“I spent three weeks in Germany and two months in France.” Paul wandered over to a window and looked out. Glancing back over his shoulder, he added, “I brought back a German woman.”
“I beg your pardon?” Kyle gripped his armrests.
“We went down near Wiesbaden, and I heard a word from God.” Paul turned away from the window. “He never did stop caring for me.” They shared a smile before he described his time in Germany.
Paul glanced down and studied the floor before looking back up and adding, “There is so much I can’t say tomorrow in my evasion talk. I had a distinct advantage that isn’t going to be possible for most downed fliers. And I’m sure not going to suggest that anyone try to get to the Ziemer farm. They’re already under suspicion.”
They spent an hour together as Paul spoke of his adventures with Heidi. “I want you to meet her. She’s with the Red Cross girls now. The brass didn’t know what to think when I insisted she has to stay with me. Fortunately, a colonel at the camp in France vouched for her. He spent the whole time we were there drilling us, trying to trip us up.” Paul had been tilting his chair back, but now he plunked the front legs down and grinned. “Colonel Dawson’s word convinced them to let Heidi stay here until we go home.”
“When will that be? Will it be the usual drill for you, a survivor leave before your next assignment?”
“Yes, and I’ve already been assigned. Get this. A general at High Wycombe who attended my debriefing remembered me from when my crew first came to England. We’d been one of five replacement crews coming here. I diverted us over Greenland to avoid a huge storm front ahead of us. We were the first to arrive because we weren’t bucking the storm. The general liked my initiative.”
“Say, I didn’t tell you about another name that showed up on the lists. Someone from the Stiles crew is in a prisoner of war camp. The tail gunner.”
“No kidding? The tail gunner? Hallelujah! That’d be Lester, our Colorado cowboy.” Paul jumped up and stalked about the room. “What about Chet Vogel? Has he gone home? And what about Rafe Martell? Is he still here?”
Kyle pressed his lips in a flat line. Releasing his breath in a rush, he rifled through papers on his desk. “Chet and his bombardier were ejected from their plane last week. Cologne had been the target, and the planes were headed back, due west. They were over Belgium, maybe France, when a flak burst flipped their plane over. I guess they had quite a wild ride, but the pilots regained control. They said an arctic wind was blowing through the plane, suggesting the Plexiglas in the nose had shattered. Neither Chet nor the bombardier responded to their calls, so the engineer dropped down to their compartment. They were both gone.” Kyle read the report in a monotone, but looked up now, his eyes bleak. “We have no idea if they survived. If they remained conscious when they were ejected, they had a chance. Both wore their chutes.”
Paul dropped back onto his chair. He could still see Chet dragging him off to the dance at the Coral Gables Country Club. “He was the best navigator in our class. And, yes, he’d be wearing his chute. I remember Chet wanted an extra large flak suit that would cover the parachute, because it needed protection from flak too. A shredded chute would do him no good.” He sucked in a deep breath. “And Rafe? What about Rafe?”
“He’s on his own summer vacation.” Kyle leaned back in his chair. “In Sweden.”
“Sweden? His crew was interned?”
“Other crews who saw the plane turn away for Sweden reported it was a flying wreck. I’m telling you, Paul, the only reason that plane made it to Sweden was because angels held it up. We received a cable stating all crewmen survived, no major injuries.”
Paul shook his head. Judgment Day’s death throes probably came close to matching the mayhem aboard his friend’s plane. “I’m very glad Rafe’s in Swedish hands and not German. Did you know he was actually a member of the Hitler Youth before his family fled Germany because of Jewish ancestry? No telling what the Germans would have done if they’d gotten their hands on him.” He grinned. “Maybe I’ll see him again real soon with my new assignment.”
“What is your assignment?”
“This general, Johnson, works in transportation. One of his crews needs a new navigator and I’m it. I’ll fly the Atlantic route. Supplies, personnel, whatever needs to get from America to England or back. That’s my official assignment. And,” he leaned forward, “I may get a chance to fly on secret courier flights to Sweden to bring back our boys interned there. They’re not in Sweden for the duration. After several months, we’re allowed to bring them back.”
A tap at the door halted their conversation. At Kyle’s bidding, the door opened and a perky face under a Red Cross cap peeked in. “Is this a private party?”
“Irene, you’re always welcome to come to me with your problems.” Kyle maintained a straight face, but his eyes twinkled with humor. Paul raised his brows. The chaplain displayed the ease of joking with a good friend. A very good friend. Much had gone on in his absence.
“I do not have a problem.” Irene planted her fists on her hips, but couldn’t stop a smile. “I have Heidi.”
Paul jumped up and headed to the door. “Kyle, may I present Heidi Steinhorst Wetzel.” He smiled when Kyle’s jaw drop as he drew Heidi into the room. Since arriving in England the previous week, Heidi had enjoyed a visit to a hairdresser who made her golden hair gleam. The cessation of anxiety relaxed the strain in her face. A secretary at Eighth Air Force headquarters had taken her shopping, and she wore a clean new dress that showcased her slender figure. Heads turned when she walked by.
“Heidi, the pleasure is all mine.” Kyle took her hand. “Although from what Paul has been telling me, I wonder why you want to stick with him after all he’s put you through.”
Heidi’s laughter rang out, like bells chiming. She hadn’t laughed like that, so carefree and happy, since their high school days. “I don’t think anyone could have done better than Paul.”
If she wasn’t careful, she’d make his head swell.
“It’s good that you’re familiar with Milwaukee. It’ll be almost like going home.”
“Yes, Paul has told me what different classmates have done since we graduated. I’ll be glad to renew those friendships.”
“She’ll be safe there until the war is over.” Irene stood next to the chaplain.
“Until the war’s over?” Kyle looked from Paul to Heidi and back. Paul had slipped his arm around her waist. “Something tells me that while Heidi may go back to Germany to visit, she’ll never be going back there to live again.”
Epilogue
September 4, 1945
Dear Papa, Mama, Konrad, Lieselotte, & Gretchen,
I’m alive and very well! It’s hard to believe over a year has passed since I had to flee. I hope you heard through the underground that the Gestapo was searching for me in Treis-Karden, so Paul took me with him all the way to America. Paul says the adventures (or should I say misadventures) we had along the way are worthy of a Hollywood action film, or more likely, a horror film. The Gestapo captured one underground contact who helped us. I hate to consider his fate.
We stayed for a short time at Paul’s base in England before flying to America. My first plane ride, and it won’t be my last. Paul and an old classmate have purchased a surplus army trainer and I love to fly with him. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Paul transferred to the noncombat transportation command and he navigated our flight over the Atlantic. We took a train to Milwaukee, where his parents met us. Their reunion brought tears to my eyes. They hugged me too and told me I could stay in Paul’s sister’s old room.
The first Sunday, we saw Rachel’s family at church. Mrs. Mikolsky nearly squeezed the life out of me with her hug and got my shoulder quite wet. Paul’s friend, Art Jensen, died over Germany and his mother cried on Paul. She wasn’t too friendly to me, but Paul said, don’t mind her, she’ll warm up. Several classmates (Joanne, Betty, Lois, remember them, Mama?) greeted me and resumed our friendships.
I’ve had the privilege of sewing wedding dresses for all three.
And guess what??? I also sewed a dress for my own wedding. Yes, that’s our wedding photo enclosed. Paul and I were married on the Fourth of July. Erich and Rachel would approve, we’re sure. Our new home is half of a duplex, and Joanne and her husband, Ron, live on the other side. We are lucky to have it, as there is a housing shortage with all the men returning from the military. Paul has been discharged from the air force and he took a job at a college in Milwaukee.
Before that, however, he flew on several flights bringing prisoners of war back to England from German camps, including two of his crewmates. He was so thrilled to see them.
While in Germany, he learned our factory had been bombed out of existence and the owner had gone to the country. That’s how I know you’re in Bickenbach, Papa. Would you be interested in returning to Milwaukee? Mr. Ellis would like you back at your old job here. He’ll sponsor you and Mama. Are you interested? Do say YES!! Gretchen, of course, would be included. There’s more. If Konrad and Lieselotte would like to come, Paul’s folks will look into the sponsorship program for them.
Meanwhile, about the box with this letter. We’ve gathered items you can surely use. I hope nothing has been pillaged. Included are dried milk, lard, sugar, raisins, noodles, spices, coffee, chocolate, canned meat, and rice. You do have produce from the garden, right? I’ve also added knitting yarn and a change of clothing for all of you. I hope everything fits.
Are the children still with the Ziemers? They’ll need lots of things. My mother-in-law suggested the Ladies Circle at church organize a benefit for the “orphanage.” We’ll need their sizes and tracings of their feet for shoes. Do the Ziemers have needs we can help with?
I almost forgot. The rubber bone in the box is for Fritz. Paul misses him. Or he did. We have been joined by a new puppy that looks just like Fritzie. His name is Fritz Junior.
Is Karla still in Bickenbach? We know the German prisoners are still here, and we talked about visiting Wolfgang, but decided not to. I barely know him, and the sting of Karla’s betrayal still hurts. The pastor’s sermon last Sunday centered on Joseph being sold into slavery by his brothers, and Paul said he’s talking about us. Whether Karla intended any mischief or not, the result is our new life together in America, and we are so happy now.
I miss you, and hope and pray you will join us here in Milwaukee. Write soon. Love and kisses,
Paul & Heidi Braedel
Thank You!
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In gratitude,
Terri Wangard
Author’s Note
In the years after World War II, my grandparents sent care packages to distant cousins in Germany. Seventeen letters written by the cousins in 1947 and 1948 to my grandparents are now in my possession. One brother was married and had three children. A sister and her husband spent four years in Canada from 1932 to 1936, returning to Germany because she was homesick. Another brother was a prisoner of war in Russia until 1949.
The letters tell of the metal works factory the family owned, fabricating heating and air conditioning piping and apparatus. The family lived in the factory office because they had been bombed out of their homes.
After the German currency reform in 1948, living conditions in western Germany improved enough that care packages were no longer needed. Contact with the cousins stopped. An internet search revealed the factory had used slave labor during the war years. Did the family have a choice? I don’t know. They had employed about one hundred men before the war, but these men would have been pressed into military service. Did the family support Hitler and his policies? Again, I don’t know. Their letters do not touch on politics during the Third Reich.
With what I do know, I’ve created a story of a family to be proud of.
For the American airmen in Friends & Enemies, I selected the 381st Bombardment Group because they were based at Ridgewell, a one-word, easy-to-pronounce name. Ridgewell proved to be a fortunate choice. Squadron and medical diaries are readily available, including the mission log. Using these, I was able to maintain accuracy with the dates and destinations of all missions included in this story.
Many 381st airmen penned memoirs, including John Comer, Robert Gilbert, Douglas Holt, Theodore Homdrom, David McCarthy, and Chaplain James Good Brown. Bob Gilbert graciously answered my questions until his death in 2014. Most names are fictional, but I did use the names of actual historical figures: Captain Lunn, Colonel Leber, and Captain Bland.
Without the American Christian Fiction Writers and its critique groups and conferences, I would never have succeeded in my writing. Special thanks to my critique partners: Connie Cortright, Jennifer Hallmark, Betty Owens Thomason, and Shirley Connolly. Thank you, Mary Ellis, my first “real author” friend, who always has encouraging words for me.
If you’re on Pinterest, see my board for Friends & Enemies and discover Paul’s and Heidi’s worlds:
www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/
Discussion Questions
1. Paul is annoyed by “comforting” remarks at Rachel’s funeral. What is best to say to a grieving friend?
2. The Nazi government encouraged pure young women to have children for the fatherland. Why was Gretchen willing to do so?
3. Paul always accepted his parents’ faith until his wife’s death. Why is it important to examine your faith for yourself?
4. Paul tells Livvy he doesn’t think the dead are aware of us. What do you believe?
5. Heidi commits a crime by sewing clothes for the children from a swastika flag. Is her civil disobedience warranted?
6. Does Heidi have the right to endanger the children and her hosts with her activities? Why or why not?
7. After months of ignoring God, the first thing Paul does when he lands in Germany is pray for help. Why does trouble bring us back to God?
8. Paul believed God told him to find Heidi. Did he hear from God or was it his own idea? Have you heard God speak to you?
9. Heidi is giddy to hear she was used by God. Has anyone told you God used you in their life?
10. Paul is bothered by stealing from German civilians. Is that an acceptable tactic during war?
11. Peer pressure was a strong motivator in getting German civilians to conform to Nazi demands. Heidi undertook small acts of passive resistance. Would you be willing to go against the tide, no matter how dangerous it could be?
12. Paul suspects Rachel would have gone along with any Nazi directives to avoid trouble. What would you have done in Nazi Germany?
13. The Steinhorsts believe showing fear or weakness to Gestapo informants would be interpreted as a sign of weakness. Do you agree? What is the best way to handle bullies?
14. The second novel in the Promise for Tomorrow series features Lt. Rafe Martell, and the third novel follows Lt. Chet Vogel. From what you’ve learned of these characters, what might you expect?
About the Author
Terri Wangard grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, during the Lombardi Glory Years. Her first Girl Scout badge was the Writer. These days she writes historical fiction, and won the American Christian Fiction Writers’ (ACFW) Woodland’s Chapter 2013 Writers on the Storm (WOTS) contest and the ACFW 2013 First Impressions contest, as well as being an ACFW 2012 Genesis finalist. Holder of a bachelor�
�s degree in history and a master’s degree in library science, her research included going for a ride in a WWII B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. Classic Boating Magazine, a family business since 1984, keeps her busy as an associate editor.
Connect with Terri:
www.terriwangard.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorTerriWangard
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/terriwangard/
‘Promise for Tomorrow’ series:
Friends & Enemies (Book 1) – 2013 ACFW Woodland’s Chapter WOTS winner
No Neutral Ground (Book 2) - 2012 ACFW Genesis finalist
Soar Like Eagles (Book 3) - 2013 ACFW First Impressions winner
Friends & Enemies (Promise for Tomorrow Book 1) Page 33