Christmas's Past

My granddaughter and her military hubby are with us for the holiday, this led to the memory of a past Christmas.

I was very much PG, as my granddaughter is, I had been with hubby in Quantico, Virginia. The plan was that I would fly from VA to Colorado, before Christmas as hubby was finishing school and I was close to my due date. We had saved, at great hardship, on a corporal's pay, my airfare and hubby's busfare. Hubby's cousin and her hubby we stationed with us. We loaned part of our careful stash to them for an emergency. Time came for me to leave and the loan could not be repaid. My airfare was covered but not hubbys busfare. I flew home and hubby was to hitchhike across country.

Marines during Korean War could get a ride anywhere. Hubby made it as far as Ohio and was left at the side of the road in a snow storm. Hubby walked a ways and found a stranded motorist. A young mother with a little girl, she had a flat tire, She was struggling to change it herself. Hubby changed her tire. She took him home to her brothers, a couple of hundred miles down the road. The lady was a recent widow. Her hubby had been killed in Korea. Her brother was so greatful, he purchased hubby a bus ticket on to Colorado.

Marines today would be taking there life in there hands to hitchhike anywhere. I am so grateful to that family for there help in our time of need. Hubby made buck sargent right after our first was born. Military life has its ups and downs and is very different than ours half a century ago.

Merry Christmas