Albert Story Narrative Chapter 11

Coming Home

We followed the same route back that we used on the way over except that we stopped at Ascension Island. This island in the middle of the Atlantic now had an airfield that did not exist when we flew over. The airfield was built on the Island as a base for bombers doing submarine patrol over the South Atlantic but was very handy as a way stop for everyone going across. My memory about the return trip is somewhat fuzzy, but I do recall several incidents. At the airfield in Brazil as nightfall approached. Someone mentioned that a movie was to be shown in one of the hangars. It was dark as I approached the hangar and the movie had already begun. I have no memory of what the movie was but as I entered the hangar, Peggy Lee was singing the song that began,” You had plenty money back in Twenty-Two. You let other women make a fool of you….”

My next stop was British Guiana. My memory of that place is one of a runway cut right out of the jungle. Trees closely lined both sides. I was assigned a tent, one in a line of dozens all among the trees. I recall waking up late in the morning. Getting out of the tent and walking from on end of the campsite to the other and not a single soul could be found. I was very thirsty and could find nothing to drink so I returned to my tent and sat down. Finally a native came around. He was carrying a shoeshine box and asked me, presumably in Portuguese, if I would like my shoes shined. Having nothing else to do I said okay. While he was working on my shoes he took out a bottle of something, shook it and started applying it to my shoes. I had picked up a little French while in Turkey, so figuring that French may not be too different from his language, I asked qu’ est que ce? He replied, “agua”. Somehow I let him know that I would like some and he disappeared and shortly came back with a G.I. water flask full of water. Out of gratitude, I gave him a dollar for the water. He thanked me and was gone.

Finally, I landed in Miami where the customs officer took an orange that I had brought from Africa in my barracks bag. I had forgotten it was there. I then checked into the barracks and sent a short and cryptic note home. It said something like,” In America, coming home soon”. I guess it was short because the cost was based on the number of words in the telegram. My next step was to take the bus into Miami where I marched into a drugstore, sat at the counter and ordered a chocolate milk shake. The clerk replied,” We don’t have milk shakes. We can’t get milk or sugar. They are rationed”. That was when I first heard about rationing. Well, finally I made it to Augusta for two weeks leave and finally on to Salt Lake City for reassignment.      

376 ARCHIVES

The website 376bg.org is NOT our site nor is it our endowment fund.

At the 2017 reunion, the board approved the donation of our archives to the Briscoe Center for American History, located on the University of Texas - Austin campus.

Also, the board approved a $5,000 donation to add to Ed Clendenin's $20,000 donation in the memory of his father. Together, these funds begin an endowment for the preservation of the 376 archives.

Donate directly to the 376 Endowment

To read about other endowment donation options, click here.


My Trip to San Pancrazio

October 2019


Reunion

NOTE change in month !!!

DATES: Oct 26-29, 2023

CITY:Tucson, AZ

HOTEL: Double Tree Suites Airport hotel

7051 South Tucson Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85756

520-225-0800


Click here to read about the reunion details.

previous reunions


For Sale

The Other Doolittle Raid


The Broken Wings of Zlatibor


The Liberandos


Three Crawford Brothers


Liberando: Reflections of a Reluctant Warrior


376th Bomb Group Mission History


The Last Liberator


Full Circle


Shadows of Wings


Ten Men, A "Flying Boxcar," and A War


I Survived Ploesti


A Measure of Life


Shot Down In Yugoslavia


Stories of My Life


Attack


Born in Battle


Bombardier's Diary


Lost Airmen


Langdon Liberando