The story of Jason's life in the Stalag continued…
After their breakfast of thin chicken soup and black bread, Colonel Bruker had the POWs in formation so he could walk around them for his daily dose of intimidation.
Jason and the POWs stood in formation.
Bruker strutted through the formation and inspected them.
He stopped at a POW, glared at him square in his eyes, and punched the POW in the stomach.
The POW bent over in pain.
Colonel Bruker moved down the formation proud of himself.
"You will have an assignment. You will be building a new barracks for my men starting tomorrow," Colonel Bruker told the POWs while he walked through the formation row.
Hans stood by the formation and frowned at the sight of Colonel Bruker's behavior.
"Which one of you is Jay Jay?" Colonel Bruker asked while he walked through the formation row.
All the POWs remained quiet and didn't respond to the Colonel's question.
"Come now, if this Jay Jay doesn't come forward, I'll punish everybody," Colonel Bruker said while he continued to walk through a formation row.
Jason didn't want everybody to get in trouble, but he couldn't understand why the Colonel wanted to see him. "I'm Jay Jay," Jason called out then raised his hand up in the air.
Colonel Bruker pushed his way through the formation and headed over to Jason.
He glared at Jason for a few seconds.
What did I do? Jason thought to himself while he looked at Colonel Bruker's cold grey eyes.
Colonel Bruker opened up a coat pocket and removed a postcard. He looked at the postcard then repeatedly smacked Jason's cheek with the card.
Jason cringed, as he knew he was in trouble when Colonel Bruker looked back at the card.
"Cindy, I love you, and we'll be married as soon as the war is over," he read from Jason's card. "How romantic," he replied, then clutched his heart pretending to be in love.
Colonel Bruker looked pissed while he tore up Jason's postcard into tiny pieces and let it raid down to the sandy soil. "You'll be denied incoming and outgoing mail for six months!" Colonel Bruker yelled at Jason then he noticed his shirt pocket was unbuttoned and the corner of a photo poked out. He got curious and reached over and snagged the photo out of Jason's pocket.
Jason got pissed with the Colonel but remained unruffled.
Colonel Bruker looked at the photo. "Is this Cindy?"
Jason nodded in agreement with his question.
"Too bad she'll never see you again," Colonel Bruker replied with an evil smirk then he shoved Jason's photo into his pants pocket.
Jason wanted to lunge at the Colonel but refrained thinking they would shoot him on the spot.
Colonel Bruker removed his Luger and beat Jason across his forehead.
Jason dropped to the ground in pain. He had a bloody gash above his left eye where blood flowed down in his eyes and down his cheek.
Colonel Bruker had a proud smirk with his accomplishment with Jason while he stared at him, couched down in the dirt.
Hans felt sorry for Jason while he watched him stand up, and blood ran down from his forehead.
Bruker walked away from the formation. "Dismissed and get that man some medical attention. I don't want him bleeding all over my Stalag," Colonel Bruker yelled out while he strutted over to his building.
Hans followed Colonel Bruker while he went into his building.
The POWs broke formation and milled around the area.
Ralph and another POW rushed over to Jason and walked him over toward the medical building.
An hour later, Hans worked at his desk on some paperwork.
"Private Wolfe," Colonel Bruker yelled out from his office.
Hans jumped up from his desk and rushed into the Colonel's office.
Hans rushed into his office and snapped to attention and saluted. "Yes, sir."
Colonel Bruker gave a return salute. "Put my trash in the incinerator," he ordered then returned to his paperwork.
Hans walked over and picked up the trash can.
Colonel Bruker had a smirk while he watched Hans leave his office with his trash can.
Hans walked out of the building with the trash can in hand.
He walked through the Stalag to the incinerator located on the other side of the compound.
He opened up the incinerator door and emptied the contents of the can inside the fire.
His eyes flashed open when he something of interest.
He quickly reached inside and removed Jason's photo from a nearby flame.
He discreetly shoved the photo in his pants pocket.
He closed the incinerator door and walked away with the trash can.
Hans walked the trash can back to Colonel Bruker's building.
Later that night in the barracks, some POWs played poker, some paced bored around the room, some slept in their bunks.
Jason was in his bunk and stared at the bottom of the bunk above him. He looked depressed with a bandage over his left eye.
The barracks door opened and Hans entered with mail in hand.
Hans walked by all the bunks and gave the POWs their mail.
Hans walked to Jason's bunk, with a hand behind his back.
Jason looked depressed while he stared at the bottom of the bunk above his bunk.
"I know, no mail," Jason said to Hans.
Hans smiled while he whipped his hand from behind his back and dropped Jason's photo on his chest.
Jason's eyes lit up when he saw his photo of Cindy on his chest. "Thanks, Hans!" he said while he grabbed his photo and looked at Cindy.
Jason shoved the photo back in his pocket and made sure it wasn't visible.
"I felt bad for Bruker tearing up your postcard," Hans replied then he looked around to make sure no other POW was watching. The coast was clear, so he unbuttoned a button from his shirt, and he removed two postcards and a pen. He discreetly handed them to Jason. "One for your girlfriend and one for your family," he said.
Jason couldn't believe his eyes over that act of kindness by a so-called enemy. "I don't know what to say. I wish there were something I could do for you," Jason said while he quickly wrote to Cindy on one of the postcards.
"Can you teach me about being a pilot? About how to fly an airplane?" Hans asked with a gleam in his eyes.
"It would be my pleasure," Jason replied while he started on the postcard to his parents.
Hans waited while Jason wrote a postcard to his parents.
Jason was finished and handed the postcards back to Hans.
Hans shoved them inside his shirt and buttoned it up.
"I'll make sure the Colonel doesn't see these, and I'll get them out in the mail. And I'll try to sneak in any letters that might arrive before the Colonel throws them away," Hans told Jason.
"When can I learn about flying?" Hans curiously asked.
"How can we talk without Colonel Bruker finding out?" Jason asked.
Hans thought for a few seconds. "We can meet at night at nine here in your barracks. The Colonel is asleep by then," he told Jason.
"It's a deal," Jason said then he stuck out his hand.
Jason and Hans shook hands to seal the deal.
Hans walked away with a smile and headed to the door of the barracks.
Jason removed his photo of Cindy and him under the Sweet Bird and recalled all the beautiful times they had together.
After dinner of more thin chicken soup and black bread, Jason walked around the allowed area of the Stalag for some exercise.
Later that night, Hans slipped into Jason's barracks at nine.
Hans walked over and sat on Jason's bunk. He unbuttoned his shirt and discreetly removed something wrapped in a napkin.
He discreetly handed it to Jason.
Jason unwrapped the napkin and saw it was a bratwurst from the German soldiers' dinner.
"What about some for the other guys?" Jason whispered to Hans while he discreetly munched on his bratwurst.
"I will get some for them when I can," Hans replied.
Jason discreetly munched on his bratwurst while Hans watched.
After he ate, Jason spent twenty minutes and explained the principles of how an airplane can fly.
Hans left Jason's barracks excited about learning something about flying an airplane.
During the next three weeks, Jason moped around the barracks and the Stalag. All he could think about was what was Cindy doing at this exact moment in England.
He also spent time teaching Hans about aerodynamics by using a paper airplane.
Because of the poor diet provided by the Germans, Jason dropped fifteen pounds in weight.
Two weeks later, Jason lay in his bunk with thoughts about Cindy.
Hans entered the barracks with for his daily mail duties.
He finally arrived at Jason's bunk and smiled when he sat down. He discreetly unbuttoned his shirt and reached inside, removed a letter, and he handed it over to Jason.
"Thank Hans," Jason replied with a smile while he opened up the letter.
"I'll see you later tonight for another lesson?" Hans asked.
"Okay," Jason replied while he unfolded the letter.
Hans got up off the bunk and headed to the barracks door.
Jason read his letter.
"Dear Son, I'm so afraid the Germans will harm you while you're held, prisoner. I do have some good news to tell you. We just heard that Peggy will return home soon. She also wrote to us about that English girl you were dating while in England. You hurt her feeling deeply, and your father and I are ashamed of what you did to her," Wilma wrote in her letter.
Jason set his letter down and looked worried that his parents are now upset with him for falling in love with Cindy.
Later that night, Hans and Jason had another lesson where Jason explained taking off in an airplane.
Two more boring weeks had passed in the Stalag, and Jason couldn't stop thinking about Cindy. It was the thought of her that kept him surviving this POW camp.
Jason received a package from home that the Red Cross delivered to the Stalag. He opened it up to find some of his mom's chocolate chip cookies, some toothpaste, a toothbrush, and some brownies that Peggy made. The cookies and brownies were a little stale from the long journey across the ocean, but it still tasted better than the food in the Stalag.
Three more weeks had passed, and the weather was freezing with snow, and the POWs finished building the new barracks for the German soldiers.
Jason dropped a little more weight, and his daily jogs around the allotted area were getting shorter and shorter.
He was also depressed because he wanted to receive some letters from Cindy. All he got were letters from his mom, stating that Peggy was still in love with him.
Colonel Bruker also continued with his regular routine of formation inspections where he would harass the POWs, and everybody eventually got punched sooner or later.
Jason continued to teach Hans about flying an airplane during the nights. They sometimes discussed aviation in his barracks or sat outside in the cold night up against a barracks wall.
When they sat outside, they would have to duck into the crawl space of the barracks to avoid the searchlight illuminating their bodies.
More months had passed, and it was early January 1944, and the POWs were even more depressed.
Some POWs play cards, some lay in their bunks, and some paced. But they all had one thought in common, and that was a better life outside this Stalag.
Hans entered the barracks with some mail to deliver.
After he dropped off all the letters, he stopped by Jason's bunk.
"Hi Jay Jay," he said and sat down on Jason's bunk.
Jason thought for a few seconds. "Can I trust you, Hans?"
"Sure, we're friends," Hans replied then leaned closer to Jason. "But don't tell Colonel Bruker," he added with a chuckle.
"Will you sneak out letters to Cindy?" Jason quietly asked.
Hans thought about his offer for a few seconds, then he looked nervous. "I would love to, but I can't. Colonel Bruker would shoot me if he found out. I'm sorry, Jay Jay," Hans replied and felt terrible about not helping him.
Jason looked depressed, and Hans felt terrible.
"I wish we had a record player. I'm missing music something fierce," Kent one of the card players said.
Jimmy paced up and down by some bunks, and then his eyes lit up. "Yeah, Glenn Miller's In The Mood," he called out to the other POWs.
All the POWs smiled in agreement when they remembered dancing to that song.
Then William used his hands to simulate a sax and sang out the introduction to In The Mood.
Bobby jumped up on cue and simulated a trumpet and sand out the trumpet introduction to In The Mood.
Then Sal, Tony, Steve, and Roger all jumped up and simulated the other instruments and sang out the rest of the introduction to In The Mood.
The pretend band got in front of the barracks and sang out the song while they pretended to be playing instruments.
The rest of the POWs got up from their bunks and danced with each other.
Jason got off his bunk and danced with his photo of Cindy in his hand.
Tom grabbed Hans and danced with him.
It was a party atmosphere while they sang and danced around the barracks.
The barracks door slammed opened, and Colonel Bruker stormed inside with his Luger in hand.
He saw the party and fired a bullet into the ceiling.
The POWs all stopped dead in their tracks.
Tom hid Hans behind them and then Hans snuck under a bunk. A few other POWs stood by that bunk and shielded him from the Colonel's view.
Colonel Bruker walked around and glared at all the POWs. "Enough! Any more of this, and I'll have you all shot on sight!" he yelled while he walked around the POWs and glared at them.
Bruker walked by the POWs that shielded Hans from under the bed. He stopped and glared at them, and they just avoided eye contact.
Colonel Bruker walked away from those POWs.
"Lights out!" Colonel Bruker said while he walked to the door.
Colonel Bruker turned out the lights then left the barracks.
The POWs helped Hans get out from under the bunk.
Hans looked relieved while Jason walked back over to him in the dark.
"I'll do it," Hans told Jason.
"Do what?"
"I'll sneak out your letters," Hans replied.
Jason smiled then looked concerned. "But what about Colonel Bruker?"
"I'm tired of that old bully."
Jason patted Hans on his shoulder. "Thanks."
"You better wait a few minutes to make sure Colonel Bruker is back in his building," Tom said.
Roger and Tony peeked out the window and saw the light in Colonel Bruker's bedroom from his office building turn out.
"It's safe, Hans," Tony said while he continued to look out the window.
Hans walked to the door and left the barracks.
Jason, Tony, Tom, Roger, and Bobby looked out their windows and watched while Hans snuck across the Stalag to his barracks.
After they were satisfied, Hans made it back safely back to his barracks, they all got in their bunks.
While Jason lay in his bunk, all he could think about was writing a letter to Cindy.
It was the next morning, Hans snuck into Jason's barracks and gave him some paper, an envelope, and a pen.
Jason immediately lay in his bunk and wrote Cindy.
"Dear Cindy, I'm doing fine here in the German Stalag. I think about you every day and knowing that one day we'll be married keeps me strong in this prison. I love you," Jason wrote in his letter.
He stuck the letter in the envelope and got it ready to be mailed.
An hour later, Hans entered Jason's barracks and rushed over to his bunk.
Jason handed him his letter, and Hans shoved it into his shirt.
Hans rushed out of the barracks.
Jason lay in his bunk and couldn't wait to get a letter from Cindy.
An hour later, Colonel Bruker was finished looking at the outgoing letters from the POWs. He handed them to Hans for further processing out of the Stalag.
When Colonel Bruker walked back into his office, Hans reached inside his shirt and removed Jason's letter to Cindy. Hans shoved it in the middle of the other POWs letters.
The POWs letters went out later that afternoon.
That night, Jason had another dream, and in his dream, he was at in a church in England. He was dressed in his best suit, and Cindy wore a white wedding gown.
"Do you Jay Jay take Cindy Grant to be your wife?" the Preacher asked Jason.
"I do," Jason quickly replied with a smile.
"So do you Cindy Grant take Jay Jay to be your husband?" the Preacher asked Cindy.
"I do," Cindy replied.
"You may kiss your bride," the Preacher told Jason.
Jason and Cindy kissed.
"I now pronounce you Mister and Misses Jason Jenkins," the Preacher said.
Jason and Cindy turned around, and there was only a handful of attended his wedding.
In the front row were his mother and father and Wendy. Also in the church were six of the POWs from his barracks, including Ralph.
His POWs buddies clapped and cheered.
His mother and Wendy wiped tears out of their eyes.
Jason and Cindy walked down the aisle.
Jason woke up from his dream and looked around the barracks with a huge smile. That smile soon dissipated when he realized he was back in the Stalag.
It snowed that night, and when the POWs woke up the next morning, it was freezing outside.
Colonel Bruker had the POWs of Jason's barracks outside so his goons could check their barracks for any contraband.
Jason walked around the Stalag in the fifteen-degree weather with the other POWs.
Jason thought he was going to get frostbite walking around, and then he noticed Richard who looked weak and could barely walk. He kept an eye on Richard because he's been so sickly and weighed a little over 100 lbs.
Richard dropped to the frozen ground and lay motionless.
Jason rushed over to Richard and felt his neck for a pulse.
"He's dead," he told another POW that ran over to assist.
Jason and the other POW stood up when three German soldiers ran over with their rifles aimed at them.
Two other soldiers ran over, and they grabbed Richard's boots.
They dragged Richard's dead body across the frozen ground to the medical building.
Jason walked around, and all he could think about was being back in Cindy's arms.