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overlooking Albuquerque. Over the next few days we stopped at the ‘Painted Desert’ and the Grand Canyon as well as other interesting places that reflected the ‘Wild West’. We made the trip in a slightly used ‘Rambler’ midsize car--it got approx. 25 mi./ gal and gas was approx. .25 cents per gal--water in AZ at that time cost $1 /gal! We stayed at AAA approved motels along the way at the bargain prices AAA recommended. Kay shopped at delis and grocery stores and made sandwiches and fixed our snacks along the way. Our major expense was our evening meals which we tended to go a little overboard on.
Kay and I arrived in CA and began looking for an apartment near Camp Pendleton. We found our place in Carlsbad--approx. 10 mi. to Camp Las Pulgas--new home of the Seventh Marine Regiment and the First Marine Division. The apt. was a two bedroom , second story apt. on Pine Ave. I found out later that several other new lieutenants had also selected these apts. ( Pine Avenue Apts. ) during the same period--we were all coming from Basic School and I knew most of them. Kay and I stayed in a motel for a couple of days then ‘camped out’ in our new apt.--we slept on the floor making little sleeping pads with my sleeping bag and some bedding we had packed til we could buy our furniture, etc.. Once we had settled in our new place I checked in to the Second Bn., Seventh Marines.
Meeting my Company Commander
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