The Way of the War ... After the War II


Just to let my reader know I do say your commentary. Go back to my go chapter and read the 2nd to lastly paragraph which is where this chapter begins. Thank you readers.



I covered her and watched over her again. I lay beside her and drifted off to sleep. Some time during the night ….
I awoke in a inhuman exertion and in a state of panic I screamed out"Erica ! !"... I jumped up and put my helping hand on true heath .... she moved slightly ... she was sleeping soundly … Thank God it was only a pipe dream. I do n't mean I could let gone on if it had been real. I placed my hand on her forehead it was cool her febrility had broken.

I checked the C-Rats and found another that had soup in it and lay it aside for when she wakes up. I knew I had to get her to a Doctor of the Church I also knew that that there was no prospect of rescue as long as we stayed where we are.

I inflated the life raft attached the motor. I began loading what supplies we could take with us I went through our dress and took only what would fit in one bag I put our toiletries and underwear in our awol bag. I put the fifth wheel ammo into mine.

I heard Erica calling out to me. I rushed back inside the plane ... she was trying to sit up. I helped her. I helped her out of the planing machine and helped her to Pee. She wanted to know what we were going to do. I explained that we had to try to get out on our on. It was succeeding to impossible for the airplane to be seen wrapped up in the trees.

I took one of the fundament I had removed and sat it out position and helped her to sit down in it. When the soup was warm I poured it in to a mobile canteen cup and gave it to her. I completed the loading of the raft. I took one of the parachutes and pulled out the canopy and spread ti out as well as I could on the branch and brush.

I called to Dotty and told her what I had done with the chute. If they spotted the chute they would have a go at it this was the mightily lake and we had headed due south. After Erica had eaten her soup and I had cleaned her wound I helped her into the Raft. We shoved off with the boat paddle, I prayed that the motor would start … I cranked an nothing, again, and again still nothing. I rested a minute and noticed a phonograph needle valve in the gas occupation I opened and tried again ... It started on the 1st wrench. I looked at Erica and she gave me a smile. We are headed south.

The lake we are on seems to be quite large on our left we are collimate to the shore. To our right wing we occasionally see an Island but other wise we can not see the former slope of the lake nor the end to the south.. We have a duck soup N to south, to conserve fuel I turn off the engine and use the paddle as a rudder.

It is nearing noon, I began aiming towards the shoring line. When we landed I jumped out and pulled us in high spirits on the shore. We took a bathroom severance and I fixed us a light lunch it was the 1st satisfying food Erica had had since we had gone down. She still was n't saying very much I 'm thinking it hurt her to verbalize. Also she only picked at her food.

I cleaned her wound, I felt it was beginning to do some good it did n't appear to be as inflamed as it had been. She looked like the strain was getting to her I decided not to travel any more to day. He pulled the pot up under some trees so Erica would not be in the lead sun any more today. After making sure she was alright. I took the 22 rifle and walked into the Mrs. Henry Wood hoping to find a squirrel or a rabbit. I spotted a large rabbit and just as I was getting prepare to pull the initiation I heard a airplane. I turned and ran to get back to the shoreline. I was heavyhearted because the airplane was almost out of sight. The concern about Erica may possess cost us our one chance of rescue.


lookup HQ Duluth

Carol had just arrived at Duluth Airport, The Search party Had a room near the airdrome Lounge for convenience to food and refreshment s and admittance to Telephones. Dotty had briefed carol on her flying. carol talked with the deliverance squad and described the domain where the plane went down. They were in Hope that one of the brush jumper would recognize the spot.

A couple of them commented that a lot of the lakes had the shoal Islands the closest one being Wild Rice Island a menu sized lake of over 2500 acres. It was just north of the aerodrome they would give it a flyby this afternoon.. The two pilots made their program one of them would fly the eastern shoring line while the former did a crisscross. Then they would do the former shore and reverse the cross coming back.

The yammer old coppice jumper, Roper, flying the shoreline run spotted something almost to the Northern end of the lake. He went lower berth it was a chute. He radioed to his partner and he circled around and landed. He taxied up to the small Island and could see the plane nestled in the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree. He edged his plane upon the sand, got out and secured his planing machine. He called out but was not surprise when he did n't get an answer. He found quite a bit of blood in the co-pilot 's place and on the small parachuting suit he found on the level.

He glanced to the wall beside the hatching and that is where he found the note.

"wife badly injured. In life-time Raft with One Horse Motor, headed South, shoreline to my unexpended"

He radioed to his partner and to the airdrome."concentrate 'Wild Rice Lake'Found planer. And note of hand pay close attention Eastern Shore."

I thought about getting back on the lake to be see gentle but it was starting to get morose and I already had a camp site. I built a fervidness on the shore, Just in case. Erica was relieved when I told he that we may be rescued as early as tomorrow. I got her as well-situated as I could then went back to gathering wood.


Returning from finding the plane Roper was almost sure he had spotted a fire. He thought this is a well trained man who thinks before acting. I think I can project ahead for him. When Roper and Tobias his collaborator landed they rushed to Search home office. And laid out their plans. Roper says"I 'm Betting his side by side stop is going to be at the point at the end of Miller road. I would suggest having an ambulance waiting there by 0830"At 0600 Roper and Tobias took off in roper plane.

At 0530 I was up, put out the fire and got the raft close to the weewee. I made true heath comfy and shoved off. I started the motor and began scanning the sky I just knew there would be a plane soon. Near 0700 I heard the engine haphazardness of a small plane it circled around us an waggled its annexe then started to put down ahead of us. Once it was on the water it taxied ahead to a detail that jutted out into the lake.

It took awhile for us to reach the point but before we got there I could see flashing hand brake lights. It was like Christmas I was getting what I wanted most an ambulance for Erica. The ambulance was backed in and the attendant had the gurney ready. The pilot program and co-pilot of the floatplane were waiting and grabbed the logical argument I threw them. They pulled us up a homemade boat ramp.

I assisted true heath to get out of the boat and on to the Gurney. I looked back at the pilot burner one of them said,"Go with your Wife we will handle your things for you."

They loaded Erica into the ambulance and I climbed in also. One of the accompaniment went to the front man and got in the number one wood seat and pulled out. The medic worked on true heath all the way to the hospital
by 1230 she was being wheeled into the Emergency elbow room at Duluth Hospital.

They took her straight to roentgen ray I over heard one of the Nurses say to a doctor that OR-3 was being prepped.

Eight hours later they brought her to her room, after 5 time of day in operation and 3 in recuperation. The physician said that if I had n't did all the things I did she would not throw made. Starting with the head wound if I had not cleaned it as well as I did ( which was n't really secure enough ) and that was only about 75 % successful. Her skull had a hairline crack

Her shoulder was not only go but partially shattered. That was one of the things that took so long, The picking out the splintered bone. It was not certain she would ever receive 100 % use of her articulatio humeri and her left arm. If I had not immobilized the arm and berm she might have lost it. They also checked on the sister and they were fine.

According to the Doctor she will be in the hospital for at least 5 calendar week then physical therapy for months.

I heard my name called and turned to look and a little Angel flew into my arm. Maria with mynah right behind her Johan and Donald were bringing up the buttocks. Carol was already here so I called Dotty so I would n't have to go through everything twice.

While Erica recuperated in the hospital my mentation turned to another problem. I rented a body of work gravy holder and a motortruck and a flat trailer. swarm to Miller road and launched the gravy boat Donald went with me and Johan stayed with the Truck. I retraced my steps to the shallow island where I left the plane.

I backed up as close as I could, Donald jumped in the pee and hauled the cable length and attached it to the tail shackle on the tail of the plane I drop the boat anchors off the bow. Once the gravy holder was untroubled I joined Donald at the plane we began the removal of the debris around the sheet path. We had brought a chain saw with us and it was needed to cut off the limb that penetrated the wind screen. This was also the one that caused the damage to Erica.

I started the winch and the plane began to move backwards. I stopped the winch and told Donald to tie off the wheel. Once that was done he closed the hatch then got back aboard the boat. I moved the boat forward till the linchpin irons were straight up and down then brought them aboard.

The pontoons were entering the water we checked them out to insure that they had no leaks. They seemed to be OK. We moved on a bit faster me watching ahead and Donald watching the plane. Our only regrets was the flank were so damaged they could not be salvaged.

When we arrived at the wild leek on the point the gravy holder poke was already in the water all I had to do was to slack the cable television and pull on to the lagger. Johan started the truck and pulled the study sauceboat out of the water. Once it was far enough on land I restarted the windlass and pulled the plane slowly up the ramp.

Once it was spirit level we disconnected the work boats winch, drew it tight and locked it down. I pulled the boat out of the way and Johan backed the flat tire bed in spot, lowered its freight ramp and released the flatbed winch and hooked it up to the plane. Johan began drawing the plane on to the trailer.

Once it was on add-in the dawdler we secured it to the trailer with irons. A section of a hanger had already been set aside for the Reconstruction of the plane. Johan dropped of the sheet and he and Donald got in our rental station Wagon and came to pick me up after I dropped off the work boat,


They dropped me off at the infirmary and they went to get their wives, I walked into Erica's way. I leaned over and kissed her on the forehead she was not aware I was even there. The doc were keeping her in an induced coma. I did n't actually empathize why but it was something to do with her headspring wound .