason sold his business and house and moved into Cindy’s home along Lake Hartridge.
Two months later, it was time for Jason and Cindy’s long-awaited wedding.
Jason drove to the Orlando airport to pick up some guests for the wedding.
Jason waited at an Eastern gate for a flight from New York.
He looked anxious while he watched the passengers walk out of the gate.
“Hans!” he cried out the second he laid eyes on his old German friend.
“Jay Jay!” Hans, now fifty-two years old with salt and pepper hair, called out the second he saw his old American friend while he walked out of the gate.
The two old friends hugged for a few seconds. “How’s retirement from Lufthansa?”
“It’s great,” Hans replied with a huge smile.
Then Jason saw Emilie standing behind Hans.
“Hello Emilie, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you,” he said then gave her a hug and a kiss on her cheek.
“It’s good to see you again Jay Jay,” she smiled.
“I can imagine you’re happy Hans is retired,” he told her.
“I kind of miss my time alone,” she playfully said while then winked at Hans.
Jason chuckled. “Let’s get your luggage.”
Jason walked Hans and Emilie down the terminal and headed to the baggage claim area.
Jason drove Hans and Emilie to a hotel close to West Haven off Interstate 4.
While Hans and Emilie settled into their hotel room, Jason drove to the West Haven airport and waited outside the museum.
Fifteen minutes later, Robyn’s Piper Arrow taxied and parked on the flight line by the museum.
The door opened, and Jerry White, thirty years old got out and walked down the wing.
Patty, their six-year-old daughter, got out from the back seat and walked down the wing.
“Uncle Jason!” Patty called out and ran over to him.
Jerry started tying down the Arrow while Robyn secured the cockpit.
Jason knelt down and hugged Patty. “It’s so good to see you,” he said then gave her a kiss on the cheek.
Robyn got out and locked the door to the plane. She walked down the wing then unlocked the baggage door and removed two small suitcases.
Jerry and Robyn walked over to Jason and Patty.
“Good to see you again, Uncle Jason,” Robyn said while she hugged, and kissed his cheek.
“Hey Uncle Jason,” Jerry said while he shook Jason’s hand.
Jason carried Robyn’s suitcase while they walked to his car.
That night, Cindy and Jason had Robyn, Jerry, Patty, Hans, and Emilie over for dinner at their house.
Jason couldn’t believe that he had Cindy, Hans, and Emilie all in the same room.
They had a wonderful time talking about their lives since the war.
The next day, Jason took Hans and Emilie over to the museum.
“I can’t believe this was part of your B seventeen,” Hans said while he looked at the Sweet Bird nose section.
“Remember this?” Jason said while he walked Hans over to the display board.
“Oh, my,” Hans said in disbelief when he saw the photo of Cindy and Jason.
“Look, Emilie. Jay Jay would show me that picture when he was a prisoner at the Stalag,” he told her.
Emilie looked at the photo. “I remember you telling me about this,” she replied.
Jason spent the next hour, giving Hans the grand tour of the museum.
Then later that day, they waited outside the museum by Robyn’s airplane.
A Cessna 172 taxied over and parked next to Robyn’s Arrow. Kimberly was the pilot in command, as she got her license four months ago thanks to Jason’s fatherly attention. In fact, this was the Cessna that Jason once owned and gave it to Kimberly after he sold his business. He figured it was for thirty-five years of missing birthday and Christmas presents.
“Hey dad,” Kimberly said the second she got out of her airplane.
She rushed over and gave Jason a hug and kiss on the cheek.
“I still can’t believe that I’m going to be a grandfather,” he said while he continued to hug Kimberly.
“In five more months, grandpa,” she replied with another kiss on his cheek.
Rob Brooke, thirty-eight years old, got out of the passenger seat and he walked over to Jason.
“Did she scare you during the flight down from Sandbar Island?” Jason jokingly asked Rob.
“Actually, it was a very smooth flight. She only had to land once to ask for directions to West Haven,” Rob jokingly replied.
Kimberly playfully stuck out her tongue at her husband.
“Kimberly and Rob, meet Hans and Emilie from Germany,” Jason introduced his friends.
“Hans, it’s so good to finally meet you,” Kimberly replied.
“It’s good to finally meet Jay Jay’s daughter,” Hans replied while he placed his arm around Emilie. “And this is my wife, Emilie.”
“My husband Rob,” Kimberly replied.
“Come, my backseat pilot, we have to secure our plane,”
Kimberly said then walked back to the airplane.
Jason and Hans helped tie down the Cessna.
It took thirty-four years, but Cindy and Jason’s wedding finally arrived.
It was a small wedding and Robyn, Patty, Jerry, Kimberly, Hans, and Emilie watched while Cindy and Jason kissed, as man and wife in front of the Priest.
“It gives me much pleasure to introduce to you Mister and Misses Jason Jenkins,” the Priest said told everybody.
Jason and Cindy turned around and smiled at everybody.
Two days later, and Robyn, Jerry and Patty flew back to Jacksonville in her Piper Arrow.
Kimberly and Rob flew back to Sandbar Island in her Cessna 172.
Jason and Cindy drove down to Sanibel Island down by Fort Myers for three days on the beach for a honeymoon.
Hans and Emilie spent three days at Disney World in Kissimmee.
After the honeymoon and stay at Disney, Cindy and Jason pulled out a 1978 Piper Seneca II twin-engine plane they bought, as their wedding present for each other. Jason had the old nose art of the sexy blonde from the Sweet Bird painted on the nose of the Piper under the “Sweet Bird II” words.
Jason loaded their suitcases into the baggage compartment.
Hans loaded their suitcases into the baggage compartment.
Cindy and Emilie walked up to the plane, and they got in the backseat.
Jason and Hans got behind the controls.
Jason started up the twin engines.
Jason taxied the Seneca down to runway 23.
“Gillis Field traffic, Piper Seneca six zero nine Sierra Bravo, aka the Sweet Bird II, departing runway two-three, Gillis Field,” Jason said into the radio.
Jason taxied the Seneca to runway 23, and then after double-checking his gauges, he gave it full throttle and rolled down the runway.
The Sweet Bird II rolled down the runway and took off.
Jason soon raised his landing gear. “Gillis Field, Seneca six zero nine Sierra Bravo, aka the Sweet Bird II, making a left crosswind departure and heading southeast, Gillis Field,” Jason said into the radio.
The Sweet Bird II made its left crosswind departure and headed southeast.
Cindy and Jason spent two weeks flying around numerous Caribbean Islands.
They first flew to Nassau in the Bahamas and Hans was in heaven, finally getting the chance to soak up some sun at a beach.
They then flew to the Cayman Islands and enjoyed some snorkeling while they also soaked up more sun on the beaches.
After they returned from their Caribbean trip, Hans and Emilie flew back to Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Jason and Cindy then spent the next three weeks setting up the new High Flying Adventures flight school at the museum.
Jason also got approval to build his High Flying Eatery on Lake Hartridge, and Cindy helped with the financing.
Then five month later, Kimberly gave birth to a healthy boy named Jason junior.
Life was really great for Jason now that he realized he could spend his golden years with Cindy.
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