Home at Last

The second week in April came and went...no plane to bring Jim home from the Philippines. Then came week three and well into week four and still no plane with available passenger space. Things were becoming a little scary. It was too late to change our wedding plans as the invitations had already gone out. During that long wait, Jim received a change of orders for his next assignment. Instead of going to Oscoda, Michigan he was assigned to Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, Utah. I have to admit that I was disappointed. Ogden was too close to home, and I was looking forward to seeing more of the world...at least a little more of my country. I would later realize the Lord's hand in this change, but for now it was just one more thing to stress over.

It was on April 29 that a whole wing (seven aircraft) landed at Clark Air Force Base with space for all the airmen who had opted to wait to return to the states by air which included my Jim. After a short scare when Jim's plane developed a problem requiring all seven planes to land at an atoll in the Pacific. He was sure that he was going to be stranded on this small island while the plane was repaired. But he soon discovered that the pilot of his plane was the commander of the Wing and could take over one of the other planes if he chose. And he chose. He also chose to take all that airmen that were on his plane with him.

Jim arrived at Travis Air Force Base near the bay area in California late in the afternoon of Friday, April 30, with his pay records in hand. He had left Manila with only $20.00 in his pocket but knew he could go directly to the finance office on base to get his pay. But...when he arrived, that office had closed for the day and would not be open until Monday. He refused to wait even one day longer to be on his way home. He would get by on his $20.00 and pick up his money at Hill Air Force Base once he reached Salt Lake. So he went to the transportation office on base and purchased a Greyound Bus ticket to Salt Lake for $17.00 thinking he would have a few dollars to purchase food on the way. But he forgot that he needed to get from the base to the Greyhound depot which was a $2.00 bus ticket away. He bought a couple of candy bars with his remaining dollar on which he could survive for the next twenty plus hours. He was now on the last leg of his long trip home. I know the Lord was with him because a gentleman sitting next to him on the bus noticed that this nice young man in uniform was not eating at the scheduled rest breaks and gave him $10.00. Being the honorable man that he is, Jim took the man's name and address and returned the much appreciated money when he got home.

Back at the ranch (home) I nervously awaited Jim's arrival at the Greyhound Depot in Salt Lake. It was Saturday evening, and Jesse and Jean (Jim's brother and sister-in-law) had picked me up to take me to the depot. I don't remember why my parents didn't go, but I like to think that they just did not want to distract from the special reunion. (Believe me they wouldn't have.
Nothing would have.) I still hope that Jesse and Jean didn't feel slighted when Jim stepped off that bus and I ran into his arms and just wouldn't let go for the longest time. Jim assures me that they didn't. We took Jesse and Jean home and spent several more hours alone "talking" before Jim crashed from his many hours of travel. We would spend the next week and a half looking for an apartment in Ogden and making the final arrangements for our wedding which was only ten days away.