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a/n ~ hello and welcome to postwar! i am BEYOND excited to finally reach this moment of time in this series. it is truly a long time coming and this chapter is a highly defining moment for operation virago.

do you remember sergeant barbara miller from earlier in the soldier of stars? if so, she is the focus of this chapter!! and i hope you enjoy her perspective to show truly what these viragos mean as members of operation virago. i've never been prouder :,)

allen leech is general edward lacourtier - so that's why his gif is at the top of the page -> just a hint, you'll find out general lacourtier was the anonymous writer!!

thank you! and enjoy! <3

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" Have more humility. Remember you don't know the limits of your own abilities. Successful or not, if you keep pushing beyond yourself, you will enrich your own life - and maybe even please a few strangers."

- A.L. Kennedy

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Briefing Room, White House, Washington DC - August 31st, 1945

" Alright, moving on from the topic of General MacArthur and the Supreme Allied Command and onto another even larger topic - Operation Virago."

The news reporters just about burst out of their seats at the mere comment of the female lead operation - one that had been so covert, so secret, and so so successful - no one had even suspected it to be.

Hands flew up, mouths were moving, and cameras were rolling.

Everyone had questions, nearly everyone had an answer and just about each person in the room believed that at the moment Operation Virago was the most appealing story to put in their paper - even with a war just newly ended. Operation Virago rumors scored the fronts of each and every magazine of America, with hidden details from anonymous senders, pictures sent in by others, information from March 1941 on the entire ordeal initially being thought of. Information upon information on Operation Virago was being spewed to the public.

Major Barbara Miller sat stiffly beside General Edward LaCourtier - the anonymous General who wrote in his piece about Operation Virago back in the summer of 1945 - which nearly everyone had seen.

General LaCourtier had been the main reason Operation Virago had gotten onto its feet - and the main reason he had written it anonymously before revealing himself to the public with merely a sod ridden face of utter disgust as he watched the media like wild animals snap and claw for each and every bit of attention from either himself or Major Miller.

Barbara Miller had become one of the highest ranking women among the Viragos and had made the landings with General LaCourtier into Sicily amongst some of the bravest men she'd ever met. Watching the hungry reporters acting like children merely made her stoop to their level.

But she would never - she had more dignity than that. Her uniform was that of the Viragos - she'd kept it around ever since she left Camp Athene and was shipped out - she figured one day that she'd need it again, and turns out her gut instinct was right. Her Camp Athene medal sat upon her breast with a few other medals - a few Purple Hearts, medals from her missions in Africa and Europe, an oak leaf or two for good measure. All shined to perfection, glowing like the radiant sun, except the sun was outside and in this darkened and dim briefing room of the White House the mood was anything but.

Barbara's gaze slowly cast over towards General LaCourtier.

Fighting with him in Sicily had been one of her proudest moments - they had seen the good and bad of one another and had become great comrades in battle - he had never cared that she were a woman, a female - he was more interested in the fact she were a Virago as he had advocated mainly for the Operation to even take place, and the fact she were quickly working through the ranks one after the other. They had led some of the riskiest missions with the bravest men they'd ever known through Italy.

But Edward's gaze was unlike his battle-ridden facade, icy and distant, eyebrows narrowed, eyes darkened like licorice. He would burst soon and by this time Barbara would sit back and watch it as if it were a comedy. She knew something about General Edward LaCourtier from her time in Italy with him - you didn't get in his way, you didn't mess with his plans, and you didn't bash Operation Virago or any of the 250 women - dead or alive - who had been a part of it. After Eisenhower's selection, LaCourtier had learned of each and every woman who would be apart of Operation Virago - he still knew of each and every woman dead or alive.

" General LaCourtier could you tell us more about Operation Virago? Why you thought it was such a brilliant idea?" one reporter asked as Barbara bit back the smirk on her lips, shaking her head.

" Major why are you shaking your head?" another asked and Barbara felt all gazes on herself suddenly.

Oh boy would it just add to her confidence.

" The sentence you just asked the General was rather off-putting if you look at it that way - like it weren't good enough or successful, when it reality, we've won the war, and the women were along with each, each Virago, dead or alive, were there. You all figured when this came out that the women would be the reason you lost - we may not be the reason you won, but we fought this entire war with you and we've won." Barbara said cooly.

Get over it. End of discussion.

" You speak Major....-"

" Miller." Barbara answered, with a slight twinge of anger - at least learn her name.

" Major Miller, yes, yes, you speak as if you were cold or angry." the reporter said and Barbara's gaze didn't falter.

" Yes." she answered simply, " How else would I when all you all are doing is bashing a successful Operation?" It grew quiet and Barbara knew she had hit the nail on the head.

" General are you seriously going to let her speak like this? In front of the media?" a rounder reporter asked, his mustache possibly too long, beady eyes with a tangible gaze. Edward slowly sat forward a bit, straightening his back and put one of his familiar smirks on his face.

" Yes - as the person who created Operation Virago, all of our Viragos trained relentlessly and performed to their highest abilities in combat and war zones - I believe they have every right to speak the way they speak," General LaCourtier said, " I'd advise you all to take a look at the transcript on Lieutenant Catherine McCown when the 101st Airborne was based in Austria - all our Viragos share a same drive and passion for the fight for equality and I, myself share the same."

" As a man?"

" Yes." It grew quiet.

" But, why in this time period, why would you even consider it? As one of the United States Top Generals, why worry?" a reporter asked and Edward smirked.

" It worked didn't it? Why would I even bother with why I considered it." Edward explained as Barbara slowly let her gaze move through the reporters' eyes again. Barbara cleared her throat and slowly stood, before stepping up in front of General LaCourtier and the rest of the media.

" Operation Virago initially effected none of your lives so why do you continue talking about the bothers of it in your life? 2 months ago - no one knew Operation Virago existed and you were fine - and now all you can talk about is the impact of the war the women had - a negative one at that - each and every bit is negative, but yet here we are, with the war won." Barbara said, her tone firm, neutral and completely unfazed, " Please tell me, why with the war over, this issue is still on all your minds." Barbara's gaze moved across the reporters hesitant gazes and one reporter slowly stood.

" Women are just....they're not men, so having them fight in a war...it's just not normal." he said.

" It is now." Barbara said. The reporter took it as his cue and sat as another one, closer to the front made his move to stand to his feet. Barbara locked her eyes in on him, and curiously cocked her head to the side.

" The reason we keep talking about it is just that, it's not normal to have women fight in war - that's a man's job. Women are needed for home, for the kitchen, and I'm sorry if you disagree, but that's how it has always been." the man said, anger boiling from him.

" Yes, I know. But who took your places when you all went off to war? Women. Factories were filled with them, stories, markets, schools, colleges - occupied by women - your sports were even filled with women. And I know...I know many of you will not be able to comprehend a woman in uniform, but 250 of us fought and you can't ever take that away from us. We fought in this war, and some of us died in this war, just like many of the men who fought in this war. We all fought and died and lived as US citizens, is that not enough?" Barbara asked.

" Excuse me?" a voice called and Barbara slowly glanced up to see the only female reporter in the room slowly stand to her feet, " It is enough, for all us women here at home to finally see women at war with men on the frontlines, I believed it was enough and it always has been. Women and men are simply just humans and we fight wars to win them - we won a war and these women just happened to be apart of it, why can't you simply be thankful for those who fought for your flag, your rights and the ability to still be here. If they hadn't won, we'd be speaking Japanese or German, a whole different language, we would've lost even more lives. These women helped win a war, respect that." Barbara smiled.

" What's your name?" The young reporter smiled.

" Eleanor Dros." Eleanor said with a smile.

" And are you the only female reporter in this room?"

" Yes, ma'am, have been ever since I graduated college."

" Graduated college?"

" Yes ma'am, down in the South, part of the only group of women."

" And you're here, just like the rest of these men who graduated from college?"

" Yes ma'am."

" As you can see men, it doesn't matter where you go, you all went to different colleges, are different genders and ended up here."

" But there's only one!" a reporter called out.

" Yes, but one woman can lead for many - you just have to believe a bit." Barbara said, " If you don't believe, you can't ever let your imagination get anywhere. Eleanor believed - and now she's here. Maybe if you all believe just a bit more, than you can remember that 250 women did in fact fight for your country and a majority is still alive."

" Any further comment General LaCourtier?" one of the reporters asked. Barbara let her gaze turn to him and she noticed Edward smile as he stood to his feet beside her.

" I wrote an article back in June 1945, and it was released to the public in early July 1945 - and I wrote it under an anonymous name, but nothing I said, I regret. It was true, all of it, and those were my true feelings about this. They deserved a chance, just like the rest of you did. Human beings deserve simply, just, a chance! And that's what we gave them and those 250 women took it and ran with it, and they didn't let anything hold them back or stop them. They were filled with just as much of a want to fight as any man were and that's what they went and did. They fought. If you can't respect a human being fighting for your country, then what do you respect?" Edward said, his icy gaze meeting each and every set of eyes.

Then the doors opened and both Barbara and Edward's gazes turned towards them. There in the dark, wooden oak door stood two men Barbara had idolized. President Harry Truman and General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Almost immediately Barbara and Edward moved in sync to salute the two and familiar smiles bloomed on both of their faces as they saluted before marching forward towards the stage. As they slowly moved up the stage General Eisenhower let them drop their salutes before he came up next to the two.

" I hope these reporters weren't giving you any problems." Eisenhower said and the duo smiled at each other before looking at him.

" Not too much, sir." Edward said and Eisenhower let out a small chuckle before turning to President Truman who stepped up to the two.

" President Truman, this is General Edward LaCourtier, he was the General who devised the plan for Operation Virago and brought the information to me." Eisenhower said and the two saluted before shaking hands and Edward smiled.

" And this is Major Barbara Miller, one of the highest ranking Virago members of Operation Virago - she found with General Edward LaCourtier in Sicily and Italy in the Italian Campaign and did some time in Africa with him." Eisenhower explained as Barbara saluted and President Truman smiled before saluting and shaking her hand.

" It's a pleasure to finally meet you two." President Truman said as the two stood at ease in front of him, " General LaCourtier I've heard a great many things about you and you've impressed me with your time in the field." Edward nodded with a smile.

" Thank you, sir." Edward said and President Truman smiled before looking over at Barbara.

" Major Miller I have never been prouder to be standing in front of such a capable young woman in my life. With your accomplishments as a Major and leader in the field, and the ability to stay so focused, I've been amazed by you." President Truman said and Barbara smiled.

" Thank you, sir." she said and President Truman smiled before nodding to Eisenhower who slowly approached the loud and crowded group of rambunctious reporters at the front of the room. Almost immediately the clicking sounds of the camera increased as well as the voices that whispered.

" I hope that while we've been back there that you have treated our Major and General with the utmost respect." General Eisenhower said in a rather joking manner, and the group of reporters faked a chuckle which made Barbara's smile twitch. Her stomach twisted into a sour pit in her intestines.

The flashing of the cameras clicked away, over and over again, over and over, like the bullets that flew atop her head as she watched her best friend collapse on the field, with a bullet oozing blood at his right side.

Barbara's gaze turned cold all of the sudden as in that moment she wasn't in America, she was stuck in a trance, stuck in the mud clad boots of Italy, her feet numb, her clothing drenched in sweat, perspiration dripping down the side of her face and fear clasping each and every bit of her soul. And she watched him go, his body go limp as she were just a mere Captain watching her most trusted Lieutenant die in front of her. She still held onto the scarf he always wore with a smile on his face. E

dward had seen it happen and had been the one to pull her back, away from him, away from Death. But in that moment, Barbara had wanted Death to scoop her up into his arms and take her away, too.

War was horrid.

" Major Miller?" a voice asked and Barbara felt herself jump a bit as her eyes glued to General Eisenhower's.

" Sorry, sir." she said and took a few steps forward, glancing at Edward for a moment.

" Care to tell the men about Operation Virago?" General Eisenhower asked her, " Your experience, anything you please?"

" Yes, sir." she said with a shaky gaze, before letting out a trembling breath, which made her throat dry, " Operation Virago....."

And suddenly all the memories came rushing back - they always did.

The war would stay with all of them, no matter what - it was merely a side effect of war, after too many horrid events all at once.

But like they said - it was war.

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thank you for reading!! and get ready for a hazel and joe in POSTWAR! i'm hoping to do alternating chunks of my 3 viragos in this portion of the story - so yes! hazel and joe are up next!! thank you <3