It had been almost three weeks after the interviews and several hours after I had returned from a small deployment out in the neighbouring fields, in which I had tried to keep my promise to Joe with sending him a small letter each day whenever time and orders allowed. But as the exercises got longer and time in the field extended, I had now ended up with five short letters to send. I was also getting frequent letters from other members of the company, telling me things that they felt they could not tell the medical staff. Bill's letters were always nice to get. I was thankful that our parting had healed the rift between us. Sitting down I wrote my final letter of the week to Joey.
"My dearest Joseph,
Please forgive me for sending you a weeks worth of letters all in one go. As I was away playing in the fields with my new friends, I thought it would be better to send you them all at once rather than none at all.
My anxiety has still not yet subsided which I think has been heightened by the arrival of some important mail for 'us lot'. My new friends are pleasant and courteous, but nothing compares to my boys!
I miss you and I pray that the day arrives where we will see each other again soon.
Yours
Betty."
Heading out to the post bunk the Sunday night air was a little chilly. There had been no clouds throughout the day, which had allowed the glorious sunshine to beat down on us, but had brought a chill to the evening. Shivering slightly I pulled my jacket tight in. Jumping the small wall in front of the post bunk I noticed the lights were still on. While this was sometimes the norm during the week, I was a little surprised to find Peter up so late on a Sunday.
"Hello Peter. Putting in a few extra hours I see?" Dropping the mail in the outgoing tray I noticed what he had in his hand. Orders and there was plenty of them. Looking very forlorn and almost guilty, Peter just nodded. This was the young man who had to hand deliver the orders to each platoon commander to tell him where he was going, what he was doing and when. Waving goodbye I left him to it as there was nothing I could do. The memory, which I had tried so very hard for the last three weeks to forget, had slammed itself back into my mind's eye, the date the woman had written on the board. D-day June 6th 1944. Looking at the calendar on the way out the door, the numbers stuck out as though they were illuminated with bright neon lights. We have just over three weeks. I felt sick. I knew what was coming and when. The pile of orders in Peters safe told me that it was ever becoming ever more real. Sitting on the steps of the billet I looked up at the moon. She was so beautiful in her presence over the sleeping world. From the little memories I had of being someone else I had a sense of apprehension, a sense of wanting this to happen. But that was all over ridden by my own fear. The idea of heading off to another country, to save the lives of men who had been wounded for a cause not of their making made me sick. Sending a small prayer to the heavens for the safety and protection to all the men of Easy Company, I went to bed.
I will never forget the day my life changed completely. It had been almost four weeks since I had last seen Easy Company and almost a week since I had seen Peter sealing the orders up. I had been sat at my desk all morning. There were more medical files and paperwork requiring my attention than there had been when I was at College. Sophia had just finished her duty as Orderly Nurse and Jennifer had just returned from a four hour surgery. A sergeant from the 4th infantry had been driven over by a jeep and had a broken leg. Jennifer, having taken over from Sophia was the attending nurse and was therefore required in the OR.
I was getting frustrated with the paperwork and in all I honesty, all I wanted to do was scream! There were requests from people to have this and that done so they were fit to fight in the war. Then there were those that didn't want to go where ever they were sending us, and were playing the hypochondriac card. Holding up a file I read the apparent reason for light duties. Determining it was something for the MO to deal with I threw it on the floor.
"I swear to God Almighty Himself, if I see another case of sprained ankle or twisted knee and it doesn't come with a recommendation from any one of the nurses, medics or doctors I am going to have the man on a charge for cowardliness!" Sophia, who was both tired and used to my rants, paid me no attention. My ranting had become a common feature which seemed to have come with the job. I hated being a desk jockey, spending my days filling in these meaningless forms when I could be out there helping the medics be ready for the attack that was about to befall us. I sat back in my chair wanting to rest my eyes for only a second. The hopes of which were dashed almost instantly, by a knock at the door.
Peter meekly popped his head around the flimsy pine door. Walking in with the days post, both external and internal he handed me a rather large bundle. Letters for all the nurses came to me and then I disseminated them out. Pulling out a clip board Peter handed me another letter.
"Excuse me Lieutenant…but please could you sign for this one." My hand shook. I knew instantly what I was signing for. It had been the same question back in Aldbourne. More orders. Saluting and bidding us all a good day Peter left quickly. The arrival of this seemingly important letter gave Sophia and Jenny the spark they needed. Leaving their chairs on the other side of my desk, I took out my pocket knife. Carefully slicing it open, I removed the letter.
"Elizabeth Mae Reedman, Lieutenant. Sophia Marie Carter, Lieutenant. Jennifer Louise Green, Lieutenant, you are hereby ordered by the Supreme Head-quarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces to take up your posts alongside the 4th Infantry Division during the coming invasion. Your Service is greatly recognised and appreciated." I was so thankful I was sat down otherwise my knees would have given way. It said it in black and white that I was going to war. But for the brief moment that I was sad, the anger and panic was beginning to set in. It said that we were to work along side the 4th Infantry, which was wrong on all accounts.
Seeing the panic and worry in their faces, I told the girls not to worry, that I would have this sorted out with Capt. Francis in no time. Grabbing my cap and my orders, I headed through head-quarters to find my CO. As I weaved my way though the maze, my thoughts wandered, from myself to the girls, to my parents and Billy to finally resting on Joey. He was my first thought in the morning and my last before I went to sleep. Seeing that the CO had no one in his office, I knocked on the door. Waving me in I saluted. He was the only person in the entire HQ that got a kick out of other officers saluting him, but I did it out of courtesy not out of respect. You salute the rank, not the man.
"Elizabeth, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" the man sneered. God he's worse than Sobel! He was Sobel evil twin, but with a thin veneer of that kind of sneering niceness that made your skin crawl. Remembering to stay calm about the whole situation and remembering that it could just be an error, I treaded carefully.
"Well Sir, I have received my orders and I think that there is a mistake in them." Offering his hand to read them, he looked up at me, wanting me to explain myself.
"What is the problem Lieutenant? I don't see anything wrong with your orders?" and just how did I guess you were going to say that? Receiving them back, I took a deep breath in.
"Well sir, it says that Lieutenants Carter, Green and I have been assigned to the 4th infantry? That is not the case sir. We are PIR medics. We are part of Dog, Easy and Fox companies Sir. We already have our assignments. We are only down here because we arrived too late to attend Chiltern Foliate and receive jump training. We are here just to tag along, if you will sir." Francis just stared at me blankly.
"Lieutenant, you will work with your assigned unit. That is what your orders say." He was begging for a fight.
"With all due respect Sir, I have already been assigned to Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne. The only reason I am here, is because I need a ride. I am of the understanding that Lieutenant Colonel Strayer sent you a letter explaining this matter." I was trying so hard not to loose my patience with this man. He had more than likely applied to keep the three new female medics who had just arrived, although god only knew why as he spent all day sneering at the idea of taking female medics along and because someone, somewhere wasn't doing the dam job properly, we got reassigned.
"I don't think I did Lieutenant and I would be very wary whose name you throw around when you try and get what you want. I just guess that the Para boys will have to do with out you." The guy was a joke. He had done it on purpose, just to piss off the Airborne.
Deciding that now was a good time as any to have a little one to one, I stepped closer. There must have been something about me as Francis took a step back.
"Trust me when I tell you this Sir, my girls and I will be serving with Easy Company and the 2nd battalion and no matter who you think you have in your back pocket, I can assure you this. I have someone higher and a lot more powerful than you." I took a step back, adjusted my cap and saluted.
"Thank you Sir for clarifying my orders." With that I turned and left, leaving him open mouthed, not giving him a chance to respond. Calling into the post bunk on the way back, I asked for Peter to meet me in my office in twenty minutes and not a second later later.
The girls were frantic. "What happens if" was Jenny's favourite saying, as I tried to write faster than my hand would allow me. Looking at my youngest friend, the fear and anxiety was etched plainly for the world to see. Finishing my letter I took hold of Jennifer's hands.
"Jenny, honey, please look at me." Her eyes full of uncertainty as she looked at me.
"I want you to trust me, that goes for you too Sophia. I will fix this. I promise." Sophia was wary of what I was doing. Sealing the envelope and signing the back of it. I then moved to my desk and unlocked the top drawer. Removing the metal tin I took out a wad of money. Sophia moved around the desk.
"Betty Mae, what the in God's name are you doing?" Her question remained unanswered as Peter arrived on time. Telling him to come in and lock the door, I went to the window and closed the blinds.
"Betty?" Sophia's tone was questioning, but all would be revealed in a few minutes. Saluting the girls and me, I told Peter to stand at ease.
"Peter, I want to ask you a question. I want an honest answer from you. I don't care about regulations or rank, I just want the truth, and it will not go any further than theses four walls." Peter looked slightly nervous, his eyes darting from me, to Sophia, Jenny and to the door.
"Yes Ma'am." He stood there waiting for me. I hated what I was about to do. Ask a solider, a perfectly good solider at that, to disobey rules and regulations that were in place for a reason.
"Peter, tell me what you think of Capt. Francis?" The man frowned. He had understood the question and the criteria of his answer. Relaxing slightly, he looked me square in the eye, he seemed almost happy to share his opinion with someone willing to listen to him.
"I think he's an idiot ma'am and doesn't know his knee from his elbow." Sophia was trying to stifle a laugh, which ended up coming out as a snort, this in turn then put Jenny in fit of giggles, which by all accounts is the worst, as it is infectious. With all of laughing Peter looked at me, trying to contain a smirk himself he wanted to know what was going on.
"Ma'am, whilst I take kindly in being allowed to express my opinion. This was not the real reason why you have called me here is it?" He was a little nervous. There's no way that he could have talked to one of his own officers like that.
"No Peter, you're right. I haven't asked you here solely to find out how you feel about your CO." Handing him the letter, I moved closer.
"Peter, I would not normally ask you to do this, but you are the only soldier here that I can trust. I need you to take this letter and go back to Aldbourne. It needs to be put in the hands of Lt. Colonel Robert Strayer. It does not get opened by anyone other than him. Do you understand me Peter? No one else." Peter was frowning at me.
"Ma'am, I do understand. But why can it not go through the system and why have you sealed it shut? All mail must be…" His mind was turning and in so giving him the answers to his own questions.
"Peter, we," I pointed at the three of us, "are only here for the ride to wherever it is we are going and then, we are off to join the Airborne Divisions that we are assigned to. We have only been reassigned because Francis is on some glory hunt, which he's not going to get. Will you help us Peter?" I was putting so much on this lad. He would have to break two maybe even three of the largest rules, which could see him court-martialled if anything went wrong. Looking down at the letter and then up at me, Peter snapped to attention.
"Ma'am, ladies, it would be my honour to help you get back to your units." Completely out of character and out of line for her rank, Jenny engulfed poor Peter in a hug. Dusting him down, she apologised and when back to her seat. Peter looked very surprised as he had yet to finish what he was saying. "But there maybe one slight problem Ma'am, it will take me at least a day to get there and day to get back, not to mention me finding Colonel Strayer. Will this information expire before I get there?" I knew that Peter wasn't a simple lad, quite the opposite in fact. "No, Peter it won't. I just need the Colonel to read that and I need you to bring back any letters or orders that he gives you." Nodding with understanding, Peter saluted us and turned to leave.
"Peter," I called him back. I had the money in my pocket. If he was going to do this for me, then he would be justly rewarded.
"Peter, how much do you make a month?" I wasn't even sure I was allowed to ask him this, but I wasn't going to send this kid packing without saying Thank you.
"Erm…about $50 a month Ma'am." Clutching the money in my pocket, I knew there was at least a hundred bucks in my hand. Walking towards him, I took hold of his hand.
"I want you to have this. Please don't argue with me. Just take it. Send it home, gamble with it, hell spend it on what you like. Just don't say no, I know I'm asking you to take a huge risk, and I won't let you do it without some recompense." It sounded as though I was almost pleading with him. Looking down, I don't think he had ever seen so much money. Looking round the room, he saluted once more and left.
And then all we could do was wait. There had been no timings given for when the invasion was happening, but as I had dates running round my head, I knew we only had five days to get things sorted.
There was nothing else that could be done. Peter had left for wherever the boys were based and we had to pretend to be as engaged with the 4th infantry as possible. Jenny had become quiet and withdrawn more than normal and Sophia had taken to having the odd drink or four at night. I knew they were afraid. Afraid of working with men that they didn't know or trust, afraid that they would never see their friends or parents again and afraid that the promise I had made them might not come true and whilst I wished to God that I could reassure them that everything was going to be okay, I couldn't prove that it would.
It had been 36 hours, since Peter had left to hand-deliver my letter to Lt. Col. Strayer. We had managed to find cover for the post bunk and it had been conveniently circulated that Peter had been bedded down and that no one under any circumstances was to disturb him. Thank god no one wants to argue with the Head Nurse. The order was still sat on my desk. Its very presence could, at times turn me into a nervous wreck, if I thought long and hard about what it was asking me to do. I kept looking at it as thought it would suddenly sprout legs and can-can its way across my desk. I did not know what I wanted to achieve with sending the letter to the Lt. Col, but I did think that he should know he was loosing man power. As trivial as it sounds, the loss or reassignment of three combat nurses is huge to a Company such as Easy and in the long run it could cost lives. I wouldn't let myself think of the scenario. The idea of me not being there for my friends because of an arrogant man like Francis made my blood boils. Strayer would sort it; he'd have to. They couldn't afford to loose us, not now.