ANOTHER SIDE OF EDWARDS AFB


When our landlady Lucille found out Ellen was pregnant, she graciously moved us downstairs to a 1 bedroom apartment. Our garage apartment was a studio type, too small with a new baby coming. In addition there were no stairs to climb at the new apartment, good for a young pregnant girl trying to get groceries upstairs.

We still had no auto so one of my friends drove us to Bakersfield to shop for a replacement. That was a drive of about 70 or so miles so I was trying to do only one trip over the Tehachapi mountains. After a day of shopping I found a 1951 Dodge slushamatic in our price range  and that could be financed. We drove it around for an hour or so and it seemed OK. I should have known better based on the auto we had during WWII but, oh no, not with my auto experience. So, we made a deal and headed back to Mojave in our newly acquired auto. It was a 4 door ugly green and the engine blew up before we got out of the mountains,. It sprayed oil and residue all over the people in back of me. Somehow we made it to Mojave where we learned the crankshaft was bad! Now I had no money as usual so I shopped around for a mechanic to put in a new crankshaft. I located a guy in Boron that said he would do the installation if I would buy the parts, and I did. Well he was a drunk and apparently was so when he put in the new shaft. We picked it up and drove exactly 15 miles when the engine froze. He had installed number one sleeve backwards so no oil could pass through. To say I was upset was an understatement. After threats were made against his manhood, he told me he had no money for another shaft but would grind the shaft and put in a new sleeve.

In the meantime our firstborn child, Christopher, arrived on December 31, 1957. Ellen's mother, Alice, and  Ellen's youngest sister, Pat, arrived on the train. I had borrowed an auto from my friend so we had transportation for the trip to Edwards (15miles). The nurse told me not to come back too soon as first babies took a long time to arrive. This was not so with Ellen as she delivered the same morning she was admitted. Her mother and I arrived about an hour later. Remember, there were no cell phones in those days. All was well so Alice and Pat and I went to a New Years Eve party at my friend's place. I don't know if we were celebrating or just happy to have survived with no major complications! Ellen hadn't been able to work and pay day for me had not arrived so we were scarce on food to eat. Alice, who was very innovative (and also broke) took a piece of meat we had, a few veggies and tomato juice and concocted a meal which lasted until pay day. What a woman! We had scrounged a crib with help of friends and our landlady so Chris had a bed in our bedroom. Alice and Pat went home to Steamboat after a few days and Ellen and Chris were left to deal with me.

We finally got the Dodge back but it never ran okay as long as we had it. My jinx with cars continued and kept us broke!!. We did manage to take a few trips to the mountains to cool off that summer. I took home movies with a windup Bell and Howell gifted to us. I think I gave those movies to Chris. I don't know if he threw them away or still has them. To say I was unprepared to be a father would be a statement too kind. I think I can say I was as bad a father as one little boy can get. It seemed nothing went right and everything was a struggle. Ellen was a wonderful mother as was her mother and did her best to compensate for me. We did manage a trip to Steamboat Springs when Chris was about 6 months old. We caught the Sante Fe Chief train in one direction and Union Pacific back. We had no club car, just 2 seats but it was very pleasant. Chris was very good (probably terrified of me). When we arrived in Denver, a family friend (same one with the tire chains) drove us to Steamboat Springs in his pickup. He had a mattress in the back of his covered truck and that is where Chris road for 170miles (great parent huh?). This was the first time Ellen's family met Chris (other than Pat and Alice). I don't remember much else but I'm sure I was an A-hole. Looking back on that time , when we should have been happy to be alive all I remember is sadness. As I write this I do so hesitantly but it is a story of all of my 87 years, not just the good ones.

Some time in 1959 we found out Ellen was pregnant again. When we discovered this we started looking for a larger apartment. I ran in to a school teacher in Boron who built and rented apartments in Boron. This was good for me as my workplace was only 3 miles away. 

More later

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