First Impressions (In No Specific Order)

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Hogan's First Impressions

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Hogan watched as the man was brought in. An Englander with a cranky attitude by the looks of it. "Buzz off you bloody Kraut!" He said adjusting his jacket.

Schultz shrugged then turned to address Hogan. "He is Corporal Peter Newkirk he-"

"I can tell 'im myself!" The corporal said with a huff tipping his hat back.

Shultz didn't know what to say. Hogan promised though to straighten the man out. With that Schultz left.

Hogan prayed this man wouldn't be trouble. Hopefully he could follow orders. The problem was telling him that they were assigned here. The man would flip. Hogan hadn't come up with a plan to get the men to stay or how to get them out if they didn't want to stay. He was still working on getting Klink to eat out of his hand.

Then the man pulled forth a watch. "Bloody Kraut didn't even notice." He'd be trouble Hogan knew that.

Hogan had seen enough. He walked up and swiped the watch. "What's the big idea? If the Germans catch you it would be thirty days in the cooler!" Hogan's voice was harsher than he intended but he had to make a point.

Newkirk seemed to simmer down and become slightly timid. "But Sir, they're just Krauts. And I wasn't caught!" However the attitude was still there. He didn't like being bossed around Hogan could tell and that could bode bad luck for him and his team… which he still had to make.

There was no way Hogan could tell him about the operation. Not yet anyway… If he could 'tame' him he might be a valuable member of the team. However he'd have to work hard. "Look," His voice was rough as he pulled the man to his office. "Look," his voice was softer once they were alone. "I'm your new commanding officer-"

"Well I can see that, mate." The Englander said not impressed.

Hogan glared at him and the man shut his mouth once again. "I'm your new commanding officer, meaning you take orders from me."

"Well, sure but what kind of orders do you give in a POW camp? 'Go to bed?'" The Englander clearly wasn't in the mood.

"Listen." Hogan said lowering his voice even more only keeping it stern to make his point. "I was sent here by London-"

"So was I-"

"No! I was sent HERE, as in to this spot; this camp, on a mission." Hogan supposed he had no choice but to tell the man and hope he'd understand.

Newkirk was listening now.

Hogan explained the situation and that they were aiding the underground and were STATIONED at the camp. Hopefully the Englander would understand and choose to stick around.

Newkirk looked at the man. "It's a joke…"

Hogan sighed. "No it's not a joke."

The Englander began to laugh. "And 'ere I thought you 'ad no 'umor."

"I'm serious." Hogan said with as much a serious tone as he could.

Newkirk looked at him like he was crazy. He'd have to convince him. The Englander didn't seem to trust to easily to begin with.

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An African American? That's what Schultz said. Hogan had met some before, but he never really made any Black friends before… of course he hadn't made any enemies of them either. He never really took a side. He was curious about them though.

Finally the man arrived in the barracks. He was a bit timid at first, although he was trying to hide it. Hogan seemed to be the only one who noticed. He was friendly enough.

"Sir, you must be my new commanding officer. I'm Sergeant James Kinchloe." He said with a smile.

Hogan liked him already. "Yes, I am. I'm Colonel Robert E. Hogan."

"It's good to meet you." The man offered his hand and Hogan took it.

"It's good to meet you as well." Then Hogan began to wonder. "What kind of talents do you have?"

The man didn't seem to understand why Hogan was asking a question like that. "Talents?"

"Yeah, for example." What did he really need right now? "For example how are you with building things?"

"Well, I guess I'm okay at it. I usually work with radios and phones though."

Perfect. Hogan smiled. "Just what I'm looking for." Hogan felt he could trust the man. He'd have to if the man was to be his second in command. He was the second highest rank in camp.

"Sir?" The man didn't understand.

"Come with me, I'll explain everything." Hogan led the man to his office and told him his mission from London.

"Well, I'll be. That's crazy! How do you expect to get away with that?" The man asked incredulous.

Hogan motioned for him to lower his voice. "I'm still working on it. But I think I can pull it off."

The man shook his head. "Sir, with all due respect, I think you've gone off the deep end."

Hogan didn't expect him to believe him. At least not yet. He hadn't even begun his work. He was still looking for a team. And the tunnels were still being dug. Not to mention he was still working on the Kommandant. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing." Hogan placed his hand on Kinchloe's shoulder.

"Alright." The man gave in. "I'll see how this goes.

"Thank you." Hogan knew this would be the start of a good friendship.

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A Frenchman… They were getting quite an array of nationalities, weren't they? Schultz brought him in. He was small. Hogan hadn't expected that. In fact that was the first thing he noticed. Another man noticed it too and even spoke his mind. Wrong move. The Frenchman then went off on a spiel about how size doesn't matter. I had to break them up before the man got whip lash from the smaller man.

"I'm Colonel Robert E. Hogan. Your new commanding officer." Hogan said extending his hand.

The Frenchman looked at it a moment then took the hand. "I'm Corporal Louis Lebeau, It's good to meet you, Sir." Well he was friendly but had a hot temper. He'd have to tame him.

"What are your talents?" Hogan asked almost automatically.

Lebeau was taken off guard. "Talents?" Then a smile spread across his face. "For your information, I'm a chef and pretty good one too, Mon Colonel."

Hogan smiled well the Frenchman was proud that was certain. He just had a bad temper toward Germans and anyone who insults him. Simple enough. Pretty usual around the allied forces. However if he knew it was for the war effort he might join the team. "Come here, let me fill you in on some things." Hogan filled him in on the situation with London and his mission.

"Wow, what a mission, but you must admit it's rather far fetched."

Hogan smiled. "Yeah, I know, but who would believe it, right? The best place to have it is in a POW camp. The Most Escape Proof Camp of them all. So why would the Germans look here?"

Lebeau thought about this then nodded. "I'll think about it."

"Well, that's all I can ask for." Hogan sighed.

"And I'm not allowed to escape?" Lebeau asked.

Hogan shook his head. He knew that's what was on everyone's mind. The one set back. But he hoped he'd have his team together soon.

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He was young. But that didn't always matter. His brain was fresh and not weighed down with old things. Plus the younger they are the easier they will be to train and teach.

Hogan then began to wonder why he seemed to use those phrases… 'to train' and 'tame'. What were they, dogs? And why did the Foreigners seem to have such a bad attitude? There's no way he'd let them know about his thoughts on the matter. They'd certainly be insulted.

The young man entered. He bounced in perfectly cheerful a smile placed on his face. Odd, the others were either cranky or nervous.

"Hi! I'm Sergeant Carter, Andrew J." He saluted

Hogan returned the salute then held out his hand.

The man looked at it confused a bit lowered his hand, smiled then took the hand. Hogan figured he was used to the military form of things.

The man had a firm but shaky hold. He WAS nervous. But he was good at hiding it. "I'm Colonel Robert E. Hogan, your commanding officer."

Carter nodded cheerfully. "It's good to meet you, Sir."

Hogan wondered if he could fit him into the team he was forming. He'd have to see what the man's talents are. Acting was certainly one of them. He looked the man in the eyes. He didn't look a way. Good. Hogan smiled. "Come here, I'll fill you in on some things." His team was pretty well together by now. However one more wouldn't hurt. Who knows maybe he'd be useful to the team and if not, he wouldn't be happy about having to stay.

The young man followed Hogan into his office and stood waiting. Hogan offered him a seat. The Sergeant looked at it, confused at first, then a smile spread across his face once again and he sat down.

Hogan asked him the typical questions he would ask any new prisoner. At least since he started his activity with the underground. Carter answered all of them honestly, Hogan could tell. Carter seemed a bit confused by the questions so Hogan knew the man was legitimate. Time to tell him the real information. "Now, I was sent on a mission from London to aid the underground and escaping prisoners back to London." Hogan continued telling him his mission and what they had. All the while the man across from his listened intently. "Do you understand?"

"Wow, that's pretty incredible."

Apparently the man didn't believe him either.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Wait Carter believed him? Anything he could do to help… "I'm not sure, what are your talents?"

The man sat and thought for a moment. "I'm good at carving…" The man said.

The man wasn't too bright, was he? "Anything that would be useful for the underground." Hogan specified.

Carter's thought process continued. "Not that I can think of at the moment."

"Alright."

The man seemed disappointed. "Then there's nothing I can do?"

"At the moment no." Hogan said honestly.

A few hours later and one of the men brought up a land mine. Carter just glanced at it and knew the model and how to take it apart. A talent Carter didn't think of. Hogan was impressed. Surprised, considering the man wasn't too bright, but still impressed.

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