Memories Of Old Les In Time
Continued
Memories ~ Page 2
I actually first met my wife to be, Una Marie.
I had seen her many times before but had never met her.
She was the same girl I had seen many times while riding my bicycle!
I will never forget the day I met her.
I had gone to the park with my friend Orville,
and since he knew her, he introduced us.
She was there with some of her friends.
She looked just like an angel to me.
We all walked home together.
There was a water puddle in the street.
I took my coat off and threw it on the water
so she wouldn't get her feet wet.
She smiled sweetly at me as she tiptoed across the water.
I was IN LOVE!
She went to the convent. (all girls Catholic school)
She was an only child and she looked like a china doll.
I knew she had grown up alot differently from what
I had and I really never thought I had a chance.
We were of different religions
and had completely different backgrounds.
Everytime I got a chance to walk by her house,
or be where she was,
I made sure that she saw me.
This went on for a couple of years.
Finally, I got up the courage to ask her out.
She said YES!!!
We went to the movie show.
I was soo happy to be with her.
I couldn't beleive this was happening to me.
She actually liked me!!
For what reason I didn't know,
actually even after 55 years of marriage,
I still didn't know!! haha
We continued to date through High School.
We had such a great time whenever we were together.
It didn't much matter what we were doing.
We just had fun.
We had alot of mutual friends now.
We went out in groups,
or I would go over to her house.
We would sit there for hours and she would play the piano
and we would sing songs.
We went to movies or just on long walks.
We spent hours out on her front porch talking
about almost anything and everything from religion to politics.
She was the most interesting person I had ever met
and way smarter than I was!!
I was the happiest guy alive!!
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hours out on her porch just chatting away about millions of things. We called this our question and answer post! |
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After graduating from High School,
I went to work full time with my Dad as a carpenter.
Una Marie was going to business college.
After she graduated, she went to work for the government
at the TNT plant.
It was 1940 and there was news of the War.
I knew our country was going to be involved
so I joined the Army when I was 22 years old.
The day I went to enlist I was 5'9" and weighed 130 lbs.
They told me I didn't weigh enough.
So the enlistment officer in town told me go to the
barracks anyhow to be examined
by the medics and see what they said.
He told me to buy 5 lbs of bananas and drink some water
before I got there and I might weigh a little more.
When I got to the barracks and went through the exam,
I was being weighed in and the medic also said
I didn't weigh enough.
The officer standing behind us turned around
and asked what was wrong.
The medic explained to him that I didn't weigh enough,
and he was about to turn me down for enlistment.
The officer looked at the medic, shook his head
and said, "Look, he's 5'8 and weighs 140 lbs,
Now just write it up that way on the papers!!".
(I shrunk 1" and gained 10 lbs all in about5 min!!)
Amazing!!
Then the officer saluted and said,
"You're in the Army now!!.
there was an opening in Jefferson barracks.
(That was just across the river in St. Louis)
I didn't want to be very far from home and Una.
I couldn't always leave to come and see Una,
so I started writing poetry to her.
I was so inspired by my love for her
that it was like I had a muse guiding me.
I could hardly wait for each night
When I could talk to her on the phone,
or to see her again.
I was stationed there for about 2 years.
The government had commandeered the Boca Raton Club
and turned it into an Army barracks.
A World War II service roster replaced the guest book.
The ornate pillars and carved plaster pieces
were padded over. The elaborate furnishings
were stored away to make room for G.I. bunks.
They referred to the quarters as
"the most elegant barracks in history."
war-time radar training school at the Boca Raton Air Field.
It housed a few hundred Army Air Corps officers.
This brought about 30,000 servicemen as well as families
and civilian employees to the tiny city of Boca Raton,
that had a population of about 700 in 1940.
I didn't want to be that far away from Una.
I could only talk to her on the phone or write.
I hated being so far away from her.
After about 1 month of being in Florida, I got a 10 day leave.
You know I was on the first train back to St. Charles!!
We went to the movies the first night I got back
and on the ride back home, Una said to me,
"You are not going back without me!"
I couldn't believe my ears!!
I think she was proposing to me!! haha
But hey, I am a Libra,
so it takes me awhile to decide things!!
(as if I had to think twice!!)
We made all the wedding arrangements
and had the wedding before my leave was up.
Since I was not Catholic,
I had to go see a Bishop in St. Louis
to get a special dispensation to be able
to marry my Catholic girl!!
I was supposed to take instructions for 5 days.
I didn't have that much time left,
so he said he could teach me in one day.
So, that's what I did.
I was the happiest man alive!!
I would be going back with my WIFE!!
The love of my life!!
October 24, 1942
Our Wedding Day!!
**-->Click Here for Our Wedding Day)<---**
From that day forward we would share
our lives together!!
We had dated for 8 years before
we were married and now we were one.
Our union was deinitely designed by God.
Not only was she a part of my life
but my whole life.
Our marriage was not
"til death do we part"
but for all eternity.
Here I go relating my life, but that is what I like
to do because I am so proud that God saw fit to give me
a life that I consider the greatest anyone could ever have.
When we returned to Florida,
we lived in an upstairs apartment on the post.
We just had a so much fun and
we were so happy!
I built the furniture we needed, bed, dressers, tables
and Una Marie made curtains, sheets, and decorated our place.
It was a dream come true!!
I was so happy to be coming home
to my sweet little wife each night.
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