Düsseldorf Radio Station

Düsseldorf, Germany

November 1944

Day 5

At the same time Reigels was gathering more players from Stalag 13, Major Miller was preparing for another day of rehearsal with the young German musicians. Not that he had much to prepare with, other than to stand by himself in the studio with a cigarette waiting for them to arrive. He was beginning to find the "preferential treatment" of being locked up by himself to be a bore. When the kids did arrive, he watched them as they came into the studio.

"Guten Morgen, Herr Miller," they said as they came in and walked to the bandstand.  He nodded to them. "Morning..." Roderick, one of the trombone players, caught his eye. The boy was carrying his instrument in one hand and the instrument case in the other. Miller was pretty sure the boy didn't have a case the day before, and would have assumed he had just left it at the hotel the day before...but why was he carrying the instrument outside of the case now?

The studio door was closed and locked and Roderick placed his instrument on his chair, but continued to hold the case in his other hand. He looked at Ahren, who nodded and the two boys approached the Major.

"Herr Miller," Ahren said. "Roderick made a request on your behalf yesterday..." He looked at Roderick, who held the trombone case out to the Major.

Miller was surprised at this. He placed his cigarette in the ash tray on top of the piano and accepted the case. He then turned to a nearby chair, placing the case down to open it. What he found inside was a shiny, almost brand new looking trombone. He looked at the boys in question. "How did you boys get this?"

Ahren smiled. "Roderick told them that he was not sure if his instrument was going to suffice by the time of the broadcast. So he asked for a new one, in case his should fail. Truthfully, Roderick's trombone is fine, but he said seeing you stand here before us it seemed like something was missing."

Miller chuckled. He looked at Roderick. "Danke."

"Bitte." Roderick's grin was from ear to ear.

Miller removed the two separated parts of the instrument from the case and started to put it together. Roderick told them... Miller looked at Ahren. "You said Roderick told them. Told who?"

"Hauptmann Reigels from the Propaganda Ministry. He came and saw each of us after we left here yesterday."

Roderick tapped Ahren on the arm, wanting to know what was being said, since Miller had said his name. Ahren quickly explained. Roderick then looked at Miller and nodded. "Ja, wir wurden gefragt."

"We were all questioned," Ahren said. He turned and looked over at Hans and waved a finger for the trumpet player to approach.

"Questioned?" Miller said.

Ahren looked at Hans. "You were questioned by Reigels yesterday, ja?"

Hans nodded. "The Gestapo Major too."

"What did they want to know?" Miller asked.

"They wanted to know what we did, and what was said," Ahren explained.

Hans concurred. "They want to make sure we are staying on task...and that there has not been any discussion of anti-Nazi views."

Miller rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm surprised they don't just sit right in that control room and watch us all day," he griped.

Ahren and Hans both chuckled. "The Nazis do not like swing music, remember?" Ahren said.

"Oh yes, I forgot about that."

The boys smiled and Miller checked the slide on the trombone.

"Did they not question you?" Hans asked.

"Uh..." No, I was too busy trying to escape. "No, they didn't. Although more then likely they don't care what my answers to their questions would be. I think they're looking to see which of you boys is going to say one thing and which of you is going to say something different." Miller paused. "Especially you two. You're the only ones who can speak English and can communicate directly with me."

Hans and Ahren looked at each other and Hans nodded. "He is right you know."

"I did not say anything to Hochstetter or Reigels. None of us did."

"I know, but..." Hans looked at the Major, "it might be best we say as little as possible to one another. One of the others might say something that sounds innocent at the time, one of us might deny the wrong thing and we'll be under much scrutiny."

Miller nodded. "As far as the Gestapo and the Propaganda Ministry is concerned, all we discuss here is music."

Hans and Ahren nodded. "Ja.."

The studio door suddenly clicked unlocked and Anna entered with an attaché case. The three German boys and Miller looked over at her and then Hans and Ahren dispersed toward the band stand. Roderick reached for the trombone Miller held and gave it a gentle tug, getting the Major's attention. Roderick shook his head slightly and Miller got the impression that perhaps he himself wasn't supposed to be "caught" with the instrument. He let go of the trombone and nodded to Roderick, who stepped back to the band stand.

Miller then approached Anna. Fraulein Gebhart smiled at the Major. "Good morning, Herr Major," she said.

"Morning," Miller said plainly.

"We found the musicians you requested and arrangements for you." Anna presented Miller with the case. Miller hesitated taking it, but then did and opened it to inspect the song sheets. The case was full of titles and he looked at a handful of them, recognizing all of them. More than half the arrangements were tunes his band had done. A few were Benny Goodman songs, there were Duke Ellington and Count Basie songs, but one thing all the songs had in common was that they were all fast dance tunes. In the Mood, Running Wild, American Patrol, Bugle Call Rag, Sun Valley Jump, Boomshot, King Porter Stomp, Sing, Sing, Sing, Take the 'A' Train, Jumpin' at the Woodside, Swingtime in the Rockies, One o'clock Jump....

Miller wondered if this was a fluke, if the Propaganda Ministry deliberately picked these "hot" arrangements. He wasn't even sure why he found it peculiar, only that he did.

"We realize that not all of the arrangements can be used," Anna said, "however, are they satisfactory?"

Miller paused to look at another batch of songs....more of the same, fast numbers. Cherokee, Skyliner, The Anvil Chorus, I Found a New Baby. Miller nodded. "Yes, they're fine." Actually, half the songs he wouldn't have been able to use because the arrangements were more complicated than what he had for a band. And even if he did try to use the songs, it would take the young musicians weeks of rehearsal just to learn the tunes. But the Propaganda Ministry didn't need to know that.

"Good," Anna said with a smile. "Hauptmann Reigels will be arriving shortly with the new players." She turned and left the studio.

Miller watched her go and then turned back to the kids as Hans, Ahren and a couple of the other boys surrounded him, curious about the song sheets. Miller handed the song sheets to them and put the attaché case down on a chair. He turned to the piano, picked up his cigarette from the ash tray and tapped the ashes off before resuming smoking. He watched as the boys poured over the arrangements. Why was it the Ministry's selection of 'hot' arrangements bothered him? It could be just a coincidence, but he figured the Ministry would give him a stack of his own band's arrangements, everything from Moonlight Serenade to Jeep Jockey Jump, seeing as they seemed so proud of his capture. Although most of the songs in the stack were ones that his band, both civilian and military had either done originally or covered, the one song he noted that was missing was his signature theme: Moonlight Serenade. If the Propaganda Ministry really knew everything about the broadcasts and about him, they would know that he began and ended nearly every broadcast with that tune. Of course, not seeing the sheet music for the song didn't bother him necessarily, it was just as well the Germans didn't go waving that around to him, but they had to know the significance of that song...and had to have left it out for a reason. 

And the only reason he could think of was that the song was too slow, in comparison to the other tunes in the pile of arrangements. The arrangements that had been giving to him were a powerhouse collection and he just couldn't help but wonder if the Germans realized it was a powerhouse collection.

Miller looked at his cigarette and thought of this for a moment. Would they realize it? Just because the music was banned didn't mean somebody in the Third Reich wasn't paying attention, taking notes and making sure to come up with ways to keep the American influence at bay within the country, by making it all look bad.

There is somebody in the Third Reich, he answered his own thought. The Propaganda Ministry...

And now, after all this time of saying that Jazz and Swing music was 'bad' and was the 'art of the subhuman', the Propaganda Ministry was looking to use it to connect to the youth of Germany and show them that National Socialism wasn't all that bad and terrible? No...something didn't seem right about that. He looked at the kids again. These kids were arrested and placed in camps or in the Hitler Youth as punishment for listening to swing music. The Nazi's did not like swing music. Period. The Propaganda Ministry controlled what works of the creative arts were shown to the public and only those things that coincided with the Nazi view were allowed and nothing else.

And that meant no swing music. So why go back on a decade's worth of suppression and punishment and say Hey kids, National Socialism is great and wonderful and here's a great Glenn Miller hit to prove it!?

Major Miller coughed on that thought. Either the Propaganda Ministry was losing control of its control on the people or they had some other reason for all of this. Either way, Miller didn't really care because he had decided that come the day of the broadcast, the Propaganda Ministry wasn't going to get any swing music from him or the band.

"Herr Miller?"

Miller looked up at Ahren. The boy smiled and Miller realized they had been trying to talk to him and obviously he hadn't been paying attention. "Oh, sorry..."

The boys then told him that several of the songs in the stack of arrangements they had performed in their own band. "Oh yeah? Which ones...?"

Meanwhile, in the lobby of the radio station, Anna had greeted Reigels as he returned with the three prisoners from Stalag 13 along with their guard. They were all then joined by Major Hochstetter, who marched into the radio station as if he was about to conduct a raid.

"Fraulein Gebhart, Hauptmann Reigels, I thought you should know that Major Miller attempted to escape from the hotel last night..."

"Escape?!" Anna repeated.

"Ja, but my men caught him very quickly. He did not get far from the hotel." Hochstetter hesitated, not liking the idea of admitting that one of his men had been hoodwinked. "He assaulted one of my men and took his uniform."

Reigels and Anna looked at each other. "This will have to be addressed..." Reigels said.

"Perhaps I should introduce the Major to the consequences of attempting to escape from the Gestapo," Hochstetter suggested.

Hogan had to fight to keep his mouth shut.

"No," Anna said, looking at Hochstetter. "We will remind the Major that any further attempts to escape would not be in his best interest." She looked at Reigels, who nodded. He would pass along the message. Reigels then nodded to Shultz and the prisoners for them to follow him. A Gestapo guard accompanied them toward the studio.

Hochstetter watched them go and he came up beside Anna. "I warned you about the American. A night in the Gestapo prison would be most effective."

"Your suggestion is noted, Herr Major. The issue will be addressed. However...I hope the Gestapo is evaluating its guarding methods to ensure that this does not happen again."

Hochstetter puffed up, taking offense. "Are you suggesting that inadequate procedures were in place on behalf of the Gestapo in the guarding of this prisoner?"

"I'm suggesting that if Glenn Miller was able to fool one of your Gestapo guards, either you underestimate the American or your guard was a dumpkof. However, let me make it clear that the Propaganda Ministry frowns on any strong arm tactics in the guarding of Major Miller. You and your men are only to guard him. When the Propaganda Ministry decides at such time that the Major needs any further persuasion, persuasion of the kind that only the Gestapo can provide, we will let you know. Do I make myself clear, Major?"

Hochstetter conceded grudgingly. "Ja.."

"Very well. Good day, Major." Anna turned and disappeared down a hall way of the radio station. Hochstetter marched back out of the building.

Back in the studio the boys and Miller stopped and looked when the studio door opened and a Gestapo guard led the way, followed by Hauptmann Reigels and then three Allied POW's with a portly Luftwaffe guard in tow. Miller immediately recognized Colonel Hogan and Sergeant Shultz, but he looked at all of the prisoners, trying to appear like he had never seen any of them before. But he couldn't believe his luck! He stepped away from the boys and met Hauptmann Reigels in the middle of the studio.

Reigels smiled and turned to Colonel Hogan. "Colonel Hogan, I give you Major Glenn Miller." Reigels chuckled. "Do you believe me now?"

Hogan looked at Miller and seemed disappointed. "I don't want to, but it looks like I have no choice..."

Reigels turned back to Miller. "Major Miller, this is Colonel Robert Hogan, senior POW officer of Stalag 13 and Sergeant James Kinchloe and Corporal Louis LeBeau, also of Stalag 13. They will be your drummer, bass player and piano player, respectively."

"Fine."

Reigels looked back at Hogan, Kinch and LeBeau. "Well gentlemen, the Propaganda Ministry thanks you for the volunteering of your services." He gave a smug smile and then turned to Miller again. "And Major...I just heard about your little endeavor last night. I hope this will not become a habit."

Hogan watched Major Miller's expression, knowing that Miller was accepting the responsibility for the escape, leaving no suggestion that there had been any outside help. "Can't blame me for trying, Captain," Miller said cordially, but Hogan saw the light of defiance in the Major's brown eyes.

Reigels gave a low chuckle. "Perhaps not. But unfortunately such action must be punished."

Miller watched Reigels, waiting to see what the verdict would be. But when the Ministry Captain's eyes looked towards the band, the Major's blood ran cold.

Hogan, Kinch and LeBeau were exchanging concerned glances as well.

Reigels made eye contact with Erik. "Sie," he said. "Step over here."

Erik hesitated and the other band members looked at him. What had he done?  Erik took a trembling step and approached the Ministry Captain and Major Miller. Miller looked at Reigels as the Captain gestured to the Gestapo guard to step forward.

"Now wait just a minute," Miller said. "You're not going to punish Erik for something that I did?"

"The entire band, along with yourself, will have to be punished for your escape attempt."

"The entire band?!" Miller pointed to himself. "I'm the one that tried to escape, not them. They have nothing to do with it."

"Ah, but they do." Reigels looked at Erik and nodded his head towards the Gestapo guard. The guard took one step forward to escort Erik out but before Erik could step forward, Miller put a hand on the boy's shoulder and gently pushed the young trumpet player back and behind him. The Major's brown eyes were especially dark as they looked at Reigels. Erik peered around the Major, looking back and forth between Miller and the Ministry Captain

"I tried to escape," Miller said, his baritone voice even but tinged with ire. "I'm the one that will take the punishment. You leave these kids out of it."

Reigels seemed to be holding back a smile. "The thought of the band being punished for your misdeeds bothers you, Herr Major?"

Miller stared at Reigels for a long moment. There was a look of amusement in the Ministry Captain's eyes and Miller realized he'd been both baited…and punished. Now, consequences of his future actions would not be felt by him alone. The band would be made to suffer too, as if they weren't suffering enough. He dropped his gaze from Reigels and sighed. "I find it extremely unfair, Captain."

Reigels nodded. "I figured you would." He paused, as if to think over something. "Let us consider what happened last night to be a…misunderstanding. And we will have no further misunderstandings will we, Major?"

Miller shook his head. "No."

Reigels smiled. "Very good."  He stepped back, taking his leave. The Gestapo guard and Shultz followed out of the studio and the door clicked shut and was locked.

LeBeau turned to the door. "Dirty Boche," he spat.

Miller turned to Erik and patted him on the shoulder to let him know everything was okay. The young boy's eyes were full of question and he spoke in a hurried and startled German. "What did they want? What were they going to do to me…?"  Ahren stepped up from the band stand and began to explain what had happened to Erik, while walking the trumpet player back toward the band. Miller sighed and turned back to Hogan, Kinch and LeBeau.

"Before you say too much, be aware that two of the boys over there can speak English."

Hogan nodded. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly.

Miller made a face but nodded. "I'm fine….I'd like to slap that Captain though…"

Hogan gave a small smile. "I could tell." He then cleared his throat, glanced at the band and then back to his men and the Major. "Let's make this look normal, eh?"

LeBeau stepped up and put a hand out to Miller. "We didn't believe the German's had captured you," he said, speaking normally and making things appear casual. "However, despite the circumstances, it is still an honor to meet you."

"And to see that you're okay," Kinch added.

Miller nodded. "Thank you," he said, shaking hands with LeBeau and then with Kinch. "I just hope you understand that despite whatever the Propaganda Ministry may have told you, I'm not doing any of this willingly."

"We know," Hogan said. He then looked toward the kids, who were all sitting quietly now. "That the band, Major?"

Miller turned. "That's the band. At least...that's what they gave me. I asked to have POW's originally but they wouldn't do it."

"So they give you kids?"

"Well, these kids can play, Colonel."

Hogan studied the kids and each instrument they held. "Aren't you missing some players?"

Miller nodded. "Theoretically I'm missing about ten players. Obviously the Propaganda Ministry doesn't know what's needed for a decent swing orchestra and I'm not about to help them figure it out, but in order to make the band somewhat presentable I needed more of a rhythm section, so again I demanded POW's. For...a lot of reasons."

Hogan smiled. You're starting to think like an Underground operative, Major...  "Do you have any vocalists?"

Miller shook his head, not only answering the question but rejecting the suggestion. "No."

"Do you think they'll consider one more request?" Hogan asked. "There are a couple more fellas back at Stalag 13 who would make very good vocalists."

Miller looked at the Colonel for a moment, just about to repeat his statement of not wanting to help the Ministry to make the band too good when he realized what Hogan was really asking. "Oh...well I can certainly try, Colonel."

Hogan grinned. "Okay. In the meantime, shall we play some music? The Krauts might get suspicious if it's too quiet in here."

Miller smiled. "You play drums, Colonel?"

"Do I play drums? Watch..." Hogan walked to the drum kit and sat down at it. He picked up the sticks and began to beat out a kicking drum solo.

The kids all watched him and bobbed their heads to the beat, soon forgetting Reigels visit. LeBeau then went over to the piano and joined in. Hogan eased off the solo and kept a beat, letting LeBeau take front and center on the piano. Kinch, meanwhile, found the upright bass and stood it up, plunking out a bass line with LeBeau's piano. After a few riffs of ad-libbed playing, LeBeau and Kinch started playing "Boogie Woogie."

The kids recognized the tune. Hans stood up with his trumpet and began to play along with the song. He was then joined by Erik, all three trombone players and one of the sax players, Adler. The trombones played along with LeBeau, keeping the rhythm, while the sax player held the melody and the trumpets added their "pops" in time with the music. The remaining sax players and clarinet player watched and listened, enjoying what they were hearing.

Miller liked what he heard too and was tapping his foot. Roderick paused in playing and held the other trombone out to the Major. Miller took it and joined in the jam while continuing to offer a lead, and after the first piano solo, the remaining players got into the song. Keeping it fairly simple, the players repeated the first refrain up to the piano solo again.

The players went through the refrain once more but instead of the piano solo, Miller cued Ahren for the trombone solo, setting them up to bring the song to it's natural conclusion. At the end of the solo, the band played the last few notes and the song was brought to a finish.

Hogan smiled. "Well, Major?"

"Yes, Colonel," Miller said and chuckled. "You certainly play drums. I feel like we're in a 20th Century Fox musical."

The heroes laughed.

"You know," Hogan said, "for not having a complete band and only having two days you've got these kids sounding pretty good."

"Actually they all played together before," Miller explained.

"In the same band?"

"In the same band. And they were all arrested at the same time." Miller looked at the band members who were all watching the conversation between him and Colonel Hogan. That heavy feeling of unfairness and selfishness was weighing on his shoulders with the echo of Reigels threat. These kids... innocents...

Hogan saw the troubled look on the Major's face but kept the observation to himself. He stood up from the drum kit and approached the Major. "When were they arrested?"

"Couple of months ago."

Hogan paused in thought. "Sounds like they've been planning this for awhile..."

Miller nodded. He turned and placed the trombone he held down on a near by chair. Turning back to the band he said, "Colonel, I want you to meet Hans and Ahren. They've been my translators..."

Hogan, LeBeau and Kinch were introduced to the kids and as the young Germans told a little of themselves, and asked questions of the Allied prisoners, Hogan began to see why Reigels threat had had an impact. This isn't the time to be getting sentimental, Major... Hogan thought. After the introductions, Miller decided to try the band with one of the arrangements the Ministry provided. Seeing as all the kids knew Cherokee he went with that one. Hogan walked over to Miller as the Major was removing the song sheets from the attaché case. Miller looked at Hogan but before the Colonel could say anything, the studio door opened and Reigels and Anna came in along with another man dressed in a Ministry uniform and carrying a camera.

"Terrific," Hogan muttered, seeing the photographer.

Miller saw this too and shook his head at Anna. "You're not taking my picture," he said.

The photographer raised the camera figuring to get a shot of both Miller and Hogan, off guard. Both of the Americans saw this and reacted in time, Hogan turning around and Miller holding up the song sheet he had in hand, blocking his face from camera's view. The photographer's flash bulb popped and the picture was spoiled.

The photographer muttered something in German and proceeded to remove the spent flash bulb. Miller peeked over the song sheet at Anna.  "I said no."

"Major, a photograph to the Allies in London would show you are well and are being treated well here," Anna said.

"They're just going to have to be left to wonder. You're not taking my picture."

A new flash bulb was placed in the camera and the photographer looked to be waiting for another opportunity. Hogan kept his back facing the photographer, while Miller kept the song sheet up concealing most of his face. The photographer decided to try to get a shot of the band and he stepped around the backside of Reigels and Anna. He raised the camera at the band and Miller took a step toward him, holding the song sheet out in front of the lens just as the flash bulb popped again.

The photographer lowered his camera and glared at the Major. Miller looked at Anna. "You can keep trying. But as long he keeps trying to snap pictures I'm not working with the band. We can play cat and mouse all day."

Anna sighed and looked at Miller, not amused. However, having him work with the band was more important than getting pictures. For now. She looked at the photographer, tilting her head toward the door. "Das macht nichts." Never mind.

The photographer gave a curt nod and headed for the door. Once he was gone, Hogan turned back around and Miller let the song sheet down from his face.

"You understand Herr Major," Anna said, "that we have an obligation to show to the Allies that you are not being mistreated here."

Miller snorted.

"Nice try, Anna," Hogan said. "You snap a photograph of him, or any of us here, it'll be labeled traitor and every one of us knows that."

Anna looked at Hogan with some amusement but offered no response to his declaration. She then looked at Major Miller.  "Do you mind if we stay and listen, Herr Major?"

Miller shrugged. He'd rather they not but he knew they'd stay anyway. He turned to Hogan, handing him sheet music. "Cherokee," he said.

Hogan nodded. He returned to the drum kit while Miller distributed the appropriate sheet music to all of the players. "This is Cherokee," he told them.  He handed the last sheets to Kinch and LeBeau and returned to the front of the band stand. He eyed the trombone on the chair and remembered Roderick not wanting him to be caught with it in hand. He made a face in disappointment and left the instrument where it was and turned to face the band.

"Okay...let's try it from the top." Miller raised his hands, counted off and the band began to play. The Major glanced over to the Ministry officials and saw that Reigels didn't seem to know what to make of the 'wah-wah' sound that the trumpets made. In fact the whole song seemed to bother Reigels. Miller took some pleasure in the sight.

When the song finished Miller looked at Reigels and Anna for reaction. Reigels was straight faced but seemed to find the performance satisfactory. Anna smiled and stepped towards Miller.

"Herr Major, I must commend you on how well you have this band sounding considering the short time you have had to prepare."

Normally Miller would praise his musicians, and in this case he had extraordinary musicians, but he wasn't in the frame of mind to show too much appreciation or agreement with the Propaganda Ministry. He merely gave a curt nod and said, "Thank you."

"We will have a very good broadcast," Anna said, turning to Reigels. "Don't you think so Herr Reigels?"

"Ja, the broadcast will be most effective...thanks to Herr Miller."

Miller glanced over at Reigels. Wait 'til he finds out what I'm really going to have this band play... He looked back at Anna.

"That is," she continued, "if you are still with us come the day of the broadcast."

"More than likely I'll be here," Miller replied. "Unless a better offer comes along."

Anna gave a spiteful laugh. "I'm afraid there is no better offer for you, Major. Unless, suffering consequences for attempting to escape appeal to you? Perhaps I should take the Gestapo off the short leash that we have them on...?"

As Anna spoke, Colonel Hogan stood up unobtrusively from the drum kit and walked over to the Major, to stand at his left shoulder and offer quiet moral support. "You know, I was already read the riot act by your buddy over there," Miller said. "But no, it doesn't particularly appeal to me."

Anna nodded. "I figured it would not. So we have an understanding?"

"Perfectly."

"Good." Anna gestured with her hand toward the band. "Please, Herr Major, continue. Herr Reigels and I would like to watch you work with the band." Anna turned to Reigels and they walked to the control room. Miller turned to Hogan.

"I think I'm still going to hold out for that better offer," the Major said quietly.

Hogan snorted softly and nodded.