After a long time when the colonel said nothing Hans asked, “And what is the bad news?” The colonel smiled slightly with an expression of complex appreciation. “Private Rickmers, you are a credit to the German Army. You know how to smile at death.” The colonel continued, “All letters to German soldiers are read. Your girl friend should not have signed her name as ‘Ruth Cohen’. “I lied about my age so I could serve in the...

Patches of snow flecked the dirt road in rural France as a squad of German soldiers rode by on motorcycles. A land mine exploded, destroying the first motorcycle, and killing the rider. The other motorcycles crashed. Their riders tried to shoot at unseen enemies. French resistance fighters quickly mowed them down with submachine gun fire. The resistance fighters fled to avoid the approach of more Germans. All was silent....