Today is release day for No
Neutral Ground, the second book of my Promise For Tomorrow series. Get to
know Jennie Lindquist, one of the stars of No
Neutral Ground. You can order it now on my Books page.
You traveled overseas
in 1944. What did you do in the war years before that?
I worked at the Chicago art museum where I put together
special exhibits like “Art in War: American Artists’ Record of War and Defense.”
I also conducted tours through the museum for school groups.
What prompted you to
go overseas?
Rumors of layoffs swirled around the museum, with the
understanding that the last hired would be the first fired. I don’t know how
true the rumors were, but my dad saw them as an opportunity to spread my wings
and go to Sweden, where he was a military attaché.
My boss at
the museum thought that was a great idea. He said, “Sweden is one of very few
countries escaping the destruction of war. It represents a unique opportunity
to be near the conflict but not involved. Think of it. You could have a
ringside seat.”
Being
ringside to a vicious war didn’t sound appealing, but he also said I could
scout out possible exhibitions for after the war. Other countries wouldn’t be
able to take part in exchanges, what with the mess they were in and their art
stolen or destroyed. The possibility of scouting for the museum was enticing,
and a job would be waiting for me when I returned.
Were you aware of
what was happening to museums in occupied Europe?
Yes. We knew works of art had been taken from France,
Belgium, and other occupied countries to Germany for what the Germans called safekeeping.
An anonymous French museum official says they were quite capable of caring for their
artwork, and they had grave fears of ever seeing it again. The Germans just
took whatever they wanted.
You traveled across
the Atlantic on the Queen Mary. Were
you concerned about submarines?
By 1944, the U-boats weren’t having the success they enjoyed
earlier in the war. Both of the Queens
were supposed to travel so fast, the U-boats couldn’t set up a shot. I never
heard of either ship having a torpedo fired in their direction. That gave me
confidence I wouldn’t have had if I’d traveled on a Liberty ship.
How did you like
being one of few women among all the troops making the crossing?
Over twelve thousand servicemen packed in, plus the nurses
in a few medical units. But you know, being so crowded made it safer for us.
There was no privacy. No man could be improper toward us without someone to
rescue us.
You managed to have a
shipboard romance.
Oh, I wouldn’t call it a romance. Rafe and I did spend a lot
of time together, and I hoped to see him again after the war. I wondered about
him often. Being part of a B-17 crew was so dangerous. And then his plane
crashed in Sweden and there he was, covered in blood. My heart stood still.
You had a brief but
intense training course for the OSS. You saw no danger there?
I was convinced I’d work behind the scenes. And I was going
to Sweden. That was hugely different from being an agent in Germany. Still,
when I was assigned to leave the legation and meet with agents, I definitely
had qualms. Not until Rafe joined me did I start to enjoy our outings. They
could still be nerve-wracking, but Rafe made it fun. Of course, as a former
German national, the war was very personal for him.
Do you have any
misgivings about Rafe being from Germany?
Never. I knew the day we met that he was angry with the
Germans and with his father for rejecting him and the rest of their family
because of Jewish ancestry. It hurt him to see Germany being destroyed. By
war’s end, he came to understand how his father had been unable to cope with
the belligerence of the Nazis. How would any of us react if we’d with a
government turned so vicious? I’m so glad we found Rafe’s father in Cologne
after the war and their relationship began to heal. Remembering their embrace
still brings tears to my eyes.
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My model of Jennie |