Bumps in the Road Part 4

Between the time my father,Bill, worked as a night watchman until he joined the Navy he worked a variety of jobs, mostly in the oilfield. Though his education wouldn’t have impressed anyone, he was brash, strong and smart, quickly picking up skills.  His charismatic personality and quick wit drew attention. When He got a draft notice, he joined the Navy straight away, reasoning sailors ate more regularly than infantrymen. He’d been hungry so often he never wanted to be hungry again.  He sent an allotment home to help his mother which the Navy matched.  Like so many veterans, he spoke very little of his military experiences.  Of those times, he mostly told of the good times, places he’d been, and friends he’d made.  He did tell of his company being evacuated for a flood. Daddy was unbelievably hard to awaken, slept through the call to evacuate, only to be awakened by the rising water lapping into his top bunk.  He also refused to eat fruit cocktail, because at one post they were stuck with nothing but fruit cocktail for three weeks when supplies didn’t come in. I overheard him telling my uncles his crew was ordered to take prisoners back to camp and be back in five minutes. I piped up with questions and that conversation broke up. No wonder veterans come back with PTSD. God help them.

Upon discharge, Daddy joined his brothers on a construction crew in East Texas where he met Kathleen Holdaway, a recent high school graduate. She was living with her elder sister, Annie, in a boarding house and working as a waitress. Annie, ten years older than Kathleen was also a veteran, recently discharged from the United States WomenThe two were toying with the idea of moving to Chicago to start college when Daddy stopped in at the cafe. Upon seeing Mother, he told his buddy he was going to marry her. When she came to take his order, he asked her,”Hey, Shorty. What do I have to do to get a cup of coffee?” With that witty repartee, he swept her off her feet.

That took care of Chicago and college. In three short weeks they were married.