Another path
Sunday December 6th, 1942
Fort Des Moines, Iowa
Dear cousin,
Thank you for the kind words you sent me last September, I’m glad to know that Auntie Winnie is feeling better. How’s Steve? I’ve never received a word from him.
Mum and Dad haven’t written to me yet and neither have I. I'm not surprised anyway, considering how it all turned out when I told them I'd enlisted. Also, believe it or not this is the first time in a long time that I found myself with enough time to write you a proper letter.
Life here at first was not so different from what you’ve described, we also have Basic Combat Training and Tactics.
Then… after the first six weeks of training I applied for the Officer Candidate School, and guess what? ... I passed! The twelve week program was so exciting!
So, as from now you should address me as 1st Lieutenant Davidson, who would have thought?
But as you may know not everything is sunshine and roses…
Some of the girls have problems with superior officers who try to take advantage of them.
Misogyny and sexism are rooted in the army, many think that a woman is only good for having children, taking care of the house and spending money.
Fortunately, many of my fellow officers have decided to stay to train the next recruits that arrive, that will prevent male officers from training new recruits and maybe some of the worst ones will be reassigned.
Bucky, I've seen horrible things done to girls and they can't fight back for fear of losing their posts. It's their word against that of a higher-ranking officer.
You raise your head from the letter you are writing when you hear the sound of the cell bars.
A dark-eyed woman approaches, smiling "1st Lt. Davidson I believe?" She has an English accent and a greenish brown uniform with no other identifications than an emblem of an eagle over a ring.
Trailing behind her, a tall man in a US uniform, Colonel badges, you promptly square and salute him.
“At ease Lieutenant, this is a social visit” You ease yourself “And to what do I owe the honor of it?”
“Your mouth will be the death of you young girl, you know that?” He has a serious expression, but you can guess the amusement twinkling in his eyes “My mother used to say the same” your tone is neither defiant nor yielding, you only stated a fact.
He just stares at you, until the woman cuts in “Lieutenant, I’m Agent Margaret Carter and this is Col. Chester Phillips, we’ll like to have a word with you” You nod at her, trying to look as confident as your last statement. On the inside you’re a terrified mess, the situation you got yourself into has only one outcome, court-martial, dishonorable discharge.
As Phillips leaves the cell Margaret gestures to you to follow them. You put your hands up, expecting to be cuffed “That won’t be necessary Victoria”
You follow them to a nearby office. Margaret sits in one chair and points you to the one across while Phillips slowly paces the room. When she pulls out a file from her satchel your insides twists again, you’re in complete darkness about what’s going on and you hate not knowing.
She starts reading “Victoria Alexandra Davidson, 1st Lieutenant of the Woman Army Corps...
You smirk at the irony of your own name in her lips
Born in Brooklyn on March 27th 1917…
Daughter of Raymond and Beatrice Davidson…
Attended the Girls High School in Brooklyn and then got a Bachelor’s degree in English at St. Joseph's College for Women, currently enrolled at the Brooklyn Law School…
Fluent in French and German…
Top of her class at the Officer Candidate School…”
“And yet, here she is, awaiting court-martial” Phillips cuts in sharply and looks at you intently. He wants an explanation “Why did you do it?”
You look at him giving away as little as you possibly can giving your sleep and food deprived state “Did you not read Private Wilson’s deposition? I went into a jealous rage and couldn’t refrain myself”. Leaning on the chair you try to sound as convincing as you can.
“Bullshit!” Phillips spats, startling you “No woman as educated and strong willed as you look could ever give herself to jealousy, tell the truth soldier!”
“We will believe you Victoria, but you have to tell us what really happened” Margaret’s voice is soft but determined and you decide to trust her, something about the energy she radiates eases you.
You sit right in your chair, hands clenched on the table, eyes fixed on a point behind her and with a sigh you begin.
“I’d stayed late typing some documents for Major Gilmore, so I was out of the barracks after bedtime hours, the documents were important and Major gave me a signed note in case I came across any patrol to avoid problems” Margaret nods and Phillips stays still hearing you in silence.
“He’s one of the few good men here, you know? I mean Major Gilmore, he’s esteemed by all the girls that work in our group. He respects us, unlike Johnson, he thinks women belong in the kitchen or the bedroom” A knot starts to form in your throat, you swallow hard to push it down.
“I was near barrack 6 when I heard a muffled scream and the sound of ripped fabric. At first I thought it was one of the girls having a nightmare, but then there was a man’s whisper and a sob. When I reached the source of the sound I saw…” Tears start to form in your eyes, the knot in your throat gets bigger “I saw Captain Johnson forcing himself into Robin. I yelled to stop him, but he looked at me with a sadistic smile and continue ‘You're next” he told me”
“I yanked him away from her and that’s when he hit me in the stomach and I fell to the ground, at that moment I must have picked up the rock, I instinctively got up and hit him. My intention was never to hurt him, I just wanted him to let Robin go.
“Hand to hand combat is not part of the training, how did you…” Margaret asks, if you had looked at her you would have seen the pride in her eyes.
“When we were kids, my friends and I used to get into fights, every other day. So my father taught me how to fight” She smirks “Carry on”
“I’ve realized what I’ve done when I heard Robin’s screaming and crying for help. I don’t blame her for lying in her testimony, she’s from Louisiana and sends every dime she earns to her family, she can’t afford to be discharged. That's why I took the blame and I'm not going to testify anything different on trial.”
"I was trying to help, she's not the first and won't be the last either, I saw myself in her terrified eyes, I just couldn't walk away" Your sobs become uncontrollable, Margaret holds your hand.
After a while she takes you to the bathroom to clean your face and orders you a cup of tea. Philips stand still on a corner, his brow furrowed with concern.
"What is going to happen to me? Why are you here? Starting to feel like yourself again, you want answers.
"He'll live, but won't be able to put two and two together anymore. As far as I see this situation has only one possible outcome for you and is not going to be pretty for you" Phillips state your worst fear "But, we may have a way out for you"
"Can I ask you a few more questions?" Margaret opens the folder again and you nod.
"You speak French and German, any other language skills?"
"Yes, I can read and understand Italian and Russian too, but my conversational skills are awful"
"Very well" She writes on the file "But you can follow and translate a conversation if you listened to it?"
"Yes, I guess" You shrug not entirely sure where is she going
"Here in your file says you are a good shooter. Care to elaborate?"
"My father is very fond of hunting and I'm an only child, so we go hunting together every year. My mother hates it" You mock your mothers voice "Those activities are not proper for a lady!" You both laugh and Phillips coffs cuts your giggling.
Philips stands in front of you "Tell me Victoria, why did you join the army?
You sigh looking at him in the eye "Because I’m not a proper lady. I’m not the kind of woman who sits and nods to her husband, nor the damsel in distress that needs to be saved. I want more in life than the passive role the society has imposed on me. I want to help make a difference. I don’t want to look back at the end of my life and feel that I have done nothing, no impact, no change, no good. And I really hate bullies"
Philips looks into your eyes, he sees the truth in your words, he sees the fire you have inside. He understands why you did what you did.
"Victoria Davidson, welcome to the Strategic Scientific Reserve" He states smiling.
Margaret stands up and stretches her hand for you to shake "Please call me Peggy, I’m sure we’ll be good friends. But first let's talk about your training and reassignment"
Your head goes from one to another trying to understand the situation… You'll never get to send that letter to Bucky