An Officer's Duty
by 80sarcades
Disclaimer: If I owned Hogan's Heroes, I'd have an iPad in my hands right now.
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The rule was simple: every officer had a duty to escape.
If you were able to do so and scored a home run, the Armed Services -- Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Corps, as well as their English counterparts -- not only regained a lost officer but also regained their valuable experience. For senior officers, this was especially true.
Realizing this, the Germans took special pains to remove those types of officers after they were captured. They were eventually taken to officer's camps where most languished throughout the war. However, for certain types of officers -- those deemed too valuable for one reason or another -- special measures were taken to permanently remove them from the war.
One of these officers was Colonel Robert Hogan, former commanding officer of the 504th Bomb Group.
Because of his exceptional skill, the Germans did the unthinkable. Although he was an officer, Colonel Hogan was transferred to an enlisted men's camp; this action automatically made him the senior Prisoner of War for those prisoners. The General that made the decision reasoned that Hogan's duty to his men -- American or otherwise -- would trump his duty to escape. In effect, he would be trapped with no other officer to relive that duty. In a sense, they were correct.
In another sense, they were dead wrong.
The Germans would never have believed that a Prisoner of War -- any POW, for that matter -- would organize a resistance and sabotage unit that would drive them insane; large numbers of manpower and hours were spent without reward as they tried to track down the resistance groups involved. In the middle of it all was Hogan, safe in his prison camp. Without the Luftwaffe's permission, the Gestapo could not touch him or his men.
Even with the success of the operation, Colonel Hogan still wanted to fly. Unfortunately, duty called.
Hogan stood outside Barracks Two and watched his men:
What would I say to Newkirk? he thought. In the American Army, I would have busted him down to a private for some of the tricks he's pulled. Here, they're a lifesaver. I don't know what I would done without someone like him. He paused, chucking. Wisecracks aside, I like the guy.
Then there's Carter. God, he and Newkirk make quite a pair. Actually, I envy Carter at times; he's somehow managed to block out the war through dynamite. I bet he goes home and doesn't suffer a single nightmare. If more people were like him, there'd be no war.
Of course, there's LeBeau, our resident Frenchman. The French may have surrendered, but he didn't. Even after all of these years, he still fights on. I wonder how I would be if my country was invaded; at least the Germans can't get to the States, thank God. The camp would be a dark place without his smile.
Finally, there's Kinch. Back home, most people consider him to be less of a person just because his skin is dark. Here, the man is my second in command; I trust him with my life. So do the others.
Hogan sighed and looked at the blue sky. Memories of what he had left behind flashed through his mind.
Yeah, I could go home. All I would have to do would be to request another 'volunteer' to take over my duties, but I can't. I wouldn't be able to face my men and tell them. They've given me their all; I can do no less.
Even if they left with me, I still have a responsibility to the men in this camp. They need someone to look out for them. I can't do that much, but all I can do is try. If I left -- even if I was ordered to leave -- I'd regret it for the rest of my life.
Grandpa told me that an officer's duty was to his men, and he was right.
Still, it hurts. Those few times I've been back to London really tore me up. It wasn't just the good times I had there before I was captured; it was a sense of pride. I was surrounded by friendly uniforms and not German ones. For a while, I felt like a real officer again. Coming back to this hellhole was like a punch in the gut.
But then again, I can take pride in what I do here, can't I? he thought. It's not just the operation; if not for that, I'd be bombing Germany from the air. Carter, LeBeau, Newkirk, and Kinch aren't just enlisted men; to me, they're family. They're my brothers, and I'm not going to let anything happen to them. Germans be damned.
I'm looking out for all of my men; that's my job now.
I am a officer.
[fin/ende]
A/N: Reviews, anonymous or not, are appreciated; thanks for reading!