Christmas 1944 by Peggy Scholberg

In the book, Girls in a World at War, just before Christmas 1944, Kathy is serving as a dietician in a U.S. Army hospital while awaiting her next orders. Her boyfriend, Rocky—a handsome and charming Army Captain—has gone on leave, leaving her thoughtful gifts. One of these gifts is shown here:

Actual Gift Box with Inlaid Silver Doves

Read on in the book to find out where Kathy’s new orders take her—and what unfolds with Rocky. (Hint: She will find herself within earshot of gunfire during the Battle of the Bulge.)

Book Excerpt:

The executive officer asked Kathy to supervise the Christmas dinner, to be served at a party in the officers’ club. This gave Kathy work to fill the hours while Rocky was gone. She planned menus and discussed with the cooks. She made decorations and checked linens and silverware. She would rather have been doing something for the patients, but serving the officers was a pleasant substitute.

Christmas morning, alone in her room, Kathy sat on her bed beside the bright Christmas presents Rocky had given her. She opened the first. It was a box of chocolate candy. The card read, “I’d like to share this with you.” The second was a jar of bubble bath. The card read “I’d like to share this with you.”

The third present was a bottle of her perfume, Taboo. The card read “Stardust.” The next package was a black lace nightgown. Kathy wriggled into it, a snug fit. Had Rocky imagined her in this? He’d never seen her in anything more alluring than an Army uniform. The card read “XOXOXO.”

The fifth package was a clear plastic box, with a sterling silver inlay of two doves on a single branch set into a hinged lid. Inside, on a gold chain, was a heart-shaped locket with a ruby center. The card read, “To my love, a red heart set in everlasting gold. – Rocky.” Kathy clasped it around her neck. It clinked against her steel dog tags, which she moved toward her back. In the mirror the ruby gleamed red on her throat.

There was no time for dreaming in a tight nightgown. Kathy had to dress in her uniform and hurry to the officers’ mess to check on the roast beef, rolls, and pies. Much to do. This dinner of all dinners had to be perfect. She wanted to prove to all of Castoria that she was a capable dietitian. She wanted to serve them all a delightful dinner so that they could honestly say “Thank God for this food” on this Christmas.

The dinner was all she had hoped. Sprays of shiny green holly led across the white table cloth. It framed the silver plates of strawberry and lime molded salads, past the Brussels sprouts baked with chestnuts, around the candied carrots and green beans with mushrooms. The holly circled the platters and platters of crisp fried chicken and stuffed baked potatoes. The holly led on past golden rolls with red raspberry jam to the flaky crusted apple and pumpkin pies, and the rich devil’s food cake.

When everyone was served, and the servers were slicing their own roast beef, Mac the WAC asked Kathy “Do you want strawberry or peach salad? By the way, did you get your orders?”

“No. Do I have orders?”

“They came yesterday. The mess officer has them. Do you want strawberry or peach?”

“Tell me. Tell me. When? For where? I won’t leave before Rocky returns.”

“You can leave now. You get a last pass before you go overseas.”

“Overseas? Overseas? Where will I be sent?”

“Top secret. If I knew I wouldn’t tell. Now, do you want salad or not? Strawberry or peach?”

“Neither. Both. I don’t care.”

“I’ll give you strawberry because you’re lucky to leave here, even to go overseas, and peach because I know how you feel about leaving Rocky. Rocky will be up for a transfer soon, so it doesn’t much matter whether you go or stay, as far as he’s concerned. Now, if you can collect your thoughts, you might serve Major Molina her apple pie.”

With her pass, she could fly to Santa Fe where her parents were spending the winter. She could hitch-hike for free on Army or Navy planes. She could return in six days to celebrate New Year’s Eve with Rocky.

She caught an Army plane early in the morning. The plane soared over fields and rivers and towns. From the sky everything Kathy saw, touched by the exuberance of her love, was magnificent and beautiful.