Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

One night I took Mary to her door and we would kiss. That night we kissed more than we should. The door opened and her father saw us breaking up and got mad. He told me to get out. I did. And I stayed away. But her mother, Concordia, came after me and said don't mind him. He forgot what he was like etc. etc. So we continued our relationship and planning.

She [ed: Mary] also had a Polish friend and I ws invited to go to that wedding. Those people knew how to celebrate. The bride and groom got married in the afternoon and we had dinner after that. Lots of food and drinks. When the dinner was over the tables were cleared and moved back the floor was open for dancing.

And the tables later began to get set again for an evening meal. It was something to participate in.

There was a lot of food on the table at both meals. It was a lavish affair. Nothing like it before this time. I thought the Italians knew how to celebrate. This night exceeded the amount of food to celebrate a wedding.

Having answered the order to appear for a physical examination at the place I lived at the time I registered on the statute at Waltham and passed with flying colors as the saying went.

Shortly after this I received a notice to report again. I went back to Waltham for this order as well. Checked in and at the middle of downtown boarded a train to Camp Devens  and on March 6, 1942 I was inducted into the United States Army by taking the oath.

A day or two later we boarded another train, this time we had our military uniforms on, duffel bags with other clothes, shirts, underwear, socks, etc. Plus the clothes we wore.

We were not told where we were going except to begin training. On the way we determined that we were traveling south and wondered what some men in our car wore civilian clothes. We stopped a few times and took more men aboard. All young. The plain clothes people aboard we discovered were FBI officers, to make sure that no one jumped the train for other areas.

This was not a short trip, we slept in Pullman cars. At night we pulled out overhead berths and pushed seats down to make lower berths for shuteye. How long we traveled but during the day we saw a lot of cities and towns as we passed by. And beautiful open lands and farms.

In the state of Virginia we stopped. Unloaded and arrived at our base for preliminary training. Marching in formation, use of rifle and its care, bayonet use and practice. Actually training for the Queen of Battles. Infantry at its primary level and would last for eight weeks. 

In between we would be able to get a weekend pass. Provided that you did our work without any demerits. This would be our first introduction to warm. And its arms

While our enemy were using update firearms we trained with WWI firearms. It was a good one-round rifle. And a good eyesight. for targeting. But it could fire one shot at a time and each time it was fired, one pulled the side lever to expell the shell and push the lever forward to arm the rifle. It took seconds but seconds could turn to hours. Figuratively speaking putting the rifleman in an exposing position. It was also the first lesson in how militarily we were not ready for war. The Government did work hard for a catch up and the pipe line was delivering new arms and it owuld be month before things would come in gross amounts.

Virginia was an interesting state a lot of its architecture was quaint, but lovely to look at. Throughout the South. I'm not sure but the area we were in was Fort Eustis.

We worked hard. Getting in shape by taking long marches, double timing, etc.

[ed: Funny Dad's recollection of being caught kissing his girl by her father is so undramatic. Ma told me her father was so upset and angry, he practically threw Dad down four flights of stairs. Dad ran/jumped down four flights of stairs. My grandmother, Concordia, was very upset with her husband. She yelled at him. What's the matter with you? Did you forget your youth? And she did go after my father to tell him he was welcome in her home to call on her daughter.]