The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1945-04-19

now to leave the camp. Soon, she
knew, would come her orders to
report for duty. There would be
long and uncomfortable trip
across the country to San Fran
cisco, she decided, and then per-
haps a long wait.
If she were lucky she'd get on
one of the many planes being
flown to the Southwest Pacific,
If not, she'd have that interniin-
able boat ride over the biggest
ocean in the world.
Maybe she would not get there
before Jerry completed his fifty
combat missions and was return
ed to the U. S. A.
This question was settled very
quickly by a letter from Jerry,
the first she had received in many
weeks. The very first sentence
told her the important news.
"Just completed my fiftieth
mission-a beautiful shel!acking
of Jap ships in the harbor at Ra-
baul-and am being sent home
within a few days!'
Laura's feelings were so mixed
that she didn't know whether to
laugh or cry. A great relief DOM
mated all other feelings, howev-
er-relief that Jerry had come
through his tour of dangerous
combat duty and was coming
home to safety.
But her desire to see him, to be
with him, was strong that a wave
of loneliness soon engulfed her
What difference did it make il
he were safe when they would be
thousands of miles apart, They
might pass each other in the all
over the Pacific-she on a plane
headed west and he on a plane
heading east.
Letters could not ever be sub
stitute for talking together face
to face. The letters told the ma
jor events, but not the little day
to-day happenings-tiny and in
significant as each might be-tnat
made up most of a persons life,
THAT'S what want" Laura
said to herself. 81 want at least
enough time with Jerry to get
around to the trivial things in our
conversational
So she began hoping that her
orders would be delayed, lost in
some mass of red tape. 1t hap
pened to others on occasion, and
they always rallied against it, as
she herself would have under or
binary circumstances. Now she
longed for delay, hoping that Jer-
ry would meanwhile be flying
toward home without any delay
whatsoever.
But when three days had passed
she received her orders. Ano
then came the gratest surprise Of
all. She was to report to New
York-not to San Francisco!
Laura was dismayed by her or
ders. She had taken it for grant
ed that she would be sent back tt
the South Pacific and would en-
bark from the West Coast, prob
ably San Francisco. The order tt
report in New York must NEAR
that she was going to the Euro
pean theater of action. She didn''
object to that but, if she was t.
leave from New York, whar
chance was there of seeing Jer'
ry?
That question was answered OF
the afternoon of the same day by
a telegram from Jerry in Sar
Francisco! Luckily, there hac
been an available plane seat the
day after his tour of duty ended
and he had come across the Pacif.
ic in record time.
Now he was fighting with the
airlines and railroads to get east
as soon as possible. Of course
he was heading for Bowman Fielc
to see Laura, since he knew moth.
ing of her orders to report in New
York.
A telegram took care of that
provided it should reach him be-
fore he left San Francisco by
train or plane.
MUST REPORT TO NEW
YORK THE TENTH. MEET ME-
HOTEL MANHATTAN THERE
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
Then Laura crossed her fingers
hoping they'd make connections
somehow.
"Here I've got what I've want
ed most" she muttered angrily tc
herself, orders to report for du-
ty as a flight nurse, and I'm mad
about the whole situation! Why
do I love that guy, anyway"
, She arrived in New York or
L IL l. II.