Original oil painting by: Grandfather’s wife
The following was written by my late wife Elaine. She wrote a long book, a diary really, from which this is one passage:
Our “Goodbye Date” and the Trip to Washington, DC and Ft. Belvoir, Virginia
Belle Isle in the Detroit River is where Dave and I spent the last evening before he left for Battle Creek, Michigan for Army induction and orientation.
It was December 3, 1951, and I still remember how I cried. Hard. And long.
On this last date, we talked about my going to visit him at his base during a break in his training. After Battle Creek, his first basic training was at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. After completing that, he was sent for advanced, specialized training to Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, near Washington, D.C.
In April 1952, his mother, who drove her car, and I went to visit him. This was an eventful and interesting trip. A visitor’s first trip to all the sights of Washington, DC is something to remember!
While Dave was busy all day with training, his mom and I saw as many sights of Washington, DC as we could cram into our few days, including the perfect timing of the cherry blossoms in full bloom. In the evenings we’d go to the Army base at Ft. Belvoir to the guest house room which Dave reserved for us.
On the Saturday night, Dave “wanted to take me roller skating,” and after skating we parked by the Potomac River and he presented me with an engagement ring! He had bought it while the rest of us were sightseeing at the Smithsonian. I was 16 years old.
To be continued…
***
About the Author: RD Blakeslee is a nonagenarian in West Virginia who built his net worth by only investing in that which can be enjoyed during acquisition and throughout life, as opposed to papers in a drawer, like stocks and bonds. You can read more about him here.
Photos: Courtesy of the Blakeslee Family
Awww. Thank you for sharing Mr. Dave.
You’re welcome, Bill
My mother married my dad when she, also, was just 16. Then she had her first son at 18, and at 19, dad went off to WWII. She (and her baby) moved in with her in-laws while he was away. No fun trip to DC for her.
As always, thanks for sharing, Dave.
Thank you for sharing your family’s “Story from the Home Front” as they were called in the day Gee. Many such stories occurred during the war years, and beyond. The populace was generally stoic about its hardships and was united in the great crusade against the Third Reich.
Thanks Dave. We do well to relive those truly formative years. You are fortunate to have that precious chronicle your bride compiled.
Thanks, Steve. You are quite right that I am fortunate to have Elaine’s chronical and fortunate for Len’s blog allowing me to share it with the world.
“Once on the internet, it’s there forever”.