The Last Jump: A Novel of World War II

by John E. Nevola

  With a brisk tailwind they managed the last 1,100 miles to Floyd Bennett Naval Air Station on Long Island in a little over six hours. When they finally landed, the two men were asked by Nancy Love to forget they had been ferried back by women pilots. She may have been a lot more paranoid than she needed to be but Jake had to admit her team was first-rate. He couldn’t help but draw the obvious parallel between them and Macie. He’d been such an ass! He would have to be much more supportive of her job decision in his next letter. Maybe that would help convince her he finally understood.

  Jake and Johnny boarded an army bus headed for Camp Shanks thirty miles up the Hudson River from New York City. After a brief stop at Fort Totten to discharge some military passengers, the bus arrived at Camp Shanks before heading off to West Point. Camp Shanks was an embarkation and staging area for units about to deploy to Europe. Its mission was to ensure each soldier had all of his required equipment and had been sufficiently inoculated against disease. The camp’s confines extended to Piermont Pier which jutted out into the Hudson River from its west bank. From there, transport ships ferried fully laden combat troops to Manhattan docks for overseas transportation. Indigenous rail yards facilitated movement by train from many stateside origins as well as from Shanks directly to Hoboken and Weehawken, New Jersey. Camp Shanks was one of three main embarkation camps in the eastern United States and was an exceedingly hectic place. Its unofficial nickname was “Last Stop U.S.A.”.

  In short order, the two paratroopers found themselves yet again standing in front of the desk of a Duty Officer who was reading their orders. The officer began shaking his head.

  “You guys brothers?”

  “No sir,” they answered in unison.

  “Well I have bad news for you. The unit you’re being transferred to, the Five-oh-six, shipped out a few days ago.”

  Jake looked at Johnny and rolled his eyes. Another army foul-up!

  “We’re going to have to cut new orders for you two. We’ll catch you up to your division.” He handed each of them a piece of paper. “In the meantime, here’s a twenty-four hour pass.”

  “Thank you, sir,” they both said, surprised and delighted.

  “Be back here tomorrow at the same time. We’ll have your new travel orders for you.” The officer continued. “Remember, no insignia, no jump boots when you ship out tomorrow. You can sew on your corporal stripes.” He studied the two men for a second. “Stay out of trouble. Be back on time. Enjoy New York. Dismissed!”

  “Thank you, sir.” Johnny was fighting back an enormous smile. The men left the office grinning from ear to ear. They slapped each other’s shoulders and headed straight for the bus station. Johnny stopped at a pay phone and called home. He told his shocked wife he was in New York and was coming home for a day and bringing his best buddy, Jake.

  Rose was absolutely ecstatic and totally unprepared. As the boys traveled into the city, she gathered as many extra ration coupons as she could from her own small stash and from generous neighbors. She used the “red coupon stamps” from her War Ration Book and bought some steaks from the butcher. She would cook them a meal to remember. She would start them off with a tomato and onion salad, fresh from her Victory Garden. Along with the steaks smothered with onions, she would make mashed potatoes, gravy and peas; Johnny’s favorite meal. The baker would provide the fresh bread and an apple pie. They would wash it all down with plenty of Rheingold beer, a local New York brew.

  After scurrying around to secure all of the rare ingredients, she showered, powdered herself, put on her best floral print housedress and a fresh coat of makeup. A ponytail was the best she could do with her long jet-black hair but she knew Johnny loved that look on her. She finished just as the boys arrived at the apartment.

  Johnny hugged her long and hard. She smelled sweet, clean and felt so soft. He could not help but notice her makeup was fresh and she was making an effort to be attractive, not that she needed to. Jake stood behind, a bit amused and waited to be introduced. Rose broke away from her husband; aware Jake had been standing there, and gave him a hug. She had tears in her eyes.

  “You must be Jake. I’m so glad to meet you. Johnny has written so much about you. I can’t tell you how happy I am that he found a friend like you.”

  “I’m pleased to meet you too, ma’am. Johnny can’t stop talking about you.” Jake looked at Johnny, wondering what he had written that had Rose so overjoyed. Johnny smiled and shrugged his shoulders. As if reading his mind, Rose provided some insight.

  “Johnny doesn’t make friends easily. He can be a bit standoffish…somewhat of a loner. And call me Rose, please.”

  “Yeah,” Jake laughed out loud. “He’s definitely a snob.”

  They all laughed at that. Rose sat them down at the kitchen table and they chatted over ice-cold beers as she cooked dinner. The boys shared the more humorous stories of jump school and North Africa being careful to leave out the hardships. They didn’t speak about Sicily, the buddies they lost or their mission into Rome.

  Rose joined the boys with a beer as she cooked and they chatted. Jake asked her about life in New York, her job at the hospital and the morale of the people on the Homefront. Rose was impressed he was such a good listener. He seemed genuinely interested in what she had to say. He was curious without being nosy and seemed anxious to learn and understand things of which he had no prior knowledge. She found humble people like him easy to like.

  Jake spoke glowingly of Macie and how impressed he was with the ferry pilots. It seemed as if he just experienced an epiphany. Rose also liked the way he interacted with her husband. There was obvious mutual respect between them and an unspoken trust. They would sometimes finish each other’s sentences and laughed easily with each other. There was a faith and a fondness that was palpable. She concluded Jake was good for Johnny.

  The conversation slowed as the boys devoured the meal she had painstakingly prepared. Jake heaped praise upon the chef between mouthfuls. Johnny could not keep his eyes off of his wife. They ate eagerly, laughed and drank heartily and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company.

  After dessert they all pitched in and cleared the table. Rose busied herself washing the dishes and Johnny sidled up next to her to dry them. They looked at each other playfully with endearing eyes. Jake got the message.

  “Look, I’m stuffed. I’m going to take a walk,” he announced.

  “Where are you going?” Johnny asked. “You don’t know this neighborhood.”

  “I’ll be fine, I need the exercise after that enormous, delicious meal.” Jake looked at Rose and nodded. She acknowledged the compliment but was already blushing.

  “Wait, please.” Rose reached into her closet and pulled out her Kodak Baby Brownie Special camera. “Just a minute, let’s go to the roof. I want a snapshot and this camera has no flash.”

  Rose asked a neighbor, Mrs. Geelan, and they all went up to the roof. She was so happy to see Johnny she talked up a storm. Finally, Rose got her to take the last picture on the roll of film.

  “I’ll be back in a couple of hours,” Jake winked at Johnny.

  Jake walked down the stairs and into the street. It was late Friday afternoon and many people were walking along the sidewalks. A few were in uniform. Everyone seemed friendly. Despite the tall buildings and the heavily trafficked streets by Bedford standards, he did not feel terribly out of place. He was conscious of the admiring stares of the younger boys and the flirtatious glances of the young ladies. The rigors of the airborne, he concluded for the thousandth time, were well worth it.

  He continued to walk south. As he approached 159th Street he saw a marquis for a movie theatre, The Loews Rio. He stepped into the lobby to look at the preview still pictures for the features that were playing. The double feature consisted of Destination Tokyo with Cary Grant and Gung Ho starring Randolph Scott. The army usually got to see movies fresh out of Hollywood. It wouldn’t be the same without his buddies hooting and hollering at the screen for every exaggerated batt
le scene and every corny line. The guys always poked fun at the realism but appreciated the sentiment. Hollywood films of the time were inspirational, uplifting and patriotic. They did wonders for the morale and spirit on the Homefront. It would be a good way to kill a few hours. He bought a ticket for a dime and sat in an aisle seat in the back row.

  When the films ended he walked back to the apartment. He listened at the door and when he heard nothing, he decided to go up on the roof and look at the view. He marveled at the sights. After soaking it all in and re-living the last hectic days, he was ready to rejoin Johnny and Rose.

  They were both glad to see him when he knocked at the door though Rose still seemed to be blushing. They sat around the table talking and drinking beer. Rose graciously sewed the stripes onto their uniforms and carefully removed all of their airborne insignia. They would travel in those non-descript military clothes the next day.

  Time passed quickly. Johnny fell into a deep sleep for a few hours. Jake and Rose stayed awake together all night and before long the sun was rising. Finally it was time to leave for Camp Shanks and Rose nudged Johnny awake. He apologized for falling asleep and the boys got dressed and collected their gear. Rose hugged Jake tightly again and kissed him hard on the cheek. “I want to see you back here when this is over. Johnny and you both need to come home.”

  “We will.” He looked at Johnny. “Meet you downstairs.”

  Johnny nodded as Jake descended the stairs to the street. After a few minutes he dropped his barracks bag in the lobby and climbed back up the stairs. There, on the landing, stood Johnny and Rose. They were hugging and she was crying, neither of them wanting to be the first to let go.

  “C’mon Yank, time to go,” Jake prodded.

  Johnny looked at Jake above Rose’s shoulder, tears streaking his face. He still gripped her tightly, blinked his eyes, choked back a sniffle and said, “I can’t go back.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Newport News, Virginia - December 24, 1943

  “It is true we have won all our wars, but we have paid for them.

  We don't want victories anymore.”

  Golda Meir (1898 - 1978)

  Macie Vance leaned closer to her Philco radio to listen to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Fireside Chat. It was three o’clock in the afternoon on Christmas Eve. The President scheduled his address at the most suitable time for a worldwide audience. Macie found herself looking forward to hearing the calm, reassuring voice of the President. He had just returned from conferences with other world leaders and she was anxious to hear the outcome.

  Gabriel Heatter of the Mutual Radio Network was speaking. He was a regular announcer of war news and an outspoken champion of the men and women engaged in the war effort. Macie listened intently to his distinctive, familiar voice as he provided a summary of the progress of the War in 1943 while waiting for the President.

  Much of what was broadcast could have been considered propaganda but sustaining an enthusiastic and positive civilian population was an important part of the war effort. Nevertheless, 1943 did bring a marked increase in good news. The tide of the War was turning and one could sense the change.

  The year started out with the Casablanca Conference in Morocco, North Africa in January. President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill were the major participants. Charles de Gaulle and Henri Giraud co-represented the newly constituted Free French Forces. Josef Stalin declined the invitation. One significant outcome of that conference was an agreement on the direction of the Allied strategy in 1943. Sicily would be invaded in July and Italy proper by September.

  The other major outcome was the declaration the Allies would only accept unconditional surrender from the Axis powers. Roosevelt insisted there would not be another negotiated armistice or fragile peace. This time, Germany, or Japan for that matter, would not be allowed to rearm in another twenty years. This global conflict would not be repeated.

  The news from the Pacific was somewhat better than last year. American forces secured Guadalcanal in February after six months of brutal fighting. General MacArthur’s forces were making substantial gains pushing the Japanese back in Papua, New Guinea. A huge sea battle took place in March in the Bismarck Sea. American planes viciously attacked Japanese ships attempting to reinforce their forces on New Guinea. There were few survivors.

  On 18 April, American fighter planes shot down Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto while he was traveling to Bougainville Island. Sixteen P-38 Lightning fighters from the 339th Fighter Squadron were dispatched to shoot him down. The United States had broken the Japanese codes and knew Yamamoto’s inspection itinerary. Since he was the master planner behind the Pearl Harbor attack, Americans felt a strong measure of justified retribution in killing him.

  Macie recognized names of places that were once captured by the Japanese. In May the Americans recaptured the Alaskan island of Attu and reoccupied Kiska in August. The Aleutian Islands were back in American hands.

  Macie pulled her chair closer to the radio as Heatter continued. In June, American forces assaulted Munda in the New Georgia Island group. The island of Bougainville was invaded in November. In all cases the Japanese forces were defeated and pushed back.

  In the Central Pacific, United States Marines attacked the island atolls of Tarawa and Betio in November and defeated the Japanese after savage fighting. While much of the detailed information was heavily censored, there was no hiding that casualties were high. The Japanese remained stubborn fighters even in defeat.

  In the Mediterranean, even though the Italian government had surrendered to the Allies, the Germans occupied the peninsula and put up a tenacious defense. The end of the year found the Allies stalled before the Gustov Line by determined German forces.

  On the Continent, the Soviets were battering German armies on all fronts. In February, the German Sixth Army under Field Marshal Friedrich von Paulus surrendered 93,000 troops to Soviet forces who surrounded them in the city of Stalingrad. The Soviets chased the other German field armies eastward until a brilliant counterstroke by Field Marshal Erich von Manstein recaptured Kharkov from the Russians and stabilized the front.

  That set the stage for the German offensive in July against a well-defended salient near the city of Kursk. In the largest tank battle ever fought, the Germans were soundly defeated.

  At home, American industry was hitting full stride. As Gabriel Heatter spoke, Macie confirmed the report by her own experiences. In the Newport News Shipyard, they had just launched the USS Franklin (CV-13) in October. She was the fourth Essex-class aircraft carrier built and launched from Newport News in 1943 and there were still four more under construction. A fifth carrier was launched from the Bethlehem Steel Yards. That total of five fast carriers compared to only three launched in 1942. More importantly there were nine hulls under construction in all four carrier-capable shipyards in the United States. All were scheduled to launch the following year. American mass production was beginning to gain traction and would eventually build twenty-four Essex-class carriers.

  As recently as 8 September, in his Third War Loan appeal, President Roosevelt challenged the American people to continue to buy more war bonds. He appealed to them so their brothers, husbands, fathers and sons would have the best quality and highest quantity of essential war equipment. He emphasized the urgent need to end the War as quickly as possible to save innocent lives. While always gracious to thank the American people, he continually raised the bar. And Americans responded. The Third War Loan raised the staggering sum of 19,000,000,000 dollars.

  Macie was gratified she actually understood most of the war news. She’d grown a great deal in the past year and a half.

  Gabriel Heatter was winding down. It was time for the President to speak. She edged closer and turned the volume up just a bit.

  My Friends:

  I have recently returned from extensive journeying in the region of the Mediterranean and as far as the borders of Russia. I have conferred with the leaders of Britain an
d Russia and China on military matters of the present, especially on plans for stepping-up our successful attack on our enemies as quickly as possible and from many different points of the compass.

  On this Christmas Eve there are over 10,000,000 men in the armed forces of the United States alone. One year ago 1,700,000 were serving overseas. Today, this figure has been more than doubled to 3,800,000 on duty overseas. By July that number overseas will rise to over 5,000,000 men and women.

  President Roosevelt acknowledged the global War had dampened the Christmas spirit but that free people everywhere still cling to the noble notion of “peace on earth, goodwill toward men”. He recognized that great progress was purchased at great sacrifice. His last Christmas address consisted of a message of hope. This year he was confident of the eventual victory.

  With a poised and confident voice, the President reported on his recent meetings in Cairo on 22 November with Chiang Kai-shek and in Tehran on 28 November with Josef Stalin and Prime Minister Churchill. He assured the American people that all of these distinguished world leaders were cooperating fully on wartime strategy and structuring a peaceful post-War world.

  The President then reminded the American people the War was far from won, that victory was far in the future and as we closed in on our enemies’ homelands, we should anticipate long casualty lists of dead, wounded and missing. Macie shuddered at the thought. He ended his Fireside Chat by sending out a Christmas message to all American soldiers around the world.