Albanian Escape: The True Story of U.S. Army Nurses Behind Enemy Lines

13. The American Captain Smith

13 The American Captain Smith 06 January 1944, Thursday-1400: En Route to KALARAT When Jens stepped off the trail to rest, straighten her shoulders, stretch her aching back, and wiggle her aching toes, three figures approached them and began shouting something to Gary, who was somewhere behind her. AsJens strained to see the three more clearly, Allen shouted, "My God, it's Smith. Captain Smith, that is!" He and three other sergeants ran up to Smith, gave a halfhearted salute, and gripped his hand. Sergeant Allen said, "You don't know how good you look to us. Even those railroad tracks are a sight for sore eyes!" Captain Lloyd Smith, the long-awaited American ass man, had come walking jauntily along, swinging a stick, and accompanied by two Albanians. His cap, captain's bars, and paratrooper's boots were the only American parts of his uniform. He wore a heavy wool British battle jacket, trousers tucked inside his boots, and an Albanian cape of black, coarse wool folded back over his shoulders. He was of average height, with a blond beard and mustache. "This is a nice surprise," Smith said. "I really didn't expect to run into you for at least another day. What day did you actually start?" "The fourth as planned," Gary spoke up. He grinned a little. "We have been making very good time!" 182 Albanian Escape "You sure have." Smith looked around the group. They gathered in close, just to hear another American voice. "We were really expecting to meet you about the fifteenth or sixteenth of December," Jens said. "Then we got word that you'd been captured." "Yeah, well 1 got some of those stories about you too," Smith said. "I don't know where these people get all that glum news, but they seemed to hike in from a fair distance just to impart it." Gary shook his head. "You just can't believe a word they say. Out of every six reports, you pick one and hope you chose right, but it's better to check for yourself when you can." Smith walked down the trail, flanked by the pilots who talked a blue streak to him. He talked to the stragglers, heard their complaints , and moved them to the front of the line so they could set the pace for everyone. That night, as they sat around a fireplace in Kalarat, Smith peppered them with questions on how they had managed for almost two months since the crash landing. "You've certainly done well for yourselves," he said. "You must have followed Gary's instructions pretty well." "We certainly did," Jens said. "I'm not sure where we'd be now if we hadn't had him as a leader." "How about the three nurses who are missing? When did you last hear from them?" "We haven't. That's just it,"Jens said. "Most ofus feel they must still be in Berat. Someone must be hiding them. 1guess you know that the Germans have occupied the town. We've been told by villagers that whenever the Germans ask questions about us, they describe us as a large American party that includes thirteen nurses. We thought that was a good indication that they haven't been picked up yet, and if they'd gotten out ofBerat safely, surely we would have heard by now." She nodded toward Gary. "He doesn't believe they're paws either." Smith looked at Gary, "Why?" "Unless the Germans have changed their tactics, they're more inclined to spout that kind of news than we are, and there hasn't been a word from anywhere. They haven't even spun any fairytales about them." The American Captain Smith 183 Smith smiled and nodded thoughtfully. "They must be lying low somewhere, most likely in Berat." "How can we reach them there?" Jens asked. "They won't have to stay there until the end of the war, will they?" "There are ways of contacting them, and even sending a vehicle in with the right stickers and passes to get them by all the checkpoints." Lois laughed. "Wouldn't that beat all, if they get a ride to the coast while we have climbed, slipped, and slid all over this country for sixty days?" Two Albanians came into the room and motioned to Smith. He spoke with them and returned to the party ten minutes...