A/N: I tried to develop an idea with Nimrod building his team for the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, with the idea that he often muttered, "This is not World War One." My problem there was I tried to make Nimrod's identity too mysterious, with only a hint from the fact that Baker recused himself from a betting pool on Nimrod's identity by virtue of having heard that person mutter what he did and seeing someone sneak something into Hilda's desk. It made it too hard for me to write about Nimrod building his team without deciding who Nimrod was.
I decided to forget that, but the idea that I could identify Nirmod while pulling off this 75th anniversary of D-Day story led me to try it – and I incorporated quite a bit of my former story's ideas, if not the conversations wherein the operation was set up. Kudos to the inventor of the abandoned mine idea, by the way – it is now head canon for me and probably many others.
I use Olsen as an "outside man" as he's referred to, but figure it isn't for much; it's hrd to know how much of an "outside man" he'd be, so I imply it's kind of limited. Your mileage may vary. It was, however, helpful to use him here to introduce Nimrod.
Now What Have They Done? D-Day for Nimrod
Nirmod chuckled as he considered news he'd heard about
months earlier about wagers on his identity. No, he told himself, this is certainly not World War One. But, Americans are still filled with all these bizarre quirks. "You Americans love to wager, don't you? And yet, your national sport was stained horribly by a gambling scandal."
Olsen nodded. He was normally a prisoner in Stalag 13 and one of the main "second team" in an incredible sabotage and rescue organization which occurred within the camp. However, he was also their "outside man" as Colonel Hogan once put it, so he sometimes snuck out to do other things. Here, he could be himself and not just blend into the background as he needed to do at normal times.
"It's one thing to wager, it's another thing to 'fix' a sporting event. The play on the field needs to be above reproach. Of course, you're working to make sure pure evil loses, not just a sports team," Olsen told the man.
"There are analogies. However, I stacked the deck to begin with," Nimrod remarked as he ambled over toward a map. "How do you think it got steered toward an abandoned mine – and the records of such a mine vanished?"
"And of course, all those people who get steered toward it – so we can help." Olsen scanned the map of Europe. "Do you really like having Klink there?"
"Let's just say I have a love-hate relationship. I love that I found such an incredibly incompetent and bombastic kommandant for that camp; yet at times, I hate that I have to rely on him. There have been a few times when I thought his incompetence might force me to get rid of him, but Colonel Hogan managed to find a way for me to keep him there each time."
"Of course, all this is top secret."
"Of course. Just like what I am about to tell you. You are their outside man; you do a few things for the Underground that are not totally connected with, shall we say, the goings-on inside Stalag 13. I may need an outside man, depending on what London and Hogan plan to do to distract the German general staff, which I convinced to meet at Stalag 13."
Olsen understood – like with Hogan, plans were ujp in the air and subject to change quickly. It was a complicated war. This was the first time he had met Nimrod personally as Nimrod – so he knew something huge had to be up. "What would I do?"
"London is informing Hogan at this very hour that the head of the chief of staff married one of our agents. She provided some excellent information when she could, but for her own protection, even I have not dared to contact her, and I have had the opportunity to meet with Hitler myself on a few matters." He decided not to tell him about the time or two that he allowed Hogan and his men to be the ones to seem to "get" the information to shield her. It had been a risk, but one well worth taking to protect her.
Olsen tilted his head a little. "You want to get her out of Germany?"
"If Hogan cannot do it, yes. We will meet again if needed. Perhaps not till the invasion. Perhaps – and hopefuilly – not till the war ends."
Nimrod performed other tasks over the next few days. He considered how this had been nothing like World War One. There was no honor. Germany had become a horrible place; it was why he'd approached the Allies early on and offered his services. His place was working with prisoners of war – he'd been a colonel early in the war, but he'd had an idea. He'd proven his mettle to them by arranging for the placement of Stalag 13 where it was. From that moment, the Allies had become more and more confident in his abilities.
From there, he'd found Klink for that crew, and also the Social Democrat and toy store owner who made a perfect Sergeant of the Guard for him. London had done its share, also, as would the prisoners themselves. It was a true team effort. He hadn't had to do lots of heavy lifting, as it were, once the camp was established; he'd let go of one kommandant and replaced him with Klink but after that, he'd been able to let the prisoners run things themselves.
But, some of their ideas…
"Hello," Nimrod said as he phoned Hitler's personal secretary, "I have heard rumors that we are being invaded. Am I wanted in Berlin?"
"No; he is still sleeping!"
Nimrod wondered why this man was being so sharp with him. Was it just the invasion? Or, something else? He hoped there was no possibility of his being discovered. Just to make sure, he decided he'd better ask the reason.
"Some fool colonel called early in the morning claiming to be the new chief of staff! Someone named…" He appeared to be looking for the name. "Klink! I don't know if he was drunk or not, but for his sake he'd better have been swimming in liquor! At least that gives him some excuse!"
Nimrod felt a bead of sweat inching down his fat face. Klink? But, how? And, if such tomfoolery were ever connected back to him…
"I assure you, that is a name used by many officers when drinking, I have heard it used myself many times. It is the name of the man with the only perfect record among POW kommandants. The others use that name because he is so good at what he does, those officers who can't do anything right hope to aspire to that record."
"I see. Are you sure it would not have been him who called?"
"Positive." Although, Nimrod decided, he'd better go into camp and demand an explanation. Although, he wasn't sure whether to demand it from Klink or Hogan.
Oh, well, he would just demand it from Klink – Hogan would show up to save Klink and annoy him, anyway. Perhaps not in that order, either.
"Here comes Burkhalter," Sergeant Carter said as he gazed out the window.
Hogan rolled his eyes. "Why does he have to show up?"
"At least it's not Hochstetter," James Kinchloe remarked casually as he took a break and let Richard Baker man the radio.
As Hogan donned his hat and prepared to leave, Englishman Peter Newkirk commented, "The way he talks about ol' Klink, he might jump for joy."
Burkhalter smiled at Klink's secretary, Helga, who alternated with a good friend named Hilda. "Are you here to see the kommandant?"
"Yes, of course."
"He has not been seen for hours, since late last night."
"I will wait for Klink, then!" Burkhalter said in a huff as he sat, knowing that something very strange might be going on.
"He should still be in his quarters," Helga said politely.
"Sleeping?" Could Klink have been drunk? It wasn't like him, but one never knew.
"No, packing; he told me an hour ago."
"You just told me the kommandant hadn't been seen since late last night."
"He hasn't."
Burkhalter fumed. "So, did he call you from his quarters?"
"No, he came into the office."
"Then how was he not seen?"
Hogan smiled as he entered. "Morning, General. What a beautiful day, huh?"
"For you it might be," Burkhalter said in a huff, carefully donning his façade, "Allied soldiers are storming the beaches of France!"
"Wow, better day than I thought," Hogan said cheerfully with just the right amount of surprise.
Burkhalter stood. "Would someone please go find Klink!"
"Jawohl, Herr General," Helga said as she stood.
"You're looking for the kommandant?'
"Of course I am!" Burkhalter insisted.
Hogan smiled at Helga as she neared the door. "Sit down, then, he doesn't need Klink."
Burkhalter's face was red now. "What do you mean I don't need Klink?!"
"You just said you were only looking for the kommantant-"
Sergeant Hans Schultz interrupted Hogan as the fat sergeant entered the outer office from the Kommandant's office; he'd gone through from Klink's quarters to there to get to Helga's office. "The kommandant has been found."
"Of course, he is in his quarters!" Burkhalter persisted.
"Nein, he just called; he is in town," Schultz explained.
"That's good to hear," Hogan replied.
"Then what were you doing in his quarters, Sergeant?" Burkhalter demanded to know. He figured that had to have been where Schultz was if the sergeant wasn't greeting him.
"He was helping Klink pack, right, Schultz?" Hogan urged him.
"Colonel Hogan is right; I was helping the chief of staff to pack."
"So you were helping two men pack?" Burkhalter asked, now quite confused. He'd seen times when Hogan's plans had muddled things, but this was extra crazy.
"Von Scheider is leaving too?" He looked confused also for a moment before he observed: "It makes sense. The kommandant said he would not return till he found his wife."
"France is being invaded by the Allies; this is no time for Klink to be looking for a wife! Besides, he could have had my sister years ago," Burkhalter griped.
"Well, if Von Scheider's wife can't be found, maybe they're starting to double date," Hogan suggested. In reality, he had worked a plan where the chief of staff, von Scheider, had switched places with Klink, Germany's most incompetent colonel. Von Scheider had left to look for his wife Lily; however, Lily had been an Allied agent and Hogan's man LeBeau was taking her to to get her to England.
"Nein, the chief of staff is ready to go to Berlin," Schultz affirmed.
Hogan caught on to the reason for the confusion and added to it – as much for sport as anything, just to keep them distracted. "Berlin's a better place for them to find dates, anyway; it's a roaring metropolis. Of course, soon it'll be roaring because of all the bombs hitting it…" he trailed off.
"Will someone get Klink on the phone and get him back in camp?" Burkhalter bellowed.
"Back in camp? He hasn't left yet," Schultz explained, now very befuddled.
Klink picked this moment to come into his outer office and greet Burkhalter. It wasn't like he always seemed to pick the worst time; it was just usually that way. "Ah, Herr General, it's so good to see you. I am sure you've heard the news; I'm glad to be able to see you before I leave."
"I have not heard any news since I have come in here. Instead, I feel as if I have been trapped in an American Vaudeville skit," Burkhalter stormed, adding quickly, "Did you or did you not call the fuhrer early this morning and claim to be the new chief of staff?"
Hogan interrupted. He didn't want Schultz or Klink talking just yet; he thought Burkhalter might have heard about the phone call, but before the general had asked that, he'd been more concerned just that they needed to delay things as long as possible. "Von Scheider might have made that call, he seemed really depressed last night. He said something about his wife leaving him." He shrugged. "Who can blame him; I caught a glimpse of her. She's gorgeous."
"I am not here for small talk, Hogan. Klink, did you see Von Scheider make a call to Berlin?"
Hogan interrupted again. "Did von Scheider find his wife yet, Schultz?"
"Nein, he said he was still looking. He asked how roll call had gone."
"Yeah, makes sense." Hogan smacked his lips and sighed. "Man wants to focus on something he can count on. That's the beauty of Klink; he's always dependable."
Burkhalter was totally flummoxed now. "Why was the Chief of Staff asking about a prisoner of war camp's roll call?"
"Well, in America it's called a field commission; an officer appoints a lower ranking person in time of crisis." The others looked strangely at Hogan. "It's obvious – von Scheider told Klink he was naming him Chief of Staff."
"Nonsense, the Chief of Staff would not name Klink over a top general. Not only that, but the job of appointing a new Chief of Staff is the fuhrer's himself!" Burkhalter fretted. "Where is von Scheider? Where did he call from?"
"I believe he said he was at the Hauserhopf."
"Was he staying there to eat, Schultz, or did he just stop in?" Hogan wanted to know.
"Hogan, what business is it of yours what the German Chief of Staff does?" I kknow Hogan likes to take control of situations, but… oh no, what if…?
Hogan expressed genuine compassion. "Well, I'm concerned about him; he seemed really depressed when he left, didn't he?" Klink and Schultz finally had a chance to agree.
This was where Burkhalter had to decide what to do. If he kept up this façade, he could angrily go into town and find the Chief of Staff. If von Scheider really were depressed, did that mean Hogan had gotten his wife to England? That would explain part of it, and made him not want to investigate as heavily as he might have.
However, that phone call bugged him. He was starting to wonder something. He considered that Hogan, too, probably faced a lot of spur of the moment things – perhaps many more than he had in his visits to Stalag 13. If he asked the other generals – who were still there, but according to the secretary preparing to leave with the Chief of Staff – what would they say about it? Would it force him to investigate further when he didn't want to? After all, when he'd phoned Berlin the fellow there seemed to have been satisfied by his answer – that it hadn't been Klink saying…
Oh, no. Could it be? Which Chief of Staff were these other generals planning to leave with? Burkhalter/Nimrod's eyes began to widen, and he had to force them not to.
As General Burkhalter, Hogan was a constant annoyance. As Nimrod, however, he realized just how much of a bond they shared. He realized just how wild the scheme could have been.
Maybe he needed to address Hogan after all.
"Colonel Hogan," he said, clasping his hands behind his back and turning to the American, "since you seem to know much more about this than other people, tell me… who do the other generals think is leaving with them?"
"Klink; he was appointed the new Chief of Staff." Hogan chuckled. "Yeah, I know, it's pretty crazy. I mean, you can tell von Scheider was depressed if he'd tell Klink to take over, but when you love a gorgeous woman like that and then she leaves, and we all know what big egos some generals have – not counting you, of course, Sir – it figures he wouldn't want to annoy the other two by picking one of them to replace him. Your army has field commissions, right?'
Burkhalter's mind whirled. He didn't think von Scheider had actually ordered Klink to be the new Chief of Staff, but neither did he want to press Hogan on who had done it. If von Scheider wanted to quit, he'd let him. He could be useful to Nimrod even if he did try to come back.
"The inner operations of our army have nothing to do with it. Just tell me, Hogan, man to man, like you always say to Klink. How are we going to explain this to Berlin?" And, I wonder, Hogan, as Nimrod, though you think I only mean how are we Germans going to explain it.
"Well, General, the way I see it, in von Scheider's eyes, Klink's an incompetent buffoon…"
"Hogaaaaaaan!" Klink didn't notice Burkhalter's slight smirk.
"Not to us, Sir; we know you," Hogan assured him in a kind manner. Klink seemed somewhat mollified. "Von Scheider figured it was the easy way out; then he called Berlin and told them he was appointing Klink. Maybe some of his words got jumbled; poor man. He's had very stressful times; I guess he and his wife had been arguing a lot lately. You said you heard them, right, Schultz? Some pretty big fights."
"I-"
"See, General, von Scheider had faced so much stress in his personal life with all that squabbling. He'd been begging her to stay… what was her name, Lyla?"
"Lily," Klink interrupted.
"Of course, I knew he kept muttering something like that. Anyway, the other generals, it's probably best they just go to the front and wait for orders. If von Scheider joins them and starts to give orders in a few days, fine. If not, I mean, you're the master race, right? You'll repel them. They don't need orders from Berlin."
Burkhalter pursed his lips. Hogan had made a good case – he probably could talk to the other generals and just let von Schider wither on the vine. He could plant a story about von Scheider getting drunk – actually, he might not have to do that, he likely had been, and would be – and then leave the Germany Army without a chief for a while.
The only thing he didn't like was that he'd have to get his hands a bit dirty. He didn't want to risk discovery. He couldn't risk Hogan knowing, either – yet. He would have to take a chance on Hogan getting this done. At least it sounded like they had gotten the man's wife out of Germany, and that in itself would help a lot. Now, if he could plant some idea in Hogan's mind about what he'd need him to do to make this stick, so Hogan could do all the heavy lifting, that would be the best thing.
Burkhalter gasped. "You are right, Hogan. Von Scheider must be very depressed. And yet, if von Scheider had appointed one of the others, they may have started conspiring against each other. The jealousy would have been incredible! Von Scheider may have acted in haste, in his depressed state. But at least he didn't do anything that would pit the generals of the General Staff against one another. The squabbling would have delayed things even more!"
As hoped, Hogan took the cue without knowing it.
"I will explain to them that they are to report to the front, and that I will find von Scheider and console him myself." If you don't make him disappear, too – but you don't need to do that; this was risky enough, but you pulled it off. "Of course, we all know that the idea of KIink as Chief of Staff is laughable."
Hogan went back with a plan – he asked his men to quickly create papers that had each of the other generals putting the others and their plans down and claiming to be the rightful Chief of Staff, paapers which were placed in each of their staff cars where they wouldn't see them till they got to France.
Nirmod smiled as he went back to his headquarters. A new dawn would come tomorrow tih the Allies safely inside Europe – maybe not far inside, but a beachhead was being established. Within a year, German's and Europe's nightmare would be over.
HHHHHHH
A year later, Burkhalter walked into the office of the American occupation zone. "I have a meeting with Papa Bear. Tell him Nimrod is here to see him."
The secretary entered General Hogan's office and came back out. "Right this way."
Hogan smiled. "So it was you. I owe Carter a steak dinner now," he said with feigned annoyance as he rose to meet Burkhalter.
"You probably wondered where I disappeared to when Allied tanks drew closer."
"It was either there or Argentina – and we'd already done that one," Hogan quipped as he sat back behind his desk with Burkhalter in front.
"Your attitude always amazes me. The British speak of keeping a stiff upper lip, but your humor is so much beyond that; you had the nerve to pull off unimaginable things."
"We're trying to help your country get back to what it was. Schultz will take a while, but he and his wife and kids will get that toy company back up and running someday I'm sure."
"Of that, I've no doubt. People need amusements at times like this. Even during the war, we needed it. And, you could provide it," the former general said.
Hogan smiled. He'd been ready for almost anyone being Nimrod when he'd gotten the call that the man wanted to see him. This was a logical time, the first anniversary of the D-Day invasion. The war in Japan still needed to be won, but it would be. That Manhattan Project they'd been warned sternly never to mention again, he had a suspicion, would have something to do with it.
Now? Kinch had heard the voice, and let the man in without hinting to Hogan who it might be. And yet, Hogan somehow wasn't surprised. It had taken a lot to put things together, from someone who had to be higher up. And, Burkhalter had done quite a bit to send things their way.
They discussed how things were going now for a few minutes. Klink had a job with Schultz's company as a bookkeeper, for instance. Kinch would be going home in aa few weeks. That Hobson fellow who had printed that story – while it had been sold as propaganda - had pretty much guaranteed that some parts were going to have to come out, though for now the amount would be downplayed. After all, Germans were also talking, which allowed them to say, "Yes, there was a secret operation which got some information to the Allies and rescued some people, but much of this is tall tales."
Burkhalter alluded to the last as he thought back to the D-Day invasion a year earlier. "It is good some things come out, so people can hear that there were good people over here during this terrible war. Just like we are hearing snippets about people who rescued Jews."
"I'm glad you were one of those decent people," Hogan said evenly.
"I have a feeling that if some of what could come out did, it wouldn't be believed anyway. I am curious, Hogan, did you ever suspect it was me? Because that day last year, I gave you an even more direct hint."
Hogan hummed. "I remember that. I don't know. I guess in my line of work, I learned never to be sure that any German was clearly working for us, unless I had proof. Too much danger. And, too much riding on it for it to be anything but a little side betting in our barracks."
"Too much riding on it, indeed. It is why that is the closest I would ever come, except for that one time before when I thought it would be good to let you know I was watching, that time when you tried to finger Klink as Nimrod."
"I guess when Klink called Hitler like he did, it did put you in a precarious position," Hogan admitted. "But, I looked at it this way. If in the off chance you were Nimrod, you'd figure out a way. And, if you weren't, we'd figure out a way."
Burkhalter nodded, and gazed to his side at the office window. He stood and walked over to it, with Hogan joining him a moment later.
"So much riding on decisions. We were so involved in our own plans. But, there was an incredible amount of planning that went into the invasion that freed us, too. An amount of troops and equipment far beyond what anyone could have even imagined in an entire war a century ago," Nimrod mused aloud. "And even resistance fighters in France itself who labored valiantly at the right time. I am so glad we could be a small part of it."
Hogan ignored his frustration at not having known earlier; it would have helped so much. However, he knew it was hard, being a secret agent. There had to be so much secrecy. Even now, many specifics could only be hinted at.
Then again, so much work had gone into D-Day itself. Now, on this first anniversary, he considered how an enormous number of people probably wouldn't be noticed individually either, just like their individual missions might not be known. However, he and his men had been part of something great. In the same way, Germans like Nimrod had, as well as Schultz through ignoring things, and his wife in helping a few Jewish children – no wonder Schultz talked of how much his own ate - and perhaps them before as well in getting Jewish people out after Kristallnacht. Just like some others in Germany and elsewhere had rescued people. And, even if they hadn't done that, some had done little things for the Resistance, or whatever else they could to stand up to the evils of the Nazi regime.
They might not be remembered specifically. Hogan and his men perhaps a bit more, but only for the fact that they had fought the war and taken part in what was described as "covert activity which consistently aided the Allies when able" – people could guess which of the stories leaking out were true, which were tall tales, and which were just bedtime stories to tell kids to make them think Europe hadn't been totally evil in the early '40s.
However, they would be remembered as having done something to aid the war effort, having been part of something far greater. And, in the same way, those brave men and women who landed on the beaches would be remembered as being part of something extraordinary, too – the incredible Allied invasion of Europe during D-Day.
A/N: I used some of my own head canon from stories like "Reunion," a MASH crossover, had Hogan considering how many stories had gotten out, to the point where one of Schultz's kids tells him he thought he was only a legend, much like the Lone Ranger.
It is unlikely everyone could have kept quiet once the war was over, and so it makes sense – especially with Walter Hobson's article, which in "Coming Together" I show being sold as propaganda – for them to simply allow word to get out that, "Yes, they were part of some special activities" and to let the specifics be seen as the stuff of legends.
Also head canon from a few of my fics is Schultz's wife helping either a few children they hid or a few they helped to escape, it's not specified which here. This is not only possible, I think, considering tht Schultz comes out and says he was a member of an outlawed party (the Social Democrats) and being a major toy company owner could tell have seen through the propaganda and seen it as aa lie, but also, it provided a way to mention the heroic people who were involved in the rescuing of Jews during the war among those unsung heroes who might not be known except to themselves and close family but were part of something grand.
Indeed, I know of one such woman who was a war bride and taught German at a local high school who was never honored by Yad Vashem and never even wanted publicity about it, but she told her high school class a few stories of how as a young lady in Berlin she, her family, and some neighbors hid Jews int heir basements and had tunnels from one houe to the other with walls they would put up so the people hiding could scurry from one basement to the other if anyone came to inspect.
Thanks for reading, and happy D-Da