...
Technically, they were the first-ever replacements. For those that arrived any time after jump training, they were considered replacements. Fresh and new to the Company, but not combat and war itself, the replacements entered a somewhat hostile environment. The Toccoa boys were a force to be reckoned with; they formed a strong bond during the hardships of physical and mental training – the replacements didn't stand a chance. Arriving just one week after the 506th had arrived in England, Joe Lesniewski didn't move alone while walking up to the gravel driveway toward the old schoolhouse. The schoolhouse now housed the 2nd Battalion Officers, which included its Commander, Major Strayer.
Joe Lesniewski didn't feel nervous, the prospect of joining a new unit didn't faze the man. He was used to being the 'new guy'. And he was used to being excluded. Because his parents were both Polish immigrants, Joe grew up learning and speaking the language. At school, kids would poke fun at his accent and call him slurs. Unfortunately, the bullying progressed into adulthood. But now Joe was in a better position. Not only was he in the army, but Joe was a semi-professional boxer. He guessed his companion stood so close to him because of that. Joe stared down at the young Paratrooper. They didn't say much. Joe met them at the bus station in London. It was just by chance they were headed to the same place. They didn't do much talking during the journey from London to Aldbourne, they mostly slept and stared out of the window. Joe only knew their name, Nora Clopper – she was Dutch.
While walking up the gravelled path, Joe decided to make a comment. "Aldbourne is nice". He wasn't lying, Aldbourne was a picturesque village in the heart of the English countryside, with its thatched-roofed houses, neat, boxed gardens, and cobbled roads.
"Yeah, it's nice". Nora quietly agreed.
Joe smiled, happy that she was talking now. He put her silence down to nerves, and he couldn't blame Nora for feeling nervous. Joe would be scared if he was in her shoes. He said, "They put me in Northern Ireland before all this…hell, it was weird stepping into a new country". Joe was trying to relate with Nora. He wanted her to know, she wasn't alone in feeling nervous or being out of place. "But I got used to the grub, the people, and the stuff around me". Joe shrugged and added, "I liked Belfast".
"Never been". Came Nora's quiet response.
"It's really nice". Joe paid his compliments to Northern Ireland once again. And he truly did have a blast over there. The people of Northern Ireland welcomed Joe and his unit into their island with open arms. Joe added with a tiny grin, "Met a few nice Irish girls too".
Nora hummed to acknowledge his comment, but she didn't offer anything else. Her mind was preoccupied, and it had been preoccupied since her country's occupation. Joe could never truly understand what that was like, to live in an occupied country – so, Nora never mentioned it to him. She only mentioned her name because it was simple and required no explanation. It was only a name. A family name, but just a name. There were more important names than Nora Clopper that required an explanation.
Joe asked, "Do you know a General Anders?"
"No". Nora replied.
"He's the head of the Polish Armed Forces. I met with him in Downing Street".
That grabbed Nora's attention. She looked up at him. "Downing Street?"
"Yeah". Joe grinned. "I couldn't believe it. I thought I was about to meet Churchill".
"Did you?"
"No". He said, "Just Anders". Joe added, "It was still extraordinary".
Huffing out a faint laugh, Nora faced the front again. She asked him, "Why were you invited?"
"It was our scrapped mission". Joe explained. "Me and five others were made members of the OSS. We were supposed to jump into Poland and help train the Polish underground to fight the Russians".
Nora's eyebrow softly raised. Once more, she stared up at Joe. "The Russian's?"
"The Russian's invaded Poland too, you know". Joe reminded her. "They're their enemy just as much as the Germans".
"Yeah, you're right". Nora said quietly. She asked, "Why was the mission scrapped?"
"General Anders told us the Russian's had overrun our drop zone. So, we were sent back to Northern Ireland". Joe said, "And then they asked where I wanted to be in the war…and I told them I wanted to join the 506th. So, they sent me here". Joe stopped walking once they neared the end of the gravelled path. He stared down at Nora. "Why are you here?" It was only fair that Nora should share something, seeing that Joe had told her his backstory.
Staring back up at him, Nora shrugged. "The British didn't need me. So, they sent me to an outfit that was going to Europe".
"Why didn't they need you?"
Nora said, "They have others like me…the Americans don't have a lot".
Joe smiled small and drew out a sigh. "Is that all I'm getting from you, Clopper?"
"Yeah…". Nora gave a nod toward the large, double doors. "Should we go in?"
"I guess we should, huh?" Joe faced the doors. He joked, "Or, we could run off and forget about the damn war?"
Ignoring the joke, Nora reached for the door and opened it. Joe didn't find his joke very funny either, but he did chuckle when Nora ignored his joke and opened the door instead. Stepping inside after the girl, Joe was struck by the size of the schoolhouse. All the classrooms had been converted into offices or lecture rooms. They had a large dining area for mealtimes and upstairs was where all the Officers slept. Nora was used to large buildings like the schoolhouse since her training with the British Paratroopers – the Officers always slept somewhere nice.
Upon seeing a large painted portrait of Winston Churchill, Nora gave a gesture toward it and said to Joe, "There's your friend, Joe".
She made a joke. And Joe chuckled. He stared at the portrait. "He's a big fella, huh?"
"The British love him". Nora said, "I'd keep your voice down".
Joe sighed and said, "The Brits are too polite to get pissed off, Nora".
"I wouldn't underestimate them, Joe". Nora said, "The Scots are also included on this Island".
Joe snorted. He said, "Have you met someone from Scotland?"
Nora nodded. "Yeah. And I didn't understand a word they said to me".
Before Joe could make a comment, several Officers soon entered the entrance hall. Both Joe and Nora straightened themselves and stood at attention. Only one of the Officers stopped to stare at the new recruits. It only took him a few moments to realise who they both were…
"You're both early". He complained. "I wasn't expecting you until 0130 hours".
Nora said, "The bus driver was keen, sir".
He barked out a short laugh. And smiled. "I'm Major Strayer…you must be Nora Clopper, yes?"
"Yes, sir".
Strayer looked at Joe. "And you're Joe Lesniewski?"
"I am, sir". Joe confirmed with a nod. "Thank you, for accepting me".
"Well, this shouldn't take long…". Strayer said, "Please, at ease and come this way".
And so, they followed Major Strayer down a corridor and into his office. Both standing at the front of his desk, Strayer sat behind it on a wooden chair. It creaked when Strayer sat down. The noise seemed to amuse Joe, who pressed his lips together to supress a grin. Watching Joe battle against a grin, caused Nora's eyes to lighten. She turned away from him and faced Strayer. If she continued to stare at Joe, Nora was at risk of smiling…
"Okay, Lesniewski…". Strayer began to say. "You're in Easy Company. You'll report to 1st Sergeant Evans right away, please".
Joe saluted the rank. "Yes, sir".
Strayer gave a salute back and dismissed him. "Good luck, son".
"Thank you, sir". Joe sent Nora a smile before leaving the office and closing the door behind him.
"Clopper…". Strayer said through a sigh. "Yours is…more complicated". After flicking through pages from a document, Strayer faced the girl. "I'm under direct instructions from Colonel Sink, to give you the rank of Lieutenant…however, you will not be leading the men". Strayer explained to Nora, "It's to give you some protection, I'd expect. You'll be shadowing Officers from one of our Company's…and you'll take orders from the Officers and train alongside the enlisted men". He asked, "Does that make sense, Clopper?"
"Yes, sir".
"You'll receive some Officer perks". Strayer added lightly. "You'll get to bunk with the rest of the Officers, for one…but we'll deduct some money from your pay checks, seeing as you're not really leading the men". He asked, "Does that sound fair?"
Nora gave a nod. "Yes, sir".
"Excellent". Strayer smiled. "That was painless". Opening a drawer, Strayer brought out a pair of Lieutenant bars, for Nora to pin onto her uniforms. He slid the bars across his desk and toward Nora. "Show this rank respect and honour. Listen to your Officers and the NCO's. You're free to befriend the enlisted, seeing as you're not leading them".
Nora picked up the Lieutenant bars and said, "I'll do my best, sir".
Strayer added, "When the time comes…we'll need your translations and knowledge. Colonel Sink isn't going to put you to waste, Clopper".
"I understand, sir".
Strayer sent her a small smile and said, "You'll be in Easy Company…just like Lesniewski. So, you'll know at least one man already". There was a knock at the door. "Enter". Strayer ordered. The door opened and an Officer stepped inside. "Ah, Lieutenant Winters…". Strayer sent the man a smile while rising to his feet. "Thank you, for your assistance. I know you're a busy man".
"Not a problem, sir". Winters assured him kindly.
Strayer gave Nora a nod. "Well, Lieutenant Nora Clopper is ready to report to Easy Company, Dick".
Winters turned to stare down at his new Junior Officer. For the foreseeable future, Nora Clopper would be shadowing him. Winters was used to new Officers shadowing him, however, none of his previous Officers had been female. He sent the girl a kind smile and held out his hand. "It's good to meet you, Nora".
Taking his hand, Nora shook it. "Thank you, Lieutenant Winters".
Winters couldn't help but notice how small her hands were compared to his. He didn't grip her hand too tightly, worried he'd do her harm, but Winters could feel old marks, blisters, and rough patches on her skin. Perhaps, Nora was used to hard work. Winters ended the handshake, and he turned to face Strayer again. "She's in good hands, sir".
"I know, Lieutenant". Strayer said with a firm nod. He sent Nora a smile. "Good luck, Clopper".
"Thank you, sir". Nora said to him with a faint smile.
Once the Major was saluted, Nora and Winters left Strayer's office. Back inside the long and dimly lit corridor, Nora took off her cap and revealed, quite possibly, the worst haircut known to man underneath. Winters stared at her badly cut hair and didn't make a comment. He watched, as the girl shouldered an old duffel bag, bits of dust flew off the bag and almost smacked Winters in the face. Her clothes were not in the best condition. They were ripped at the knees, the shirt was stained and too long, and her boots had a giant hole, which allowed Nora's toe to poke out from the top. Winters hoped the Brits hadn't given her those clothes…
"Shall we get going?" Winters asked. "You'll be sharing a room with me and another Lieutenant for the time being. How about you unpack your things before lunch?"
Nora nodded, agreeing with his suggestion. "Yes, sir".
"Okay, follow me…".
There was an awkward silence as they walked up the stairs. Winters wasn't quite sure on what to say to the girl. He wanted to ask about her country, her family, and homelife. But Winters was aware that Nora's country didn't belong to her at the moment and perhaps homelife wasn't great for now. Opening a door, Winters led the way inside a large bedroom with three single beds and a footlocker each. They had hangers to hang up uniforms, chests to store other belongings away and shelves for gear. The bedroom even came with a wooden desk, which sat by the window.
"That's your bed". Winters gave a gesture to the bed pressed up against the wall. "I hope you don't mind".
"It's good, sir". Nora didn't mind at all. She preferred sleeping next to a wall anyway. Moving toward her new bed, she set down the duffel bag on the floor. Nora's eyes landed on the glass window. She moved over to the window and looked outside. They had a view of the massive garden around the back of the schoolhouse. Beyond the garden, were fields. Plenty of green fields. Nora thought Aldbourne was pretty.
Winters stood near his bed and watched Nora for a few moments in silence. He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking of what to say or do next. And then he remembered her clothes again. "How about you put on your new coveralls and boots? I'll wait outside".
Nora turned around and gave Winters a nod. "Yes, sir".
"Alright…". He sent Nora a tiny smile. "Just let me know when you're done, Nora".
"Okay, sir".
When he left, Nora collapsed onto her bed. Lying flat on her back and staring up at the ceiling, she pressed a hand against her forehead. Nora's eyes closed while she tried to control her racing heart. She did a good job masking how she felt on the inside. Because inside, Nora was a mess. It wasn't always like that; Nora could remember being carefree and happy sixty percent of the time before the outbreak of war. Nora couldn't remember the last time she felt happy now. Happiness was a distant memory for her, as was life before war…
"Is she in there?"
Nora's head turned to look at the door upon hearing a voice coming from outside.
"She is". Winters replied to the other man.
"What's she like?" The man seemed eager. "Has she got that thousand-yard stare?"
"Nix…". Winters told him off. "You'll need to be sensitive".
"Sensitive?" He huffed out a laugh. "Jesus Christ, Dick…don't you know me at all?"
"Unfortunately, I do…".
"Well…has she killed a Nazi yet?"
Winters sighed heavily. "I don't know, Nix. I haven't asked her".
"You'll find out eventually". He sounded optimistic. "She's your shadow now".
"Yeah". Winters didn't sound overly happy. "And I'm making it awkward for both of us".
His friend snorted, amused by Winters's complaint. "Why doesn't that surprise me?"
Sliding off the bed, Nora began to undress. She appreciated the privacy; Nora had a lot of scars and marks she'd rather not explain. Once the old clothes were off, Nora was drawn to the crackle coming from the lit fireplace. And without a second to think, she tossed the old clothes into the orange and yellow flames. With her old clothes burning to ash, Nora slipped on her army green coveralls and brown leather boots. Her uniforms and boots had to be especially tailored to her small size. Colonel Sink didn't want one of his Paratroopers to be drowning in clothes. But even still, Nora turned up the sleeves by her wrists. After tying the laces on her boots, Nora looked to the door. She was dressed and hungry. Lunch was soon on her mind. And there was only one way for Nora to get lunch…
"I'm ready, sir".