WHERE WERE YOU? PART 2

by William "Blissey" Raymer

In our first vignette for Volume 2 of Where Were You, we jump ahead to April 12, 1945, Here, Tillie Hippo, serving as a civilian nurse at a military hospital, reacts, like much of America, to the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

WHERE WERE YOU? VOLUME 4: TILLIE HIPPO: THE ONLY THING WE HAVE TO FEAR...

In the break room at Thalberg Memorial Hospital near the Marine Corps base outside Oceanside, California, Tillie Hippo smiled when she saw an old friend from the Farley Wink agency. "Petunia! How have you been?" Tillie asked.

Petunia Pig smiled, then moved over to hug Tillie. "Fine, Tillie. You know, I heard about you and all the animals down at Mammoth Pictures six years ago. Had any good parts?" "I've had a few," Tillie said. "And what about you? I heard you got a seven picture deal over at Warner Bros. as Porky Pig's girlfriend."

But, before Petunia could answer, the radio in the break room interrupted the music that was playing with a news bulletin. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Fulton Noyce Junior speaking from the Mutual Studios in New York City. The nation has suffered this day a staggering loss. At this moment in Warm Springs, Georgia, President Franklin D. Roosevelt lies with the problems of the nation finally lifted from his shoulders, stricken late this afternoon with a cerebral hemorrhage. He passed away before his physicians could be of any assistance if assistance in such a case is possible at all."

The reporter continued to describe the story but Petunia and Tillie were busy trying to console the other nurses in the break room. After all, the late President Roosevelt had helped America through the Great Depression and through World War II so far. "What's going to happen now?" a human nurse said.

"I don't know," Tillie said. "But don't worry. America will survive." But, for the first time in a long time, Tillie's normally unflappable optimism had taken a hit. Tillie was unsure of the future.

Next, we go back to June 1, 1944, as Peebo Pudgemeyer (we know him as Pudge) makes friends with an Allied serviceman who is about to participate in the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France. Its official name was Operation: Overlord. We know it as D-Day.

WHERE WERE YOU? VOLUME 5: PEEBO "PUDGE" PUDGEMEYER: AT THE CANTEEN

In London, England, Allied forces were gathering for a big military invasion of Nazi-occupied Northern France. A group of entertainers were asked to keep the troops' morale up as "D-Day"(the first day of the operation) fast approached.

One of those entertainers, Peebo "Pudge" Pudgemeyer, sung some unremarkable (by today's standards) ballad. After the song, Pudge waddled up to the bar and asked for a "Shirley Temple." An officer in a Canadian officer's uniform walked up to the bar. He pointed to Pudge and said to the bartender, "I'll have what he's having," he said.

Turning to Pudge, he smiled. "That's quite a voice you've got for such a small guy," he said. "Thanks," Pudge said as the barkeep slid two cups to Pudge and the Canadian officer. "I saw you in Gone With The Wind as Ashley Wilkes," the officer said. "You basically stole the show from Old Big Ears."

Pudge smiled. "Thank you," Pudge said. "Do you want an autograph?" "Sure," the officer said, proffering a pen and a piece of paper. "Make it out to Lieutenant James Doohan, Royal Canadian Artillery."

Pudge took the pen in his wing and wrote, "To Lieutenant James Doohan, Royal Canadian Artillery. Thanks for helping to keep the world strong and free. Signed, Peebo 'Pudge' Pudgemeyer." Handing the notebook back to Lieutenant Doohan, Pudge took a sip from the cup and thought to himself, "If, after the war is over and this guy is still alive, I'll have to look him up. He sounds like an O.K. friend to be around."

Well, the man Pudge met at the Stage Door Canteen that night survived the D-Day invasion, only losing the middle finger of his right hand in the process. It would take twelve years before Pudge could meet the man again. In that time, he became an actor just like Pudge was. Pudge and his best human friend were friends until James Doohan's death in July of 2005. Pudge was at his side at the end. But, that's...another story.

Finally, we catch up with Darla Dimple, whom, in the midst of her quest for revenge against Danny and Sawyer, inadvertently became a national hero when she helped prevent some top-secret documents from falling into enemy hands. Those documents were schematics for a new type of bomb... an atomic bomb.

WHERE WERE YOU? VOLUME 6: DARLA DIMPLE: DROPPING THE BOMB

Darla Dimple was a janitor on an Army base in New Mexico when she heard glass breaking near where she stood. Putting her mop back in the cleaning water, she went to see what was going on.

In the shadows, Darla saw a masked man climb through the broken window. Darla quickly made her way back to the mop and bucket and started mopping as if she hadn't seen a thing. As the masked man approached the place where Darla worked, Darla kicked over the bucket, spilling the soapy water on the ground. The masked man fell to the floor in a heap.

Five M.P.s arrived on-site a few moments later and took the masked man-a Japanese spy-into custody. One M.P. turned to Darla and said, "Major General Groves will want to speak to you." The M.P. led Darla to a nearby office.

Major General Leslie Groves smiled as the M.P. led Darla into his office. "That'll be all, Sergeant," Groves said. The M.P. saluted, then left. Groves then turned to Darla. "Miss Romano, you have done a great service to the American people," he said.

"General, what was that man trying to steal that is so important?" Darla asked. "They were schematics for a new type of weapon, one that uses nuclear fission," Groves said. "An atomic bomb." Darla whistled. "Joanna," Groves said as he stood from his desk, "I'll need you to not tell anyone about what I am about to tell you. In a few days-if this test is successful-we'll drop two of 'em on Japan. Hopefully, we can end the war without losing too many more American lives."

A few weeks later, Darla was at a soda fountain near the Army base when she heard the news: a U.S. B-52 bomber dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. A few days after that, a second atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki. Darla, subconsciously knew that the war was over.

And, on August 14, 1945, Darla was proven right. President Harry Truman announced that the Japanese government had accepted the Potsdam Proclamation, which called for Japan to surrender.

There were other stories featuring the members of the Mammoth Pictures Animals-Only Company. Maybe, just maybe, I might bring them to you someday.