Monday morning, office of Major General Robert Hogan, US Military Governor for the Districts of Hammelburg and Heidelheim, Late May 1945
"Good morning Hilda, how's my favorite secretary? And I have a Geschenk for you. Madame Hogan brought back a bottle of perfume for you on her last trip to France."
General Hogan was grinning. Which meant he had a plan. Or monkey business, as Sergeant Hans Schultz would say.
"You're in a good mood this morning, Herr General. And I see lipstick on your face that you have not cleaned up. Is Frau General Hogan interrogating you again?"
Hilda Hassel thought of what could have been had the regulations prohibiting fraternization between American military personnel and German civilians were not in place. She would have been Frau General Hogan. Working for the US Military Governor of the region would have to suffice. And the job paid well. The General treated all of his German employees with respect.
Karl Langenscheidt was the General's German civilian liaison to the Burgermeisters of Flensheim, Grabstein, Hammelburg, Heidelheim, Heindorf, and Martinschloss. He had a most difficult job. The incident with the US Army deserters and their rampage through Flensheim farm country that culminated in a shootout in the Hammelburg Hospital was still fresh in the mind of many of the locals.
Even Klink was now working for Hogan. He was a decent bookkeeper and managed to maintain a steady flow of food supplies in the region as well as making sure all accounts and expenses were correct.
Even with the influx of refugees from the former Eastern provinces and the Soviet Occupation Zone coming in daily, conditions were much better in Hammelburg and Heidelheim than in the neighboring districts.
For the Hammelburg and Heidelheim districts were the safest in the US Occupation Zone, notwithstanding the events that took place in Flensheim and the Hammelburg Hospital several weeks earlier.
"Hilda, what do you think? And I'm in a good mood. The meeting with Ike went well. Alles in Ordnung. And call the hospital. I want the Doctor to report to me at noon."
"Have Lieutenants LeBeau and Newkirk come into my office. I have a mission for them."
Acting Second Lieutenants of the United States Army Louis LeBeau and Peter Newkirk saluted the General.
"Mon General, with that grin of yours, something must have gone well. Or you're up to no good again. And can you clean up the lipstick on your face? A General should be more discreet."
"Louis, the Guv'ner can do what he darn well pleases. And his commanding officer Madame Suzanne Hogan is a very demanding one."
Hogan laughed. Newkirk calling him governor was very fitting.
Notes
This is going to be part of a larger story-need to check with some authors to borrow OCs. It will wrap up some loose ends.
The doctor mentioned here is not Gerhard Steiner. His wife, the bravest nurse in Germany isn't mentioned here either. But they will make an appearance soon in the larger story.
Hogan's choice of Suzanne Lechay instead of Hilda as his wife is based on historical precedent.
The American Military Government in Germany instituted a no fraternization policy between US military personnel and German civilians, especially women. This was done in the wake of the liberation of the concentration camps.
Given that this story takes place roughly in May, marriages between American soldiers and German women were not allowed. By September of 1945 most of the restrictions were loosened.
Historical anachronism here-if Hammelburg is the fictional one mentioned on TV located near Düsseldorf, it would have been in the British Occupation Zone.
The Bavarian Hammelburg would have been in the US Zone. I'm going to keep Hammelburg in the Northern Rhine and allow Hogan a special dispensation to command Hammelburg.
Hammelburg in real life is not a district (Kreis) but I made it one as someone of Hogan's rank in this story would not be a mere town governor.