[legendsport]

February 17, 1942: Washington, DC:

Dan Barrell walked down the hallway of the New Congressional Office Building, built in 1933 when the so-called "Old" office building had grown too crowded. Beside him walked three of his nieces and they were the main reasons for his visit. It occurred to him as he walked that though he had lived or worked in Washington for a significant number of years this was the first time he'd visited any building relating to the U.S. Capitol.

"You girls sure you want to do this?" he asked.

The eldest of the three, Agnes Barrell McCullough, sighed. "You've asked us that several times already, Uncle Dan," she said, not bothering to hide her exasperation. Her single-mindedness reminded Dan of her father Jimmy - a trait her half-brother James had also inherited. Aggie's half-sister Jean and Rollie's eldest daughter Martha both nodded in agreement.

It was only as a favor to the girls' fathers, Jack and Rollie, that Dan had even agreed to do this. Most everyone in the family knew how he felt about the man they were going to be visiting. The congressional page who was escorting them gave him a tight-lipped half-grin that Dan suspected meant she knew exactly what he was thinking.

They stopped outside the Congressional office of the esteemed representative of Ohio's 17th Congressional District: Maurice D. Morris. Dan frowned momentarily - he hadn't know Morris' first name was anything other than Max.

The page opened the door and motioned them inside. A thin young man was sitting behind a desk in the small room. A large and heavy-looking door was situated to the left. The man was obviously Morris' assistant and the man himself was behind the door.

"Welcome Mr. Barrell, Mrs. McCullough, Miss Barrell and, er, Miss Barrell," the man said with a warm smile. "The congressman will see you momentarily."

The page left and a scant moment later an older man came in from the hall. "Ah, you must be the people here to discuss our bill," he said. He stepped forward and shook Dan's hand. "I'm Bill Dietrich, representing the 14th District of Michigan." He smiled at the young women. "I believe you three young ladies are from my constituency."

"We are," Aggie said. She wasn't smiling - her smile hadn't been on display much over the past two months. "I voted for you, sir," she told the man who nodded his head and smiled in return. "My sister and cousin, alas, were too young to vote in 1940, but you can be assured of their support this November, I would think," Aggie added. Jean and Marty both nodded. The cousins were just 17 days apart in age and though both were similar in height and slimness, Jean looked like her mother Marie while Marty took after Rollie.

The door to the inner office opened and the familiar burly form of Max Morris filled the doorway. Dan still didn't care for the man, though his outward appearance had changed since that day all those years ago when Dan had been a high-school student and Morris the most famous ballplayer in the country.

"Dan Barrell!" Morris said in his familiar booming voice. "How long has it been?" the big man asked as he grasped Dan's hand in a meaty paw and gave it a bone-crushing squeeze.

Morris cleaned up well - his tailored suit looked good on him. Dan gave back his best squeeze as he answered, "Oh, what? Six years or so - wasn't '36 your last year with the Foresters?"

"Yep, it sure was. Had my last dance with the Dynamos in '37 and then it was off to Washington for me," he said, then added a hearty laugh and added, "Now that was a twist I did not see coming!"

Dan laughed despite himself. His father had told him of how Morris had been all but drafted in Rufus Barrell's office - the very same one Dan now called his own - back in the winter of '37-38.

"I see you've met Bill Dietrich," Morris said. "Bill and I are going to co-sponsor this bill for you ladies."

Morris cast his appraising eye over Dan's nieces and Dan fought a barely successful inner campaign not to sneer at the old lecher. Morris had to be approaching fifty and the girls... well, young ladies, were 22 (Aggie) and 19 (Jean & Marty).

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Morris," Marty said, stepping forward and thrusting out a hand. Morris looked at Dan and raised an eyebrow. "You must be Rollie Barrell's daughter," he said when he'd turned back to Marty and plastered his smile back onto his face.

"I am," Marty replied, a look of surprise on her face.

"Oh, don't be too surprised young lady," Morris explained, "I've known your father for a long time and you bear more than a passing resemblence."

Marty nodded. "I have heard that, yes," she said.

Aggie spoke up, and got right to business, "Sir, do you think this bill has a chance?" she asked.

Morris turned to her. "You're Mrs. McCullough, I take it," he said. Aggie nodded and he added, "Sorry to hear about your husband, but rest assured we will pay the Japanese back a thousand-fold."

"Thank you," Aggie said quickly. "But the bill?"

This time it was Dietrich who spoke up. "Yes, well... there will be some resistance," he said.

"But the bill for the Army passed last year," Marty spoke up.

"True," Dietrich said. "But, that's a bit of a horse of a different color as it were. The Women's Army Auxiliary Corps allows women to serve alongside the Army, but separate and not inside it. What our bill is suggesting is adding women to the Navy directly."

Marty was about to speak again, but Morris raised a hand. "It's not all doom and gloom, young ladies. I've spoken with Rear Admiral Nimitz and though he was initially reluctant, I believe he's come around to seeing the usefulness of women working in non-combat roles, and here in the States away from combat zones, to free up men for fighting."

"That is all we are asking," Aggie put in. Her determination was all but oozing from her pores as she stood there, hands clenched in front of her.

"I know this is personal for you," Morris told her. "Bill and I will do our best to get this bill passed. Then we just have to get it through the Senate and to the President's desk. Mrs. Roosevelt has come out in favor of it, and her influence with the President is not trivial."

Dietrich nodded and added, "And Secretary Knox is also in favor. I am confident we can get this bill passed in the House. There will be opposition in the Senate too, but I've been speaking with a few Senators, off the record, and they think they can get it passed there too." Frank Knox was the Secretary of the Navy and his endorsement would carry a lot of weight.

Aggie's mouth curved in the merest shadow of a smile. Marty and Jean bore looks of excitement.

Morris waved towards the door into the inner office. "Why don't we step inside and discuss the particulars. Secretary Knox has asked for us to create a list of possible members - all women of course - of an Advisory Council and perhaps, after the bill passes, to hold leadership roles in the women's program. We'll also need a name."

The trio of young women trooped into the office. Morris winked at Dan, who wasn't sure what the Congressman meant by that, but he gave a thin smile in return and followed his nieces into the office with Morris and Dietrich entering after him.

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