The Old Met
Before the curtain rose, I could hear commands being urgently whispered to various actors and groupings. Some of the lead actors, a huge chorus, and crowds of minor players shuffled passed me into formations on the stage. Most seemed to know exactly where and when to perform. For much of the time I found myself disoriented among the ceaseless turmoil. Novices were reminded not to sing, or even hum, during the opera itself. I, too, found my chalk marks on the stage floor.
Ticker Tape Parades
As Colonel Cooper’s car rolled into view, a sudden, strong gust of wind rushed in through the window carrying bits of ticker tape fragments into the office. With seemingly little concern for his safety, Fernandez exited the open window. Casually, he continued out into the void. Once fully extended, only his thighs and stomach muscles were supporting his suspended upper body. Knobby and I kept shouting at Fernandez to make sure he wasn’t losing altitude. Increasingly concerned, we tried to reassure ourselves that his belt and pants would hold.
Egypt 1954-1955
The Consul General’s official house in Alexandria was imposing. It was a stuccoed, three-story, British colonial style building. Set in a large garden, the house faced onto one of the city’s major thoroughfares. The property was surrounded by tall palm trees and extensive gardens and were enclosed by a high wall topped with glass shards. Egyptian soldiers guarded its gated entrances around the clock.
Questionable College Choice
Naval Academy exams were fast approaching. Then, out of the blue, Chis called to inform me of the bad news. The McCarthy hearings were taking a heavy toll on Secretary Stevens.
Special Friend
So there he was, wearing a three-piece, white linen suit and a top-grade, broad-brimmed, white Panama hat, sporting round-rimmed sunglasses and holding a long, lighted cigar. He settled into a comfortable, padded stern seat just behind amidships facing forward under a parasol.
Institut Le Rosey
The school's Director expressed pride in being able to sculpt young boys into future world leaders by exposing them to the qualities of “English royalty, Spanish honor, German intelligence, Italian ‘joie de vivre,’ American co-ordination, and Polynesian beauty.” He referred to this unique institution as the “School of Kings.”
Typhoon in the South China Sea
Loose cabin items crashed to the floor as the ship attempted to maneuver itself in anticipation of one mountainous wave after another. Approaching the top of each wave, the ship seemed to hover in suspension if only for a brief moment. Loud and unnerving vibrations could be felt as the ship plummeted into the next trough. Strange sounds could be heard from throughout the ship as it plunged into the next trough. Seemingly, every rivet was being strained to its limit. We heard parts of the ship’s superstructure being snapped off, crashing to the deck only to be blown overboard.
Formosa
The gate guards chose to secure and chain the consulate’s massive gates. A number of rowdy protesters stepped forward and began to climb the main fence. The guards sent an appeal for immediate support from the Chinese military support for by then the crowd had grown to more than a hundred. Several Chinese military jeeps with only a few armed soldiers appeared on the scene. Using clubs they managed to clear some of the agitators off and away from the fence. Even though additional armed soldiers appeared later their numbers were insufficient to disperse the expanding mob.
Shanghai Exodus
By early morning, the shiny DC-3 was heading southwest over the East China Sea. Taiwan’s coastline was its next marker. After some time, the plane began to descend through the high ceiling of broken clouds. It began flying low on a course heading toward the rolling, jungle-covered mountainous terrain north of Taipei. Our pilot and his crew kept their eyes peeled for the elongated landing strip in the green lush countryside below. The simple WWII strip was located just outside the slumbering town of Taipei.
Exploring “Old China”
As our car approached the hill fort, suddenly, Mom’s raised voice alerted Dad. He too had identified her concern as he disembarked from the car. There, perhaps 10 feet high on the massive wooden gates hung two severed human heads.
Settling in Shanghai
Once our ship came in sight of China’s mainland, a ragtag flotilla of tiny sampans and junks suddenly appeared ghost-like, seemingly out of nowhere. Our captain reduced speed as the ship entered the estuary. Within sight of its berth, excitement and anticipation bubbled up among the passengers standing outside on the ship’s frigid decks.
China Bound
At the boarding, there was great excitement and fanfare. The embarkation was of considerable note. Even “Life Magazine,” one of America’s most widely-read, weekly magazines, assigned a team of its reporters to cover the ship’s launching. The S.S. President Cleveland was America’s first passenger ship to be launched following World War II. Bands played both on the pier and onboard. Pushy crowds were everywhere. Throngs of curious visitors mingled with passengers throughout the ship. At dockside visibility was limited by clouds of confetti and miles of streamers swirling in the wind. The thousands of streamers even appeared to connect the ship with the pier.
Newspapers & Radio
When I was eight years old, our family’s home entertainment was limited to reading, being read to and, occasionally, playing simple card games with my parents and brother. There was no television.
Trick on Gran-C
As I saw the Buick turn several blocks down the road, I knew I had to act quickly. Approaching the front door of one of the nearby houses, I knocked. Soon, an elderly woman and a man opened the door and peered down at me.
Summer of Farming
As cars drove by I noted with considerable pride that I was sitting higher than the car rooftops. Interestingly, at that time young farm hands were permitted to drive farm machinery on public roads and highways. It was a thrill each time I drove the Farmall back and forth on the highways, day in and day out. People in cars and trucks waved at me, sometimes honking horns as they sped by.
Jefferson Street
And then there were snakes -- often poisonous cottonmouth, water moccasins and copperheads -- and feral animals that infested or frequented the watery floodplain. Each of us carried snake sticks to repel or catch all types of snakes and other strange critters. Other hazards included unsuspecting quicksand.
Separate Paths
As the car approached Prince Street, we saw a commotion outside. Our front door was ajar. I ran inside to find my mother. When I found her, it was obvious something had gone terribly wrong. She was grief-stricken, more so than I had ever seen her before -- or since.
Surprise Encounter
We headed towards a single elevator located down a long hallway. Once inside, the operator was asked to take us below ground level to a large room with a well-guarded exit on its far side. Dad held on to me as we approached more guards. I assumed he was checking before being allowed to pass through the exit door.
Summers at the Beach
As the war was still underway both Delaware beaches were almost devoid of people during the summers. There were scary stories told of German submarines lurking just off the East coast, sometimes even landing spies. Due to the war, all the shades in our seasonal cabins located directly on the beach, had to be lowered every evening so as not to be seen by offshore ships.
Prince Street
Alexandria was under greater wartime vigilance than we had experienced in New Jersey or Maryland. Designated neighbors served as air raid wardens to monitor and police their respective residential areas. Blackouts occurred nightly throughout the town. I recall a number of the wardens sporting World War I vintage steel helmets. Most wore yellow raincoats and armbands. Whistles hung around their necks. At night window curtains were drawn and interior lights extinguished when local sirens sounded.