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Just Doing Her Part
Date: 8/16/2015, Categories: Historical, Author: Adamgunn, Rating: , Source: LushStories
appealing. "You're going over soon?" "We ship out the day after tomorrow." "Are you scared?" It was impertinent to ask this of him, as brash as it would have been to suggest he was unprepared or unfit. And yet he answered, as honestly as he could, "A little, I guess. But they say once you get to fighting, you're too busy to be scared. I sure hope so, mam'n." His voice trailed off. "You don't have to call me 'mam'n.' Alice will do just fine. Is Guthrie Center a good place to be from?" "Well, I like it. Although before I enlisted, I'd never been anywhere else. Oh, I've gone over to Des Moines every year to the State Fair. But it's beautiful in the summer, when the corn is high and the swallows are going after beetles." "I'm sure it is," she pleasantly agreed. "Do you have a girlfriend?" "No, not really. Oh, Mildred sort of thinks she's my girlfriend, I guess. Once she found out I was planning on enlisting after we graduated from High School, she took a shine to me, and we started going to dances together and such. She writes to me a few times a week, lets me know what's going on back home. And she put a star in her window for me. But I told her not to wait for me; I'm not sure if she's the girl I want to marry after I get back." Alice heard the unspoken echo, 'If I get back.' "That's wise of you, I'm sure. Still, she must be very proud of you. I think you're a hero, doing your part to beat the Nazi's. I try to do my part, too. It's very important for us stuck at home to do ... anything we can to keep your morale up. I observe one extra meatless, wheatless and sweetless day every week." It was obvious that she, like the rest of the country, was drastically patriotic, willing to deny themselves anything for the country, zealous to assist in the coming victory in any way they could. Trying to change the subject, not wishing to seem too important, she asked, "You enlisted right after High School? Why did you choose the army?" "Well, mam'n -- I mean Alice -- I thought the Army would give me the best chance to fight, and my uncle was in the 37th Infantry in the first War. He told me real men went into the Army. So I joined up eight months ago, and I've been in training ever since. Don't know why they haven't sent us over to kick some rear ends before this." The boy and young woman sat and chatted in the crowded bar, mostly about life in Guthrie Center, a bit about her, but she seemed guarded in her responses to his questions. Soon one of the members of Harold's platoon spoke to him. "Hey, Corrigan, we're heading over to the whor - - I mean, we're heading over to Second Avenue." This was the area where the brothels were, and although Alice probably wouldn't speak to the girls who worked there, she still appreciated their sacrifices for these poor boys who needed their services. "Naw, I don't think so," Harold responded, "I'll see you guys back at the barracks." "Suit yourself," the other soldier said, and led a group out in search of succor. "If you'd like to ...