Then their was Korea

I don't think I will ever forget that day. The mail came and there was a large brown
manila evelope from the Navy Department for Jay. I must have looked at a dozen
times, wondering what it could possibly be and finally curiosity got the better of
me and I opened it up. I guess I should explain here that this was a cardinal NO
NO in our house. Two things were never done - open someone elses mail, or
get into Mothers Purse without asking!
The shock I read there was far beyond expression in words. You are to report for
active duty on, and it gave the date and time. I was stunned. He was in the
inactive reserves, why were they calling him back? What would we do, we had
just bought a new home and car. How could I pay for those? What was I going
to do?
I got into the Cedar Chest and got out Jays Uniforms and had them laid out on
the bed with the orders when he came home from work. He was working days
that week. He was shocked too. It seemed that the Allegator Navy - small boats
were needed as well as Machinst Mates.
He was given about a four month warning, so we did have time to make some
arrangments before he had to leave. First thing was to find someone to rent and
live in our house while he was gone. Mom and Dad invited Paul and I to come
to their place for the duration, it was closer to work possibilities because I was
going to have to go back to work. The sooner the better.
Fortunately a friend of a neighbor was looking for a place to rent. They had just
come from the mid-west, as I recall, and needed a furnished place. They had
always lived in trailers so this was a big change for them. We made a deal with
them that they would keep the place in good repair. If things were needed and
approved, they could take the price off the rent.
I wasn't a member of the Church at that time, but the LORD seemed to be looking
out for me anyway. The lady was so clean she drained the washing maching on
the garage floor each week and scrubbed the floor with the soapy water. They gave
the house a paint job on the inside before they moved out. Everything was spic
and span to move back in.
That was just a big jump in the story however. I took Jay up to Los Angeles the
morning he was to report and it was hard to let him out and drive away, not knowing
where they would send him or how long he would be gone before we saw him again.
It had been about six years since the last War was over and this recall made it
hard on the supply officers to come up with enough uniforms for the men returning.
Jay having his, and they still fit him, ment he got his clothing alottment in cash
which helped him those first few weeks. He was sent to San Diego for outfitting and
assignment.
He was assigned to the USS Menifee APA 202. It was to be recomissioned up in
San Francisco, so that is where he was sent. I was invited to the ceremonies. Ralph
took me to LAX for my first flight anywhere, and I was scared stiff. I prayed all the
way up, and I can tell you landing at San Francisco Airport can be a tramatic ex-
perience if you have never flown before. When they start their decent, all you can
see is ocean, and you continue to see ocean or water everywhere until you feel the
tires hit solid ground. I was sure my worst fears were being realized.
I found my way through the Airport, (it wasn't the way it is now) and got a taxi to
take me to the dock. Little did I know they were not all sure of where that was. I
was fortunate enough to get a cab who had already taken someone out to the dock
so it wasn't as costly as it might have been.
It took me awhile to find Jay when I did get aboard. You will never know how alone
I felt for the first few hours I was there. When we finally met, it was an emotional
meeting for both of us. Jay wanted to show me around, and I was willing to do any
thing he suggested, just so I could hang on to him. The ladders on the ship were
not ment for pencil skits and high heels, but I made it. On one decent, I was pinched
by and unknown sailor, and it really ticked me off. Jay wasn't too happy about it
either, but got a chuckle out of it anyway.
The Ceremony was long and a bit boring, but when it was over Jay was on "leave" so
we left the ship and got a cab into town. It had started to rain when I got off the airplane
and continued to rain the whole time I was there. Jay said it stopped about the time
my plane left the ground on my return flight. I ruined a new pair of shoes tramping
around San Francisco in the rain. We found a Hotel - not the best, we had to share
a bathroom with the next room. We were inside and warm, so I guess that was a plus.
Without a car we couldn't really do much in the rain, so we walked down the Street
to a Bar that had a sofa infront of a lovely big fireplace so we sat there for most of the
evening and sipped drinks an talked and shared experiences.
We only had the week-end but it was great to be together again and feel like we had
worked things out as well as we could under the circumstances. I was still looking
for work, which I hoped would be forth coming soon. As it turned out, I got a job in
walking distance from the folks house. When the weather was good, I walked, when
it wasn't I took the car.
The ship was going to Korea, but had to have a "shake down cruise" before it could
do that. This took awhile, so Jay was at sea and not available for phone or leave
time. When the ship came into San Diego Jay got a final leave to come home. We
had a few days together and talked about all the things we hope to accomplish with
this change in our plans. Jay wouldn't be making as much money, I would help as
much as I could, and the folks would help out with taking care of Paul so I could
work. I think they were over generous, but parents are like that, yes they are.
When I took Jay to the Greyhound Station on Florence Avenue to go back to San Diego
it was a hard parting. I had left Paul at home because he cried so when he realized
that Jay was leaving again. While we were standing there waiting, Jay asked if he
could put my Wedding Rings on again. I know that sounds like a strange request, so
I will go back to the first time this came up. It was about two weeks after we were
married and I thought one of the small stones in the Wedding Ring was loose. I did
not want to loose it so I went out to where Jay was working and asked him to take
my rings off so I could take them to the jewelers and have them checked. It stopped
him cold. He said: "why do you need me to take them off?" I explained that he had
put them on, and I wouldn't take them off. He took my rings off and handed them to
me and said: "don't ever ask me to do that again, if those rings are all that keeps this
marriage together, we don't have very much!"
When he asked to put my rings on there at the Bus Station before he was leaving for
no one knew how long, I knew he knew I would be faithful. I would have been anyway,
but it was something that he had a sure knowledge of from the previous experience.
He was home about two days when I asked him to take them off so I could take them
to the jewelers and have them cleaned and checked. He never put them back on
again!
While he was gone I worked a LA Spring and Wire doing payroll. It was a good job,
and I had insurance for Paul and I and was able to keep the car payments up. The
house was covered by the rent as was the taxes. Back in those days the house
payment and taxes were paid together and the mortgage company sent the taxes
in from the fund that had accumulated with the loan payments each month. We
did fine.
I wrote to Jay everyday. His letters came in spurts, some of them way to far apart.
I would check every night and when it got to be a week or more with no letter, I
would worry he was hurt or worse. I numbered my letters so that he knew if he
got them all. When the mail would be brought to the ship he usually got a hand
ful of letters. He sorted them according to number and then opened the last one.
If it wasn't a "dear john" he would go to the first letter and read them. I guess we
never know how many "dear Johns" are sent when men are away at War. It was
not something Jay needed to worry about, but it was something he did none the
less.
He was gone 18 months in all. When we was seperated out after his term of
duty was up, he was let out in San Francisco. It was Christmas time, and it was
cold. He had always had so much luck hitch hiking that he opted to do that
rather than take the bus like the others sailors he left ship with. He regreted
that when he saw the bus speed by as he was still standing out in the cold.
He got a ride with someone who had an old car without a heater. He was about
to freeze to death when the driver suggested they stop at a Bar and have a
drink to the Holiday. Jay wasn't really interested, but he wanted to get home,
so he felt one drink would not hurt. Well - he made a face when he drank the
frist one. That would not do, the driver said: "boy you got to learn to drink it
down without making a face". By the time Jay could do that he was warm and
drunk. By the time he got to Slauson and Pacific in Huntington Park for me
to pick him up, he was "skunked". Ralph and I had waited all evening to put up
the Christmas tree because Jay had asked to wait so he could help. Paul was
anxious to see his Dad again after such a long absence, but he finally fell
asleep it got so late. When the call came, it was one happy sailor on the other
end. He was at the Drive In and would be waiting on the corner. The sight we
saw when we drove up was one to behold. There was Jay hanging on the light
post smiling and drunk as a skunk. I was crushed. He was so near to passing
out that we barely got him home. What a home coming after such a long absence.
Well better that than nothing.
I got told off in spade in the morning because he had dove onto the bed and it
had a white chenille bed spread, which deposited a lot of white lint on his uniform.
It is hard to brush that stuff off. I had a time explaining that I could not very well
have stopped his falling, he was really out like a light.
Ralph and I decorated the tree and had a good laugh while doing it.
Written this 3rd day of February 2009 (not proofed)