March 18, 1967

19049 Schmidt St. (Marta’s) El Monte, CA

Dear Family,

We received a call last Friday morning at 3:00 A.M. alerting us for air shipment at 6:30 A.M. that same morning. Needless to say Mother and I did not sleep after we received the call. As Mother said, it was the usual Army, “Hurry up and Wait”. We did not board the plane until 9:00 A. M.

Travel for G.I’s is not the same as it was in my day. Our flight was on one of the newer United jets-pretty stewardesses, a hot breakfast, movies etc. We saw “Texas Across The River” and I will have to admit I got some laughs. Our seat companion was a 1^st Cav. Div. Staff Sgt. Who had been two years in Viet Nam. His morale was still high, but he could not understand all the “back biting” in this country, the parades, the burning of draft cares etc. Nor could he understand why Hanoi was not bombed. He maintained that this would end the war immediately.

It was cold and drizzly when we arrived in San Francisco and has stayed that way ever since we hit the main land. Marion picked us up at Travis. She is quite the business woman. She has no set hours, but works when she wants to. Bob is working steadily again and is fortunate that his work at this period is inside. He has put their place up for sale and talks of moving to a small town area.

We flew to L.A. yesterday and feel as though we walked half the way. The loading gate of the PSA air lines seams to be miles from the ticket office on one end and the baggage pick-up on the other. A representative of the L.A. Police met us as well as the Wilson Family. I would have gone on to Tucson yesterday, I felt so bad, but Marta and Bob have not quite finished moving and there are little things that Mother and I can do- mostly Mother of course.

Their little house can be fixed up very nice. They have an enormous (for Calif.) back yard with beautiful roses, a very fancy barbeque, (built in), several fruit trees, with an orange tree in fruit and flower.

Marta just returned from registering Candy in school and is very pleased with the new school, which is only two blocks away.

Again, we wish to thank Stobbes for your wonderful hospitality. It was not your fault that the weather was so lousy.

All our Love,

Dad