My friend, Betty Blum married Chuck Weisel and she was living in Santa Monica, California with her mother while Chuck was in the service. This was June of ’44, and Warren was stationed in California. I took my two week vacation, had talked with my Aunt Eunice and Uncle Bru in Glendale, California (my father’s sister) and they seemed thrilled to know I would visit them and be able to see Warren. They lived in a darling home. Bru worked for the telephone company downtown, and Eunice was always dressed up when he came home. She played the piano and oil painted very well. They were very nice to me and they enjoyed knowing Warren. Aunt Eunice said she could tell he loved me just the way he looked at me.

I stayed with them one week and was able to see Warren several times before he was transferred to Treasure Island in San Francisco. I then went to Santa Monica to stay with Betty. Warren tried to hitchhike down one weekend but wasn’t able to, even sleeping in a barn one night before turning back. This whole vacation was quite an experience for me. Being able to explore Glendale and Santa Monica was wonderful, and Betty and I spent a lot of time at the beach. We each had two piece suits though nothing as brief as today’s and yet I remember a woman saying “you ought to be ashamed of yourselves in those suits.” One day we dressed up and had lunch at The Brown Derby hoping to see some stars, but didn’t.

On my way to California I took the train, El Capitain. Bru met my train in Los Angeles and as we left the station and walked across the courtyard I saw five paratroopers coming towards us. I started to run as I recognized Paul, then he saw me and also started running – he lifted me up hugging me and his buddies couldn’t believe I was his sister. It was a beautiful meeting. I didn’t know he was in California ready to ship out and he didn’t know I was there visiting. We stayed with them until they left, and said our good byes, and I always felt so good about this meeting as Paul went overseas. When it was time for me to leave, I went back home on the Greyhound bus and had my 21st birthday on this journey. It was loaded with servicemen and I particularly remember a nice couple that I stayed close to.

At one point Warren had a leave and came to Milwaukee, spending several days before going home to New Jersey. I remember double dating with Ann and Alan as another opportunity for Warren and I to get to know each other better. Then he was gone again and we were back to writing letters. Of course I’ll always believe we probably got to know each other better through our letters. I saved them, and had them in a box for years after we married, but I don’t know what happened to them. Warren was sent to Bikini Island and was stationed there until the end of the war, when he was discharged. He served on a ship called The Bowditch.