A Husband For Maria

After they had been treated for their wounds, they were dressed in the black pajama-like outfits and sent North with the next convoy. They were four days traveling deeper into North Viet Nam until late one afternoon they arrived at a prison that would become infamous, The Hanoi Hilton. Again the two flyers were stripped and hosed down by a couple of taciturn soldiers. They were given a set of stripped pajamas and sent to their cells. They would spend four long years at the prison. Years of isolation and deprevation.

They were not allowed to write letters home or recieve them. They had no contact with any other prisoners, except through a code that was tapped our in the cell walls. It was over three months before either man gained enough knowledge of the code to find out if the other was OK. What made them happy was to find that their cells adjoined each other. Both Johnny and Jimmy feared for their sanity. Jimmy used his mind to construct a house that he would build for Desiree and himself, if he ever got home. Johnny spent his first year remembering and reciting, every system, every nut and bolt on the C-130. Both men knew that their wives were fine because of the meeting shortly before they went down.

At the beginning of their second year of captivity, a Chinese Red Cross Official visited the prison and was allowed to take the names and units of the prisoners, and the dead, to be relayed to the Swiss Red Cross. After that there were no more communications with the outside world.

Their Jailers knew that both men were C-130 crewmen and as such they were spared the weeks and months of brutal interrogation that some of the Naval and Air Force tactical pilots were subjected to. The screams of those tortured men could be heard throughout the prison and the two 'HERC' crewmen were deeply affected by it.

It took less than a week for the two wives, the twins, Juan and Carmelita to arrive in San Francisco. The little group was met by Maria's father and grandfather. They were introduced to Desiree and she fell into Pappa Victor's arms. Desiree said,

"Mamma Caroline told me that when I came to America that you would be my grandparents. So here I am, alone, pregnant and destitute. Please take care of me." Victorio stood motionless for a few moments, staring at the beautiful young girl, then he told her,

"You are my grandaughter now Desiree, the daughter of Raul and the sister of Maria and Carlos. You are of the De La Rosa blood and blood counts. Besides," he added with a grin, " I always was a little afraid of your grandmother." Leave it to Victor to ease the terrible tension.

Raul had brought a station wagon from San Rafael and a truck for the luggage. After clearing all their bags, they drove to San Rafael. When the little cavalcade drove up to Johnny and Maria's house, Desiree was as amazed as Maria had been the first time that she had seen Johnny's house. She whispered to Maria,

"Your Johnny must be rich, what a beautiful home."

"Johnny has the money, but I have the gold," Maria said as she patted her tummy. "He's given me anything I wanted, all I've given him is a couple of kids, but I'll give him my life if he can come home to me. I need to talk to you later about what Johnny has set up for you."

The women of the De La Rosa vineyard were pouring out of the door to greet the home-comers. They had opened the house, cleaned it from top to bottom, had the pool cleaned and all of the lawns mowed. Maria, the twins, Carmelita and Juan and especially Desiree were welcomed home.

After dinner and the kids were in bed, Maria told them all she knew about Johnny and Jimmy going down in Viet Nam. She told them about the rescue team that had landed where the Herc had crashed. They had found three para- chutes nearby, one of them was the loadmaster and they had recovered his body. Since the C-130 had exploded and burned, the evidence of who the other two parachutes could have been couldn't be determined by the rescue team. It had been a 'HOT' area and they didn't have much time to examine the evidence. Maria and Desiree asked that they all pray that the other two survivors had been Johnny and Jimmy.

Later that evening, Maria explained to Desiree that she could stay there with her or go home to Spain, or to Jimmy's folks, because Johnny had set up a fund for her and the baby in order that she could do anything she wanted or go where ever she wished. The fund was for two hundred thousand dollars. Maria told her that they would go to the bank next day and sign the fund over to her.

The next morning found the cousins at the bank. They finished the paperwork quickly and as they came out of the bank, Desiree told Maria,

"I want to stay here with you until Jimmy and Johnny come home or it is proven that they are dead. If Jimmy is dead, then I will go home to Spain."

Over the next four years they would become as close as sisters while they waited for some word that meant that their men would come home from that horrible war. Desiree's son was born shortly after their return from Japan. She named him James Johnathon Meyers, and they all called him Jamie. As Maria's pregnancy progressed to her seventh month, Major Shaw, after a prenatal checkup, called Maria into his office. The Major had decided that he would take care of Maria and Desiree. He came over quite often and kept an eye on the twins and Jamie and made sure that Carmelita kept Maria on the proper diet so she wouldn't gain much weight. He told Maria that she was too small to put on weight during her pregnancy.

"Maria, you're doing it again. There's two babies on the way." The Major told her with lifted eyebrows.

"It has to be the water." Maria quipped back at him. They had a good laugh together and he put his hand on her shoulder as he led her out of his office. She would see him every week now until the new O'Rourkes were born.

Teresa Carmelita and Charles Victor O'Rourke were born on a hot, July afternoon after a blessedly short labor and even quicker delivery. Pappa Victor kissed Maria twice more, welcoming another set of twins while Pete and Margie gave the new twins two more head of shorthorns. Jamie got one too.

Chapter 12

As soon as Maria was able to let Carmelita care for the babies, she looked into going back to University and finishing her Masters Degree. She spent the next eighteen months commuting back and forth to Berkeley. She did her research on early Spanish Literature, leading up to the Inquisition. She slowly compiled her thesis and prepared for her dissertation. One afternoon in early May, she walked out of the library and straight into Jerry Stowe. It was exactly the same place that she had last seen him when he walked away from her three years ago. He looked at her as asked with a sneer if she'd had his child yet and where she was hiding it. Little Maria let one fly from the hip. She smacked him across the mouth with all her strength.

"Don't you ever speak to me again," she screamed at him. "You walked away from me three years ago and now you ask me where your kid is, you can stuff it Mr. Stowe, now get out of my way!" Maria tried to storm by the young engineer. Jerry grabbed her and slapped her hard across her face. Maria saw stars and then everything went black. When she opened her eyes she saw a University Policeman bending over her.

"Hold still honey, the Paramedics are on the way." Maria hurt everywhere. Her face was swollen and her ribs felt like they were on fire. The ambulance and the Medics arrived and Maria was placed on a gurney. They stopped the bleeding from her nose with ice packs. As they were putting her into the ambulance, she saw Jerry sitting in the back of a Berkeley Police car. He was yelling at the Policeman that she had taken his baby from him three years ago and still had it. He wanted to charge her with Parental Kidnapping. Then the door closed and she was whisked off to the hospital.

A young Japanese-American doctor by the name of Janice Wong was looking at her when she opened her eyes again.

"Well Maria, what the hell happened to you?" Janice asked. Maria explained what had happened, including Jerry's rejection of her three years ago and of her marrying Captain Johnny O'Rourke. She told her how he had been shot down in Viet Nam and that she hadn't heard anything about him, whether he was dead or alive. She noticed a black man in a gray suit who was listening to her story. When Maria asked who he was, Janice introduced Sergeant Ainsworth McClelland of the Berkeley Police Department.

"But we all call him 'Painsworth here." Janice said laughing. Maria tried to laugh but she hurt too bad. She asked Sergeant McClelland if he would call Carmilita in San Rafael and her Father in Napa County, to let him know where she was and why. She also requested that she be transferred as soon as possible to the Hamilton Air Force Base Hospital.

Sgt, McClelland agreed to do what she wanted, then sent one of the nurses to make the calls. Then he turned back to Maria.

"How old are your children Mrs. O'Rourke? Is the father of your child Jerry Stowe? Can you prove that the child is not his?" Maria smiled at the big Sergeant and said,

"Call Major Shaw at the base hospital at Hamilton. Tell him what you want to know. He will tell you the following: 1) I was pregnant with Jerry Stowe's child because I was raped by him when I had too much to drink one night after finals. 2) I lost his child a month after I married Johnny O'Rourke . 3) I have two sets of twins, fathered by Johnny and 4) If that stupid man had let me explain before he started".

Sgt McClelland interrupted Maria.

"How would Major Shaw know all these things?"

"Well," Maria said, "for one thing, he's Johnny's flight surgeon, and for another he's my youngest set of twins God father. He knows."Ainsworth McClelland smiled at the badly mauled young woman and said,

"This is sure gonna screw up Jerry Stowe's education, but maybe he'll get a better edu-cation.....at San Quinton." After saying that he handed her a briefcase and told her that the campus policeman had gathered all the papers and kept them for her. Janice Wong returned and told her to get ready for some more pain as she had to bandage her ribs, where Jerry had kicked her.

Carmelita, Juan and Major Shaw arrived within five minutes of each other. Major Shaw arranged for an ambulance to transfer her to Hamilton and was rather rude to Janice as he examined Maria thoroughly. When Maria told him that Janice was a doctor, not a nurse, he apologized sincerely, then asked with an impish grin if she'd like to join the Air Force. Maria could laugh a little better with the bandaged ribs, but not much. Everybody else laughed at Major Shaw. When Maria's father arrived at the hospital he was very upset, but Major Shaw took him aside and explained what had happened. Maria asked her father if he would take Juan over to the University and get her car. Carmelita demanded that she ride in the ambulance with her Maria. So Major Shaw took Juan's car back to San Rafael and Juan brought him back to the base later.

Major Shaw kept Maria in the hospital for three days and then let her go home. She told him that she had to do her dissertation and present her Thesis in two weeks time. Desiree had been a Godsend during this crisis. Showing her spirit and love of Maria and her babies. With Carmelita spending most of her time nursing Maria Desiree simply went out and hired a maid.

The word about the assault, Maria's condi-tion and Jerry's incarceration was all over the campus. When Maria showed up for her ten o'clock appointment with the board, they were very solicitous, but they didn't ease up on her during the three grueling hours of her oral exam. After it was over Maria smiled and made her way out of the building. She reached the little red Camaro that Johnny had bought her and as she closed the door she began to sob.

"I wish you could have been here today Johnny." The tears rolled from her eyes for a long time. Then she heard a voice that said.

"You've got one hour to cry and one hour to make yourself pretty and get on with it." Johnny wasn't there for her to make herself pretty, besides with two black eyes and three broken ribs she didn't feel very pretty. She cried for her hour and then got the hell back to Marin County.

The time passed slowly for the P.O.W./M.I.A. wives. Maria and Desiree did as much with the children as possible. The vineyard and the winery were a constant source of entertainment for the children and time fillers for the women. The oldest twins were four and the younger two were two and a half. Desiree's son was almost three. When Maria recieved her Masters Degree in Literature and her primary teaching credentials in July, she decided that they had to go to Texas.

Maria called Margie and asked if they could come. Both Pete and Margie were delighted for them to be with them for a while. Maria called Angela to tell her where they would be. The Squadron was back at Hamilton now. When nine people got off the plane in El Paso, Margie was very happy. There was Maria, Desiree and five kids, with Carmelita and Teresa De La Rosa. They crowded into the ranch Surburban and rode out to the O'Rourke ranch. Maria hired a truck to follow with all the baggage. The children had a ball. They petted goats, dogs and once all five of them tried to pet a skunk. That created quite a stir. The smallest kids chased chickens, ran from the geese and spent hours lying on the dogs as they all slept in the shade of the big oaks. Margie cried the first time she saw them asleep on the dogs, because she remembered that Johnny had done the same thing when he was little. Maria and Desiree had a heck of a time trying to get the fleas out of the kids hair. The kids loved it and the adults took a lot of pictures.

It was mid afternoon on a Friday when a two-seater, T-38 landed on the ranch strip. Angela Mahoney climbed down from the back seat seat and started walking toward the house as the 'TALON' took off for El Paso. Maria had jumped into the jeep and roared off toward the strip to pick up the person in flight gear. To her surprise it turned out to be Angela. She had two new gold leaves shining on her shoulders. Before she could get the Jeep stopped she heard Angela screaming..

"They're alive! They're alive, both Johnny and Jimmy!"

Angela had to drive back to the ranch house because Maria had finally let it go. She cried with happiness to know that Johnny was alive. Desiree waited on veranda as she watched the Jeep stop at the strip, Maria get into the passenger side and let the Air Force officer drive, racing toward the house.Desiree stood with her heart in her throat,she knew that she was a twenty three year old widow and her son would never see his father, but as the Jeep slid to a halt, Angela leaped out yelling, "They're alive Desiree! They 're alive, both of them!"

Pandemonium broke out as every adult cried, hugged each other and Angela too. The five kids wondered what all the commotion was about. Angela explained that they were P.O.W.'s, but were alive as of a month ago. The Red Cross in China had notified the Swiss Red Cross and they in turn gave the lists to the American Authorities.

"Will we be able to write them?" Maria whispered to Angela.

"Just as soon as we can get an address for you.," she replied, "Hopefully soon."Almost another year would go by before that happened.

Chapter 13

The war was over, for all intents and purposes. The guards at the prison had told them that they would be repatriated soon, maybe in a few months. They bragged to the air crewmen about their victory in South Viet Nam, but there was no more torture, better food and the men were allowed mail. Johnny and Jimmy sat side by side at the mess table and tried to make heads or tails of the twenty letters they had each recieved. The letters were dated from almost a year ago to as recent as last month. Finally Johnny found the first of the letters, which was thick with pictures. The first one that fell out was of Maria in a hospital bed with the twins. No....Wait....Johnny grinned and handed the picture to Jimmy and said,

"I've got four kids now, another set of twins. You're gonna have to work like hell to catch up." Jimmy handed him the picture of his son, Jamie. Tears of joy streaming from his eyes. The later photos were of the kids in Texas, sleeping on the dogs, of Maria and Desiree stomping grapes at the vineyard and many others of the family, even Jimmy's folks from Oregon. Desiree had met them on her own and let them meet their grandson.

One morning after the P.O.W.'s had eaten breakfast, they were told to pack their gear and get on the busses that would take them away. They were given khaki pants and shirts as well as a tan windbreaker. They were dressed in these clothes as they drove onto the airport near Hanoi. Johnny caught a glimpse of the most wonderful sight that he'd seen in years. Five big, beautiful C-141 Starlifters. Busses from eleven P.O.W. camps pulled along side the aircraft and unloaded several hundred Airmen, Sailors and Soldiers. They were going home.

The Starlifters roared into the sky. Not a word was spoken on the bird that carried John Calhoun O'Rourke, and James Harmon Myers. After a short time the pilot announced.

"Gentlemen, we are fifty miles out over the South China Sea. We have left Vietnamese Air-space. All hell broke loose! They cheered, they cried, some just sat there stunned. It was over and they were on their way home.

Clark Air Base is in the Phillipine Islands, near Manila. The Starlifters were now thirty minutes apart and as each landed, the P.O.W.'s were treated to a large Air Force band, as well as Air Force, Navy, and Army honor guards. There were many high ranking officials on hand to welcome them back.

Johnny and Jimmy came down the ramp and saluted the officers waiting at the bottom. Even with all the pomp, ceremony and noise, they heard their names called. Johnny looked all around and spotted the tall blonde, Angela Mahoney shoving her way through the crowd and yelling at the top of her lungs. Angela was one loud lady. Johnny had been treated to Angela Mahoney's voice at the academy when he was an undergrad. Then he saw who Angela was dragging behind her. Maria and Desiree were hanging on to Angela and each other for dear life as the crowd got out of the way of the big, loud, blonde Amazon with Major's leaves on her shoulders. Johnny grabbed Jimmy and yelled, "Come on!"

They raced across the tarmac and enveloped their wives in their arms. Johnny held Maria tightly and told her how much he loved her. Just holding her was worth it all. Then he looked across the top of Maria's head and saw Angela. She was blubbering and her make up had run. He held Maria to his side and said.

"Christ Mahoney, you look like hell.......for an angel." Johnny held Angela close. He kissed her teary cheek. "I'll never be able to repay you for this Angela, but the next set of twins will have your name, Angel and Major." It was enough. They all dissolved into gales of laughter. Then they formed a line, five abreast. There was Maria, Johnny Angela, Jimmy and Desiree. The two P.O.W. returnees walked away with an arm around a sobbing Major and a sobbing wife.

While most of the P.O.W.'s went home on Air Force Transports to Travis Air Force Base in California. Major Mahoney, Major and Mrs. O'Rourke and Major and Mrs. Myers flew first class into San Francisco on a Trans World Airlines, Seven Forty Seven. There they were met by what could only be described as a horde of people. Maria's family, Pete and Margie, the Myers from Portland and finally a family that no one expected, (except Maria), the Torres family from Spain. Desiree was probably the happiest person there. Major Shaw showed up and warned Johnny not to drink the water or he'd have a six pack. There were a bunch of the 'Herc' crews that came and brought their wives as well as his commander, just to welcome them home. The C.O. told Johnny that he and Jimmy were on leave and to come by when he got a chance.