MY MEMORIES Page 3

1950 - Military Service, Washington D.C.

General

In July 1951 I was assigned to the Beach Erosion Board located in Rockland, Maryland about ten-fifteen miles northwest of Washington, District of Columbia. I lived in the barracks at Fort Meyer, Virginia. In February 1952, I was assigned to the Pentagon, and I lived in the barracks at Fort McNair in Washington.

Appalachian Trail

I had spent several week ends hiking and camping on the Appalachian Trail which was in Virginia only about fifty miles west of Washington. I noticed that there was a person scheduled at the YMCA to talk about his hiking the full length of the Appalachian Trail that Summer, from Georgia to Maine. I made a point to attend. It was very interesting, and I talked to him about ten minutes after his talk. The next day I read his brochure and realized we went to the same high school and rode the same school bus. He was several years older than I was and we never socialized with the same people. I arrived at the talk after he was introduced. Had I been on time I would have recognized his name.

Dinosaur Tracks

On the former President Monroe's farm in Virginia about twenty miles West of Washington, there was a pasture field where dinosaur tracks could be found. This is the place where the dinosaur tracks in The National Museum of Natural History were obtained. It is a sandstone formation, which has been almost turned upside down over time. The person living in the house gave us permission to look for the tracks. We used several tools, such as a length of a railroad rail, a pickaxe, and a crow bar, to chip off the sand stone layers and look at the under side for the footprints. After two-three hours of hard work in the hot sun, I did find one three-toed dinosaur track.

Eddie Fisher The Singer

Eddie Fisher was assigned to the same barracks I was at Fort McNair. He only showed up a few times a month, for certain events at which he was required to be. He lived in the new modern Statler Hotel downtown. He was assigned to Special Services, and did lots of entertaining for the Army. He donated his army pay to some charities. All the guys liked him and enjoyed talking with him when he came around. He was a very nice person.

Greek Friend

One of my friends when I was in the army was from Greece. He was spending time in the army, and when he got out he would be awarded US citizenship. He was short, and I was tall, and our other friends called us Mutt and Jeff, after the comic book characters. I do not remember his name so I will call him Jeff. Jeff told me that when he came to America it was so foggy he could not see New York City; but he knew he would like America after he looked over the side of the ship and saw the soap bubbles and condoms coming flowing out of the sewer. I went to New York City one time with him. We never spent money for meals. When it was mealtime we would walk into a Greek restaurant and he starting talking and they insisted we stay and eat. And they always gave us some sandwiches to take with us, just in case we did not get back for the next meal.

Kitchen Police (KP)

A few days after Thanksgiving in 1951 I was on KP. This was not my regular schedule; I had traded with another guy who wanted to go home for Thanksgiving. This should have been an easy job because most people were on vacation. However, the farmer who had a contract with the army to pick up their garbage for his hogs brought back the garbage from the Thanksgiving meal. It had turkey bones in it in violation of the contract. After our normal KP duties were done, we were required to spread this garbage out on the loading dock and pick out all the turkey bones. A smelly job to say the least, but a contract is a contract.

Outboard Motor

I had a three and half horsepower Martin outboard motor I kept in the trunk of my car. This turned out to afford lots of cheap entertainment for me. I often rented a boat and used my motor and would have a good time on the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers in the Washington area.

Power Boat

Several friends and I bought an old powerboat with a Model-A Ford water-cooled engine from a boat yard on the Potomac River in Alexandria, Virginia. The engine was shot and the boat was not well kept. We actually bought it as marine salvage material from the boat yard. It was abandoned and to get title we could have claimed we built it from salvage parts. The boat yard allowed us only thirty days and we would have to move it. We spent a month fixing it up. We did great on the hull, the interior, and the electrical. But we could not get enough money to buy the engine parts needed to get the engine working. We tried to tow it from the boat yard up river about three miles to another boat yard. We rented a boat and used my outboard motor. We spent all night fighting the currents and made no progress, and returned to the boat yard. The next day we tried again, and could not even hold our own, and actually ended up a mile down stream. We tied it to a pole in a deserted area. The guys all agreed we could not get the money to finish the project, so we abandoned it.

President Harry S. Truman

One night I went to a dance at the YWCA in Washington, and then went with several other guys to a movie and house party after that. They dropped me off downtown the next morning and I was walking along the sidewalk to my car just a few blocks from the White House. When I looked up to see who was coming toward me, I looked directly at Harry! I was shocked but finally got out, "Good morning Harry--, I mean Mr President SIR," and gave him a salute. He smiled and said, Good morning soldier," and retuned my salute, but his Secret Service men all had a big laugh over my surprised reaction.

Smelly Feet

When I was living in the barracks at Fort Myer, one of my roommates had very smelly feet. He was seeing the doctor, using medication, washed them and changed his socks several times a day, but the smell would not go away. My other room mate and I came back late one night and the roommate with the smelly feet was stretched out on his cot, fully clothed, drunk as a skunk (a pun intended). We picked up his cot and carried him outside and sat him down in the parking lot. The next morning the Captain woke him up, and asked him why he was sleeping in the parade formation. He did not know. Of course he accused us of doing this to him because his feet smelled. We simply said we got home late and his bunk was not there so we figured he moved to another room or was transferred.

Sweat

When I was in Washington DC it never got below ninety degrees temperature and ninety percent humidity for ninety days straight. My sweat smelled like sour milk. I stop drinking milk and only drank water and the smell went away in a day or so.

Truck Driver

About twelve enlisted personnel were assigned to work at the Beach Erosion Board, located near Potomac, Maryland about fifteen miles northwest of Fort Meyer where we were. The Army gave us a communications truck, with the equipment removed. It was a GMC cab-over engine with dual wheels and dual axles in the back. Seats were added for people to ride in, and there were windows for ventilation. It was adequate. Each of us was required to take a driver test for the army six by six truck. Only three of the 12 people passed the test. I was the only one that passed who would agree to drive the truck to work and back. The others who passed filled in the days I was gone. We were often ten-twenty minutes late for work. The rule was to wait a little while for some one if they were only occasionally late. It seems there was a conspiracy going on. The people took turns at being later. I convinced the boss to change the rule so that the truck would leave on a specific time, and I would not wait for late people. It worked fine for about a week, and then one guy wanted me to wait so he could eat a quick breakfast. I said it was his choice, work or breakfast. He chose breakfast and I chose to leave on time. By the time I got to work the guy's Congressman was on the phone to the boss claiming mistreatment of the guy. The boss asked me what happened and I told him. He than told the Congressman the rules and that the guy intentionally violated them. The Congressman said he saw no problem and would talk to the guy. The guy was on time after that, but he was not a happy trooper.

Union Station Porter

There was an old colored porter who worked at the Union (Railroad) Station in Washington, who had a unique way of attracting customers. He would walk around the station saying, "Save your Confederate money. The South shall rise again." People thought this was cute and he got lots of customers, and was tipped well for his entraining manner.

Vegetable Garden

When I was in the Washington area I rented a garden plot in Virginia. I kept a fairly large garden, and was welcomed in many homes of co-workers, as they knew they would get a basket of fresh vegetables. Unlike customs in Michigan which allow you to visit friends without notice, those civilian co-workers in the DC area did not welcome you unless you were specifically invited. Before I knew the rules, I stopped in to see my boss one Sunday afternoon, as I just happened to be in his neighborhood. I saw the whole family sitting around a picnic table, and as soon as they saw me driving in they all ran into the house. It did not take much observation on my part to realize they were nudists. The boss soon came out of the house and welcomed me, but also nicely told me that people in the East do not visit friends unless invited. I had spent many visits with this family latter, and with an invite I was always warmly accepted and they were fully clothed. This family enjoyed much from my garden.

Washington Monument

Several times during my stay in the Washington area I had taken visitors to the Washington Monument, and left them off and picked them up later. On the last day in town, when I had my car packed and was on my way back to Michigan, I stopped and climbed the Washington Monument. I have say many of the popular Government buildings and monuments over the two years I was in the area, but I think the Washington monument was the best.

1952 - Trip to Europe

General

During July and August 1952, I took six weeks annual leave and visited Europe. There was a guy in my barracks at Fort McNair who had done this each summer for the past several years, and told me the best way to do it. He had learned that most tourist were traveling clockwise, eg from England to Italy and return to the United States, and found it best if he would go counter clock wise. He also knew that most military personnel were hitch hiking on the Military Airlift Common (MAC) planes, rather than the navy logistic supply route. He knew that the Naval Fleet Logistics Air Wing flew from Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Maryland to Newfoundland, to the Azores, to French Morocco North Africa, to Naples Italy, to London, to the Azores, to Newfoundland, and back to Patuxent River. They generally had extra seats, whereas the Military Airlift Command (MAC) always had a long waiting list. I took his advice and got every flight I wanted. Not everyone was fortunate enough to know what I did. I talked to a naval officer in Morocco who had been waiting over a week for a seat back to the States. When I left Bovington England I saw about hundred people in the MAC terminal waiting around for a flight back to the States. Knowledge is good! I had a friend, John Christian who was going with me. I had six weeks and he only had about four weeks. So he took the first flight from Patuxent River NAS, and I took the next, and we met up in Morocco. We traveled together for a while, and finally went our separate ways in Austria.

Newfoundland

I made a stop at Newfoundland on the way from England to America. The Pilot told us we had to leave in an hour or we would be socked in for a week or two by a large fog bank that was moving in. He said we had time to go to the snack bar if we wanted to, but make it quick. I was standing in line to get checked off the manifest to get aboard the airplane and they not very nicely said I was not on the manifest and get the hell out of here or they would call the Security Police. I would not get out of line. I insisted I was on the flight and my baggage was aboard for proof. Pretty soon the others in line behind me vouched for me being on board and they finally let me on. The screw up was probably because I was an extra and was not on the original manifest. I was told later that they had to be extra careful in Newfoundland because many of those assigned there hated the place and tried every trick in the book to get back to States.

Atlas Mountains

I spent several days in the Port Lyautey Naval Air Station near Port Lyautey French Morocco (now called Kenitra), and then took the 9pm flight to Naples. The flight got to the runway, revved up their engines, and returned to the terminal. They did that four times before we finally took off. We spent five-six hours in the terminal's coffee shop during the delays. They told us we would be flying over the Atlas mountains, and would be at quite a high altitude, and if anyone needed oxygen just ask for it. I took a nap. Some time later I realized we were flying back and forth. I asked the crew about it and they said, that the pilot was looking for the pass through the Atlas Mountains. Finally he found it and we made it to Naples.

Bidet

My friend and I checked into a hotel in downtown Naples. He wanted to know what that thing (bidet) was, and I said it was a place to wash his feet. Several mornings later we were checking out at the hotel desk, and my friend was in line in front of me. There were three-four clerks at the desk, the lines were long, and the lobby was full of people. When it was his turn, he paid his bill, and turn and walk a few feet away when he turned around, and in a very loud voice, told the clerk he especially liked the sink they had in the room for washing his feet. Every one in the lobby heard him and began laughing. My friend did not know why but he did know they were laughing at him. He made a quick exit from the hotel and waited for me in the street. When I got out to where he was he wanted to know what went on inside. I told him what a bidet really was, and that it was a common mistake for Americans to think it was for washing their feet. He cursed me for setting him up. It was funny nonetheless.

Bovington Air Base

To get a flight back to the States, I had to sign up at the Navy Attaché office in the American Embassy in downtown London. The day of the Flight they told me I was second on the waiting list, and said I could ride the bus to Bovington about thirty miles away if I wanted to chance it, so I did. When I got to Bovington I checked in with the Marine office with the manifest. Later I heard him tell the pilot that the plane had been grounded, and they were substituting another plane. The substitute plane had three more seats than the original plane had, so I had a set.

English Channel

The English Channel has a reputation for being rough. I took a Ferry from Calais, France to Dover, England. I was talking to a crewmember, who was explaining how the large stabilizers on both sides of the hull worked. If the boat wants to pitch up, the stabilizers work to hold it down and visa versa. He said that if the stabilizers were not on this boat we could not be on the deck. All This time both of us were hanging on the deck rail, and each time the ship pitched down our feet came off the deck. I seldom get sea sick, but I think if we had not gotten into the harbor at Dover when we did I would have been seasick.

French Breakfast

I took the train from Paris to Calais on the French coast, on the way to London. Breakfast was a full time event. In the first place, there were more different types of silverware on the table than I had ever seen before. After everyone was seated, a waiter would go around the dining car and put an empty plate on the table in front of each person, and then anther waiter would follow him and put a piece of food on your plate, then after you ate the food another waiter would come along and pick up the dirty plate. Then the routine would start all over again. There must have been over a dozen different courses. I reminder there was: a sardine, several different kinds of cheeses, one at a time, something like oat meal, some cereal, prunes, several different fresh fruits, one at a time, milk, orange juice, tomato juice, and coffee or tea. There was a constant line of waiters going up one side of the dinning car and back down the other side for the whole meal, a real production line, one which Henry Ford would be proud of. This was by far the fanciest breakfast I had ever had.

Italian Army Encounter

While in Venice I stayed with some friends I had worked with in the Pentagon. They lived on the Lido Beach in Venice, Italy. They were in the county with the permission of the Italian Secretary of Defense. Their job was to survey and map all the roads and bridges in that part of Italy. They were issued an unmarked military jeep. The team of three people had to have at least one person who knew the language, one that was an engineer, one a photographer, one a mapmaker, and a few other skills. I went into the field with them one day. We drove east towards Trieste. The Italian army was playing war games that day, and we saw countless military units on the road. We had stopped in a small village for lunch, we drove around and found a Hotel where we could drive the jeep into the open court yard, next to the tables so we could watch all the equipment and the jeep. Almost without warning several Italian military vehicles pulled up to the Hotel courtyard, and soldiers with rifles at the ready position and one officer with his side arm pulled, surrounded our table. Four soldiers were behind each of us. Their officer stood off to the side and asked us to identify ourselves. Our officer said he would give him identification, but it would be rude not to let us finish our meal first. Later our officer wrote a phone number and a note on a piece of paper and asked the officer to call this number and he would have all the identification that was needed. When the officer retuned he saluted our officer, told him to keep up the good work, and they all left. This was the only time the team had been challenged for over a year, and our officer speculated the higher level of alert caused by the war games was the only reason we were challenged. For a while I thought maybe I was going to spend the night in an Italian jail.

Italian Tapestries

While in Morocco, North Africa I was told that it was a good place to buy Italian tapestries, as they were all exported and none were sold in Italy. I was total that the street vendors would ask up to fifty dollars for them, and you were expected to bargain with them. They said I should not pay more than $5.00 for any of them because that is the price natives could buy them for. I talked to one street vendor and he wanted $35 for the tapestries I wanted. I and told him it was too much and I would only pay $5.00. Our paths crossed five-six times in the next two days and he would also drop the prices some. Several times he said, "I come down, your turn to come up." He showed up just as I entered the military base on the way to Italy and handed me the tapestry and said, "OK $5.00," so I bought it. Knowledge is good.

London Night Fog

Walking down a lonely dark street in downtown London late one evening there was a big man coming towards me. He had a long army overcoat on with the big collar turned up against the heavy fog and the chill. As he got to me he stepped in front of me and asked in good American English for a light. I said I don't smoke but I do keep a lighter to help friends. I lit his cigarette and looked into the ugliest black scarred face I had ever seen. I said, "Wow you are ugly enough to scare hell out of me." He said, "Sorry I am really a pussycat." And we went on our way.

London, Wrong Directions

I spent several days there, and stayed with a friend on the edge of town. One morning I took the underground to downtown and was heading to the American Embassy to check on my flight back home. Walking down the street towards the embassy I was satisfied I was going the right way; but as I was crossing a large intersection, a local man started up a conversation with me, so not thinking of much to say I asked if this was the right way to the American Embassy. "Oh, no chap" he said, and pointed in the opposite direction. When I got across the intersection, thinking he knew the town better than I did, I went back. After walking about mile I knew I had been had, and turned around and went back and found the embassy right where I thought it was. Later, some American friends who were working in London told me it was probably a former British soldier still bitter about the American soldiers getting all the girls during WW-2 because they had more money, clothes and food during the war. Well, he had the last word and a giggle that day.

Paris Train Ticket Booth

I had been in Paris several days. From the downtown train station to where I was staying was a subway ride. I had bought a ticket from the same ticket booth several times, and knew the right stop and the right price. The last day I went to the same booth in the same station and said the name of the stop and gave the lady the right change. She pushed it back and jabbered something at me, and motioned for me to step out of line. I pushed the money back at her and told her the stop It wanted. After several times of this standoff a man in line behind me stepped up and read her the riot act in French, and she reluctantly gave me the ticket. He total me in English that many French want nothing to do with anyone who does not speak French, and some times perfect French. I had heard this about the French, but this was the only first hand experience I had with it.

Swimmers

One warm sunny day I took a local bus from Port Lyautey, North Africa out to the Atlantic ocean, probably to the town of Mehdia. There were lots of young girls on the bus dressed in their native long dress with their heads covered. All that was visible were their big brown eyes. When we got to the beach the girls ran out on the beach, and used their native dress as a dressing room. You could see them wiggling around in side, and then all of a sudden they dropped their clothing on the beach and they were wearing nothing but a modern bikini. Now there was much more to see of these girls than their brown eyes. Then, leaving their cloths where they dropped them, they were off to the water for a swim. When they were done swimming they would put on their clothes, do a little wiggle and throw out their wet bikini, and head for the bus stop.

War Plan

While in Naples, Italy I visited a friend who worked at the United States Military Headquarters there. They were just getting over a big shock. One of the staff officers stopped at the fish market one evening on the home to buy some fish. The fish were wrapped in used computer paper, and when he got home he realized the used computer paper was actually part of their Top-Secret war plan. He called the Security Police and they confiscated the fisherman's stock of used computer paper, and started an investigation on how he had obtained it.

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