By now
Dave

Editors notes:
My Dad intended to make sure I would arrive back at Great Lakes on time so as to avoid being AWOL.
Too much party time the night before I left. So drunk I could have cared less.
We all knew the Korean War had taken a turn for the worse. Not supposed to feel fear, but I think we did!

I only have memories of what happened next. We boarded an Army troop train and headed west. The trip to California took 3 days.
The accommodations were old Pullman coaches. Worn, but clean. Eating however was another thing. The "dining car" was stand up only, in three rows.
No meals, just sandwhiches.
As we proceeded through the state of Texas, it got HOT. You guessed it. NO AIR CODITIONING anywhere on our train.
I recall the train was shuttled into Mexico to clear the tracks for other trains. For a time we just sat there in the desert. And it was HOT!!

We arrived at the Long Beach shipyard at 1:00 AM and boarded the USS Helena CA-75----all 300 of us.
My next letter to a friend , will continue the story.