Telling the Truth

Again Emily woke not feeling rested. She knew there would be nothing in the morning paper about the invasion. She did remember there was a radio in this building. She hoped to catch a news announcement.

She hurried the room where it was. And just like the sailor had to have patience to find a strong signal, so did Emily. She turned the dial slowly until she heard.

D-Day has come. Early this morning the Navy's demolition team entered the channel to defuse the mines. On one of the landing boats were several photographers, including Admiral Jessup's photographers, who also got in the water to document the Navy's role in the mission.

Emily covered her face with her hands; she knew it was really true what the sailor had told her. And she remembered hearing Bus's voice giving Charlie the camera. She didn't need to listen to anymore of the broadcast. She turned the radio off and hurried from the room.

She knew exactly why she had such a frightening eerie feeling now. Emily didn't want to be around other people. She hurried back to the dormitory room and collected a few of her things and told the receptionist this.

"I'm going home, should anyone need to know. I need to be alone."

Emily almost ran out the door. The poor receptionist had no idea what had happened until later that morning when she and several others listen to the next broadcast. There was mention of all the photographers making it back to ships to bring them back to England. But then the announcer added. No one knows what happened to Admiral Jessup's photography team.

She asked Sheila. "Was Charlie part of his team? Remember he left for Portland before the original date of D-Day."

"I'm sure he was."

"That's why Emily ran out of here to go home. Poor girl must be terribly worried. We must keep her in our prayers."

A solemn group of ladies departed; most of them also packed to go home. They would now enjoy a more normal life as they waited to learn if this invasion really would end the war in Europe.

Emily had gone straight to her bedroom when she returned home; she never left it. And her mother respected her need to be alone.

Emily had no idea what had occurred on Omaha Beach. And she wouldn't know until several days later. Her eerie feeling had changed. She no longer thought something bad had happened to Charlie. Instead she felt as if one day soon he would be holding her in his arms. She held on to that feeling.

Bus and the Ensign had returned to London two days ago; Bus reported to Admiral Jessup who asked.

"Where's Charlie?"

"Admiral, he and I were making that movie you ordered us to make."

"What movie? I don't remember ordering you and Charlie to make any movie."

"Sir, I'm not being disrespectful but you did. It was even in your report to the President."

The admiral hung his head. "I must have given you that order when I was unbalanced. Tell me what happened."

Bus decided to tell him only a part of what happened on the beach. He didn't tell him about accidently shooting Charlie in the leg.

"Sir, we followed your order. I had prepared orders for us to go to Portland. There we boarded one of the ships headed for Omaha Beach. An LTV dropped us in the water.

"Charlie had the camera and battery pack and was the first to arrive on the beach. He didn't begin to take pictures; instead he dropped them and began to run for cover. I remember hearing the artillery fire from our ships and then aircraft appeared overhead and began to bomb the Germans who were now returning fire.

"Admiral, one of those bombs must have landed near Charlie. I saw him on his stomach, lying completely motionless. I didn't see him breathing. You must know that their force can kill a man,"

"Are you telling me Charlie was the first navy man to die on Omaha Beach?"

"Yes sir, l am."

"This is terrible. You need to go see Emily and offer her the navy's condolences."

"Yes sir, I'll go immediately."

And Bus left before tears flooded the admiral's eyes; he thought of Charlie as if he were his son.

Bus suspected Emily had returned to her home. He had no difficulty locating a car he could use. He learned Emily's home address from the receptionist for the motor pool.

He had visited parts of London before. He had no difficulty locating her home. He rang the bell of Mrs. Braham's home. Mrs. Barham herself opened the door. She spoke before Bus did.

"Are you here on official business? Your face tells me it's something serious."

"I'm afraid it is, madam. I'm Commander Cummings from the United States Navy. May I speak to your daughter?"

"I'll tell her you are here but I doubt she will see you."

Bus looked around the room he was in and noticed all the pictures of men, men of all ages in uniform. He heard.

"Commander, I was right. Emily's not seeing anyone. The only person she wishes to see is Lieutenant Commander Madison."

"But madam, I have news about him."

"He's dead. Isn't he? That's the only reason you people come calling. You may try again to offer your condolences in a few days."

"Yes mam, I will. I can see myself out."

Bus had returned in three days and was still unable to speak to Emily. Now it had been an additional four days and he had something to show, Mrs. Barham and Emily. He had with him an American newspaper, The Boston Globe.

Once again Bus rang the bell and Mrs. Barham opened the door.

"So you're here again to try and speak to my daughter. Come in. I'll tell Emily you're here."

Emily was sitting in her room. Her hand under her chin; her face was tear stained and her eyes looked like they could spill tears at any second. She didn't move when her mother entered.

Mrs. Barham took one look at her daughter and knew it was time for her to speak.

"Commander Cummings is here again to condole."

"How can I be condoled? I have this feeling which tells me Charlie is alive."

"Emily, dear, it's been eight days since Charlie went off on this mission of his. That's a long time. Don't you think you should come down and speak to Commander Cummings?"

She left the room and returned to tell Bus Emily's response.

"Exactly as I thought Commander, she's still in grief."

"I understand. I only had something to show her which might make her feel a little better. It's this picture which was in yesterday's New York Globe."

Now it was Mrs. Barham who was pretending. She acted as if she hadn't seen the picture in the British newspaper yesterday.

She did make a comment. "How do you know that's Charlie? It could be any man. And besides it's a picture of his back."

"I assure you it is. I was with the Ensign who filmed Charlie on Omaha Beach. It's been used in every newspaper all over the world and on the cover of magazines."

He hoped his words had convinced Mrs. Barham. He knew Charlie's face wasn't seen; it had been selected from the movie film because it showed Charlie upright.

And then he went on to tell her. "Charlie's a hero, mam. We're thinking of erecting some sort of monument over his grave."

Mrs. Barham was thoroughly disgusted with all of it and poor Bus was befuddled.

Meanwhile, up in Emily's room she was having a good talk with herself. She had heard her mother.

Why do I sense that Charlie is alive? He'd be so disappointed in me if he knew I was in such a state of despair. I should go see Bus. Charlie would want me to.

So she dressed in her uniform and walked down the stairs. She called for her mother.

Mrs. Barham heard her and told Bus. "Don't say a word. I'll tell her."

She saw that Emily was dressed in her uniform. "Why did you put your uniform on, I thought the motor pool had closed down."

"If Commander Cummings is still here, the admiral must be too. I'd like to be able to drive him to the airport when he does leave."

When Bus saw her, he too was surprised she was in her uniform. He didn't say anything. Instead Emily spoke.

"I want you to know, I don't believe for a minute that Charlie is dead. I'm like Doubting Thomas. I'll continue to believe he's alive until I have proof otherwise. Since you're still here in London, Admiral Jessup must be too."

"He is Emily. He was never able to sit with Admiral Magneson the night of the invasion. His doctors thought he needed to spend a few days in the hospital so he could recover fully from his nervous breakdown. He had never really gotten over his wife's death. He's very sorry we believed his order to make a movie. I'm stopping at the hospital to pick him up."

"Does he go back to America soon?"

"Yes, he has a twenty-two hundred flight tonight."

"May I ride with you as far as the hospital? I can take a bus to the motor pool. I'm sure I can locate a car. I'll be at the hotel by seven o'clock."

"Of course you can. And the admiral will be delighted you are driving him to airport."

The two rode in silence. Emily was a true Doubting Thomas; she was convinced she would be in Charlie's arms very soon.