From Jacqueline Underwood
April 10, 2008
Dear Katie and Matt,
I was reading the past cards again and it brought back many memories. I can clearly remember the evacuation from Dunkirk. America had not yet entered the war although we were shipping supplies to Great Britain. I was just graduating from high school but a group of our friends were in the National Guard and were being sent to Fort Lewis, Washington. There were about sixteen guys in uniform; we (the high school students) all assembled at the train station in Colton, (CA). The Yellowjacket band in bright red and gold uniforms also played patriotic music and of course we girls cried. After all, they were going far away. Far away is so much closer today. Then in Dec. '41 the U.S. became an active ally of England. Most of the guys were 16 or 17 as was Grandpa. He was born in 1926 but the story goes that Grandma Ruth (your great-grandmother) said she'd say he was born in 1925 if he would join the Coast Guard instead of the Marines. She thought he would be on duty around the coast of the U.S. As you know he had one of the most dangerous sea duty assignments possible. He was assigned to a destroyer escort ship. Their job was to protect the merchant ships carrying supplies to England from Nazi submarines in the North Atlantic.
I worked as a time clerk for the Quartermaster Corps. We were responsible for shipping supplies to the harbor in Long Beach, CA, where they'd be sent to allies all over the world.
Long time ago, were we ever so young? No more memory provoking cards unless you can stand the rambling.
Hey, so glad you are having the good life. We get to read the news to your folks too. May God keep and bless you, Love always,
Gramma and Grampa U.
April 10, 2008
Dear Katie and Matt,
I was reading the past cards again and it brought back many memories. I can clearly remember the evacuation from Dunkirk. America had not yet entered the war although we were shipping supplies to Great Britain. I was just graduating from high school but a group of our friends were in the National Guard and were being sent to Fort Lewis, Washington. There were about sixteen guys in uniform; we (the high school students) all assembled at the train station in Colton, (CA). The Yellowjacket band in bright red and gold uniforms also played patriotic music and of course we girls cried. After all, they were going far away. Far away is so much closer today. Then in Dec. '41 the U.S. became an active ally of England. Most of the guys were 16 or 17 as was Grandpa. He was born in 1926 but the story goes that Grandma Ruth (your great-grandmother) said she'd say he was born in 1925 if he would join the Coast Guard instead of the Marines. She thought he would be on duty around the coast of the U.S. As you know he had one of the most dangerous sea duty assignments possible. He was assigned to a destroyer escort ship. Their job was to protect the merchant ships carrying supplies to England from Nazi submarines in the North Atlantic.
I worked as a time clerk for the Quartermaster Corps. We were responsible for shipping supplies to the harbor in Long Beach, CA, where they'd be sent to allies all over the world.
Long time ago, were we ever so young? No more memory provoking cards unless you can stand the rambling.
Hey, so glad you are having the good life. We get to read the news to your folks too. May God keep and bless you, Love always,
Gramma and Grampa U.
