1942, Huntsville, Alabama USA.
It was a warm and sticky morning, the hot sun was already beating down on the town of Huntsville, Alabama, and was due to get even hotter as the day went on.
Evangeline Yoet didn't seem to care, trailing behind her mother and a group of older women who were too busy nattering to notice the busy streets.
The two had just left the Sunday morning church service and were cutting through the market to get a few things before they went back home and her mother ended up running into her friends from the country club.
" Evangeline Yoet, hurry up!" Her mother called behind, noticing her daughter stop infront of a fancy book store.
" I'll catch up with you in a minute Ma !" Evangeline called out gazing in the window and the newly pressed novels.
The little bell chimed as She walked in.
The old lady who worked there looked up and smiled at her.
"Hello dear, how can I help you?"
"Good morning ma'am, I'm ok for now thank you, just browsing" she replied, smiling sweetly at the old woman.
Evangeline spent about 10 minutes flicking through the books on the shelf, switching from romance novels to horror thrillers before settling on 'From when the bell tolls'.
She quickly totted up to the counter and placed the book on the top.
"Would that be all love?" The woman asked with a thick southern accent, opening the cash register to take what money Evangeline could fish out of her coat pocket.
"Yes Ma'am, thank you".
The shop keeper placed the book in a brown bag and folded over the edge, holding it out for Evangeline to take but the girl was preoccupied.
Across from the book shop was the town hall, where a line of men began queue up, next to the sign that read :
MARINES WANTED
CORPSMEN WANTED ,NOW RECRUITING
"Brave boys are they not?" The old woman drawled , bringing Evangeline out of her daydream.
"Yes, yes they are" Evangeline replied, embarrassed that she had accidentally ignored the woman, taking the book quickly and tucking it under her arm.
"My boys in Europe, he's a paratrooper for the airborne" the woman continued pursing her lips.
"You must miss him terribly?" Evangeline questioned, swallowing the lump in her throat.
"Everyday" the woman replied, dusting the table down with a cloth.
Evangeline knew how the woman felt, her own brother Joseph Yoet was somewhere in the pacific, her family hadn't received a letter from him in over two months and they were starting to worry.
Evangeline cleared her throw and licked her red lips,
"I best be off, my mother is expecting me!" She started out of the shop when she stopped.
Spotting the most beautiful journal she had ever seen.
The cover was brown leather, two corners gold with a thin brown tie to keep the book together.
"How much is this please ?" She asked, taking the book in her hands and holding it up for the woman to see.
"It's -" the woman hesitated, " oh tell you what dear, you can have it"
"Oh no I couldn't-" Evangeline argued taking a few steps towards the counter.
" Don't be silly - consider it a gift from a stranger to another" the woman nodded clicking her heels.
"Thank you Ma'am I'll put it to good use I promise" Evangeline breathed a laugh putting the small book with the other she had brought.
" I really must be going" She smiled walking back to the door of the shop.
" Bye dear" the woman called as Evangeline sped out the door.
As She exited the shop she shot another glance at the bold sign outside the town hall.
MARINES WANTED
CORPSMEN WANTED ,NOW RECRUITING
Evangeline stopped and stared at the sign for a moment and swallowed hard, She needed a job, She needed money to help her family and she needed to find out what happened to her brother.
She was qualified enough to be a corpsman seeing as She'd just finished medical school, but would she get through enlistment and training being a woman?
Evangeline shook the thought from her head and continued on her walk home, something still nagging in the back of her mind.
" I'm home Ma!" She called walking in through the small cottage door.
"Oh finally Eva, quickly set the table before your father gets home" she fussed as She placed the bag by the door and books on the stairs.
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Once dinner had finished Evangeline began to help her mother clear the table as her father was sat stone faced with his nose stuck in the news paper.
" Ive been thinking-" She began placing the dirty plates in the sink.
" About what?" Her father spoke in a monotone voice still reading the new articles.
" About gettin' a job" Evangeline replied wiping her hands down her dress.
"Well that's good!" Her mother smiled glancing over at her.
" I'm thinking about joining, to become a corpsman " Evangeline finally spat out.
The smile on her mothers face immediately dropped and she slowly put down the glasses she was holding and leaned against the kitchen counter.
Her Father slowly put down his paper, " The marines?!" He choked out.
" I saw a sign outside the town hall, the need doctors, nurses to help out on the front line, it's double the pay the hostpital nurses are getting i could really help you out!" Evangeline tried to reason.
" Are you completely out of your mind?!" Her mother screeched.
"Ma listen to me-" Evangeline interrupted. " i might be able to find out what happened to Joseph!"
"What has happened to your brother will always be a mystery and it WILL stay that way young lady!" her father shouted standing up from his seat. " go to your room Evangeline your mother and I need to talk"
"Father I'm 19-"
"Now !" He yelled scaring the life out of her and her Mother.
Evangeline rushed up the stairs quickly grabbing her books , not wanting to get in the way. She could hear the muffled raised voices through the walls of her house as she climbed into bed.
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The next morning came to quickly. Evangeline was up before Her mother and father, she quickly washed and changed into her white shirt and navy trousers with black heeled boots.
She then walked down the stairs and made herself a pot of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table to read the paper from the night before.
Shortly after 9am, her father walked into the kitchen wrapped in his dressing gown and brown pyjamas. He poured himself some coffee and sat down next to her. Placing his hand on Evangeline's wrist to bring the paper down so he could talk to her properly.
"Your mother and I have been talking" he scratched the back of his neck and quickly adjusted his small round glasses. "We wont stop you from doing this, but you have to understand how gruesome this can be" He spoke looking at his daughter with concern.
Her father had been an army doctor who looked after the soldiers in 1916 from the safety of a hospital just when he had finished med school.
" I saw things no young man should ever see, some soldiers had the life knocked out of them I don't want that to happen to you" he carried on.
Of course Evangeline understood the risks but if she could save a few lives at least she knew that in 5 years time, if she didn't go she would regret not helping and serving her country.
" I understand " She responded.
Evangeline knew that the enlistment started at 10, if she left soon, she knew she'd miss most of the crowd. She smiled softly at her father and got up from her seat slowly and grabbed her long brown coat and bag.
"Dad-" She began " I won't let you down" and with that she was gone.
YOU ARE READING
The corpswoman (Based off of the HBO mini series 'The Pacific'.
Historical FictionThe year is 1942, Evangeline Yoet was a 19 year old, girl who had finished medical school and was looking for a job. After her brother goes missing and presumed dead after joining the marines, she joins as a corpsman in the hopes of finding her brot...
