Jason’s story about his World War II experience continued.
The months had passed, and it was now early August 1943 over in England.
Jason was assigned to the 990th Bomber Group where Colonel Franklin was the Commander.
His group operated out of Chipley Springs airfield, just outside the quaint town of Chipley Springs. The town was located about fifty miles northeast of London and thirty miles from the coast.
Chipley Springs airfield consisted of a two-story building with a balcony so the incoming B-17s could be counted after coming back from a mission.
There was a two-story building for the hospital, another Quonset hut for the briefing and debriefing of the pilots.
There was a large hangar for repair work on the B-17, an Administration building, a smaller building for the Group Commander, and smaller Quonset huts for barracks, chow hall, latrine, and other necessities.
Jason was on a mission over Germany with the B-17 called the Nazi Crusher, and they flew in formation with other B-17s in the high squadron. The nose art for the Nazi Crusher was a goofy cartoon character of Hitler with a bomb penetrating through his chest.
Inside the Nazi Crusher, it was a bouncy flight while flak exploded all around the bombers.
His buddy Rick Sanders was the Air Commander of the Nazi Crusher, and Jason was his copilot.
Their B-17 continued to shake while flak exploded all around them.
“Okay bombardier, we’re approaching the target,” Rick said into the radio net.
“In work,” Greg Cooper, the twenty-two ear old 2nd Lieutenant Bombardier replied from the radio net.
Jason and Rick looked out their side windows and watched for a few minutes.
“Kaboom Mister Hitler!” Rick said into the radio net.
Their bombs exploded a plant that assembled bombs.
Jason and Rick congratulated each other.
“Okay Nazi Crushers, the beer’s on me, tonight,” Rick said into the radio net.
The cheers from his crew members were heard coming from the radio net inside the plane.
More flak exploded outside their plane, and it violently shook.
“The Vivacious Vicky got hit!” Lester Paul, an eighteen-year-old Sergeant who was one of the Waist Gunners called out from the radio net.
From Jason’s cockpit windows, he saw the Vivacious Vicky nose dive with three of its engines on fire. Then it exploded into a fireball, instantly killing all the crew members.
Jason and Rick looked fearful at each other, thinking they could go at any second.
It’s quiet on the radio net inside the Nazi Crusher while all the crew members were saddened about their friends on the Vivacious Vicky.
Back to present day in 1978 at Spencer’s museum.
More people gathered around and were captivated with Jason’s World War II story.
Robyn and Jason noticed the crowd that gathered.
“You have an audience, Uncle Jason,” Robyn told him.
Jason got embarrassed when he noticed about fifteen people stood by him. “We should move on,” he said then grabbed Robyn’s hand.
The thunder got louder, and lightning was also heard cracking a few miles away.
“Please continue, sir. After all, we have a storm to wait out,” a man in the crowd called out.
In the crowd, a young girl around seven years old looked up at her mom and dad. “This is better than daddy’s bedtime stories,” she confessed to her parents.
Everybody in the crowd chuckled at the girl’s comment. Her father gave Jason a bow to the master storyteller.
Jason looked at everybody’s hopeful eyes that he would continue his story. “Well, that night, we all did our usual way to relax from the war, and we all headed to the dance hall located on the airfield,” Jason said while he looked at everybody. “And buying his crew a beer was a tradition of Captain Rick Sanders. But on that night, I met my soul mate.
Robyn’s eyes widened with curiosity, as did all the other eyes of the women that listened.
Jason’s story about his World War II experience continued.
At the Chipley Springs airfield, the Let’s Boogie Down dance hall was packed that night. A band was comprised of soldiers where they had a trumpet player, clarinet player, stand-up bass, saxophone player and a set of drums. These instruments were purchased from the local English community and paid for by the soldiers on the airfield contributing.
The band was playing their version of Duke Ellington’s Take The A Train song.
Army soldiers swing danced with female soldiers, and some guys danced with the local English women on the dance floor.
Other guys and gals sat at tables while they drank and chatted while they listened to the music.
Cindy Grant, a nineteen-year-old, chubby beautiful blonde English girl entered the dance hall with her friend Amy Goodrich, a nineteen-year-old English girl with brunette hair.
At the bar, Rick and Jason waited while the bartender, Russell Knowles, a twenty-eight-year-old Staff Sergeant that was a mechanic on one of the B-17s, brought them ten bottles of beer.
Amy headed to an available table while Cindy headed to a bar.
Jason saw TSgt Robert “Rocky” Romano, a thirty-year-old mechanic who sat at his nightly spot at the bar.
“Hey, Rocky,” Jason said.
Rocky nodded Jason’s greeting while he sipped his beer.
Cindy walked up behind Jason and waited her turn at the bar.
Rick paid the bartender for the beers then he and Jason each grabbed five bottles.
Jason turned around, and his beer bottles clanged while he almost bumped into Cindy. They gazed into each other’s eyes for a brief moment. The sight of this young and beautiful blonde English girl immediately smote Jason.
“Hi,” he said to Cindy.
Cindy gave Jason a bashful smile, and she stepped aside so he could head to his table.
Jason and Rick walked away from the bar.
They headed to their table located about in the center of the dance hall.
The Nazi Crushers crew members anxiously waited at the bar for their brew. The Crusher crew members consisted of, Greg Cooper, 1st Lieutenant Raymond Adams the Navigator, SSgt Billy Donner the Flight Engineer/Top Turret Gunner, TSgt Charlie Hampton the Radio Operator, Sgt Willy Bright the Ball Turret Gunner, SSgt Steve Maryande the Tail Gunner, Lester Paul, and Sgt Ernie Toole the other Waist Gunner.
Crushers quickly snatched their beers the second Rick and Jason placed them on the table.
Rick and Jason sat down at the crowded table.
Jason suddenly became captivated the second he spotted Cindy while she walked back to Amy’s table with two soda bottles in her hands.
The band ended their song and started up their version of Duke Ellington’s Mood Indigo song.
Couples started slow dancing on the dance floor.
Rick noticed Jason while he looked interested with Cindy, and he leaned over. “She’s fat, which means she’s really desperate,” Rick quietly said in Jason’s ear.
Jason frowned at Rick’s crude comment. “That’s not nice.”
“Go for it, Jay Jay. Our lives may not last long over here,” Raymond said then he eyed another potential girl to pick up for the evening.
Jason stood up to go to Cindy, but he sat back down, disappointed. “Someone beat me to her.”
Everybody at the table looked and saw TSgt Gus Sampson stand at the table by Cindy and Amy.
Amy got up from the table and walked with Gus to the dance floor.
“Your opportunity still waits,” Charlie said while they all saw Cindy sitting alone.
Jason smiled while he stood up then he walked over to Cindy’s table.
He walked past by a table of rowdy enlisted men and one of them stretched his left leg out.
Jason accidentally tripped over the man’s leg, and he fell toward Cindy.
Jason’s head plopped in Cindy’s crotch the second she went to take a drink of her soda.
“Ahhhh!’ she screamed out at the sight of Jason’s head in her crotch and poured her soda down her cleavage, her dress and the back of Jason’s head.
She jumped out of the chair, and Jason landed on the floor on his back.
Jason immediately sprang up startled and saw the soda on her dress and cleavage. He quickly removed his handkerchief and soaked up some soda near her cleavage. Cindy freaked out when she saw his hand by her breasts, and she slapped him across his cheek.
Jason rushed away embarrassed while everybody nearby laughed.
Jason rushed back to his table where some Crushers taunted and mocked him.
Ernie rubbed the back of Jason’s wet head and chuckled.
The band stopped playing their song and placed their instruments down indicating they were taking a fifteen break. They wanted some much-needed beer.
Jason watched while Gus escorted Amy back to her table.
He watched while Gus walked away from the girl’s table.
He watched while Amy looked down at the wet spot on Amy’s dress. Then he watched while Cindy pointed at Jason and that made him even more embarrassed. “I better go,” Jason told everybody at the table.
All the Nazi Crusher watched while Jason rushed out of the dance hall.
Later that night, Jason paced outside the dance hall and watched while soldiers exited the building. Most of them were drunk, and they were arm in arm while they sang out some of the songs the band played while they staggered away.
After a few more minutes of pacing, Cindy and Amy finally exited the dance hall.
Jason rushed over to Cindy the second he spotted her. “I’m so sorry. Someone tripped me and caused me to land in your lap.”
“That’s okay,” Cindy replied while she walked away with Amy.
“I wasn’t trying to feel your breasts. I was trying to be a gentleman and wipe up the soda,” Jason said while he followed her.
“That’s okay.”
“I would love to pay to have your dress cleaned,” Jason offered.
“You don’t have to do that,” Cindy replied while she continued to walk away with Amy.
“Please let me make it up to you. May I have the honor of taking you out for dinner or go dancing?” Jason asked.
“That won’t be necessary,” Cindy replied and looked away from Jason.
Jason realized he was fighting a losing battle, so he turned around and moped back to the barracks.
Cindy and Amy walked away into the darkness.
“He’s cute, Cindy,” Amy said while she glanced back at Jason.
“And sweet, Amy, but he’s probably just lonely and will soon disappear after a one night stand,” Cindy replied then glanced back at Jason a little interested, while they walked away.
Later that night in Jason’s barracks, he lay in his bunk in deep thought with a pad of paper on his chest.
There were a few other officers in their bunks that slept or wrote letters home.
Rick, Raymond, and Greg entered the barracks drunk, and they staggered down the aisle.
“Jay Jay!” Rick yelled out the second he saw Jason in his bunk.
Rick plopped down at the bunk next to Jason. He snatched the pad of paper off Jason’s chest and saw that he only wrote “Dear Peggy” on the letter.
Rick noticed that Jason was in deep thought.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Rick slurred out to Jason.
“I can’t get that girl at the dance hall out of my mind.”
“You’re loony. Peggy’s so beautiful,” Rick slurred out then he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. His hand relaxed, and the pad of paper fell to the floor and landed under Jason’s bunk.
Jason just stared at the ceiling while he thought about Cindy.
It was the next day, and everybody had time off since there weren’t any missions being flown.
Jason got in his tee-shirt and sweat pants, and he jogged out of the barracks.
A little while later, Jason jogged through the quaint town of Chipley Springs.
Jason huffed and puffed while he jogged down one of the streets of Chipley Springs.
Jason jogged then turned down another smaller street.
Cindy suddenly rode her bike out of a side street and smacked into Jason.
He tumbled down the street and landed face down.
Cindy screeched to a stop, jumped off her bike, and ran to Jason. “I’m so sorry!” she cried out the second she arrived at Jason.
Jason rolled over in pain, and the second he saw Cindy, his pain vanished. “I guess this is payback for last night?”
Cindy looked clueless for a few seconds then she remembered and chuckled.
“I’m Jason Jenkins, but everybody calls me Jay Jay. And again, I’m extremely sorry,” he said while he sat up.
“I’m Cindy Grant and last night is forgotten, and please forgive me for hitting you with my bicycle,” she said then noticed his knees were bloody from scrapping on the road when he tumbled. “You’re hurt.
Jason looked down at his knees. “Oh, it’s nothing.”
She helped Jason up to his feet. She looked down the street with an idea then back at Jason. She hesitated for a second wondering if her idea was a good one, then she smiled. “We better take care of that before it gets infected. I live just down the street,” she said.
“Okay,” Jason replied with a smile, then he walked over and picked up Cindy’s bike.
He pushed her bike with a limp while Cindy walked by his side.
“Why were you running down the street? Were you late for something?” she curiously asked.
“I was on the cross-country team during college, and running helps keeps me alert. I’m a pilot,” he replied.
“A pilot, I’m impressed,” she responded then she looked down at her chubby body. “I guess I should run down the street myself,” she added with a bit of frown.
“I don’t think you’ll need to run that far,” he replied as a compliment.
Cindy smiled and blushed deeply while they walked closer to her two-story apartment building.
Later that day, Jason sat in the small living room of Cindy’s one-bedroom apartment on the second floor of the building.
He had a bandage on his knees while he sat on the couch with Cindy. They drank some tea.
“Where do you work?” he asked Cindy.
“I’m a typist at the Administration building. My father’s an Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force and got me the job. I work for Sergeant Wilson. He’s shady and does favors for money,” she replied.
“After the war, I want to own a couple of planes and start my own aviation company,” Jason said.
“I would love to learn how to fly and perhaps own an airplane. When my work allows, I watch your B seventeens take off and land,” Cindy said with a gleam in her eye.
“A woman that loves flying. I ’m impressed. Maybe I’ll take you up sometime. I can give you some lessons.”
“But there’s a war’s going on?”
“Wars don’t last forever,” he replied.
Cindy smiled at his offer. “It’s a date!”
She noticed his teacup was empty. “Would you like more tea?”
“I’d love some more,” he replied, wanting to stay longer with her.
Cindy grabbed his teacup and stood up.
Jason watched with love in his eyes while Cindy walked over to her small kitchen.
It was later that night, and it was quiet in Jason’s barracks except for the occasional snore while men sleep in their bunks.
Jason entered the barracks and whistled a happy tune while he strutted down the aisle.
He got to his bunk where he noticed that the mail arrived. He picked up a letter off his bunk and noticed it was from Peggy.
Rick woke up and squinted his eyes at Jason. “Where did you run to? Scotland?”
“I was with her,” Jason replied while he looked at Peggy’s letter.
“With who? Betty?” Rick responded while he sat upon his bunk.
“No. I was with Cindy.”
“Who?”
“The girl from the dance hall that I accidentally tripped then slammed my face into her lap.”
Rick looked at Jason’s bandaged knees. “Did she beat you?”
“She hit me with her bike.”
“She sure sounds like a sweet girl,” Rick replied with a yawn.
“I think she’s the one,” Jason said with a warm smile.
“I thought you were engaged?”
Jason looked at Peggy’s letter in his hand and frowned. “I know, but, when I’m with Cindy, I feel so alive. I feel like we belong together.”
Rick yawned again. “Yeah, whatever,” he replied, then he went back to sleep.
Jason got in his bed and opened up Peggy’s letter.
“My love, my nursing training is complete, and I’ll be getting my first assignment soon. When I get home for leave, my mom and your mom will discuss our wedding plans,” Peggy’s letter stated.
Jason crumpled up her letter and tossed it on the floor. He lay on his back and stared at the ceiling and smiled when he thought about Cindy then frowned when he thought about Peggy.