Of Windmills and War (44 page)

“All
right. Thanks,” Danny answered. He looked back at her as she swiped another
tear from her face. “Tell me where I’ll find you when I come back. Where will
you be?”

“How
can I possibly know that?”

He
placed his fingers against her lips again. “Shh. Think for me, Anya. If this
all ended tomorrow, where would you go?”

Pressing
her lips together, she looked away for a moment. With a ragged breath, she
looked back into his eyes. “I would go home. I just want to go home.” Her face
crumbled and she wept openly. “I just want to go home,” she whispered through
her tears.

He
leaned his head against hers. “Then one day soon, I shall knock on your door in
Utrecht
and hope
I’ll find you there.”

He
kissed her once more, sealing his promise.

Part
V

60

29 April
1945

Framlingham
,
England

“Come
on, Danny. You need a change of scenery. It’ll do you good to get off base for
a while.”

He knew
Charlie was right. After three weeks back at the 390th, Danny was about to lose
his mind. He’d spent the first week and a half in sick quarters staying off his
foot as much as possible. But all that lying around only amplified the
frustration knotting up inside him. He couldn’t get Anya off his mind.

He’d
busied himself, first making sure his parents were notified he was no longer
MIA, then wrote them a long letter. He wondered what they’d been told and when
they’d heard the news. After all they went through worrying about Joey when
Pearl
Harbor
was attacked, he hated to think they’d experienced those fears all over again. Did
they fear receiving another telegram? Were they afraid the blue star in the
front window would have to be exchanged for a gold one?

The day
after he got back, Sally had stopped by to see him in sick quarters. He was
surprised how happy he was to see her even though she’d actually come to say
goodbye. Her papers had finally come through and she was going home. They
visited for almost an hour as Danny told her about his detour through
Holland
and
finding Anya. She promised to pray he’d find a way to go back for Anya once the
war was over. They exchanged their home addresses, promising to keep in touch
after the war. She hugged him and wished him well, then she was gone.

“Hello
in there?” Charlie teased. “Anybody home?”

“Huh?
Oh, yeah. Sorry.”

Charlie
dragged him outside and over to the Jeep. “Come on, hop in. I’m headed to
Quincy
’s. Sophie
said she’d make us some shepherd pie. If I can’t convince you to get out of
here for a while, maybe Sophie’s cooking will.”

“All
right, all right. Enough of the begging. I’ll go.”

With
only a slight limp now, he made his way to the battered vehicle and climbed into
the passenger seat. It was another gray and foggy English day, but he didn’t
care. The weather matched his mood. The fresh air and breezy short drive into Framlingham
awakened his senses if not his spirits. Charlie was right. If nothing else, the
change of scenery woke him out of his aggravating doldrums.

When
they’d first arrived back on base, everything felt off-kilter. It was bad
enough being confined to sick quarters, but even there he picked up on the
restlessness among the men of the 390th. The war would soon be over, and they
were all anxious to get back home. Every conversation seemed focused on who
would do what or where they’d go once they got home—topics that didn’t resonate
with Danny. His mind and heart were still back in
Holland
.

Then on
April 12, they received word of President Roosevelt’s passing at “The Little
White House” in
Warm Springs
,
Georgia
. News
reports indicated that
Roosevelt
had complained of a terrific
pain in the back of his head then immediately slumped over in a coma. He was
carried into his bedroom where he died a short time later at
3:35 p.m.
His
attending cardiologist diagnosed his death as a result of a massive cerebral
hemorrhage.
Roosevelt
had been president for twelve years, and his
sudden death was a shock around the world—especially to those still fighting
the war. Now they had a new Commander-in-Chief. Vice-President Harry Truman was
immediately sworn into office as the 33rd president of the
United
States
.

On that
same day, the largest Nazi concentration camp was liberated by the 6th Armored
Division of the Third Army. Reports about the atrocities of those imprisoned at
Buchenwald
spread
like wildfire, increasing the urgency of the Allies to free other prisons like
it. Millions had died.

Still,
the job the Allies had come to do wasn’t finished. The bombing raids had continued
through the previous week until April 20, when the 390th —on its 300th
mission—led the entire Eighth Air Force in finishing off targets in southern
Germany
. With
the Luftwaffe annihilated, the Allies stood down in their strategic missions,
now attempting the final blow to the Nazi regime.

For
months, the Allied commanders had wrestled over the rumored “National Redoubt”—a
final stand by Hitler and his Wehrmacht, supposedly based in the rugged
mountainous terrain in
Bavaria
and
Austria
. With
the Allies and Soviets both racing to capture Berlin, it was believed that the
dictator and what was left of his army would hide out in the Alps then reclaim
a new Germany headquartered there. With railways busily transporting goods to
be stockpiled in those areas, the obvious solution was to bomb those rails and
cut them off.

Now, as
Danny and Charlie made their way into Quincy’s, he pushed all of those thoughts
aside and hoped the quaint pub would buffet his spirits, if only for a while. The
pub wasn’t officially open since it was Sunday, so they were the only guests.

Sophie
was the first to greet them, welcoming him with open arms. “It’s about time you
came to see us!” She hugged him hard and planted a kiss on his check. “Do you
know how many prayers have gone up from this place for you?”

Danny
hugged her back. “I’m guessing whatever was left over from those for Charlie
here.”

“Nonsense.
You were gone longer. I barely even knew Lieutenant Janssen was missing.”

Charlie
engulfed her in his arms. “That’s Lieutenant Janssen
Darling
, and don’t
you forget it.”

Danny
smiled as he moved toward a nearby table while the two carried on.

“Oh,
now, what’s all this?” Patrick Quincy fussed, appearing from the kitchen door.
“A father can’t stand by and watch his daughter get smothered with kisses by
her suitor.”

“With all
due respect, Mr. Quincy, I think
I’m
the one being smothered here.” He
dug out his handkerchief to wipe the lipstick off his face.

“Oh Da,
you gave your blessing, so button up.” Sophie snuggled beneath Charlie’s arm.

“Now
see what you’ve done! For pity’s sakes, I didn’t even see our dear Lieutenant
McClain here!” The proprietor hurried over to give Danny a hug. “Welcome home, son!
Welcome, home! You had us all worried, that’s for sure. But thanks be to
Almighty God for returning you to us!”

“Good
to see you too, Patrick. And thanks for the prayers. I have a feeling those are
the reason I’m finally back here.”

“Sit!
Sit! Let me serve you up a nice plate of shepherd’s pie,” he said, making his
way back to the kitchen. “Sophie made it. Fresh from the oven. I can’t offer
you a pint as it’s the Lord’s Day, but I expect a nice cup of tea would taste
just fine on a dreary Sunday.”

“Yes,
it would, Patrick. That sounds perfect.”

“Sophie?
Serve the men a pot of tea, will you, daughter?”

“Sure,
Da.” She placed a quick peck on Charlie’s cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

Charlie
took a seat across from Danny and looked around the pub. “Kind of nice, having
the place all to ourselves, eh?”

Danny
fiddled with a salt shaker, twisting it around and around. Charlie reached over
and took it out of his hand.

“Take
it easy there, buddy.”

Danny
sat back and folded his arms. “Sorry.”

“Too
bad Patrick can’t sneak us a couple of pints. Might help settle those nerves
you’re fighting.”

“Not
really. I’m clearly not cut out to be much of a drinker.”

Sophie
returned with their tea and meals. “There you go, gentlemen.”

“Can
you join us?” Charlie asked.

“I’d
love to.” She took a seat beside Charlie. “Danny, Charlie told me about your time
over in
Holland
. That
must’ve been very frightening for you.”

He took
a sip of his tea, pleased by the heat of it going down. “It was. But I’m
thankful to be back. I keep hoping the rest of my crew shows up. Well, the ones
who are still alive, that is.”

“I know.”
She placed her hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “We pray every night for the other
two members of Charlie’s crew who parachuted before him. As much as I tired of
Lieutenant Banks’ silly accents, he’s a good and decent man. I hope they both
show up soon.”

Danny
noticed the slight tremble in Charlie’s hand as he lifted his teacup. He knew
his friend still grieved for his lost crew. Charlie had flown a few missions
since they returned to base, but each time it was with a different crew. With
the war wrapping up soon, there was no need to make permanent crew assignments.
Danny hadn’t flown again yet. He wondered about his own crew members who were
still MIA and kept hoping they’d show up any day. He and Pendergrass still
bunked in the same quarters, and the empty cots reminded them daily of their lost
friends.

Danny
shook off the thought and tried to change the subject. “What’s this I hear
about wedding bells?”

“Quite
a surprise, isn’t it?” Sophie said with a laugh. “I couldn’t believe it when Charlie
here took my hand and dropped to his knee.”

Danny
smiled. He loved the way Sophie pronounced her fiancé’s name—
Chah-lie.
He had a feeling Charlie liked it too.

“Only
wish I’d had a pretty ring to place on your finger.” He placed his hand over
hers on the table. “But next time I get some leave, we’ll head over to
London
and
find one.”

“I’m
not too concerned. As long as I’ve got you, I’m a happy girl.”

He
looked across at Danny. “I hope it’s all right that I told Sophie about Anya.”

Danny
blinked, caught by surprise. “Oh? Sure, I mean, there’s not much to tell,
really.”

“Not
much to tell?” Sophie said. “I think it’s terribly romantic how it all came
about. What with all those love letters—”

“No, they
weren’t really love letters. At least I didn’t intend them—”

“And
then all those years passed, and there’s a war, and suddenly, there she
is . . .” She paused with a dreamy look in her eyes. “And right
there in the midst of chaos and war, you found each other. I find it all
very
romantic.”

Danny
eyed his friend. “Sounds like someone’s embellished the story a bit?”

“Who
me? I just tell it like it is, McClain.”

“And
Charlie says you can think of nothing else but going back to find that dear
girl.” Sophie planted her chin on her hand and gazed at him with love-filled
eyes. “I think it’s the loveliest thing I’ve heard in years.”

“I
thought
I
was the loveliest thing in your life these days?” Charlie
teased, leaning close for a kiss.

Danny
sighed. “Yeah, well, it’s all very ‘romantic’ right up to the part of getting
over there and actually tracking her down.”

“Y’know,
I’ve been giving that some thought,” Charlie said after swallowing a bite of
food. “I think you should call in a favor or two.”

“Meaning?”
Danny asked.

“Remember
the night your crew came gasping back across the Channel sputtering on fumes?”

“Yeah.
So?”

“Didn’t
you tell me Colonel Moller was on the radio, personally giving you all
permission to return to base?”

“Yeah.
Like I said—so?”

Charlie
scratched his chin. “Well, I was just thinking you could ask the Old Man for a
favor.”

Danny
pinned him with a glare. “Are you out of your mind?”

Charlie
raised a palm. “Now, hear me out. I’m just thinking you go in there, request to
see the Colonel, then remind him about that night.”

Danny
stared at his friend, wondering where on earth such a lame brain idea came
from. “First of all, he would never remember that night. Who knows why he
answered the call anyway? It’s insignificant.”

“But
you never know—”

“Second,
I would never ‘ask’ our Commanding Officer for
any
favor, much less for
permission to hop across the Pond when this is all over to find her. He’s our Commanding
Officer, Charlie—not some resident flunky playing Cupid.”

Charlie
laughed. “Well, I guess I see your point.”

Sophie used
Charlie’s fork to steal a bite of the meaty pie on his plate. “I must say, it’s
a rather charming notion to think that the man I loved would do whatever it took
to come and save me. A knight on a white horse and all that.”

Danny
pushed his empty plate back. “Look, I appreciate your interest, but I’m sure
there’s some way to work it out. I just haven’t figured it out yet.”

“You
will, Danny.” Sophie patted his hand. “You will.”