We Move

We loved living in our beautiful apartment in Hillcrest,
but we were ready to move closer to The Naval Training
Center, in San Diego, where George would be working
for his entire four year tour of duty in the Navy.

When George was told that he would be stationed at the
Naval Training Center for his entire four years, we
decided to put our name on the waiting list for
housing.  There were two ways to go; Navy Housing
and Public Quarters.

Navy Housing was two story barrick style apartments.
They had no yard, but shared a common courtyard for a
designated number of apartments.

Public Quarters were two story four-plexes.  Each
apartment had it's own fenced back yard with grass,
a tree, and some plants.  There was a narrow strip
of shared grass in front of each building.

Navy Housing was cheaper rent and the waiting list was
much shorter, but we did not want it.  We wanted to get
a dog, which was allowed in Public Quarters, and were
hoping to have a baby before George's enlistment was
up.  We chose a two bedroom unit.  When we  put our
name on the waiting list, we were told that they could
not tell us how long we would have to wait.

Our last visitors in Hillcrest were Pete and Delores.
They were married on June 22,1953, and spent several
days of their honeymoon with us.  At the time we didn't
know they would be our last visitors in Hillcrest..

I had been working for Marie Burch, who owned The
World Wide Employment Agency.  She ran it with her
daughter, Lisa, as her only employee. When I was looking
for a job, I went to her agency.  She took an immediate
liking to me, and so did Lisa, who was my age and
engaged to a young man who was in the Air Force,
stationed in Texas.  Marie waved my fee and I became her
secretary and receptionist,which then freed Lisa to be
her full time assistant.  I became Lisa's secretary, also.
It was a wonderful job.  Marie became my surrogate
mother, and it was as if she had two daughters.  Lisa and I
were very good friends.  They made sure I was never
alone when George had duty.  The three of us ate lunch
together every day, unless we had errands to run.

It was a very happy time in my life, but sadly that time
was soon to end.  Shortly after Pete and Delores left to
return home, Marie called Lisa and I into her office.  She
told us she had stage 5 breast cancer.  It was terminal and
had spread to her lungs.  She was given just a few weeks
to live.  Lisa and I were shocked and very sad.  We had
shared with each other the fact that we knew Marie was
sick, but she never admitted it to us, even when she couldn't
function.

She told me she was in the process of finding me a job and
assured me she would try and find me one that was near
the Naval Base and Public Quarters.  She told Lisa she
could choose which family member she wanted to live with,
or she would get her settled in her own place, near family.

It was a sad time,I especially felt sorry for Lisa.  She moved
her wedding date forward and changed it into a small
intimate affair, hoping her mother would be  able to attend..
Marie refused to leave until Lisa was married.  She was
an amazing and strong, woman.

Things worked out wonderfully for me.  She found me a job at
Solar Aircraft Company, which was just three or four miles
from the Naval Base and Public Quarters. It was a long bus ride
for George and I.  He had been doing it the whole time we lived
in Hillcrest, but it was a big adjustment for me.  It was fun, though,
depending on George's schedule, we often rode the same bus.

Fortunately, we didn't have to do this for long.  In answer to our
daily prayers, in the first week of August 1953, our name was
called to move into our lovely home in Public Quarters.

TO BE CONTINUED. . . . . . . . . . .  . . . . . .