Morning came quickly for the tired women as they were awakened early enough to grab their breakfast before they reported to the airfield at 0600 hours.
Vera and Elena were greeted by Private Ulyana Ubuchova, one of the kitchen helpers, with a hot cup of coffee as they sat down on one of the long, wooden benches in the mess hall.
“Your planes have arrived,” Ulyana said cheerfully. Her short, light brown hair hung straight around her face, making her look even thinner than she already appeared. She was the youngest and tallest girl in the regiment, and Vera thought, probably the thinnest, too.
“Yes, we saw them on the way here,” Vera tried to sound awake and as cheerful as Ulyana, but she didn"t quite make it.
“Now starts what we were trained for,” Elena said excitedly as she took a piec
