blog #408 >> Grandpa's Diary: Installment #2

December 21, 1942- December 26, 1942

On Dec. 21, I started A.M. school here on the field. I am getting "fair" grades! I'm indifferent in what I want to do, so I guess they will make up my mind for me. I don't care too much for mechanics. The afternoon of Xmas Eve (Dec. 24) A Buddie (Ray Drey) and I headed for Los Angeles. I tried to get a "3 day" pass to go to my sisters place but I just couldn't make it. I did get "2 days" so we used that in making a short trip to L.A. We went into Taft where we bought a round trip ticket to L.A. We left about 6:30 P.M. (Dec. 24) and got to L.A. at about 12:00 midnight. It was raining all the way and also at L.A. As usual we left our raincoats at the field, so we were dashing around in the rain trying to find an address of Stan. Stan's girl friend who's apartment where we where supposed to meet Stan, and Bob Ingleis (Ray's cousin) at. At last we found the apartment incidentally we never knew if it was Stan's girl friends or whose apartment it was. It was late and we decided we wouldn't bother who ever was there, so we trudged off looking for a place to spend the night. There was nothing left. All apartments were filled so we took a bus out of town, about 20 blocks. We accidentally ran onto The Elks Club out there. They were all filled up, but they said we could use there Lounge Room and sleep on the Davenports. We rested for about 4 hours. A radio was blasting out with good "hot" music all the time we were trying to rest.

We got up at 6:00 A.M. (Christmas morning). Put on our shoes, cleaned up, Brushed the wrinkles out of our pants, and started out for the address we had been at the night before. We had breakfast first in a Ritzy, high class Restaurant 50¢ for "french fried toast". We met a pretty nice girl there. Then we went out to look up that apartment. Stan's girl was there and Stan came in about 9:00. Except Stan had to leave that afternoon so we talked most of the morning. We saw Stan off for Sandings at about 3:00 that afternoon. Then Ray and I looked over the town and took some pictures. Then we went back to the apartment. (Peggy) Stan's girl had went over to a Xmas dinner she had to attend and wasn't home yet. Ray & I sat & listened to the radio, pretty soon Bob Ingleis came in, He's Ray's cousin, then we called up an address Ray had of a girl who was a girl friend of a girl Ray & Bob knew. It turned out to be a good deal and her Dad came and got us and took us out to their place. It was about 9:00 P.M. These people's name was "White" and they were "classy" (with an extra curly "y") people. They owned a corporation. Mrs. White fixed us up a swell meal and then we went to bed. Ray & Bob slept at Mr. White's brother's home, which was a few blocks away. And I slept at these people's house. (I did the dishes before I went to bed.) It was some bed & some nights sleep.



I got up at 8:30 and Ray and Bob came in so we all had breakfast here with Ruby White and Mrs. White. After breakfast Mrs. White took Ruby, Ray, Bob & I over to there corp. and the Largest Farmers Market in the World at which Mrs. White had a "fish stand." After looking around we went back to The House, let out Ruby, and Mrs. White took us down to Peggy's apartment. Them, Peggy, Peggy's girl friend and Bob, Ray and I rented a car and went on a sight seeing tour, in Hollywood. We got back at about 4:30. Then Ray and I decided to start out for camp. We "hitched hiked" and made it in 9 rides, walking about 10 miles. One of the rides was in a truck loaded with pumpkins heading for S.D. We were kind of worried when we were 21 miles from camp and no cars on the road. We walked about 6 miles of that 21 and then a car (coupe with a man, woman and baby) picked us up. It was crowded but we made it. They took us right out to the field which took them out of their way several miles. It did get us back to camp on time. We got in at 11:00 and our pass was up at 12:00 midnight, Dec. 26th "were we tired!"