Wednesday evening, July 26, 1944

Wenesday evening – 26

Dear Mother,

I have been out of camp ever since Monday. We took some rain coats to Oakland Calif. We went through San Francisco and crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. We left Monday morning and got to Oakland about six and we got a pass and went into town and I stayed in a service man dormitory and I really slept good. We had to report back Tuesday morning at eight and I wandered around Oakland Monday night till about one o’clock. Going through San Francisco I really had fun, not stopping for the red lights and not stopping for a thing (*1). It took about an hour to go through San Francisco and about forty five minutes to go through Oakland.

It was really an interesting trip for me and I really saw interesting scenery I never will forget. Going across the Bay saw big sea planes landing and huge troop boats.

When I got back to camp I got those letters from you and one from Helen and one from my girl in Mendenhall (*2), and it really made me feel good.

My name was called again for another convoy I think I am going to Camp White in Oregon taking some jeeps.

Tell everyone hello and tell Katherine I am mad as hell at her for not writing.


Love,

Sam


*1: I can imagine my father as a young country boy, driving his two and a half ton truck through down town San Francisco revelling in the fact that the rules of the road no longer apply.

*2: I'm not sure if this is where my grandmother was born, but I am pretty sure this is where she is buried. I have the most vague memory of driving our old black Ford Crown Victoria to the cemetary to put flowers on her grave.



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