Chapter 21 - Rumors, Leave & An Engagement!

 The base was a busy, busy place. Crews were in all stages of training and transitioning to leave the states. We were waiting on pins and needles for our assignments. We were in the 280th Bomb Squadron, part of the Mighty 8^th Army Air Force which was covering the European Theater. We knew there were bases in England, and Belgium – as well a support bases in Ireland, while the enemy had bases in occupied France, Belgium and Holland. Rumors abounded but we had no idea where we would end up. We already knew of the ill-fated disaster of the B-26 low level flying attacks on a power plant in Ijmiuden, Holland back in May (43). On May 14th “Eleven or twelve (sources differ) Marauders from the 322nd Bombardment Group took part in the attack, returning without loss.” The problem with that attack was that they didn’t hit any targets so it was rescheduled for May 17.  Eleven B-26s took off on the 17^th. One plane had electrical problems and turned back. It was the only plane that survived. This time the enemy was prepared and the low level flying made them almost sitting ducks. The Mighty Eighth quit flying until July 16 when it was decided to put the B-26 back to work as a medium level bomber. Knowing all this made everyone nervous and apprehensive on one hand and anxious to get over there and do our part on the other hand - and then there was that guy with the red flags waving around in the back of my head.

In mid-August the Army decided that we were definitely shipping out, so they gave us a 10 day leave to day good-bye to our families. Some of the guys in our group hadn’t had a leave in over a year. I’d been extremely lucky. I’d had 3 leaves in as many months. Lorraine and I had been writing and even talked on the phone a few times since I came back from my tonsillitis furlough.  I couldn’t wait to get back to my brother’s place to see her. I grabbed my bag and caught the Dixie Flagler train North.

My mom and dad, back in Nebraska, decided they would come out to see me before I shipped out and they got on a train headed for Chicago. As soon as I got off the train in Terre Haute my brother, his wife and Lorraine picked me up and we headed for Chicago to meet the folks. We got there the night before they arrived. My brother’s wife, who was a beautician, was up on all the best places to stay in Chicago. We decided to pool our money and enjoy probably the (first and) last luxury we could expect to have in the next few years.

We checked into the Palmer House which was in the middle of what they called the Loop. I was told it was the most famous hotel in the city. I was sure it was actually a palace. All of us were in awe of the beautiful, huge lobby and its extravagant furnishings. The Palmer House was famous for its night club, the Empire Room, but my sister-in-law had her heart set on going to the Trianon Ballroom to dance to the music of Lawrence Welk. The Trianon was said to be the largest and most beautiful ballroom in the Country. It was so huge there was no problem getting in on short notice. I’d never seen or imagined anything like it. There must have been a thousand couples there that night but there was plenty of room to dance and you could hear the music from any part of the large dance floor.

I have to hand it to my sister-in-law, she had set the most romantic evening I could ever have imagined. “The Champagne Music Makers” played for hours and their music set the stage for romance. I’d given it a lot of thought and I new I was going to ask Lorraine to marry me but I hadn’t really planned to do it that night. It was a magical night and I knew there wouldn’t be another one like it in the near future. While we were dancing I asked Lorraine to be my wife and she accepted. I don’t think our feet touched the floor the rest of the evening! Later we told my brother and his wife and the four of us celebrated. The next day sanity was restored and by the time we met my folks at their train we had decided to wait until I came home before we got married. The six of us headed back to South Western Illinois for the rest of my leave.