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Show 17-3 "Shall I go and see what's keeping Dr. Metcalf?" Andrew asked. Just then the door swung open and Father came in. "Sorry to keep you all." Father stooped to kiss Mother and pulled a chair over beside me and kissed me on the forehead. "Hi, Annie. Glad you're here." He nodded to Andrew who still stood by the window. Mother looked at him and then at Andrew expectantly. "Katherine, I don't think I told you that Andrew had offered to find out why Paul wasn't awarded a Purple Heart. Before we made official inquiries." Father cleared his throat. "Major Ross told me that might take months and that a quiet check on our own might clear it up for us." Father looked at Andrew who sat on the chair facing the three of us. "Well, Katherine, you see, Andrew has discovered some rather startling news about Paul. Why don't you take over, Andrew." "Yes sir. I asked about, Mrs. Metcalf, and I found several men who had been in your brother's unit. The units were mostly formed locally, you know. I had been in another unit of the same division. So that's why I didn't know him." Andrew leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped in front of him. Mother sat straight in her chair, staring at him. "The 7th Infantry took a bad beating at Belleau Wood. A lot of their men are here, wounded. Many died. Heavy losses." "Yes, that's what we understood," said my mother. "The captain's letter told us that." "But, ma'am, you brother didn't die at Belleau Wood. He wasn't even there. He died five days before." Mother stirred in her chair. Andrew looked down at his hands. "I don't understand. I didn't know they had been engaged before that one last battle." |
