I also need you to trust me. What I am going to ask you to do is going to be dangerous. We will travel to some of the most dangerous places on earth. I can only ask that you do this. If you decide that you would rather not, you will suffer no consequences. I want you to know that I value Sergeant Cannon’s opinion as much as I value my own. I like both of you, boys. I believe he has made the right choice.”
He walked away from the window and approached Em and Jack. “I want to offer you a job on my flight crew. I am putting together a new team. You two are the first official members of that team. When basic training is over, I will be sending you to Hawaii. There you will learn how to take care of my plane. That will include basic flight training and, of course, survival training. You will also be responsible for loading and unloading the cargo we will be transporting.” He paused and stared at them briefly. “I’m asking you boys to be a part of my team. I have to believe that you know what that means.”
Em looked at Colonel Roth and was certain that he was about to change his mind. He was sure of it. I have to say something, he thought. “Colonel Roth, could I say something?”
“What is it, son?” Colonel Roth looked at Em in a fatherly way.
“There is nothing more important to me than protecting our country. I’ve known ever since Pearl Harbor that I would help to end this war and punish those who are responsible. It makes me proud to be chosen for whatever you have in mind. I know I’m young, but I’m very loyal and dedicated. I am also ready and willing to become a part of your team. I also want you to know that my friend, Jackson Turner, will not disappoint you. I trust him, and I believe in him. I am confident in our abilities, and I am confident that Sergeant Cannon has made the right choice. You have my loyalty, and I only hope that you will trust your friend and learn to believe in us. We will give you one hundred percent of our abilities. Please give us this opportunity.”
Em stopped briefly and looked from Colonel Roth to Sergeant Cannon to Jack. As he looked at Jack, he realized he had spoken for him without ensuring that he was on board. “I’m sorry, Jack. I never meant to speak for you.”
Jack just looked at him, smiled, and said, “Don’t worry, Storybook. I couldn’t have said it better myself.” With this, they both became silent and turned simultaneously to look at Colonel Roth.
Colonel Philip Roth cleared his throat, looked at his friend, and said, “Jeffrey, where did you find these two?” He slowly turned to face the two airmen. “Story, Turner, I want you to know that I believe in the two of you. Once you have completed your training, we will be spending a lot of time together. We will learn to trust each other.” He spun on his heels and looked at Sergeant Cannon. “Sergeant Cannon here will take care of the details. You will probably not see me again for quite some time. In the meantime, we will expedite your training as soon as possible. You two remain true to your patriotism and remember to work hard. I want this team ready by the end of the summer. Jeffrey, this is critical. I came to you because I trust you more than anyone else alive. I trust your judgment also. I feel confident in your choice of these two. I promise that I will take care of them.”
“Colonel Roth?” Em heard the words escape his mouth before he realized his head was thinking them. “I have a friend that knows a lot about engines, and I know you need a flight mechanic.”
Colonel Roth put his hand up to silence him. “Airman Story, I appreciate your concern. I promise I will consider your ideas, but I have to tell you that the importance of the missions we will receive far outweigh any other factors to consider.” Then he looked Em directly in the eye and said, “I realize that your friend is important to you. Sergeant Cannon has informed me of the close bond you share with this other kid from Kentucky. Arrangements have been made to send your friend to Aircraft Maintenance School in Biloxi, Mississippi. He should be completely safe no matter where he ends up. He’ll keep those planes in the air, miles away from combat. I took care of this matter myself so you would not worry about him. I need your entire devotion to this project.”
The rest of the meeting was filled with idle talk. Colonel Roth wanted to know about their families, high school, their friends, girlfriends; and he even answered a few of their questions. They found out he was from Texas. He and Sergeant Cannon had known each other a very long time. Even though Philip had become a colonel and Jeffrey was only a sergeant, their friendship had never faltered. Em could sense the mutual respect and admiration between the two men.
The last personal comments came from Sergeant Cannon. “You boys haven’t disappointed me. You have mastered anything I have thrown at you. I usually don’t get personal with new recruits, but, Story, you remind me of Philip. I respect the way you took care of your friend when you got here. I learned to respect your friend Cook also. He reminds me of myself.” He pushed himself away from his desk and stood up. “This meeting has come to an end. I regret to inform you two that this is all strictly confidential. You must not even tell your best friends. The two of you will receive a top secret clearance before you leave for training, and I cannot reinforce the importance of secrecy enough.” He stared at them for five seconds.
With nothing else to say, Sergeant Cannon dismissed Em and Jack and told them to catch up to McAtee and Summerkamp and get the laundry finished. They turned to leave the room. Sergeant Cannon and Colonel Roth remained to talk about what had just happened. As Em and Jack were exiting the room, they heard Sergeant Cannon say, “Don’t worry, Philip. You know I’ll take care of them. Maggie and Meredith mean more to me than anything. I won’t let anything happen to them.”
When they joined their friends in the laundry room, it was difficult to dodge the inquiries. McAtee and Summerkamp were aware of the meeting with Sergeant Cannon, and they were not going to let up. The speed with which Jack formulated the lie was astonishing.
“He was so impressed with us sorting the uniforms that he wants us to show all the other laundry crews how we do it.” The ease with which they accepted this explanation was double astonishing. Em wondered if they would figure out the lie when they never actually witnessed them conducting training sessions.
Ten minutes later, they saw Colonel Roth exit the building. He emerged from the door at the rear of the barracks. With a purposeful stride that made him seem taller than he actually was, he made his way to a waiting car. Little did they know, the next time they would see Colonel Philip Roth would be on the other side of the world.
Later that night, as Em lay on his bunk trying to fall asleep, he thought of Colonel Roth and all the possibilities concerning his future. On one hand, he was excited. On the other, he was scared half out of his mind. Why in the world did Colonel Roth want him and Jack? Could it really be so dangerous? And if it was, why was he using teenage boys? Em knew there would be extensive training, but he was still only eighteen years old. All these thoughts did not help him relax. He was imagining all sorts of scenarios. Several involved a plane being shot at, and every one involved blood. He tried to reassure himself that the war would really be over soon. The president was promising something would change war forever. The entire newsreel they were seeing talked about the Allied front that now occupied Rome. There were rumors around the base that a major offensive was taking place right now. Tomorrow was June 4. They only had two more weeks of basic training. Then he tried to imagine him and Jack in Hawaii. He could not believe how fast things were happening. He wondered how soon he would be going overseas. He was now very sure that he would be spending some time “over there.” His mind continued to roam. He thought he would never sleep this night. There were so many questions that he now wished he had asked Colonel Roth. Was he allowed to tell his parents where he was going? How long would he be in Hawaii? What was he going to tell Corby? He was overwhelmed with several emotions, confusion being the prevalent one.
All around him he heard bunks creaking. He looked to Corby’s bunk because he heard him snoring above the others. It seemed that Corby was maturing at an astonishing rate. No longer was he the skinny
