6-13-92 Prairie Vlg
Ks 66208
Dear Marcia;
We arrived home late last evening. Suzi came down by air to help me drive Grace back to KC. Due to a bout w/ pneumonia at Las Cruses we were delayed a full week until her lungs were cleared and we were allowed to travel. As it turned out the dual-air on the Areostar came in handy as it provided a real measure of comfort while Grace occupied the reclining seat.
Anyway – what 1 had sent you was from a glance at the letter to Bill, which I saw
briefly on our trip to N.M. – When we got home and I read your letter to Grace and S, it appears that what I sent might serve as an introduction only, leaving wide open many areas for explanations. The following elaborations may not really be noteworthy, but I’ll write them anyhow. (My service time – sometime midyr 1942 – thru Feb 1945.)
ITEM: One morning – probably after Pearl Harbor, Dad told us of a vivid dream he had “Quote. “He dreamed that a large aircraft landed in our pasture at Canton & Bill got aboard & flew off.” Question – why Bill, & is it of interest that not any of us boys were involved in air force duties except Bill.
Also when Grace & I were married and I was changing my duty status – we went
to the rendition of (The Messiah) at Lindsburg. While there I sensed that Bill had come home to Canton. When we returned sure- enough – there was Bill. He had a medical leave after an appendicitis operation.
ITEM: The city fathers in Canton – mayor – banker & one other – evidently learned I was choosing C.O. status, for some reason gave Frieda a bad time about it. Anyway I believe she delivered the message to me that they wanted to talk with me. Well, I went to the bank and met with them. They had a difficult time trying to change my viewpoint. In ’39-my senior yr. Mr. Greehaw spoke to our high school assembly – telling of his experience in World War I in the Argone. He declared “War is Hell” pure Hell! and other means must be found to settle things—(we used our new Plymouth milk van-to haul flowers from church or service to service for Mr. Greenhaw’s funeral.
CPS for me began with Mini exams at McPherson—subsequent assignment to the Hill City Dam Project, to build a reservoir for Rapid City S.D. This project was a CCC Camp operation—depleated in manpower by the U.S. involvement in the European theater.
The project managers were immediately impressed with the quality of workers
provided by the CPS program. They held evaluation meetings and praised us, how instinctively we knew what & how to do what they needed done. All they had to do is outline the project plan. With CCC they had to hover over the help to get anything done. Soon we had caught up the behind time and in a meeting a few months later we had them ahead of schedule.
Opportunities for transfers popped up from time to time. Once I almost
volunteered for Smoke Jumping—then finnally went to the State Hospital at Norristown, Pa. There I was assigned to the dairy operation (have no idea why)—anyway I’ll always remember the Amish guy who while cleaning out the milking barn would sing “Praise the Lord and Pass The ammunition”!
Reverting back to Hill City for a minute—let me say that there were men in that
camp that seamed to me at least, did not behave very Christian at times. We had a few Jehovah’s Wittnesses and Hutterites that were outright shirkers. They needed an attitude adjustment.
While at Norristown, courting Grace, I became very exhausted, with 4AM milking times etc and the several miles long walks home after dates. One afternoon while waiting for supper call at the house at the farm. I took a short nap—when I awakened a few minutes later I thought it to be the next a.m. and I overslept the morning milking. Well, wouldn’t you know, the other guys caught on to my confusion and suggested I go to the manager and apologize. How embarrassed I was when I learned it was still evening—not morning. Ed Thiesen from Inman was one of the jokers that pulled that off. He also was best man at our wedding.
Our trip to Kansas by train w/ stop at Chicago, after ticket purchases etc was
accomplished w/ a cash kitty of $28.00. Of course Walts met us at the station in Chicago and w/ great generosity & wisdom had reserved hotel accommodations for us. For many years Walts gave so much to family members. They had housed Bill for a while before he & John Morris decided to join the air force.
When we arrived at Newton we were heartily met & transported to Canton. Frieda had posted a list of a number of girls I once dated or dreamed about for Grace to see ha! ha! I had about a week before i had to report to authorities in McPherson for entry procedures for 1AO class. At that time Herb was still at home helping w/ farm operations. I helped a builder in McPherson during that time to earn a few bucks before leaving for Induction.
The bus I boarded went by way of Beatrice Neb. on the way to K.C. for swearing
in ceremonies. One meal at KC and then on to Ft. Leavenworth. There;-by the way Billy Mclntoush from Canton was bunked next to me. I don’t know what branch he drew, but I got Navy. Nest day – still in civilian clothes I was on a train heading for a place called Faragutt Idaho. I almost fainted from exhaustion while in formation taking directions as to where to go etc. Several guys did faint. Next morning -got shaved type hair-cut; uniform issue – dental exam & what not. Now I was a very humiliated Navy person.
About 40 of us with limited duty status were formed into a Company and
screened with aptitude tests. But the way I still have my company graduation picture. Part of our training of course was on the big lake there, about which the story was, Elenore Roosevelt flew over it and said, a good place for a boot camp. I achieved well enough to draw medical & pharmacy duties & was assigned to Seattle Naval Hospital. Grace had traveled to Spokane while I was at Faragutt. She promptly found work at Sears there and roomed with other war brides – we did not have much time together at Spokane and hopefully Grace may write her versions of many of these events. My duty station ended up in Seattle where Grace took a room in a home where a couple of teachers were also staying. They taught in Blaine Wash right by the Canadian Border. They were good friends, but Grace’s best friend was a co-worker at Sears. Grace
worked in shoes.
One of the highlights while at Seattle was when the Eye ward I was working in
had need for an escort for two patients (Blind). They were to be delivered to Bethesda Naval Hospital for Braille therapy. I don’t quite recall why Grace and I were chosen as a team for this, but I think they preferred a married couple for this job. At any rate we were guests at the doctors home, having our orders in hand they took us and the two patients to the train. This train had roomette accommodation for us to keep a close eye and psychological support for the two men. These two were blinded while taking part in a celebration on an aircraft carrier when a group of 5 or 6 decided to consume a drink spiked with aircraft alcohol. One could tell some light from dark, the other none at all. They were dear friends to each other, and one had suicidal tendencies. The other a
stabilizing influence. The one’s family lived in Chicago, the other I don’t know where. It was the one from Chicago that was reluctant to face his family because of being blind. We were fully assured though that his buddy would stay by his side the overnight stay and that the family would have them back to the train on schedule for our trip to Bethesda. This gave Grace & I another opportunity to visit Walts. I believe it was this time that Marg (Della’s sister) & her husband Giff and John Morris, Della’s Brother & Eva were at Walts too. What a time together on Leland Ave! Upon delivery of our patients in Bethesda we came back by train through St. Louis to KC to Salina I think. We had arranged beforehand a short visit at Canton before our return to Seattle.
It was only a few months later that Ralph, James & Len had their bicycle accident. I was nearing separation from the Service and granted an emergency leave. It was then that Grace finalized from her Sears job & took the train home. I of course thought I could make it much faster by hitch-hiking military air. My first leg from Sand Point near Seattle by Navy plane was great. However due to bad weather the Navy had cut schedules from Olathe to Oakland and thus had no eastbound flights available. I lost almost 2 days there – (did go across the bridge into San Francisco.) The Golden Gate. Finally the chaplain there suggested if I could get to Sacramento they would up-grade my travel status by a notch and the ATC flew good weather or bad. Well, another serviceman and I thumbed it through to fruit groves to the air base at Sacramento, arriving there about dusk. We were provided bunks and in the a.m. – army coffee-grounds and all—good breakfast though. I don’t recall departure time but this two engine DC – flew North to Salt Lake City – landed on heavy snow – pack – Loading changes made took off again head for Denver. It was a moonlite night and I could see the wingtips not far over the mountains tops. First off the seating in the ATC plane was not like the Navy offered. The Navy had conventional airline seats, the Army just side bench- like seating. Secondly the engine on the right wing did not sound smooth like the engine on the left wing and I was a bit concerned. Sure enough they changed flight crews in Denver and when on the runway they revved up – the crew decided the plane was not now airworthy & grounded it. Now I was bottled up again.
I don’t remember what day Grace left Seattle but I think by Sat – late, someone
from our family picked her up at Salina. She must have passed through Denver on the train the night before.
Sunday a.m. I learned of a flight going to Saint Louis, another officer wanted a
flight east too and had the lane held on the runway. He asked me if I wanted to go too -not thinking clearly – if it had been to the Topeka air field I would have been OK – but no it was to St. Louis. We climbed in without ladder and I saw all of Kansas snow covered on Sunday a.m. – In St. Louis very quickly a small place (2) engine job was taking officers to Jopin, MO. They welcomed me aboard and off we went. From Joplin I thumbed my way to Coffeyville, KS. and now losing the 1st of Sunday’s light, I decided to take a bus to Newton. I arrived at Newton in the wee hrs Monday and Bill met me and drove me to Halstead where Ralph was hospitalized. This time the train would have been faster and smarter. So much for hitch-hiking by air. – Incidently – it was the same flight over the mountains from Sacramento to Salt Lake that Archers brother Floyd was on just a couple weeks later, and it blew-up in the air. What a sad thing to happen for their planned wedding at the Eden Church.
Dad had me arrange for transportation to take Ralph to KC to some specialists in KC. After they determined, all that could be done was done at Halstead Ralph was brought back to McPherson Hospital.
I went back to Seattle for my final few weeks. This time hitch hiked to Olathe air field. Boarded early a.m. – changed plane at Oakland & arrived at Seattle before sundown that very day!
Experiencing a mild earthquake in Seattle and with my orders cut soon after, by
train -I arrived at Norman Oklahoma for out-processing-got the wads of war washed out of my ears and hitch hiked back to Canton with my service duties done on March 1,1945
-Amen.
Marci – please excuse the scribbly way I write -I hope you can wead through it with some sence of what I mean to say. I do feel – it would be very difficult to convey these things at the reunion. Period. Ha! ha! Want more scribble?
Love Uncle Dan
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