Dan's Story Pt. 01

They return to the coffee room, where the same airmen are still sipping coffee, and the Sergeant goes to a bulletin board beside the double entry doors. By the board are some clipboards. He takes one down, glances through a few pages, then says, "Miller, looks like you'll be with LAC Rob Wright and Martin ...hmmm ...ah, here we are. You'll be with ...Wright, too! That's unusual! Two new fellows with one experienced tech so I'LL have to check this out with scheduling. Wait here a moment." He steps to the nearest counter and picks up the phone. He comes back to the group shortly and says, "The schedule's correct. New procedures. Seems they are starting new people now only on the evening shifts because day shift does most of the regular work and evenings are slack. More time to devote to training, is the theory. I guess this tour is old hat to you two Lance Jacks (LACs), but if you see anything your not familiar with, speak up." They drift over past the men around the table and enter the opposite corridor. This leads to an office clearly marked "I.C. SERVICING - LT. CARTIER" They enter and find themselves in a waiting room with a short counter and a civilian secretary behind it. Behind her is a door leading into the Lieutenant's office. "Milly, is the boss in?", says the Sergeant.

"I think he's expecting you. I'll tell him you're here", says Milly getting up from her typing and stepping to the inner door. "Sir, those new techs are here. ...Yes, Sir", she turns and says to them, "He will be right out." She goes back to her desk, picks up a coffee cup and leaves the office towards the coffee room.

The same Lieutenant who had first greeted them on their arrival steps out of the office and says, "I guess two of you will be coming to work for me right away. Who are Martin and Miller?" Dan steps forward and Sam raises his hand. Dan glances at Sam and raises his hand as well.

Lieutenant Cartier: "Well, I look forward to meeting new faces and I hope you find your tour with us to be satisfying and interesting. I think you will figure out our way of doing things rather quickly, and if you have any problems that you can't find answers for with the other men, feel free to inquire of myself. Unless I'm tied up with work, I enjoy chatting with the fellows that work for me. I try to build a positive atmosphere, a feeling of camaraderie or family." He steps forward to the counter to shake each persons hand. He lingers over Jan's, then says, "And where will you be working, fair Mademoiselle." Jan draws her hand away and says, "In the shops. Scheduling, I think. Don't I know you? Have you recently been in the Officer's mess in Greenwood? I think I might have met you there with my husband."

Lieutenant Cartier, turning away, says, "Not recently! Well, Sergeant, was there anything else?"

Sergeant: "No Sir. It was good of you to meet with us personally. Thank you, Sir." and he turns to leave. The others follow him once more to the coffee room and this time he turns right, through double doors leading into the hanger itself. He takes them out onto the floor and around a Neptune that's in for work. He speaks frequently to other men around the floor and points out a lot of features of the aircraft to his group of five.

Then they return to the front of the hanger via one of the large open sliding doors on the side and says, "That concludes our time together for today. Its now 1500 hours and you can ride back up to the shops with me or stay down here and look around. Try not to be too obvious if you return to your barracks. Shifts don't change for another hour and someone might question you're leaving work early. Mess hall will be open in about two hours, so stay out of trouble."

He climbs into the station wagon, waiting for their decision. Sam shrugs and opens the rear door. He and Dan climb in. The others walk away, so the Sergeant heads back up to the shops. "Where do you guys want out?" he inquires. Since they are now by the hospital, Dan says, "Here will be fine, Sarge." He pulls over and lets them out. "Take care." Are his final words as he pulls away.

Dan's first actions when he gets into the barracks are to dig out the paper and check the classifieds for 'HELP WANTED - SECRETARIAL'. What he finds is not encouraging. Two positions are vacant and they are both an hours' drive from Summerside in the large town of Charlottesville, but one of the ads is for a legal secretary. He marks it. He thinks about Milly. If she's a secretary and there are more like her around the base, Marie may be able to get a job right here. He makes a mental note to himself to find out where the civilian personnel office is. Then he settles down with his sc-fi novel and is lost to the world for an hour.

At 1645 hours Sam and Clay come in chatting heatedly about something. Sam calls out, "Hey, Curley!" Dan lets on he doesn't hear him.

Sam: "Dan, are you coming for supper? It'll be 1700 time we get over there."

Dan: "I'll be right with you. Just got to go to the can first." He goes to the bathroom and uses the urinal, quickly washes his hands and joins them. "What were you guys arguing about when you came in?"

Sam: "Thought you didn't hear us, ...Curley!" He laughs.

Dan just grunts and laughs with him.

After supper they are returning to the barracks when the door ahead of them opens and the Corporal steps out, "Miller, one of you guys Miller?"

Dan: "That's me, Corporal."

Cpl. McNiven: "Phone's for you. Ya shuld tell people win to call, so's you're in the barracks."

Dan: "Must be my wife. I told her not to call until 1900."

Cpl. McNiven: "May be she dinna kin military time."

Inside, Dan picks up the phone and speaks into it, "Hello. ...Honey, I thought it must be you. No one else has the number. ...got off early. We toured the shops and Servicing Departments today and then they let us go for the day. ...it was only one hour early, so I didn't have time to go down town to check apartments. I just came from supper. How come you're calling so early? ...Of course I'm glad to hear your voice. I miss hearing your voice all day long. ...Please, as long as I'm here in these barracks, don't call before 8PM your time," Dan grins at the Corporal, who is nearby and cannot help but overhear him. The Corporal nods back at him with a twinkle in his eye.

Then he quickly corrects himself, "Honey, I'm sorry. I just remembered I'm starting shifts tomorrow and will be working four to midnight. The best time to call will be in the morning after 10AM your time, or better still, call at lunch hour your time. I'll either be available or leave a message with the Corporal during your lunch break - and of course I'm off Saturdays and Sundays. But that won't be for long. I'm sure you will really love the Henshaw apartment and Mrs. Henshaw." He listens for a moment.

"Your mother hasn't seen the apartment. How can she judge anything about it?" Again he listens, then "A pay increase ...just when you were giving them your notice? ...There are jobs available here. In the paper where I looked for apartments there are two secretarial jobs available. ...One is for a legal secretary!"

He continues, "And the base here hires civilian secretaries! ...Well, ...you would need the car to take either of the jobs in the paper, but they are only over at Charlottesville. Its a beautiful drive." Dan looks uncertain.

"Honey, its not a damp basement suite. Its a sunny, bright and very private apartment all of our own. It's close to the bus route and down town for easy shopping. ...Yes, there were some other ones in the paper. ...All right, I'll look at them. You just hand in your notice, O.K.?" Dan looks defeated, "All right, when I have an apartment."

Dan: "I'll call you as soon as I have found us an apartment. I miss you and I wish we had come down together. It would be so much easier if we looked for a place, then discussed it and made up our minds. We're a team and I don't feel right when you're not here with me. ...You feel the same? Why are we arguing, NO, NO, not arguing, but not seeming to be able to see eye to eye? ...I want to hold them around you each night, too. ...ya, and I miss that, too!" Dan colors a bit. "I love you, I love you, I love you. ...Goodnight, Sweet Marie."

Dan goes on into the dormitory and flops on his bunk. Sam speaks to him but he doesn't hear him. Suddenly he jumps up from the bunk, picks up the paper and walks out of the barracks. He goes over to the main gate and catches the bus for town. On the bus he studies the ads and consults a pen drawn copy of the map the Corporal showed him. Two of the listed apartments he can locate on the map and he marks the ads. He gets off the bus at Gaudette's and walks two and a half blocks north. He's standing in front of a six-story apartment block. He looks at it with distaste but goes in to the main foyer. On a door to one side is a sign "APARTMENT MANAGER" so he knocks. A slight man, fortyish with spectacles opens the door and says, "Can I help you?"

Dan explains why he is there and the man says it is rather late in the day to be showing an apartment, but he will send his son up with Dan to take a look at it. "Partially furnished", he explains, "means it's equipped with all appliances." He quotes Dan the asking price and when Dan appears shocked, he goes on to say that the price includes all utilities, even cable. Dan says for him not to bother his son, that he (Dan) could not possibly afford it. The man just sniffs and closes the door behind him. Dan steps out onto the sidewalk, looks at the building and shakes his head.

He checks the paper again and heads on up the street for another block, turns right for one block and consults his hand drawn map again. He turns left and starts looking at house numbers as he goes another two blocks. Finally he comes to a house sitting by itself with fields of potatoes growing on either side of it.

Behind the house is a small bungalow surrounded by weeds and shrubbery. Dan knocks on the door. He hears what sounds like a radio turned up loud, but soon realizes are the voices of two people fighting. He is just about to leave when he gets a feeling that someone is watching him. He turns and beholds a little girl of about nine in a ragged dirty pink dress and dirty bare feet. She has blonde hair that is tangled and unkempt and she stands staring at him with her thumb stuck in her mouth and her nose running "Mommy and Daddy are in there'" she indicates the house. A thumping and a banging accompanied by raised voices come from the house and she winches.

Dan: "What's your name?"

"Wendy", her reply.

The door crashes open behind Dan and a woman's voice screams, "Git in here!" Wendy again cringes as the voice goes on, "Now! You little bitch! I don't speak twice, you know! Get in this house. Who are you?" to Dan's back.

Dan: "Uh ...I was looking for the Hamilton's place. I ... guess this isn't it. Sorry to bother you."

He walks away and a pair of old faded blue eyes in a very young face and body haunt him as he returns downtown. Dan watches for the bus and climbs in. As they head through town, he suddenly changes his mind and says, "Let me out at the next corner. I forgot something." The driver complies with his wishes and pulls over. Dan gets off the bus, walks back one block and swings left for half a block. He goes up to a door and twists the buzzer. Brrrrrrg! Mrs. Henshaw opens the door.

2000 hours and Dan's back at the barracks. He picks up the phone and turns the dial. "Marie?" He waits, and then speaks again, "Hi, Marie? I did as you asked. I've been looking at the other two apartments in the paper. One was far too expensive and the other was too far from the bus route, BUT we do have an apartment! I rented the Henshaw apartment tonight. You can turn in your notice tomorrow and be here in two weeks. Isn't that wonderful? ...I'm sure we can fit anything of ours in the place and if we have to, we can store some of her stuff in the spare room. ...We are not going to starve! I make a living wage and you'll be working as soon as we can find something. ...All right, three weeks, but please, just hurry. I love you. ...I love you more than that ...just get here and I'll show you how much! Sweet dreams, sweet heart." Dan hangs up, but he does not look too pleased with his conversation. He goes on into the dorm and finds that Clay and Sam have gone to the wet canteen. He decides to join them.

Sam and Clay are playing eight ball when Dan arrives. He orders a pitcher of draft beer and downs a glass in one long drink. He fills the glass again and joins them.

Dan: "Rented me an apartment tonight!"

Clay: "Mrs. Henshaw's?"

Dan: "Right on!"

Sam: "Hmmm ...like to be there when you tell Marie and be able to see the old lady's face."

Dan: "Too late. Told her already."

Clay: "What'd she say?"

Dan: "Nothin. She'll be here in three weeks."

Clay looks surprised but says "Great." and Sam just grunts.

Dan: "I'll play the winner. O.K.?"

They both agree. After a couple more games they move over to the snooker table and play three handed. Dan continues to drink fairly heavy and the others just manage to keep up. They leave the wets at closing time and stumble into the barracks at 0045. They push Clay towards his bed and try to find theirs. Amid grumbles and calls to quiet down they find the other end of the row of bunks. They call to Clay to come help them find their beds. He calls back to them that they're drunk. They all three laugh and some serious threats are uttered in their direction. Someone comes towards them with a flashlight and Sam says, "Here comes the usher!" and they break up in laughter again.

Then someone has had enough and a shoe comes out of the dark and strikes Sam in the side of the head. He swings around grabbing a bunk and pulls it over on its side, spilling out a sleeping John Adams.

John: "What the hell?"

Just then Cpl. McNiven arrives with his flashlight and sends John back to his bed.

Cpl. McNiven: "And you two trouble makers are 'On Charge'. Ye kin explain yer drunkin behaviour ta the Old Man in the mornin. Now git yer asses ta bed, afore I call the AFPs and 'ave ya run in tanight. Ye got that through yer thick skulls?"

Dan and Sam go quietly to their bunks and slip into a troubled sleep.

TUESDAY: O745

An Air Force Policeman shaking his arm awakens Dan.

AFP: "We've been waiting for you at the doors to the mess hall. Your charges will be heard at 0900 in the CO's Office. Better get your buddy up and get yourselves in proper uniforms. You won't have time for breakfast unless it's a quick coffee"

Dan looks at him in confusion and holds his head for a moment. Then realization dawns on him and he jumps out of bed and shakes Sam. Sam mumbles and grumbles, but reluctantly gets out of bed, and Dan rushes to the washroom. He showers and shaves and dashes back to his bunk to don a fresh uniform. Putting a last minute effort into the shine on his boots, he notices that Sam's ready to go.

At 0825 they hit the mess hall and gulp down a cup of coffee and a glass of orange juice. The AFP enjoys a cup of coffee with them. They then jump into the AFP Jeep and go around to the CO's Office at 1855 hours. The AFP gets them out of the jeep, calls them to attention, and marches them into the anteroom before the CO's Office. They are brought to a halt in front of a Staff Sergeant, the same Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) who had stopped them on their way to lunch the previous day.

Staff Sergeant: "Why am I not surprised that its you two?" Then to the AFP, "We'll be a few minutes."

AFP: "Yes, Staff!"

The Staff Sergeant steps to the door that is open a few inches. Dan can see the shoulder and edge of one leg of a secretary and it sounds like she is taking dictation. Still at attention, he does not dare move around but hears a chair scrape the floor and sounds that seem to indicate the secretary will be coming out shortly. The door opens and a pert blonde secretary comes out carrying a notepad. She nods to the Staff Sergeant and says, "Give him about two minutes."

She goes over to her desk and arranges her workload, checking mail in an incoming box and sorting them. The NCO steps over to her desk and asks, "He has a copy of the charges?" He has paperwork in his hands and glances at them when he speaks to her. She nods her head up and down. He returns to stand by the door.

Dan wrinkles his nose because it has started itching and it is causing him to fidget a bit. Meanwhile Sam has grown tired and he is feeling the affects of last night's partying causing him to slouch a bit forward. The Staff Sergeant clears his throat and glares at them. They straighten up smartly. A fly buzzes around not too far from Dan's ear and he wishes they could just get this over with. A trickle of sweat slides down from his hatband between his nose and his right eye. Time seems to drag for the two airmen.

They are distracted by their own thoughts when, all of a sudden a loud voice says, "Forward, March! Left, right, left, right, left right, left, right, Mark time...Halt! Left turn!" And they are before the Commanding Officer. They salute smartly and he nods at them, then looks down at the paperwork in front of him on the desk. He lifts a page in his left hand and looks up at them.

CO: "The charges read that you were Drunk and Disorderly in the barracks last night after lights out, and further, you caused a Disturbance resulting in an overturned bunk. Are these charges correct? Do you dispute these charges?"

Dan: "No Sir, they are correct."

Sam: "No dispute, Sir."

CO: "Well, you chaps only arrived here last Friday. Is that correct?" To which they nod in the affirmative. "Speak up!" says the Staff Sergeant.

Sam and Dan together, "Yes Sir."

The CO again studies the charges and glances up at them. "Do you suppose seven days in the lock-up would be profitable to teach you a lesson? Never mind, that was a rhetorical question." He studies the two young airmen standing rigidly at attention in front of him. "That is the usual punishment for offenses of this nature, you realize." he hesitates, "But in your cases I am going to put this down as over-exuberance and excitement at being on your first operational base, although Mr. Martin, I see you have faced these same charges before at CFB St. Jean, P.Q. I certainly hope that this is a one-time incident at this base, and I will not see you back here again. I'm letting them off with a warning, Staff. That's all."

All three smartly salute again and the Sergeant marches them out of the office. He turns them over to the AFP who takes them outside. He releases them by the Jeep and they walk back to the barracks.

Sam: "Goin back to my sack. What about you?"

Dan: "That warning is going on our service record and will stay there all through our service military careers, won't it? Doesn't that trouble you, Sam?"

Sam: "Naw, like the man says, 'bin there, done that'. Who will ever want to read our service records?"

They both crash out on their bunks and sleep till noon. By then they are feeling more lively and go for a hearty lunch. After lunch they do some laundry and read for a while. At 1550 hours they report to the Servicing Department. They meet LAC Robert A. Wright or Rob as he asks them to call him. "First things first." he says, and gets a cup of coffee. "Help yourselves, guys."

Rob: "You guys got any Annual Leave left? There's a clipboard over by the doors for annual. They like us to schedule well in advance to taking leave, so they can cover the position. You should check it."

Dan and Sam pore over the holidays schedule and, since they both still have two weeks coming to them, put in applications for leave. Sam decides he will take his last two weeks from next Monday, 25 July to Friday, August 5th. Dan calculates when Marie will be arriving and puts in for eight days leave three weeks hence or Friday, August 12 to Friday, August 19 inclusive. That way he is pretty sure of being on vacation to spend some time with her and still will have six days left for Christmas.