My Dad enlisted before Pearl Harbor so by "43 (plus the fact that he was an
Eagle Scout), gave him enough points and what-not to be assigned TDY
stateside for 90 days to speak to Scout groups in Southern Iowa re:
recycling, etc. but 1st a brief visit home to LaCrosse. Coming from Cal.
near to Omaha, he got to ride the 2nd seat of a P-38 - a few were equipped
that way (he was a 1st Lt. in USAAF P-38 Ordinance at the time having served
in Australia & New Guinea). He was then assigned by the quartermaster to a
night troop train made up entirely of the dreaded kitchen & sleeper cars
that was also enroute from Cal to Chicago. The good news was that it was
being routed via the Q! (Apparently had come in via UP). A waycar was
tacked on to the end & he struck up a conversation with the crew. Knowing
some of the parlance of Q employees, his Dad being a carman @ Grand Crossing
Shops, got him an invite to ride the waycar. The food and bunk were FAR
superior to the fare in the GI-issued rolling stock! It was the one time in
his life that having his Dad work for the Q was a decided advantage.
Gerald
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