Chapter 19 Surgery Brings Another Leave Before Shipping Out

 Along with learning to the fly the bombers, playing war games and basically getting us into “survival” mode, the Army was getting us physically ready to go overseas into combat. It was 1943 and Europe needed pilots, planes and crews. We were all going through extensive physicals prior to being shipped out. I was having a lot of sore throats and the doctors decided that I had to have my tonsils out before they would send me over. So, they operated and gave me a 10 day leave to recuperate. It was too far to head for home in Nebraska, so the logical place to recover was back to my brothers place near Terre Haute. I checked out and caught the next train going north. I admit I wanted to see how my niece was doing with her new bicycle. Maybe she’d need another lesson from the lady who sold it to them. Again it was nice to be with family and I enjoyed the home cooking.

Luckily for me I didn't have to drop any hints about my interest in the lady with the bike, my sister-in-law was already busy doing a  little matchmaking. She invited Lori, the lady who sold them the bicycle, to dinner a couple days after I got there. I was still having a little trouble swallowing but it didn’t seem to affect my ability to talk. They tell me the table was set with the best tablecloth and saved up ration stamps were used for a roast. I was just thankful there were mashed potatoes and homemade applesauce from the tree in the yard. I was hoping our guest wouldn’t notice I wasn’t eating anything that wouldn’t slide right down my throat. I passed on the apple pie and was glad to have honey and tea instead of coffee, which was hard to get then. (Rationing started in1942 and tires, sugar, coffee, meat and eventually almost everything you couldn't grow had to be purchased with ration coupons. People got two rations books a month. I remember one had red coupons and the other blue. There were lots of rules and regulations, it was a complicated program.)

I thought this lady was pretty special so we spent quite a bit of time together during my leave – at least when my niece would let us. My brother and sister-in-law insisted on teaching us how to play bridge and every night we were getting to know each other while playing cards. Before I left we agreed to correspond.