Fred Remembers~Part 2

SUNDAY MEMORIES

Judy Wills

I remember walking along the boardwalks in Atlantic City and Ocean City, especially Ocean City.  I remember getting some salt-water taffy there.

[Charles’ note:  In August of 1937, after my second year in seminary, I was offered a call to become the minister of a small church in Columbus, New Jersey (Columbus Baptist Church), a few miles southwest of the capital, Trenton.  The small town was located in a prosperous dairy region.]

Columbus Baptist Church

[Judy’s note:  Charles enlisted in the U.S. Army in the Fall of 1941, as a Chaplain.  Fred was already a part of their little family by this time.]

[Charles’ note:  In December of 1942, I got the itch to get into the war, so I volunteered.  I was accepted, and by the end of the year had secret orders sending me to North Africa.  Volunteering is not recommended.  I did that twice and somehow it seems to have fitted in with God’s plans for me.]

[Judy’s note:  Charles was wounded in 1943, and carried a piece of shrapnel near his heart until the day he died in 2009. Following the war, the family moved quite a bit to different postings.  In 1947, the family moved to Italy.  In 1949 Charles transferred to the U.S. Air Force, as one of its 186 Chaplains, where he stayed throughout the remainder of his military career.]

Fred again:  In 1943, when Emily was born, we were living in Collingswood, New Jersey.

Kitty and Emily

I remember Dad telling me that in the early-to-mid-1940’s, he had purchased a 1941 Chevy sedan, which we had, I think, until he left for Italy in 1946.

Charles and Fred

I remember that, at one of the forts where we lived, we actually, for a length of time, lived on the fort, on a street which was just across the street from the large parade ground, and that’s where I would see the troops out there marching around.

I remember that at night I used to go out with a slingshot and would try to shoot bats that were flying around among the trees which were just outside our front door.  I always missed.

Sometime in 1946, we moved again, out to Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, and I remember Mom saying many times that the people there were not very friendly to military people, who were also known as transients. I remember her saying she would be pushing the baby carriage with the twins down the road, with Emily and I in tow, and people wouldn’t even get out of her way.  She would have to go into the street or into the grass to get around people, and they were just generally not very friendly people there.

Charles and Fred – Fort Leonard Wood, MO

I also remember I was in the school there. I remember them trotting out the little pads – we had to take a nap there every day – I think one in the morning and one in the afternoon.

~~~~~~~~~~To Be Continued~~~~~~~~~~

Judy is living in Central Florida with her retired U.S. Air Force husband of 50+ years. Born in Dallas, Texas, she grew up in the Southwestern United States.She met her husband at their church, where he was attending the university in her town. After college and seminary, he entered the Air Force, and their adventures began.They lived in eight of our United States, and spent six years in Europe, where their oldest daughter was born. She was a stay-at-home mom for many years

Tags: A military man remembers