I remember that whole night of driving and flying, and not to mention the rousing noise that we heard coming through the area since bombs were still going off. But I was assigned to be back with Easy, whoever they may be. But there I was, sitting in the front of a truck with another driver as we were sneaking our way back into France from England, consisting of another flight that had us land in a safe airstrip in France before I recovered a truck and a jeep in the back, a long ass drive if I may say so myself. The driver I was with, a young man by the name of Matthews who was assigned to I Company, volunteered to drive the first part of the journey and I would take over on the second part. We had one jeep in the back, using it as storage as we made our way over to our companies and I was thinking I was going to be using that jeep myself. But there was no other way since now planes were being shot down left and right and we had to real sense as to if we were going to make it alive. I was more worried about Easy than anything, wondering if any of them got hurt from the jump and if they found each other. From how the flight went, they were scattered.
Scared out of their minds.
We were getting closure to Normandy by the time we were driving and the darkness that still over us in the area. I was too zoned out when I heard something next to me.
"Hang on a second." I saw Matthew slowing down and what was going on ahead. We could see some kind of commotion out there, looking more like a checkpoint than anything really as I felt like we were about to head into a trap. I peered closer, losing my sense of cool when I saw who it was.
Germans.
"Shit." I whispered in a panic, knowing that we were ultimately going to be screwed. We were not going to make it pass this stop now since there were about 5 of those men there with guns and one two of us there in one bigger truck and a jeep behind it. I looked over at Matthew now, who had no idea what we were going to do since he too looked scared and like he was about to shit his pants.
"We need a plan or else we're gonna be eating bullets." he said to me in a panicked manner as we were inching closer to the point now, the German soldiers seeing us and having their guns in their hands looked more tunes than ever. I had to think of something for the both of us, and I had to think quick. I looked over to the left of the main road, seeing a small path that was crooked and jagged, but moved away from the main road of course. So I grinned, I had a plan in my head.
"Stop the truck." I said to him, seeing him look at me with wide eyes now.
"What?" He asked me.
"Do it. Now!" I said to him, watching him slow and stop the truck from ing any further now. He placed it in the parking set, and the headlights were beaming at the Germans, two of which were walking our way now with curious eyes as to what they were seeing.
"Get in the back of the car, get your gear." I warned him now as I kept my eyes on the Germans who were still walking over to him now, "Get the jeep started and unlock the back doors."
"Got it." He replied, scurrying back to the jeep behind us now as I walked backwards slowly, trying not to be seen and needing to get away myself really. I could hear him unhingin' the jeep from the restraints in haste, making me glad he was kind of on the same page. Once I was in the back of the truck, the jeep engine was already going and the driver was unhooking the locks on the doors. We heard the Germans talking, knocking on the driver's window as I snuck into the drivers' seat and placed my hands on the wheel. I didn't want to be a POW, not in the first night of the freaking war and when I knew I had a place to go to. I had more on my plate than the average soldier would, and I tried really hard to think of the positivity of it all though it was harder than I thought it would be.
"We have to bolt." I said to him as he hopped in the passenger seat.
"You crazy?!" He asked me now as the banging on the door was getting louder and more intense. The Germans were catching on that something was up.
"We have no choice, we have to get out now." I said to him now as more of the German soldiers were talking,g getting closer to the back doors now as I saw him reach in the back and grab the spare rifle that was there, cocking it and having it ready and he was looking over at me now. I knew he was young, younger than me really, but then again I was young too with a child already. This driver, Matthews, he had to have been only 22 years old, almost like a baby in my eyes. He looked petrified, and I felt like I had to be the reasonable one between the two of us now.
"Ready?" I asked him, now hearing the shouting of the Germans now outside of the truck and abridging on the sides now to see who was in there. He nodded his head at me, making me look ahead at the closed back door and breathe out slowly. I had to make sure I was in the right place within my mind so that I could get myself and Matthews out of there alive. Within one second, I stepped on the breaks and we floored it out of the back of the truck now.
We flew in the air, and I kept my foot on the peddle.
We had a bit of a gap in the air, but we hit the floor within seconds and I felt my head slam onto the whole before I focused in on what was going on. My head was in pain, and yet I was swerving the jeep to the right now and finding my way onto the small dirt path that I found on the side of the road. The Germans were too frazzled with what was going on, and I was too frazzled myself to deal with the blood I was feeling coming dome from my forehead from the impact from the wheel.
Once we were on the path, hearing the Germans yelling at us and trying to shoot us, I was pushing down on the pedal even more since they were trying to kill us. But I knew I was faster, much faster than him really since we were in the clear before we knew it.
It was something that neither one of us taught we would ever pull off, and yet there we were. It was thrilling to me really, to be able to speed through some deserted forest area now in a jeep with another soldier and neither one of us was hurt, well, hurt enough to be concerned. Even Matthews looked surprised when e were driving, a shocked smile on his face and he looked at me now with a grin, having me still concentrate on the driving and the guiding through the forest in France now.
"Holy shit…Holy shit!" He said over and over now as I wanted to grin from our accomplishment, but nothing really happen there. I was only trying to make sure we weren't going to die.
"You slammed your head hard, you wanna pull over and switch?" He asked me now as he was seeing the trickling blood that was going down the side of my face now and almost near my jaw. I shook my head, thinking that if we were moving at this pace with me driving, then we would be in the clear in no time.
"Where did they say there were no Germans?" I asked him, seeing him shuffle around a bit in his jacket and pull out the map that was in his jacket pocket near the front. He unfolded it and was looking at it for a bit before he pointed.
"We're about 150 miles out now, we keep head East and we can make it in no time." He explained to me, having me a nod and place my compass on the top of the jeep where I could see, making sure we were in going in the right direction. It was going to be a very long night for me, with a splitting headache and my mind was running with endless hopes that we were going to make it to the others in Normandy. We still had a ways to go, but I wasn't going to keel over and die. Not yet.
By the time we cleared the forest and were back on the regular road again, I knew we were deep in France now and I was trying to follow the street signs that were around to make sure we were going in the right direction. Matthews was helping me on this too, following the maps now and keeping me alert through most of the road and making sure I was doing okay. He had spare aspirin to give me sine he knew that this point I was about collapse from the pain of the impact on my head. Luckily the pain was less now because of the drugs he gave me, and I thank him as we were still driving along and trying to pass the time.
We were hitting another farm town when I saw a soldier there, walking along the road and he was alone showing no sign of a rifle there on his shoddier, but a satchel instead. He was walking slowly, and once he heard our jeep coming, I saw him run over to the side of the road as if he was trying to find some way to hide. But I looked, not thinking that it was a German walking by himself now really. Matthews saw it too, having me see him sit up a bit in his seat and look with his own young eye.
"Is that an American?" He asked me, having me slow down on the jeep speed for a bit to see if he was seeing what I was seeing. It didn't look like nor German soldier with his outfit on, and I was thinking that he was, in fact, an American. I slowed the jeep over to where he was since he was still hiding from me and thinking that he wasn't going to be found.
"Flash!" I said to him, thinking that he was going to respond to it. He perked up then, hearing the American phrase and seeing his head pop up from the tall grass he was hiding behind it. I grinned and sighed in relief from seeing his face as he got up completely and walked out to be next to us in the jeep.
"Adaline?" He asked me in a sigh of relief.
"Eugene, you okay?" I asked him in a panic, since the last time I saw him was on the plane and he jumped out. But now he looked okay, beyond okay really since he was walking on the road alone and looking like he knew where he was going really, compared to me since I knew no french at all.
"I should be asking you, you're bleedin'." he said to me, walking over within seconds and reaching into his satchel and then bringing out one of his gauzes and then reached up to grab my helmet to move it out of the way. But I stopped him, seeing him look at me now in confusion.
"Keep it on," I said to him now, both Eugene and Matthews looking at me now with confused looks, "Better for me to hide being female than anything."
"What are you talking about?" Matthews asked as Eugene was trying to work around it and get my blood off my face now.
"They don't want the Germans to find out I'm a female," I said to them both as I squinted from the rubbing alcohol that Eugene was using me my cut, "I could be more of a liability, and it would be worse for me if they caught me."
"Shit," Matthews muttered as Eugene pulled away from me now and scanned me up and down with his dark eyes and the look of a medic already working for him.
"You'll be okay with that, Adaline." he explained to me now as I motioned to the map that Matthews was holding with my spare hand that was not on the wheel.
"You know where we're going?" I asked him, thinking that he would have some kind of idea as tow here we were supposed to end up with the rest of Easy.
"Sainte-Mère- Èglise." He replied, having me look at him in shock since he said to so well, almost like he was French himself, "It's this way, another 50 miles or so."
"Hop on, we can drive there and get there faster." I said to him, seeing him go over to the back in the open space there and get inside. I got the jeep moving again, having me truck along the road now as the cool breeze was going through us roughly now when I looked back at Eugene briefly.
"Sine when do you know French?" I asked him in wonder now, seeing him eye me with his eyes and still look cool about it.
"Since I speak and read the language, remember I told you I was from Louisiana?" He asked me over the jeep engine. I nodded, "Well, I grew up learning French since Louisiana is a French territory."
"I didn't know that." Matthews said in shock.
"Lot of people don't. It's Cajun country where I'm from, and we know French from the moment we're born." Eugene replied back to us both, making me smile.
"You[re full of surprises, Eugene." I commented to him, keeping my eyes on the road and hearing Matthew chuckle then.
"Coming from the driver who busted us from almost getting caught and killed by a squad of Germans." he said in a snort, having me eye him now as Eugene was leaning over to see my face while I was still on the road.
"You did that?" Eugene asked me in an amused tone. I had to roll my eyes at that, thinking that he was looking at me in a new sight.
"You think I was just a shy driver, Eugene?" I asked him a joking tone, hearing Matthew chuckle as we kept driving along the road now and we were getting closer to the rest of the men and the safety that would be there waiting for us. I only hoped that we are going to find the others there, whoever it may be.
I was just hoping to make it through my first night of war alive.
The sun was slowly coming over us as we were making our way into what seemed like another set of forest tracks. Matthew was looked around the whole time, not saying a word as Eugene was giving me directions there and not missing a beat on it. I was getting rid as we were driving, but then again I was still set on there in one piece and making sure Matthew and Eugene were going to be okay too.
Once we were going along the muddy road, I could see more and more American soldiers walking along the path now, going the same way, in which I was getting some kind of clear thought that they were being sent in some direction. It made me wonder if we should head in the direction too. I slowed down when I saw a pair of privates walking together, looking tired from their own journey.
"Hey," I called to them, seeing them both look at me now, "Where are you boys heading?"
"They didn't say." One replied in a gruff manner.
"Who didn't say?" Eugene asked from his spot in the back seat.
"The guys who pointed us in this direction. There's a farmhouse up ahead where we're supposed to go, whether we are meant to be there or not," He replied, eyeing my jeep up and down now, "Wanna give us a lift?"
"You boys need the walk," I replied, hearing him gruff at me again as I sped up the jeep and kept going down the road now, "I guess we're heading to this farmhouse that they were talking about."
"You think our guys will be there?" Eugene asked me.
"Who knows, maybe a couple of them," I replied, seeing Matthews eye the soldiers some more like he was looking for his own company, "I think your buddies will be there."
"You think so?" He asked me, now looking over at me and having me see the sense of dread there on his face. He looked like he was about to be sick himself, like he did have nowhere else to go really and he was stuck with us. I didn't want that for him since our night was as smooth as I thought it was going to be.
"I know so."
We reached the far end of what was a farmhouse, but it looked like it was in shambles. Men were al around, some I had no idea who belonged with which company and got me scared as we drove into the courtyard and men moving out of the way as we came into the area. I stopped the jeep near one of the barn doors, in which I could hear men talking to each other and finding their own Companies, even some looking like they were alone then without anyone to report to.
"You see your company, Matthews?" I asked him as we all got out of the jeep, Eugene coming over to me now as Matthews was scanning the area with his eyes.
"Not yet, but I'll go check with the officers. I'll be fine from here, Adaline." he said to me now as he walked away with a smile on his face and a pep in his step. I smiled too, only thinking of the worst when he was thinking of the positive. It was just Eugene and I now, the boy of us looking around for a few seconds before I heard it, the infamous cry from one of my friends.
"Oi! Adaline! Ain't ya supposed to be in a plane by now?" It was Liebgott, and it was with some of the others in Easy and it made me smile in relief to see that he was okay. I walked over there, Eugene right behind me as I was going straight over to Joe and I guide him without thinking twice. He grew on me, hell they all did as Joe held me back with his skinny arms and he seemed more surprised about it that I was.
"Hey, hey I'm okay. I'm okay." Joe reassured me, being genuine for once in our relationship instead of his cocky self and full of it. I was just glad I saw another member of Easy and that they made it alive from the plane.
"I thought of the worst with you boys," I confessed him, pulling back and seeing him look at me up and down now.
"Why would you? We're paratroopers, remember?" Joe asked me in a cocky kind of way, having me grin at him and see that he was trying to make our reunion lighter and less of a tragic one, "Hell, I almost lost my own leg from landing in a tree."
"Really?" I asked.
"Yeah, but I'm here now, ain't I?" He asked me with a shrug of his shoulders. I nodded since there was nothing more to discuss really.
"I guess so," I replied to him, looking around the courtyard again to see where I could find the others and make sure they were okay too.
"You seen anyone else from Easy?" Eugene asked Joe as I was searching, but it was no luck. I was not seeing another Easy soldier in sight, which was scaring me all the more.
"Not yet, just a few of us. Guys are sayin' that more and more are coming in." Joe answered him now as he grabbed a seat over by the pile of hay.
"No officers? None from Easy?" Eugene asked him.
"Not one, Doc." Joe replied, sounding a bit grimmer about it than he did before. I looked back at the two of them now, thinking that we were going to be stuck there at the barn now until we knew more Easy member that would be coming through that gate that we just came through. We had to wait, yet again.
Great.
"Is it turning over yet?" I asked, looking up and over the top of the second jeep that rolled into the courtyard and decided to break down there in front of me, giving me something to do as Eugene went off to help with the other combat medics on any wounded soldiers, and Joe just being the look out for Easy members that would pop in from the front. Instead of me sitting on my butt and thinking of the absolute worst, I had to make sure I was going to keep myself occupied with being a mechanic and driver if they needed one, since clearly there was no plane around for me to fly. Compared to the rest of the guys, I was more of a sitting duck really since I had no assigned to really fulfill.
"Not yet, give it another try." I heard the soldier that was helping me out with the engine, seeing him maneuver something on the engine block before I turned it over again. The engine gave a small sputter and then roar to life, having me grin as the soldier placed the hood back down on the jeep before walking over to me.
"Thanks." He said in a grin as I got out of the jeep, seeing another round of men coming through the opening gate of the courtyard.
"You got it. Just make sure you keep putting in oil in it before it goes all Jerry Rig on you." I reminded him, seeing him nod as I looked back to the gate. I grinned, noting that more Easy men were coming through the gate now. I walked over to the are now, hoping to see a more familiar face and have the sense of dread go away now. I had to have looked like an idiot there, standing like a wife waiting for her husband to come back from war. But it had to be done since I was part of this company now and I had nowhere else to go.
"Adaline O'Malley?" I heard my name being called, which scared me since no one around here was freaking out because I was a female. But I looked to see a big guy, taller than me and built like a footballer, walking over to me now with pristine blond hair and bright blue eyes that almost made me remember the Atlantic Ocean in the summer time.
"Yes?" I asked him, seeing him grin at me now as he held out his hand for me to shake.
"We haven't met, but the boys talked about you a lot before we got on the plane. I'm Buck Compton, 2nd Lieutenant of Easy." He introduced himself as I shook his hand. Even his smile reminded me of the men I would see in the movies.
"Adaline, O'Malley, Air Force." I said to him, seeing him raise his eyebrows at me in shock.
"So it is true: you're a pilot." He said as a statement.
"Not at the moment, more like the mechanic and driver for Easy." I said to him now, hearing him chuckle.
"Good to know." He replied to me now as we heard more men coming in now by the dozens. We both looked over in that direction now. Thankfully, I saw Winters, Lipton, Guarnere, Malarky, and Toye, along with others who were in other Companies that I didn't know. It made me sigh in relief now as I walked over to them and Buck next to me.
"What's going on?" Buck asked Winters as the soldiers were saying hi to one another and I saw Toye grin at me, walking over to give me a hug. Like the others in that group, he looked safe and unharmed.
"I didn't think we would see you out here this soon." He commented to me.
"I had to make my way back to you guys somehow." I explained to him.
"Not sure, Five'll get you ten it's something to do with that." Buck explained to Winters as we all heard a gunshot, all of us not moving and looking in that direction now. It sounded close, too close for me to feel safe about it.
"Yeah..." Winters trailed off.
"It's good to see you, Dick." Buck commented.
"You too, Buck. What's the situation?" He asked now as I walked over to listen in on the conversation.
"Not good. 90% of the men are still unaccounted for." Buck explained, having me grimace a bit now from hearing that number. That was far too high for me to think about and feel okay with. I wanted it to be lower to be safe about it, and George could be in that 90% of the men. I was worried now, yet being in the Air Force I was not meant to be called to be worried.
"Oh, oh thank God." I whirled around at the voice, having me gasp out in relief as I saw George there, at the mouth of the gate and looking at me with a wave of relief on his face. I walked over to him now, not wanting to break out into a run and look foolish now as He grinned at me, having me smile since it looked like he survived himself. The stupid man was haunting my mind since I let him go in England for his plane. We collided in the middle now, hugging each other and not letting each other go. I knew I was going to have to let him go plenty of time in the war since he would have to go where I was not allowed to follow, and vice versa. But this was still enough for me to get through the day, to know that he was alive and he was holding me close in relief.
"You're okay," he whispered into my hair as we were still holding each other close. I pulled away, not wanting to have us exposed in front of the others, but he grinned at me with his cheeky grin of relief. I really wanted to kiss him, hell, hold his hand and have those butterflies and that warmth back, but that was going to have to wait for now.
"I'm glad you're okay, Luz." I said to him now, seeing him shake his head.
"I'm more glad that you're okay. You and me worried," He explained, having me raise an eyebrow at him.
"I thought we talked about this," I said back, knowing we talked about how we both were going to be in danger every once in awhile this war.
"I know, I know," He said back, the lightness there on his face and in his voice, "But I can't help it."
My first day at the freaking war, and I was going through enough as it was.