V1946US01DL.DOC

Adjusting to Civilian Life

            Home again July 1946, after 3 ½ years of service, I soon felt restless, time hung heavy. Former friends my age were scattered, many married, some dead. Of 50 boys in our high school class of 100 about 7 were dead. Our generation, both boys and girls, had been greatly affected. We'd grown up during the depression, & dust storms, been caught up int the war effort and now trying to adjust.

            Most my age, single when I left for service were now married, many to those who had already returned home.  Most had already transistioned from wartime jobs to a booming post war economy.  A few, as my self were biding time till the next semester. Some had trouble adjusting and drank too much.  Many newly married became reclusive wrapped up in establishing their new home.  I felt alone even among friends. We had deep roots in home and community but our personal lives were in transition.

            I came to realize I had not return unscathed, I was wound up like an 8 day clock. I needed something to harnessing energy – to sustain the pace of prior months. Outwardly I had the appearance of calm and collected. My tenseness became evident when I drove, I didn't feel a comfort zone till until driving my car at near maximum speed.

            My uncle Lee, who worked at the Ford garage in prewar years, had opened his own garage and parts house during the war & was now the Ford dealer. He needed a mechanic and I went to work.   It was a relief to be busy.  Work was not enough, I felt compelled to be on the go and would often start to work after very little sleep.  I found other returning from service felt similar unrest.

            Late one night my Aunt and uncle seeing a light on in the garage stopped to determine what was going on. They found me at work. I'd become restless about 10:00 pm so rather than carouse about I had pulled an engine and was in the process of breaking it down for overhaul. Being physically occupied and tired I was better able to relax and sleep. Thus began the process of unwinding. Each returning service man had to find his way back.

            Parents and relatives had difficulty understanding my actions but were most tolerant of my aberrant behavior. The the teen age boy they knew, look much the same but was now an aged young man. Girls the age of my future wife seemed like children, it took time to readjust – and I hadn’t even been shot at – I appreciated those with real adjustment problems.

            I'd left home in 41' after rigging up a Model-T to run a wheat blower for the Oberlin Milling Co, in lieu of shoveling wheat. Times had changed, I had no desire to overhaul engines for a living – I was eagar to go back to school.

Epiloge

            When I left home for service Mary Hamilton, the neighbor girl who played with my little sister Marjorie, was in grade school. They used to help push my Model-T to start it for which I'd give them a ride about the block before going on my way. When I returned from Service and to college, the little neighbor girl was gone, also away to college.

            When home for Christmas vacation in 48' I was lounging on the couch reading the paper when sister Marjorie was on the phone talking with her school friend Mary. Marjorie turned to me and said, "Mary & I would like to go to the dance tonight, are you going to go?"  I said, "no, I'll just stay home." I went back to reading when a few moments Marjorie said, "Mary needs someone to take her to the dance, why don't you take her and I can go along since I don't have anyone to take me."  I said, "Aw but she's just a kid, you can call one of your old friends to take you."  Marjorie, "Oh, don't be that way, Mary's no longer a little girl, she's home on college vacation just like we are, and we don't have dates to take us to the dance, come on now, let me tell Mary you will take her."  I said , "I'm sure she's not so hard up she can't find someone, I'm not even dressed, you two ought to be able to find some one."  Marjorie, "Look there isn't time, and it will only take you a few minutes to get cleaned up, it would do you good to get out; all you have to do is take her, we'll be able to find someone at the dance to bring us home, you don't need to stay if you don't want to."  I said, "OK, but tell her to come over here because it will take me a while to shower & shave, I guess I can at least take you there."

  

Mary, Neighbor High School 1944-47,  Mary, College 1948-1949, Mary who said "I will", followed by "I Do"

            Thus it was an absolute surprise when I opened the door to let the little neighor girl in and found myself looking at a beautiful lady !   I recovered from being startled, took them to the dance, and found the little neighbor girl to be a delightful woman.

            I graduated from college in 49' & we were married in 49' after she'd completed two years of college; when I was working as a Civil Engineer with the Kansas Highway Commission in Leoti Kansas.

            Julia & Monica were born when we lived in Kansas City Kansas & I was a Process Engineer with General Motors building F-84F fighter aircraft in Kansas City, a crash effort in response to the Korean War.

            David was born on Leap Year day in Garden Grove Ca, when I was working for North American Aviation at Downey on the Navaho Missile System.

            The family grew up in Garden Grove, North American became Rockwell International and I became a part of Autonetics Division in Anaheim, adapting to the times by going from: Hydraulics, Rocket Engine Post Boost Systems to deploy multiple nuclear warheads, to Electronics systems for missiles and aircraft.

            After 3.5 yrs in service, 3.5 yrs with KS Higway Commission, 3.5 yrs with General Motors and 37 years with North American - Rockwell I retired to help Mary who's an Artist and president of the Garden Grove Art Guild.  I’m the back office help who does the Art Guild New Letter for her.  In return she puts up with me trying to write proof reading my remembrances.

The Family 1975;  David  Mary   Monica   Darrell     Julia

 

back: Monica, Bryan, David, Mary, Julia front: Mary Darrell      Julia & Mary 19th Bomb Group reunion yr 2000

            Following retirement I made contact with my old outfit, the 19th Bomb Group and assigned the task of Membership Chairman, and took on the task of 19th Bomb Group Historian.

In other chapters I tell of events prior and after WW2.  I’ve appended remembrances of 19th BG reunions and tell of the doing the 19th BG history where I compiled participant provided stories.

            It’s been my priviledge to be blessed with wonderful family and friends – Fate has been kind.  I hope you find my remembrances of our era worth reading.