Chapter 2 – Request Permission to Escape
Kinch's mind drifted away from Josephine and Billy over the next few months. There was too much to do: fliers to rescue, and missions from London to attend to. He felt bad that they had completely slipped his mind, until the mail arrived again.
Life in the barracks was hectic whenever Schultz and the mail showed up. This time, he was tackled by the prisoners as he arrived and it was left to Colonel Robert Hogan, Kinch's commanding officer, to distribute the envelopes.
Kinch was happy to get an envelope but smirked as he noticed his given name on the front, and not the one he went by. It had to be from the Army.
The message was brief. "Hey, you guys wanna hear something? Get this: 'Mr. James Kinchloe: Greetings. This is to notify you that your final draft classification is now 4F-limited service.' Now they tell me."
Kinch couldn't believe that after all this time, someone in the Army was still holding the color of his skin against him. Did the Army only realize now that he was black? He was lucky that although the 4F really meant he was ineligible to serve, someone got a hold of it and marked it as"limited" instead so he could stay here. And he was grateful for that luck as Hogan and the others needed his talents.
Kinch's mind quickly changed focus as he saw Hogan holding up Sergeant Andrew Carter's letter.
"Dear John," Hogan solemnly said.
Kinch and the others rallied around Carter, who was naturally devastated by the news. Kinch listened as the others offered words of encouragement for Carter, but Carter seemed not to be listening. Kinch felt anguish in his heart as Carter cried out, "Write her off? No sir! Mary Jane can't do this to me! I'm a Sergeant!"
The barracks grew silent due to Carter's outburst.
Unfortunately, the silence did not last long as Schultz came through the door again. But instead of smoothly walking through the doorway into the barracks, Schultz pushed the door so hard, it swung back and hit him square in the face. Once finally inside, Schultz rubbed his nose as he took his place.
"Now that's a way to make an entrance, Schultz." Hogan quipped, as he strolled over.
Schultz was embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Colonel Hogan, but I just realized I had another letter to drop off. Another addressed to Sgt. Kinchloe." he said, as he handed it over.
"Another one for me? I have the luck—where was it, Schultz?" Kinch asked.
Schultz continued to look embarrassed.
"I lost it while I was eating.-" he confessed.
Kinch looked sharply at Schultz.
"I'm just glad that's not what you were eating, Schultz-." Kinch replied.
Schultz glared good-naturedly at Kinch, as he opened the door to leave.
"Jolly joker." Schultz muttered, as he walked out.
Kinch turned to the letter—it was from his sister.
"Josephine-." he happily said.
This happy declaration made Carter madder.
"Gee, that's swell- even he has a girl! I'll be back—I need some air.-" he said, as he walked outside.
Kinch tried to grab him as he stormed out, but was unsuccessful.
"Josephine is my sister, Carter!" he called out after him.
Kinch wanted to chase after Carter but Hogan put a firm hand on his arm.
"Give him some time," Hogan said. "We gotta find another way to cheer him up."
Kinch sighed—he didn't want to work, but he knew he had to. He shoved the letter from Josephine into his pocket and tried to forget about it.
It wasn't long into their brainstorming when Carter barged into Hogan's office and demanded permission to escape.
Kinch was disappointed in Carter. Didn't Carter understand the meaning on why they were all there? Didn't he understand they got nowhere as a group without Carter's bomb making experience? He would have read off the statement of Hogan's mission, but Hogan beat him to it.
HH
Later in the afternoon, Kinch wandered downstairs to the tunnels to monitor the radio. There were no messages to answer and so he finally opened the latest letter. It read:
April 14, 1942
Dear Ivan,
We were so glad to hear from you. I'm glad things seem be going okay. Are you able to hear any news? Are you able to follow any serials? I don't want to bring anything bad up- but did you hear they foreclosed on Mary Noble?
Things are going alright here. Something happened in the city recently. A bunch of black folk wanted to move into an area populated with white folk. The white folk were not happy about it. Papa and John needed to find alternate routes to work for a couple days. I was pretty scared and I needed to protect my child so Billy and I did not go outside then.
The doctor paid us a visit since Billy just celebrated his first birthday. I can't believe he is one already! He is growing so big, so fast. He has pulled himself up and is beginning to take steps. I hope he is walking in no time!
The doctor did mention something that startled me, though. He asked me if Billy has said his first word yet. And I said no. He then asked me if he is making any babbling noises and I also said no. He asked me if he is pointing at things and I said no. The doctor said that usually at Billy's age, a child should be doing that. And then I thought about my neighbor's little girl and she is almost talking. I asked the doctor what was wrong. And the doctor said "It could be something—it may be nothing. Let's wait and see."
Ivan, what kind of answer was that? Is something wrong with Billy? Does the doctor know what's wrong and not telling me? How long do I have to wait to know for sure? Do you think anything is wrong? I wish I could get a second opinion, but I can't afford that.
Please write back soon.
Love,
Josephine Kinchloe Harris
Kinch's eyes widened as he read the last few sentences. He could literally hear her worried voice speaking. He had no idea that the ending of the letter would be that bad. He wanted to comfort Josephine in person.
Kinch thought of Carter and how he was trying to go home. He didn't think he and Carter shared much in common, but at this exact moment, he sympathized with Carter's plight.
Kinch wondered what the others would think of his nephew's issue. He especially wondered how Hogan would react and immediately felt dread. Due to his race, Kinch was already insecure about how the team truly thought about him. He really didn't want the others to think even less of his genetics. He also wanted to handle it himself because if he asked for help, it could be seen as weakness on his part. He would react as his Papa did when his Mama died – and this was acceptable because it was a shorter term crisis—it had to be, right? Part of him was telling him this could be a different scenario but unfortunately, he made his mind up. He couldn't have the others, particularly Hogan, find out—Kinch had gotten too far to risk everything. Kinch was a quiet member of the team and he was fairly sure he could keep quiet about this.
The problem was that there was another person in the camp—a certain rotund Sargent- who knew everything, even though he professed to know nothing. And keeping him quiet would take a scheme that would make the Colonel proud—if the Colonel didn't court-martial him first.
HH
That evening, Kinch snuck out and found Schultz, who was dozing at his usual post.
"Hey, Schultz!" Kinch whispered out to the Sargent.
"Halt! Who goes there? Oh, it's just you, Sgt. Kinchloe. You need to be back in the barracks."
"Want these jellybeans from the Red Cross parcel? And future jellybeans?" Kinch asked, as he offered a bag out.
Schultz looked at him. "Why would I want your jellybeans?" he asked.
Kinch looked up and down Schultz' body. "Do you really need to ask that question, Schultz?"
Schultz lunged for the bag but Kinch pulled it back.
"To get this bag and future bags, you need to make a deal with me. I know you know about my letters from home and I need you to keep quiet if anyone asks, okay? If anyone asks, you have to know nothing. Are able to do that?"
"That I can do," Schultz sighed. "But why? Do you not want the others to know about your nephew?"
Kinch frantically looked around to see if anyone had poked their head out of the barracks. "No, I do not want them to know. It is not their concern and I do not need their help, especially Colonel Hogan's."
"But Colonel Hogan may be able to help. He helps with everything," Schultz replied.
Kinch scoffed. "Hogan has no kids. How can he help with this?"
Schultz pulled a face. "Funny—I thought you, Carter, the cockroach and the Englander are his kids."
Now it was Kinch's turn to pull a face. "Jolly joker, Schultz. Now will you help me?"
"What about The Big Shot?" Schultz asked, as he gestured in the general direction of the Kommandantur.
Kinch knew the Kommandant of Stalag 13, Colonel Wilhem Klink, would know about the letters, also. Although Kinch didn't think Klink cared about the content of prisoner letters, he did think there was a possibility the Kommandant might use the content for his own personal gain against Hogan or the team. Therefore, Klink needed to be kept in the dark and Kinch had set a plan in place.
"Leave Klink to me. I will have fake letters to give him and anyone on our side. Only you will have the true letters back and forth."
Now Schultz scoffed. "Nein, I cannot lie to him! Kommandant Klink is like a father to me!"
Kinch stared at him. "Yeah- a vain, kiss-up, cowardly father, maybe."
"A vain, kiss-up, cowardly father who could send me to the Russian Front."
Kinch was getting annoyed. He didn't want to threaten Schultz—Schultz was likable enough—but he had to. "He will send you to the Russian Front if I make sure the new girlie magazines don't reach him in time. C'mon, help me out!" he pleaded.
A look of realization spread on Schultz' face. "You have a point." he said as he grabbed the bag at last.
Kinch smiled as the deal was agreed to. He only hoped that Schultz wouldn't spill the real beans. How hard could it be to keep this a secret? It wouldn't even be for long—Kinch was fully expecting Billy's development to turn a corner—how bad was it going to get?
Although Hogan's Heroes says 4F means "Limited", it actually meant "Rejected for military service" in real-life. Potential soldiers were rejected for various reasons such as flat feet, asthma and even skin conditions. According to the second link below, "Black men were passed over initially due to prejudiced questions about their ability to fight and worries that tensions between black and white servicemen might erupt."
www. cufon CRG /memo /74911231 . html
www .americainwwii articles / your-numbers-up /
The historical event mentioned in Josephine's letter is The Sojourner Truth Homes Riot in 1942:
www . blackpast . org aah / detroit-race-riot-1943
