Southern Hospitality

A Mrs. Harris owned the apartment we rented. Gerry became homesick periodically and gave up the apartment to return home. Mrs. Harris would only rent the apartment on a monthly basis so it was always available to us when she returned. Next door lived an older couple with their daughter and husband's wife - he being overseas. When Gerry was away they would invite me to Sunday dinner. In the evening I'd take the girls to a movie.  I would be lying to say I didn't like Southerners. I just didn't like the southern philosophy of discrimination.

I took Gerry to a movie one night and fell asleep when we returned home. I missed my bus to the base and arrive at the school after midnight. My coach became a pumpkin and I faced a Captains Mass for the first time. I was marked a PAL (prisoner at large) for two weeks and had to report to the GD Ensign for two weeks.  Mean! - He was terrible.  I wondered if he was related to old J.J. Collins back in high school.

Gerry had to come to the base to see me. This wasn't a bad deal for her. She could eat at our chow hall with me and a hundred other gobs. Not many girls have that prestige and she reveled in it.

As the men came through the chow line, the KPs took delight throwing ice cream on top of the mashed potatoes or potatoes on top of the dessert. Did they do that to Gerry? NO!

They were sickeningly polite.

Gerry took a job in a five and dime store in the heart of the city. She liked it and it did give her a chance to enjoy people and points of interest. Every now and then a customer detected her accent and called her a damn Yankee. We thought that was quite funny.

Afternoons when she finished work we would walk the levee on the Mississippi and feed peanuts to the squirrels.

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