I answered the phone. "Bobby, I just opened your orders. ”You're to be stationed way out west, Nebraska, and I'm worried about Indians. Maybe you really shouldn't go into the military, dear." Mom's concepts of geography and history dated back to 1908 and she hadn't read anything later on the subjects.
My heart started to pound and I shrilled into the phone: "Mom, read me exactly what the orders say. Oh, my God, where is Grand Island, Nebraska?" I was too excited to say any more. Besides, I wanted to look up the place in my old geography book. When I found it on the map I realized that it was a long way from Akron, Ohio.
I daydreamed about what the town must look like, visions made up mostly from western movie and from reading The Last of the Mohicans. I thought of the adventures I had in prospect - half-afraid and yet excited about the prospects. I knew of no one that had seen way out west. I had attended a friend's wedding outside of Chicago but then I had driven with three others and we didn't have much time to see any of the eights. The countryside looked similar to Ohio. My parents had never been west of Ohio. I don't think they had even visited western Ohio.
Now that I knew when and where I was going to be stationed as an Air Corps nurse, I could hardly wait to leave. I resigned from my job as a general duty nurse in the large hospital where I had trained for three years. I vacated my apartment, gave away the few pieces of furniture, packed away most of my books and clothing. Bring minimum quantity of civilian clothes, the orders stated.
Time went quickly; I attended oodles of goodbye parties, frequently stopping to pinch myself to see if this was really going to happen to me. Mom, Dad and ?-month-old brother, Timmy, saw me off at the train station. Mom cried, Dad looked serious but I could not wipe the smile off my face because I was so happy.
I settled down on the train which was full, with many persons in uniform. Across the aisle was an attractive young woman who told me that she also entering the Air Corps, only she was going to Santa Barbara, California. Now, that was a state I knew of: movies were made there, it was a glamorous place. Just where I had always dreamed of going. As we talked we wondered why I couldn't go with her to California rather than Nebraska. After all, it was the same Air Corps, it shouldn't make any difference to them if I went to California.
Before I definitely decided to go, we thought we should ask an experienced army person about it. We approached an officer, told him of our idea and asked if it would be OK for me to join my new friend at the California base. I'll never forget his facial reaction, first a broad smile, then he started laughing so hard that tears fell. We both watched in bewilderment but patiently until he finally controlled himself enough to say, “I think you’d better both go strictly by your orders. The Air Corps wouldn't agree with your logical conclusions.”
Oh well, I consoled myself, California would have been nice but Nebraska may be more of an unusual place. Two days and a night on the train finally made me anxious to get off. Finally the conductor called "Grand Island!" I said good bye to my nurse friend and stepped off the train.
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