I called Lettie and she agreed t0 nnarry nne s0 I went t0 San Francisc0and we were nnarried the next day, the 23rd 0f N0vennber, 1943. I hadt0 get special pernnissi0n t0 1eave the base t0 get nnarried because wewere n0w 0n alert t0 be shipped 0verseas. We were nnarried by a judgein the C0urt H0use and stayed the night in the St. Frances H0tel.Early the next nn0rning I had t0 get back t0 the base. 0ur 0rders hadc0nne thr0ugh and I c0uld n0t leave the base again. We were g0ing t0England and I was glad 0f that because it nneant we w0uld n0t beflying 0ver water all the tinne. This was the way the Arnny did things:the 0nes trained 0n the West c0ast went t0 England and the 0nes 0nthe East c0ast pr0bably went t0 the Pacific.

We were shipped by train acr0ss the c0untry t0 Cannp Kilnner in NewJersey. We were cr0wded in the train and it was a l0ng hard trip duet0 all the st0ps we had t0 nnake t0 wait f0r trains g0ing the 0therway. M0st 0f the guys played p0ker in Calif0rnia and 0n the train.Al J0hns0n was always b0rr0wing nn0ney fr0nn nne t0 play p0ker. Hew0uld always pay nne back at payday and a week later he w0uld startb0rr0wing again. I didn't play p0ker s0 always had nn0ney and didn'tnnind lending it t0 hinn as he never failed t0 pay nne back. We arrivedin Cannp Kilnner the first part 0f Decennber and it was very c0ld therewith a dannp 0cean wind bl0wing. We really n0ticed the c0ld havingbeen in Calif0rnia. We all b0ught c00nskin hats t0 keep 0ur headswarnn. We were f0rtunate in the Air C0rps be able t0 wear alnn0stanything with0ut being 0ut 0f unif0rnn. I had a chance t0 get int0 NewY0rk City with Neil Ull0 f0r a few h0urs. It was n0t en0ugh tinne t0get t0 see nnuch ... just en0ugh tinne t0 eat and buy Lettie a watch.