DO IT WITH CLASS

adventures and airborne men

Camp Toccoa, Georgia
September 1942

It had been nine days since the Sink siblings arrived at Toccoa, and nine days since their father had offered them both to join the airborne.

James and Joanne had been sleeping in the same barrack as Lewis and Dick, which Joanne was incredibly thankful for as she was able to hide from the paratroopers-to-be there.

Everything was better than to sleep among actual paratroopers. But if she had to be honest, every time she felt or saw Dick look at her, she could feel her cheeks turn red and could feel her stomach fill with butterflies, it made her nervous.

The same could be said for Dick. Joanne was a gorgeous young woman and the young redhead lieutenant was very aware of that and tried to sneak a glance at her every now and again.

During those nine days, she either spent her time hanging around her fathers' office, sneaking in and out of there when she knew the paratroopers were not walking around. She would be helping with small tasks when she could or sitting in on her bed, reading one of the books and smoking one of the cigarettes she brought with her.

She and James got the soldier's schedule from Nixon when they arrived at their - probably and hopefully  - temporary sleeping place pretty quickly, and Joanne put it to good use to try and avoid as many men as possible, of course she would come across one occasionally, but she knew to avoid walking around at certain times. That was, until James came barging into the barrack after lunchtime. He, unlike his sister, walked around the camp a lot and became fast friends with a small group of men from Easy Company on his third day there.

"Jo, get off your bed and come with me, dad wants to see us and i think i know what it is!" He said with a child-like excitement.

Jo grumbled slightly, lunchtime finished mere minutes ago so that meant that most of the men were wandering around right now, this was one of the times of the day where she purposely stayed inside of her sleeping quarters either taking a nap, reading or tidying the place up.

"Stop grumbling like an old man or i'll throw you over my shoulder and carry you there if i have to. I know the men would enjoy that" He said teasingly.

Jo stopped grumbling, he had her, he knew she didn't want that. So without any more complaints, she stood up, smoothed out her skirt and followed her brother out of the barrack and through the camp.

This walk was very different than the one she arrived on camp with. Back then, she was still confident and still kind of oblivious as to where she was actually walking and who could see her. Now, she knew what to expect; stares, whispers and catcalls, it really made her think if she actually wanted this all.

"Don't be nervous Jo, if any of them try anything, just tell me and i'll beat them up real good for ya" The older brother reassured his sister. Joanne only laughed. James? The James Sink that couldn't fight even if he had to? He would lose to probably the shortest and thinnest soldier on the base.

"Okay James, i'll tell you but you can't fight to save your life so that'll be difficult"

"Hey! I can hold my own in a fight just fine, you know? I'm not that bad!"

Joanne just snorted "If that helps you sleep at night"

The bickering went on until they reached their dad's office. It was times like those that Jo was glad for her brother, she barely even noticed the other men once she and her brother began their banter.

"You think i'll be sent home or no?" Jo asked James, she didn't know what to expect, women were to stay home and take care of the kids or be a nurse during this war, not going to the frontlines and being among all those men.