MY FIRST REAL MEMORY (i think)

Dad went to war....
by Seajay

My first real memory was when my Dad went off to war. I believe I remember this but to swear to it, I would not. In my mind I see it and remember it but it could be a ''figment'' of my imagination from my moms telling me about it.
Anyhow, as I remember it my Uncle Jim, dads brother, took me and mom and dad up to the post office for dads swearing into the U.S. NAVY. None of this I actually ''remember'' but I heard mom talk about it. My real ''memory'' is of me standing in the front seat of Uncle Jims, 34 Ford as dad opened the window of the bus he was on. I can still see him very plainly as he sticks his head and shoulder out the window of that gray hound bus and waves at us. Mom was crying and I could not figure out why she was so upset. The bus left and she cried all the way home.
My next real ''memory'' was when they sent dads civies back home. They came in a large box with all his clothing inside. This worried me. Was dad running around necked? Mom assured me that he was not running around necked because the Navy had given him clothing. I could not accept this because back then ....... Nobody gave you Nothin' for free....... You had to earn it.
Time passed and eventually Dad came home from boot camp. He had a Sailors Duffle Bag on his shoulder and his hair was cut real short. He stepped off the train and walked about half a mile to our house and just ''walked in''........Mom was happy and she cried again and I didnt understand why she cried. She said that these were ''happy tears''. Needless to say, I slept in my own bed that night. No more sleepin' with mom for a while.......
My next real ''remember'' was the war. I remember rationing of about everything. Sugar, meat, gasoline, shoes and the ''Victory Garden'' out back. I remember mom buying a ton of coal and people stealing the coal off the pile. I remember mom and granny putting old sheets down in the back room and how we all carried the coal into the house for safe keeping. After that our neighbors had to buy sacks of coal to heat with. I remember some of the things about the war and somewhere here I still have a ''stamp ration book'' that mom had left after the war was over. My next ''remember'' was dad coming home on leave while they overhauled the ship he was on.

More later
Seajay the sailor man