charlotte tarvers is only 14 when the war breaks out, but 17 when she signs up. she's heard the stories from her parents, lovers who found each other by chance on the front lines in world war one in the country of france, now passing down the storie...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
" Genius has no race. Strength has no gender. Courage has no limit."
-unknown
***
Camp Toccoa was filled with volunteers, coming from all walks of life, wanting to be part of the Airborne, and become a paratrooper, the newest concept in military history. Many had already started their training in their assigned platoon groups, which came with 2 Lieutenants, as well as a medic, and a mortar squad, three twelve-man rifle squads, as well as a machine gunner pair. The 3 platoons that had been created for Easy, already had all the men they needed, all places filled, except for 2nd platoon, which contained a missing medic spot. The men didn't pay much attention to their missing medic position, they saw the empty bed at the end, near Joe Liebgott's bed stay with a uniform on top, a pair of boots, which were rather small at that, and an empty trunk at the end. But they also noticed the filled medic satchel and medic brassard lying on top of the pile.
Charlotte knocked, somewhat quiet and feeble like on the door to Colonel Sink's office. She waited for him to come to the door and pushed the brim on her helmet farther down her face to conceal her gender. She clutched her bag of personal items from the platoon she'd previously been in. She didn't want to look back on it. For 8 weeks, the guys segregated her like she was a disease, no one would speak to her, or even try to make a conversation with her. But she had expected it. She kept to herself, and tried to focus on her studies as a medic. But with the barracks still only half built, she was shoved in billets with 30 men, who didn't care she was a woman.
But she expected it.
The memories were harsh, it was like being in high school again, being left out at every meal, when they had their weekend passes, and she'd opt to stay back. Even the officers were rather rude to her, and it felt like she had no one. When she was told she could go and join the Airborne and be the fighting with the best, she didn't look back. No one else in that platoon had opted to volunteer, and she was even happier. She was glad that it had hardened her a bit, and hoped for better as she stood at the door. Colonel Sink opened the door and gave the young medic in front of him a smile. The helmet, a bit too large on her head, tilted sideways a bit atop her small figure, and her braids were behind her as well. Her big blue eyes were gentle and caring as she looked up at the Colonel, and there were a few brown strays of hair framing her face. The young medic felt a weight lift from her shoulders. It had been the first smile, in her general vicinity for weeks, and she thought if she didn't see another happy person soon, she'd break.
" Private Tarvers." he said to the young girl. She saluted the rank.
" At ease. Come in, we have a lot to talk about." he said, stepping back and holding the door as she stepped inside. She removed her helmet and took in the light sunshine filtering through the big windows, the light fan on the top of the room, generating a breeze, the American flag, flapping slighting behind the desk where paperwork was spread over top. Colonel Sink shut the door and walked around to his desk sitting down.
