This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any actual resemblance to persons or historical persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Hogan's Heroes characters, settings, locales, ect. are owned by other entities who have not endorsed this fic nor have they given permission for their use. Author makes no claims to these characters and is not making any profit off their use.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the author or any legally assigned agents of the author.

© Copyright: ­2004. Lisa Philbrick

Author's Note: Although the disclaimer above talks about "any actual resemblance to historical persons, living or dead, being entirely coincidental" I have to say that my portrayal of a certain historical figure in this story is not just a random fictionalization. In short, I've darn near freaked myself out with some of the Major's actions in this story and the coincidences with some of the things I've read about him. LOL. Anyway, a lengthier author note will be posted at my web site (along with a reference page)  when I start to post the story there, but I wanted to start posting here at fanfiction.net to find out if I've really lost my mind or not. Please read and review! Tell me I'm nuts. Or tell me I'm not. LOL. Either way, feedback is greatly appreciated. =)

Hogan's Heroes:
Sustaining the Wings, Part One
by: Lisa Philbrick

London, England

November, 1944

Day 1

The street outside the BBC Broadcasting House in London was bustling with activity as US servicemen, all members of the Allied Expeditionary Forces Band, were arriving for rehearsal before the evening broadcast. The band, under the direction of US Army Major Glenn Miller, was in the midst of a marathon session of recording, broadcasts and performances leading up to it's transfer from England to recently liberated Paris. The band had to be the hardest working and most dedicated musicians the service could have asked for. They endured long hours, inadequate resources, terrible travel conditions and German buzz bombs. And yet through it all, the quality of their music never diminished. Their music, of course, was not traditional Army music. It was the swing and jazz music that many of those serving in the armed forces had been enjoying back home just before the attack on Pearl Harbor plunged the United States into war.

One of the most popular swing bands, if not the most popular swing band was that led by Glenn Miller. Miller had a very strong sense of patriotism and was very aware of the effect the draft was having, not only on the musicians called up for service but on the young people who filled the ballrooms and dance floors to hear and see the band. Although Miller himself was exempt from the draft, he answered his own call of duty and after being rejected by the US Navy, he made a very strong case to US Army Brigadier-General Charles D. Young about bringing the music closer to those who were serving to keep morale up. Young agreed and Miller reported for duty at the beginning of October, 1942.

Of course, not everyone agreed. Miller faced critics, naysayers and Army traditionalists, who felt that his idea of modernizing military music was sacrilege. But Miller brushed them off, as the only opinions that mattered to him was the reaction from the servicemen that made requests for broadcasts and dedications on the radio and crowded into air field hangers, camps and auditoriums to hear the band. After all, he was doing this for them, not for any personal gain of his own. In fact, much of what he was doing was coming at a great personal sacrifice.

But he couldn't stop. He wouldn't stop. Although his own morale sometimes faltered, he never lost sight of what he was doing it all for. This was his duty and Lord knew he was putting everything he had into it.

None of these thoughts, however, occupied the Major's mind as the Army staff car pulled up to the curb outside the Broadcasting House. Major Miller grabbed his crush cap and stepped out of the car, putting the cap on. He was greeted by a few members of the band, while the driver of the staff car opened the trunk to retrieve the Major's trombone case and an attaché case with the band's sheet music and arrangements for this broadcast.

Miller received the cases, thanked the driver and walked into the BBC with the other band members. Two nonchalant looking American Army officers stood a few feet away from the entrance to Broadcasting House, smoking cigarettes and talking. All the while, they had been waiting for this particular staff car to arrive. As soon as Miller disappeared into the building, they dropped their cigarettes and followed in after him to the studio where the band was setting up. Neither of the two officers spoke to anyone, nor did they try speak to the Major right away, holding back until such time they could approach him without too many people already around him. No one in the building, or anywhere in the entire US Army would have known who they were, as they weren't even Americans to begin with.

The studio was full of the sound of instruments playing scales, as the musicians who were already there were warming up. The drum set was being assembled and microphones were being plugged in. The small group around the Major had disbursed and Miller placed his trombone case down near a chair that was near the main microphone. He placed the attaché case on the chair and opened it to retrieve the arrangements. He hadn't removed his crush cap yet.

One of the nonchalant Army officers looked at his partner and nodded. The two approached the Major.

"Major Miller?" the unknown Lieutenant Colonel spoke. Glenn Miller looked up from the open attaché case and saw he had a Lieutenant Colonel on one side of him and a Lieutenant on the other. Needless to say, he found this odd.

"Yes?"

"Could we speak to you a moment? It's about the broadcast..." The Lieutenant Colonel tilted his head toward the door, indicating that he and the other officer wished to speak to Miller out of the presence of the rest of the band members. Now what? Miller wondered. He nodded to the two officers. "Of course," he replied. He left the arrangements in the attaché case, closed it and turned to follow the Lt. Colonel. The Lieutenant paused only a moment to remove a folded paper from his uniform pocket and leave it on top of the attaché case before turning to follow directly behind the Major.

The Major followed the Lt. Colonel down the hall way and was starting to wonder what was going on. He stopped to turn to the Lieutenant behind him, who merely gave him a gentle push to keep walking. Miller did and they came out of the building. The street and sidewalk were back to a normal looking facade as most if not all of the band members were inside. The Lt. Colonel led the way to a car and opened the back door. He looked at Major Miller.

"Get in, Major."

Miller was suddenly alarmed. "What is this?"

"This is a kidnapping, Major Miller," the Lt. Colonel said. "You are to be a guest of the Third Reich for an undetermined amount of time."

Miller turned quick, thinking to make a run for it but the Lieutenant was directly behind him and pulled a small pistol from the coat of his uniform and placed a persuasive grip on Miller's forearm. "Please, Major," the Lieutenant spoke, his German accent unmistakable, "we do not wish to make a scene. Get into the car..."

Miller eyed the gun and then turned back to the Lt. Colonel. He cast a quick glance around the street, realizing nobody of the few people who were around knew what was going on. Effectively bushwhacked, he let out a defeated sigh and got into the car. The Lieutenant followed in after and the Lt. Colonel closed the door. He then walked around the car and got in on the other side.

One of the members of the band, a young private, saw the whole thing. He had tried to find the Major and somebody told him they had seen him step outside with two other officers. When the private came out the door he saw as Major Miller was getting into the car and the obvious movement of one of the other officers concealing a weapon into the coat of his uniform. Something was wrong!

The private watched the car pull away and saw through the car window as one of the other officers put a blindfold over the Major's eyes. The private ran back inside the building, hollering that the Major had been kidnapped. Some were disbelieving until the private told of what he saw and then the note that had been left on top of the attaché case was found. By order of the German Propaganda Ministry, Major Glenn Miller had been kidnapped and if the band played in that night's broadcast or any future broadcasts...

...the Major would not be returned alive.