“You mean he’s still the President of the university?”
“I believe so. Didn’t you earn your diploma from there?”
Libby smiled. “I did.”
“Would you like to set up a meeting with Dr. Wilson? I can pass it on to have it put on your calendar. I’m sure he would be thrilled to accept an invitation to the White House.”
Libby nodded. “Yes, I’d like that. Make sure his wife is invited as well.”
“Anything else?”
“No, I’m fine now,” Libby lied. “Thanks for your concern.”
Joe knew there was more she was hiding from him but he let it be. “Okay. You should get some rest. It can’t be easy leading our country in a time of war.”
“No, it’s not. But that’s the country that I now lead.”
Joe nodded and walked out of the Oval Office, closing the door behind him. After he left, Libby looked around the room. It had changed as well. The office was no longer the stuffy office of Woodrow Wilson, it had become her office. The items were the items of the time but she could tell they were selected by her, matching her taste in décor.
She sat down on the small couch in the room and wondered what was happening to her. She hoped she could somehow escape the nightmare and return to a time where she had a family.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Passchendaele, Belgium – November 1917
Libby landed at the private airfield in Belgium. She knew what she was doing was extremely dangerous. She had landed on the front lines of the war in the secret of night. She had heard of other Presidents doing the same and she had always thought it was something she wanted to do as President.
Despite much debate and disapproval by those in her advisory circles, Libby made the call as the President and now here she sat in an empty field, inside of a small biplane waiting for the Secret Service to finish clearing the area.
Once all was cleared, she entered the protective convoy that would take her to the command headquarters to meet with the minds behind the battle ongoing in Belgium. She wanted to surprise the soldiers and show them that not only did the United States support them, as the Commander in Chief she wanted them to see that, just like her country, she was not afraid to go into the enemy’s den.
Under deep cover of night Libby was taken to the headquarters building (really not much more than a large tent and sandbags). There she was met by the British Field Marshal, Sir Douglas Haig. He very politely gave her a tour of the facility and briefed her on the engagements in which the troops were involved; however, Libby could tell beneath his gentlemanly exterior he was not thrilled that she was there.
“It is fortunate that your plane was able to arrive,” Haig said to her once she was seated in the area that served as the map room. “The rains have not come for the past two days, which is most unusual. It has rained here seemingly nonstop for some time.”
Libby nodded in agreement. “I am most fortunate.”
She had known that the past three days would be rainless. She also knew that on the following day, November 6 that the 1st and 2nd Canadian Divisions would move up to the front lines and the next phase of the battle would begin. The objectives of that final assault would be met three hours after the battle began.
She mentioned the battle plan to Haig and he seemed surprise. He had given her minor details, more of a glossing over than anything and was pleased that she was so knowledgeable to his plan.
“You have done your homework, Madam President.”
Libby smiled. “I have indeed. Would it surprise you if I said that I have absolute faith in your plan and that I expect that the village of Passchendaele be captured entirely by your forces within the week?”
Haig smiled back. “If it were not my plan, I would be surprised indeed. I am pleased to see that the Americans have such a committed Commander in Chief. If you support your generals then the Best of the British is with us.”
“Sir Haig, you are very kind. Well,” she said standing up, “you have a war to wage and I won’t keep you from it. I would like to meet some of the men, which is my primary purpose here.”
Haig stood as she rose and nodded in approval of her wanting to meet with his soldiers. “Very well. Our Howitzer unit has been fighting alongside of the Canadians on the front line. They have been pulled back as the 1st and 2nd Canadians take the forefront. These Howitzer men are some of my finest and have taken quite a hit. Many of the men that started with the unit have not survived the battle. Bloody Krauts.”
The Howitzer unit was brought in to the mess and it was Libby’s pleasure to serve them their food. She scooped the stew for the men, which compared to the meals they had eaten on the front line seemed to them to come from the finer restaurants in London.
Many of the men did not know who she was as they had been fighting for several years without much news of the world but she was announced and then given the opportunity to speak to the men. She thanked them for their service and assured them that the Americans would fight side-by-side with them until the job was done.
As she spoke, her Secret Service team began moving into position to transport her back to the plane. They needed to be gone before the morning and before the rain came.
She walked over to Sir Haig, who had joined her in the mess in meeting
