Ruby Lorraine Radford

“ Though Mabel tried to dissipate the stormy atmosphere by her light mood, Nancy could not shake off her depression and a sense of foreboding. The nurses and medical officers had a long, private dining room at the rear of the first floor. Nancy noticed that for a change everyone seemed to be on hand.
Major Reed was in a high mood as he sat with a group of his medical officers. Nancy’s heart swelled with pride when she glanced from one to the other of their personnel. Here were medical men trained in all branches of healing, and nurses with various specializations for assisting them. ”

“ Suddenly Nancy’s tone became pleading. “Tini, can’t you see that all these rules are for our own good, and the safety of the boys out yonder we’re offering our lives to save?”
“I understand what we’re going into the same as you, Nancy Dale. But some of the restrictions are utterly silly.”
“We’ve got to trust the judgment of our superiors about that. They understand the whole situation better than we do.”
“I see no reason why we can’t tell our family and friends what we’ve been doing. I didn’t let out any military secrets in those letters.” ”

“ The longer she stared, the more positive she became that the horn-rimmed glasses and small mustache belonged to the same man who had sat beside the blond corporal the day she left her home town. Though she had had only a hasty glance as she went down the aisle of the train those faces had become indelibly impressed upon her mind.
As Mabel came nearer, Nancy saw Tini’s companion watching covertly. She couldn’t blame any man for being attracted by Mabel, for she was really worth looking at in her trimly fitting uniform with her cap sitting jauntily on her golden curls. ”

“ The trip up to the new hospital was an exciting experience to these nurses, most of whom had never left the States before.
“Seems queer to find it so much warmer as we go north,” said Nancy during their first day’s travel by train.
“I feel as though I’m living upside down, or something,” remarked Mabel. “When we’re asleep it’s broad daylight at home. While it’s warm at home we’re shivering here.”
Though it was late fall in the southern hemisphere, flowers were still blooming in great profusion in gardens and parks. ”

“ In spite of the physical weariness Nancy had a wonderful sense of well-being. At the moment she felt certain there was no greater work in the world than that of any army nurse.
Mabel and Shorty had already gone out on duty when Nancy and Ida Hall returned to their room. Nancy was relieved to see that Mabel had put her clothes in order. The two nurses who had been off duty had arranged hanging places for their garments. Mabel had even put Nancy’s pajamas on the foot of her bunk, and her bedroom slippers were near by. ”

“ The nurses watched while the first men went ashore, their helmets on, their bodies padded with their packs, their guns held high above the lapping waves.
Then a line of men formed from the long ramps to the sandy beach as guard while the women went ashore. Nancy, Mabel and fifty others, took off their G.I. shoes, stuffed their stockings inside, tied their shoes together by the laces and hung them around their necks. They rolled the legs of their coveralls high above their knees, and with many excited squeals and giggles hurried down the ramps and into the cool water breaking on the shore. ”

“ Though the nurses were tired after their long day’s travel, Nancy and Mabel exchanged satisfied glances.
“Say, gal,” whispered Mabel. “Looks like they’re preparing us for the real thing.”
“We’ll sure have to sleep under nets down here or there won’t be any snoozing,” said Nancy.
The sun had already gone down, leaving a red glow in the west, when the convoy circled a clearing in the swamp where there was a small tent village already set up. The passengers climbed out gratefully, each nurse loaded with her personal baggage.
Lieutenant Hauser called the roll and assigned four girls to each tent. ”

“ She let Mabel lead her like a sleep-walker to the phone in Lieutenant Hauser’s office.
“Hello! Yes—this is Nancy. Oh Dad, that you? I was afraid something was wrong with you or Mom.”
Mabel could hear Mr. Dale’s deep voice as she stood close to Nancy: “No, we’re all right, but we had upsetting news just now from the government—”
“From the government—you—you mean about Tommy?” asked Nancy.
“They report he’s been missing in action over enemy territory since the second of March.”
“Oh Dad!” wailed Nancy. “It can’t be true! It just can’t! God wouldn’t let anything happen to our Tommy.” ”

“ Mabel wanted to know. “There’re really more important things to think about. It’s what you can do and hold up under that counts these days.”
It took some time for Nancy to condition herself to that constant rumble of artillery. At first each reverberation that shook their tent poles set her aquiver. She knew that every blast only increased the number of dead and wounded.
Life on Koshu was as complicated as a three-ring circus. Besides the continual rumble of artillery, as the Americans pushed north across the island, there was the constant drone of planes overhead. ”

“ Nancy’s heart skipped a beat when Lieutenant Hauser introduced the major to the assembled unit. Instinctively she felt his appearance had something to do with what she had told him last night. And she was right.
He talked to them for an hour on the subtle ways in which the enemy succeeded in getting information. He admonished the nurses about silence in public places, and prohibited discussion outside the camp grounds about what was going on inside. He warned them against picking up conversations with strange men who might craftily get information from them. ”

“ While the two men went into a grip, Nancy grabbed the keg from under their feet, but she was not quick enough to save more than half of the remaining water.
She dragged the keg with her toward the prow as the raging men grappled. Jim Benton and Hilda were sitting in the prow, and the slack sail had at first cut off their view of what was happening. The men were already at each other’s throats before Jim realized there was a row, and rushed to separate them.
Terrified, the women feared the struggle would capsize the boat. They huddled together in the prow to keep a balance. ”

“ Next morning Nancy, Mabel and Ida Hall were among the dozen nurses instructed to camouflage themselves and hide in the woods for the others to locate. Nancy had dabbled at painting in school, and did a fairly good imitation of bay leaves across Mabel’s face and coveralls. Then before their small mirror she touched up her own countenance to look like woods’ shadows. A net was secured over her helmet and in it she twisted pieces of jasmine vines and bay leaves, leaving some of the vines to trail down across her face. ”

“ Nancy was glad she had left her hair unbound and taken pains with her make-up. But she flushed and said, “Don’t you dare hand me blarney, Bruce Williams. I’m too tall to be pretty.”
“The idea! I hear that’s the kind they’re hunting for the New York shows now—tall gals.”
“Tommy’s only one inch taller than I am, and our coloring and eyes are so much alike—no wonder you thought my eyes were his last night. Everyone says we do look lots alike.” ”

“ Vernon explained. “But you’d better lie down now and keep yourself quiet or you won’t be able to greet him when we take him aboard.”
He forced her to lie down, and she glanced across to see others looking after Mabel and Hilda.
“You may not find him,” she said wearily. “A person can stand just so much.”
She felt it would not be so terrible after all if Tommy were really dead. Those who had known bitter depths of suffering had told her many times that there were things worse than death, and in those awful days adrift she had learned it was true. ”

“ The corporal was a much larger man than the bluejacket, and soon had him down on the seat, his hands clawing at his throat. Jim could not break their grip with his bare hands. Hilda had snatched up one of the oars, as if to help. Suddenly he seized it from her and cracked it down over Ned Owens’s head. The corporal crumpled into the bottom of the boat like a crushed egg.
The moment his hands relaxed their grip on Olan’s throat, the half-conscious man rolled into the water with a list of the boat. ”

“ Only by covering up completely could they be free of the torturing pricks of mosquitoes, and then they sweltered.
At intervals during the first twenty-four hours there had come the rumble of heavy firing in the distance, like an approaching thunderstorm. No doubt those troops and tanks that had moved on beyond the jungle wall were already in the thick of the fight.
An hour before sunset of their second day ashore the thundering reverberations were increased ten-fold. Before dark, their tent hospital, not yet ready for patients, was precipitated into action. ”

“ The convalescents, still in pajamas, were supplied with benches around the bandstand. Everyone seemed excited at the prospect of a little diversion.
“Say, but you look like an angel in that white uniform,” Bruce exclaimed when he saw Nancy.
He could walk almost erect now, without bending to the pain in his side. He had been given new clothes, which he wore for the first time that day, and Nancy thought him even more handsome than ever in his lieutenant’s uniform.
“You’re not bad-looking yourself,” she told him. ”

“ Nancy was relieved that they would be allowed to go out and do some last-minute shopping.
“I understand the Red Cross has planned several social functions for you, which you must attend as a unit. There will be one dance here at the hotel at which you may wear evening clothes.” She smiled knowingly. “You may not have a chance to dress up again for a long time. I want you to enjoy yourselves as much as you can here—go to the movies, see some good shows, but always be careful to observe strictly the rules I have laid down.” ”

“ Tini ignored the plain truth with which she had been faced and started on toward camp. Nancy caught up with her, saying, “If you don’t do one or the other you’ll place me in the embarrassing position of having to report what just happened to Lieutenant Hauser.”
“So you’re one of the spying, little tattletales!”
Nancy’s brown eyes were full of fire now as she said, “Tini Hoffman, this is no schoolgirl business we’re in. Thousands of lives may sometime be at stake because some thoughtless person like you has seen no sense in certain censorship restrictions. ”

“ Nancy felt almost as happy as if she were going to see her own mother.
“I hope this phone call isn’t all, my dear,” said Miss Anna over the wire. “We must have time for a visit with each other.”
“That’s what I called for,” explained Nancy. “We have several days to do just as we please. I want to come out there to see you.”
“Just fine! But it’s not easy to get here, my dear. You’ll have to come early in the morning on the ferry that crosses the harbor to take workers from here over to the city. There isn’t another ferry until it comes to bring the workers home. ”

“ Without a moment’s hesitation Jim Benton went in after him, shoes and all. The shock of the cold water revived Olan’s faculties sufficiently for him to get a death grip on Jim. In spite of all the soldier could do to break the hold, Olan pulled him down under the waves with him. The horrified women stared, helpless to save either one.
Nancy was making a motion to get out of her shoes, when Mabel held her back by main force. “You’re insane!” she screamed. “You haven’t strength to do anything for them.” ”

“ Miss Anna nodded, her alert eyes flashing. “During the night I was awakened by the most infernal noise—sounded as though it came from the very bowels of the earth—something you might imagine being a forerunner of a volcanic eruption. But it really came from under the water out in the harbor, the sub’s torpedoes.”
“Heavens! You must have been terrified to be so close.”
“That was only the beginning. Then came our big guns roaring from the forts over on St. George’s Heights. The reverberations shook some pictures off my wall.”
“It must have been like an earthquake,” put in Nancy. ”

“ They crossed streams and lagoons in high boots, and several times ate from their mess kits the food they prepared for themselves on all-day hikes.
All nursing work was suspended while they were put through these physical fitness tests. To Nancy’s amazement, Tini Hoffman stood hers along with the others, for she seemed to understand its significance. Tini became another person when there were no men around on whom to turn her charms. ”

“ Nancy put her flashlight on the foot of the cot for she was trembling. She pulled a packing box closer to the man and sat down from sheer inability to stand.
“Do you feel able to tell me what happened?” she asked.
“Gosh yes,” he said emphatically. “I can get well now! Who couldn’t with Tommy’s sister for nurse? I know all about you,” he said, his eyes beginning to have a more normal expression. “Tommy read me all your letters.”
“Oh, then you’re Bruce Williams, his bombardier?”
“Sure! We were real buddies, Tom and I. No crew ever had a finer pilot. ”