Page 78 - Winterling's Chasing the Wind

was only a couple of degrees above zero. They had just turned the water hose on the
tennis courts to freeze into a skating rink.

My leaving Anchorage was delayed several weeks, so I had a chance to visit my friends
at Faith Baptist Church. I had a very nice dinner that included moose. It was the first
time I had eaten any, and it was very tasty. It was a nice reminder of Alaska for me. I
finally flew out of Alaska at the end of November and landed at Parks Air Force Base,
which was 28 miles east of Oakland, California.

I had to wait there for over two weeks to be processed for discharge because of the large
number of airmen being released from duty. I was being discharged from the Air Force
three months early because servicemen with less than six months on their enlistment
would not be assigned to a new base. I finally received my Honorable Discharge on
December 16, 1953.

I bought Greyhound bus ticket for Jacksonville and spent the next 7 days across parts of
8 states. There were frequent stops for meals and for changing passengers. At least, I
didn’t have to hitchhike, and I learned to sleep while leaning back in the bus seats

CHAPTER 21 - Back to Civilian Life
As a U.S. military veteran, I easily made the transition back to the civilian world. In
fact, I was much better prepared than I was from growing up with my family and
graduating from high school. The government informed me of my veteran rights and
benefits, such as the GI Bill, and most importantly how to obtain civilian employment.
The State of Florida Employment Office on Bay Street in Jacksonville made my
education and military training available to prospective employers.

I lived with my mother, now a widow, in an apartment on Dellwood Avenue in
Riverside. The house was owned by Sam and Louise Mathews. Mr. Mathews was a
retired railroad man who greatly assisted mother when I wasn’t around. She worked as
a cashier at the Arcade Theater on West Forsyth Street.

Working in the box office which faced the sidewalk, she became acquainted with many
pedestrians. She enjoyed the work because she always loved people. The salary very
low and I wasn’t sure that it was a good long-term occupation.
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