I was sitting in a booth with some friends and she had her back to me, standing at the shake shop counter, dressed in a kind of uniform with slacks -- dark green -- while all the other girls wore skirts. She was different, and this caught my eye. When she turned around, she looked even more different. She was prettier than the other girls.
I was interested.
Then, I found she worked at the theater -- the reason for the uniform, and the slacks. And I learned her name was Erral. This was a girl's name I'd never heard before. It was beautiful, and it made her still more different from the rest.
This made her even more intriguing.
I began hanging around the ticket booth at the theater where she worked. It must have been awkward for her, for pretty soon she asked me to come inside where she could talk to me through the open door of the booth.
Sketch by Glenn - 1944
When that became distracting, she asked me to go into the theater and watch the movie until she was free. After work, I walked her home and found out where she lived. Not far from me. And I wanted to see her more.
Before long, I met her mom, and later on, her dad. They seemed to think it was okay for me to be the protector for Erral on her walks home from work.
It wasn't too much longer before I was invited in. And when dinnertime came, she didn't want me to go. Her mother put up with a lot, and had to set an extra plate. It meant I got to spend more time with Erral.
Since we both went to the same high school and I had a car, I could get gas ration stamps if I had riders. She signed the application form as a passenger, and every morning I picked her up to justify those stamps. And, of course, I had to bring her home every afternoon. She was a delight to be with, and she seemed to like me, too. She knew I rushed to get her in the mornings, and usually hadn't had time to eat. So, many times at breakfast, out came another plate, and this gave a chance to get to know her mother, and for her to know me and look me over. Not forgetting, too, it gave me more time to spend with Erral.
Erral's appeal was more than skin-deep, as I was beginning to learn. Not like the rest, we could communicate, and found we liked the same things. We liked the same music and went to dances. She was always ready for me to take her on a date. There was never any question it would be anyone but me. She was a perfect dancer, and it soon became apparent we were "going steady." We made it "official" on May 13, 1945, and her folks put up with that since it simplified their lives. Instead of dozens of boys hanging around, they only had to put up with one, and I saw to it that no one else was in the picture.
For my senior prom, there was no question Erral would be my date. Her mother made her a prom dress, but there was no place for a corsage. I asked the florist what to do. The answer was a wrist corsage, using Stephanotis, a very special flower. A small white flower, it was perfect for the dance. Just a tiny accent on her beautiful arm, and no distraction from the rest. That flower always had a special meaning after that.
By the time summer was ending, Erral's family was planning their annual vacation to Vancouver Island. Erral said she didn't want to go if she had to leave me behind. Two weeks separation was a dismal thought, so her folks gave in and invited me along. The time with her and her family was a paradise for me. We spent all our spare hours together, and her dad had me to help him fish. They must have known their little girl was moving into a serious relationship by then. Probably more serious than most teenagers.
Erral - Vancouver Island Vacation - Age 16
After vacation, the war had ended and my summer job at the shipyard was over. Because I was a worker, my dad got me a job with an electrical crew, but it was at Bonneville, 40 miles from Erral. The job really wasn't so bad. I could drive to Portland a couple nights a week and spend the weekends there, too.
But those few days of separation from Erral made me yearn to see her even more. It became apparent she felt that way too, because she was always waiting and never stood me up. When we were together we made double use of our time to catch up on the days we'd missed. It was then we began to realize there was something going on that was deeper than just going on dates. We were in love, and we talked about wanting to be together even more. Pretty heavy stuff for a 16 year old girl and a 17 year old boy.
However, I wouldn't be a 17 year old boy much longer and it would soon be time to go into the military service. In October 1945, the draft was still in effect and on October 24th I was classified 1-A for the Army. That meant something would happen soon that I didn't want, so I took charge of my destiny and volunteered for a two-year hitch in the Navy. It would mean even longer separations but by this time I knew Erral was my girl, and she knew I would be back as soon as I could. Two years at the most.
To clinch the deal, I gave her an engagement ring on October 25th. It wasn't much, although it was more than I could afford. My dad helped by giving me some rabbit skins he had tanned and some scrap copper wire I could sell to add to what money I had for the ring. It was a bittersweet time; there were only a few more days to see Erral and share our excitement until I shipped out for boot camp at San Diego.