SUNDAY MEMORIES
Judy Wills
Charles wrote: Late in 1954, I received orders assigning us to Far East Air Forces. So we were being moved to Japan.
We left Tyndall in the winter of 1955, on February 1st, with the temperature being 28̊. We headed West on U.S. 98 in ground fog. The fog was right at windshield level. We drove across country through Texas – and it took two days to across Texas! [that was before interstate roads] – then across New Mexico and Arizona to Yuma, Arizona.
Charles wrote: On our first day out of Tyndall heading to the west coast, we arrived in Beaumont, Texas in late afternoon. Going through the city, we happened to be the last vehicle in the line to go through a light. Unfortunately, a beer truck following us, also attempted to go through, but went too fast, and when we got into the next block discovered he didn’t have room to stop, so he crashed into our new Buick, bending the trunk lid. Kitty had her sewing machine in the trunk, and she was concerned about that, but more about the children. The driver came to apologize, but Kitty yelled at him, “what are you trying to do….kill my children??” He arranged that very day to have a check cut for repairs for our car, so we continued on out to the west coast.
Charles and Kitty with Sally by house on Beacon Beach, Tyndall AFB, Florida
1953 Buick, light green bottom, dark green on top
I think we ended up spending a few days with my Aunt and Uncle and cousins – I think at that time they were in Pasadena, California. We drove up to Danville, California, which is just east of Oakland in the San Francisco Bay area. Dad found a place for us to rent.
I think that, just a few days after we arrived in Danville, Dad decided to trade in his car – the 1953 Buick that was rear-ended – on a 1955 Chevrolet V-8 which was coral and gray. It was an interesting car, and we really enjoyed it.
Emily and Sally by the coral and gray 1955 Chevy
We got in a three-bedroom house in Danville, south of Walnut Creek, California. It was a very affluent area, near Mt. Diablo. Us kids were enrolled in the schools there. I attended San Ramón Valley Union High School. It was a new building. I was quite disappointed to find they didn’t teach any Latin at all, or Algebra 2. They only had Business Math. So I took two hours of study hall. I had to take spelling again, something I hadn’t had to take since the fourth grade! I was not impressed with the California schools. We went to Japan during my second semester of my 10thgrade. Since I could not take Latin and Algebra 2 while we were in Danville, I had to take them both during summer school in Tokyo.
~~~~~~~~~~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
good job
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