Chapter two

Dusseldorf, Germany 1931

"You little sneak! You beat me again."

The young girl squealed in delight. "Another game, Brian. Please!!" She started to reset the checkerboard.

"I can't. I need to catch up on my schoolwork." The six year old pouted. "Don't look at me like that, Sara. Tomorrow." Brian doted upon his younger sister, but he was behind. "I promise."

"Promise? Really?"

"Really." Brian chuckled, and patted his sister's head. "Here, put the game away. That's the winner's job." The fourteen year old left his sister the task of cleaning up and found a quiet corner in the kitchen. Spreading out his books, he began to methodically tackle his homework. Like most teens, he chose his favorite subject first, math, and quickly finished his problems. History, his least favorite, was put on the back burner and just grudgingly given the once over. Besides, he preferred his mother's tutoring in American history. The German schoolmasters, he felt, focused on their own country and its problems, which made sense. European history was to him, too overwhelming. Too many wars, kings, popes and countries.

Sometimes he wished he could have gone to the American private school, set up for foreign nationals working at various positions in the area. But his mother and father insisted that he attend a public school. "If you live in someone else's country, Brian, you need to live with people to get to know them." His mother, herself a daughter of German immigrants to America, was adamant and her husband, first a diplomat, now a visiting professor at a local university, agreed.

"It's always good to be bilingual," he told his son, "And it's a good way to keep up your German."

Brian was sure he or his sister would never lose their ability to speak German. After all, they had been living in Germany and used it both here and when home visiting his grandparents in New York City. There was one thing; however, that he liked about the public school… Girls.

Germany, late 1932

Brian Olsen, now almost sixteen, his parents, Joseph and Krista, and his younger sister, Sara, were still living a fairly comfortable life as American expatriates in Düsseldorf. His mother had relatives scattered around the country, and the families frequently enjoyed each other's company. Brian, in particular, loved the countryside and looked forward to trips out of the city. With his newfound maturity, he was allowed to venture away from home on his own, sometimes joining cousins or friends on hiking trips, day trips to look at castles on the Rhine, to swim in lakes or go skiing. Although he loved his grandparents, he found the noisy and crowded island of Manhattan confining, and looked forward to returning home to Germany every August, ready to start his new school term.

The political changes occurring in Germany were the furthest thing from his mind at that point. He had his future to consider. Would he attend a university in Germany or in the states? Would he get up the nerve to ask his neighbor, Anna, out to the cinema and would she agree?

"Brian, wake up. Your head is in the clouds." His mother chided him fondly.

"Sorry, Mother. I got distracted. What were you saying?"

"Your father and I want you to stay close to home for a while. These men, the brown shirts; you never know when they'll attack." The family had not yet witnessed the violence, but had heard stories of increasing brutality and tension.

"But, Mother…"

"No arguments." His father came into the room. "Their numbers have grown." Seeing his son's disappointment, he added. "I'm sure it will blow over. Hitler won't last long. But until then, we have to be careful, son."

Brian's parents were shocked when the bombastic Austrian corporal was appointed Chancellor in the beginning of the new year. Most of their German friends were surprised as well, but could understand their peoples' frustration with the economy and their treatment after the war.

In February 1933, the atmosphere in the country hit a crisis level, when the fire at the Reichstag persuaded President Hindenburg to grant Hitler emergency powers. Civil rights in the country began to disappear. More progressive Germans, some intellectuals and some members of the foreign community suspected that the Nazi party deliberately set the fire, but fear kept the conversation and speculation inside. When Hitler took full control on March 5, after the Nazis received 44 percent of the popular vote, Brian's parents finally took notice and discussed their options. No one in the family wanted to leave their home. Brian was almost finished with his schooling and both he and Sara had friends. Joseph, as well, enjoyed his position, his colleagues and his students. Hoping the political upheaval would blow over and that the German public would eventually come to their senses, the Olsen's decided to stay put.

Within weeks, riots against German Jews instigated by storm troopers frightened the family and Joseph Olsen began to argue with his wife, trying to persuade her to book passage back to the states for herself and the children. Brian and Sara could hear and feel the tension in the house. Finally Brian found the nerve one evening to confront his father.

"I want to finish my term," he argued. "I only have another year. Please," he begged.

"I'm concerned about your safety. Yours, your mother's and sister's."

"Send Mother and Sara home then. Let me stay with you."

Joseph took a sip of his tea and looked down at his hands. "Son, your mother is refusing to leave just yet. I want her to, but I can't force her. She's concerned about her family here, and she doesn't want anything like this to separate us." And so the Olsen family waited.

It was in April that things became worse. Hitler by now had become a dictator, and more actions were taken against German Jews. For the first time, the Olsen family became directly affected by the changes. Sara came home from school one day that month in tears. It appeared her music teacher had been fired. At the same time, Joseph lost many of his students and colleagues at the university. Brian's 16th birthday was a muted affair. In attendance was his new girlfriend, Anna, several cousins, and other friends. Jewish friends, although invited, did not attend, since they did not want to cause any trouble.

When book burnings occurred in May, Joseph had seen enough. He then insisted that Sara and Krista be sent home and this time they complied. For the first time in Brian's life, he was separated from part of his family; something he, nor his sister, would ever forget.

Brian was no longer allowed to go out alone for his picnics with friends. The cinema was filled with propaganda, and storm troopers roamed the streets. Family businesses and shops owned by Jews had closed in the summer and some of Joseph's colleagues, both Jew and gentile, had disappeared. Just over a year later, after Brian finished his last term of high school, Joseph and his son threw in the towel and returned home. Joseph Olsen and Brian were reunited with their family and moved in with Krista's parents in Manhattan. Without a job, Joseph had no choice. The country was still in the throes of the Great Depression, and teaching positions were hard to find. Brian, who had goals of attending college to study engineering, now found himself taking odd jobs to help support his family, while attending classes part time as he could afford them.

Eventually, Brian adapted to his new life and, although he missed Germany and the beautiful countryside, he regained his sunny and cheerful disposition. His father finally found a teaching position and the family settled down. They refused to watch newsreels of the summer Olympics, but were secretly thrilled by Jesse Owens's success.

The two children now found themselves living in the entirely different and multicultural world that was New York City. The family still kept a close watch on news out of Europe and their worst nightmares seemed to be coming true. By then, 1938, Germany had annexed Austria, Kristallnacht had occurred and the Munich agreement was signed. Brian, who was now twenty-one, was beginning to think of a career change. He and his close-knit group of college friends were foreseeing war on the horizon

"Hitler is not going to stop until he conquers Europe," Brian argued.

"He's got what he wants," argued another. "And why would he want to do that, anyway?"

"He's written what he wants," Brian offered. "It's in his book." Brian and his father had read it in Germany and were horrified. Brian's friends were all willing to listen to his side; after all, he'd lived there. "He's crazy," Brian continued. "He wants Europe. He blames the Jews for everything, Communists too. He's dangerous." They all mulled that over.

"Whatever happens, the U.S. will stay out of it," another friend surmised. That was something they could all agree upon.

It was no surprise to the Olsen family and others in their social network, when war was declared in September of 1939. Correspondence with their relatives overseas had become less frequent and information in the letters was obviously carefully chosen. Brian's parents were relieved when the two sides conducted a phony war, but their relief turned to horror as Germany began to march across Europe in 1940, and with that, Brian Olsen made a fateful decision.

"It's called the Eagle Squadron." His family stared at him across the kitchen table as he explained why he quit his first real job as a junior engineer to fight with Great Britain as a volunteer with the RAF. "We're sitting here, doing nothing, while England is the only country left. What happens if they're invaded? Who's next?"

Stunned, his father and mother argued vehemently with their son. His mother, crying, left the room and his sister followed. Joseph was angry. "You're fighting for another country, not America! And we have relatives over there."

"Don't you think I've thought about that?" Brian retorted. "But, Dad, I feel like I've got to do something. You were there. We've seen what these people are like. Don't you think our family over there would want someone to help get rid of the Nazis? Don't you think they want their country back?"

Joseph had no answer.

"Dad, I know this is the right thing to do. Besides, I'm bound to be drafted here and, eventually, we'll be in it. I just feel it."

"I can't stop you." Joseph realized his son would do what he wanted, no matter how much he or his wife protested. Brian's family was not happy with their son's decision, but they came to terms with it, and sadly saw him off.

A/N: The Eagle Squadrons were made up of American men who offered to fly for the RAF. The RAF forces were depleted during the Battle of Britain, and these men were trained in England to fly Hurricanes and Spitfires. Approximately 250 men were selected. Others joined the Volunteer reserve. Almost 1000 American men were killed while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Eventually, the Eagle Squadron was incorporated into the USAAF's 4th Fighter Group. (various sources)