Free Under a War-Torn Sky by L.M. Elliott

We’ve learned a lot in Bern. Everyone has a consulate here – Germans, Italians, Spanish, Russians. It’s a real hotbed of gossip. I work with Allen Dulles, sent here by OSS, our office of strategic services. Mr. Dulles is quite talented at gleaning information. Can’t get into all the details, mind you, but we worry that the neutrality of Switzerland’s government may be somewhat questionable. Nazi trains pass through Switzerland on its rail lines, transporting coal through the Simplon Tunnel into Italy. In Milan and Turin the coal’s used in Nazi-controlled war plants to build tanks, which are then returned through Switzerland to Germany to be used against the Allies. Even though we’ve got the toe of Italy’s boot now, it’s going to take a while for the Allies to reach northern Italy. We don’t know what Hitler will do as we move in or when Eisenhower eventually invades Europe. It would be very easy for Hitler to take over Switzerland. What would happen to our boys in Adelboden then?” He shrugged, leaving the question ominously unanswered.
    â€œYou’ve got an advantage, Lieutenant. Because you just showed up on the hospital’s doorstep, you’re not yet classified as a prisoner of war. You can wear civilian clothes as they transport you to Adelboden. It’d be easy for you to get misplaced on a train. Catch my drift?”
    â€œYes, sir. But what would I do then?”
    â€œI’ll have to work out the details of how, but we’d get you into France. We’ve done it before. The Swiss people are far more pro-Allies than the country’s official economic actions might suggest. We have a good network here. They’d get you into France and hooked up with French Resistance fighters, who’d get you to Spain. From there you’d head to Portugal to find a boat bound for England.”
    Henry shook his head, trying to connect all the dots. “Boy, that’s complicated, sir. Anyone ever made it?”
    Watson sat back in his chair and pursed his lips. “Honest? About half of our interned boys have been willing to try it. Most are still in transit somewhere. A handful of them have made it all the way back to England. Some were caught before crossing the Swiss border and sent to a pretty tough prison camp called Wauwilermoos. But it’s not like Americans to just sit out a fight if they can escape and help, now is it? We’d hope all officers would at least make the attempt. We need all the good pilots we’ve got. You game?”
    Henry tried to size up Watson. Easy for him to shuffle his papers and encourage a guy to walk across France. He’d bet those soft leather shoes hadn’t ever walked a mile except on the dance floor. Henry had had a taste of hiding and giving up his life to strangers and pure luck. It wasn’t fun. And hadn’t he flown enough missions through hell? Hadn’t he seen enough blood and explosions? Tennis and starting his college education sounded pretty darn good.
    Henry crossed his arms and frowned. Watson just waited, watching him.
    But he’d be a coward, wouldn’t he, if he didn’t try this. Henry shifted uncomfortably. What would Ma want him to do? Probably be safe. But she also taught him to help everybody that he could. How many times had she endangered herself taking food and nursing people sick with polio, typhus, TB? Patsy would do it. She always took a dare, even diving off a quarry cliff into water twenty feet below. And what about his old man? What about Clayton? Escaping would be one way to impress that old jerk.
    Finally, Henry thought of Dan. Dan would do it. Dan was willing to explode with his plane to give every living member of his crew a chance to bail out.
    Henry could feel himself making a decision. This way he’d get home faster, right? Who knew how long the war might drag on, how long those guys would be sitting, waiting, in Adelboden? It could be years.