Each and every passing day at Stalag 13 was filled with danger and intrigue. There was no one person who worked alongside Colonel Robert Hogan who wasn't the best at his job and brave
Colonel Hogan and his men fought from the inside of Germany. They ran an espionage unit from a Stalag of all things. They were one of the most successful unit that London had. Each day the men worked endlessly to make sure the allies were the winners of this horrible war. Each one of the men had been trained well, and had bombed many factories and destroyed trains and supply trucks. Every chance they had they would do their best to hamper the German effort. One of the men who worked with him endlessly was his radio operator. He, like the other members of the team has been chosen carefully by the allies in London.
The allies sent many messages and to keep Hogan and his crew in high spirits they would allow them to know any information that would come from their home. It was there that on one dreary London day that they received some news about one of Hogan's men's family. They knew that this man was going to be needed to be replaced.
The word came through that Sargent James Kinchloe's parents had been in a bad car accident This left his two young brothers without parents and in need of care. Those in London knew that he was needed at home. So, the search began for a suitable replacement. He was the radio operator for the unit and was a much needed person within the unit. He was the mouth and ears of the prisoners. He was the contact with the submarine.
The message was received by Sargent Kinchloe. Unfortunately, he was the radio operator. As Kinch did his best to hold back his tears for his parents and family, he was told that there would be a suitable replacement sent. Kinch was going home.
This was the best information that a prisoner of war in the heart of Germany could receive. He would be going home to his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. He was going to truly miss the friends that he had met while he was at Stalag 13.
As Kinch went up the steps to the barracks he was met by Colonel Hogan. The men were surprised to see their friend ask if he could speak to Colonel Hogan in private.
Colonel Hogan opened the door to his private room and the two men stepped inside. There, Kinch told Colonel Hogan what he had been told. "They are sending me home Colonel. I will stay until they find a suitable replacement."
Colonel Hogan listened to his friend and the man who had been their way of contacting the outside world and embraced him. It was true that a suitable replacement could take a while, but he was going to lose one of his most trusted men.
As each of the men heard the news they gave their friend their condolences. Each one of them felt sorry for their friend. But, their job was too important. They were doing their best to make the war a win for the allies. Sometimes, a man is needed at home more than they were needed here and that was accepted by all of the men. They were best friends and wanted what was best for each other.
As the days passed London arranged for Kinch to get his old job back at the telephone company. The pay was relatively good and he would be able to support his brothers with it. Kinch would be placed with the national guard for the duration of the war. They made the plans for him to make the trip back to the United States and his home in the city of Detroit.
The problem of finding a replacement was a difficult one for the people in London. They had a list of suitable radio operators who were prisoners of war but each one had to be investigated thoroughly. Then the prisoner would need to be transferred to Stalag 13. If they could not come up with a prisoner, they could send someone via the submarine.
Colonel Hogan's men each had a specialty and each one had the highest of clearances. He had to be capable of withstanding the terrors and riggers of being a prisoner of war. He had to be fluent in German also. It was a tall order, but after just a few weeks they found such the man.
That afternoon Kinch received the news that a new man would be arriving at the Stalag. His name was Sargent Richard Baker. Kinch smiled to himself, as he thought of Colonel Hogan explaining his disappearance and the appearance of a new man. But the day came and the exchange was to be made.
As Kinch and his friends Carter and Newkirk made their way down to the rendezvous with him. There they met the new man. His name was Sargent Richard Baker. Carter and Newkirk smiled, they would just tell Schultz this is the same man. It would take a couple of candy bars, but Schultz would be convinced and eventually he would be accepted by Colonel Klink too.
As they made their way back to Stalag 13 Sargent Baker was greeted by Colonel Hogan. Here he was told each and every detail of what was expected of him . He was in the barracks when he noticed a large man come in. He was a dangerous German Sargent and his first test. The man looked at the new man questioningly, but just as the men had told he accepted in payment for his silence two candy bars and a new man joined the fight.