Kate Dudding: My Parents' First House, page 2

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1st Sgt. Beavers and Sgt. Stout with self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery vehicles behind them

There are no photos in February, 1943 when my father entered the Army, getting on a train to take him to Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas. That’s where he learned about anti-aircraft artillery, which is still taught today at Fort Bliss. You’ve probably seen World War II movies where there were guns on ships trying to shoot down planes overhead. The Army mounted a similar type of gun on the back of trucks, two guns per truck.


1st Sgt. Beavers and Sgt. Stout with self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery vehicles behind them
My father at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas

The photos of my father at Fort Bliss are all in the blazing sun. In the first photo, my father has VERY short hair. In subsequent photos, his hair does get longer, but he gets skinnier and skinnier. Usually he’s standing in front of a whole line of tents, large tents like you’ve seen on the TV show MASH.

My parents decided to get married on Saturday, July 10, 1943. My mother told everyone at work on the 9th, "Kenny is due home today and we’ll be getting married tomorrow. I’ll be back on Tuesday."

But then she showed up at work on Saturday. "Cile, aren’t you supposed to be getting married today?"

"When I got home, there was a letter from Kenny. He didn’t get the pass. But we’ll be getting married next Saturday instead."

But the next Saturday, the same thing happened.

"Are you sure he’s ever going to show up, Cile?"

"Oh, he’s coming, alright, just as soon as he gets that darn pass."


My parents at their wedding reception, July 24, 1943

And indeed, on the third try, my parents did get married, on Saturday, July 24. And I know it was a beautiful morning because there are sharp shadows on the ground in the pictures of their outdoor reception. This next song comes from the musical OKLAHOMA, which opened on Broadway in March of that year.

Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’

Oh, what a beautiful mornin’,
Oh, what a beautiful day.
I got a beautiful feelin’
Ev’rything’s goin’ my way.

There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow,
There’s a bright golden haze on the meadow,
The corn is as high as an elephant’s eye,
An’ it looks like it’s climbin’ clear up to the sky.

Oh, what a beautiful mornin’,
Oh, what a beautiful day.
I got a beautiful feelin’
Ev’rything’s goin’ my way.
Oh, what a beautiful day!

My parents were married in the Catholic cathedral in Bridgeport, at a side altar. Because it was a mixed marriage, they were not allowed to get married at the main altar. My mother always said, "I was the one who had to sign the piece of paper that any children from this marriage would be brought up Catholic. I’m the Presbyterian, but I had to sign that!" My brother and I were raised as Catholics, by the way.

In the photos of my parents’ wedding reception, behind my grandparents’ home, my father is skinny, skinniest he ever was in his life, and he is grinning in each and every photo. My mother is smiling and laughing. Her kid sister told me, "Your mother had a hard time standing up -- her heels kept sinking into the grass. Your father had to grab her a few times." My mother was not drunk. My mother never got drunk. Well, maybe she was drunk with happiness.

There are lots of photos of the reception: my parents by themselves, my parents with their four parents, my parents with their best man, my father’s brother, and their maid of honor, my mother’s sister Margaret. And in the background of each photo, you can see my grandfather’s flower beds.

After the reception, my parents took a train to New York City for their 3-day honeymoon. Then my father got on the first of many trains to take him back to Fort Bliss, while my mother took a train back to Bridgeport.

My father in Louisiana, February 1944

The next time they saw each other was 6 months later, in February, 1944. My father was then stationed in Louisiana. The only photo of that is of my father in his winter dress uniform. He’s got a full head of hair and has gained back his weight. The photo was taken in residential neighborhood, I guess where my mother rented a room for the week.

There’s no picture of this, but my mother told me, ‘They had the biggest bugs I'd ever seen! And it was only February!!"

That week was soon over. My mother took the inevitable train back to Bridgeport. And two week later, my father got on a ship to go to Europe. They did not see each other again for almost 2 years. In the first 2 ½ years of their marriage, they spent 10 days together. A song that explains all this was #1 on the Hit Parade that year, 1944. That song explains the situation of hundreds of thousands of other couples, just like my parents.


I'll Be Seeing You

I'll be seeing you in all the old, familiar places
That this heart of mine embraces, all day through.

In that small café, the park across the way,
The children's carousel, the chestnut tree, the wishing well.

I'll be seeing you in every lovely, summer's day,
And everything that's bright and gay,
I'll always think of you that way.

I'll find you in the morning sun. And when the night is new,
I'll be looking at the moon, but I'll be seeing you.


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Copyright 2001 by Kathryn Eike Dudding. All Rights Reserved.


Kate Dudding (518) 383-4620
8 Sandalwood Drive kate@katedudding.com
Clifton Park, NY 12065-2700 USA
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