FIRST MEETING ELIZABETTA

It was the summer of 1992,  time for our annual summer trip to Europe, so we flew into London to do some sightseeing as usual.  In London, we just love to  find a big park somewhere near  our hotel and sit in the shade to picnic and just "people watch".  We found a nice shady place in Hyde Park and rented 2  lawn chairs to relax for a while.

There were not too many people walking around that day but in the distance we noticed a group of six young people all holding hands, just skipping along in unison toward us.  They seemed like a very happy and carefree group, just laughing and singing and enjoying the beautiful day in the park.  They seemed to be teenagers.

As they approached us, the young girl on the end of the line, with the biggest smile and the most beautiful dark blue eyes I had ever seen waved at us and said something that sounded like "BUON GIORNO".   I could not help but wave right back at them with a big American greeting like:  "Hello, there".  They then came right up to us and the smiling one asked, "You are American?".  We both said, "Yes".  They all gathered around us, all smiling and trying to speak English at the same time.

The smiling one said, "We are all from Italy and are in London studying English for the summer.  Will you please send me a picture postcard from America?"  Such a wonderful request!  I hurriedly found a piece of scrap paper and she carefully printed "Elizabetta Digiampaolo,  Melegnano, Italy" along with her home address.  She carefully folded it up and then with a very serious look said, "Please do not forget us".  Then they were gone, skipping along and waving goodbye to us.  We watched them till they were out of sight.

When we returned home I found several picture post-cards of America and sent them to the Italian address on the little piece of paper.  We then started to exchange letters and became pen-pals.  We are now "e-mail pals" and much more.  

We have been fortunate enough to visit Italy several times since then and of course a visit to Melegnano (a suburb of Milan) each time to visit Betty and her Mama and Papa (neither speaks English), and also her younger brother, Gianni (who was studying English at his school).

PERSONAL MEMORIES OF W W II ERA

1939 ( 12 Years old)

President Franklin D. Roosevelt re-elected (Second Term).

Germany (under Adolph Hitler) invades and conquers Poland, Czechoslovakia, invades France, Belgium, bombs London, starts Battle of Britain.

Italy (under Mussolini) joins Hitler.  Invades Ethiopia and North Africa. (Haile Sellassi was emperor of Ethiopia)

1940 (13 yrs old)

U. S. National Guard sent to Alaska.  U. S. Army starts maneuvers in Arkansas and Louisiana.

Draft started. (all males over 18 must register)

1941 (14 yrs old)

William Durrett, Virginia's older brother was drafted and served with the U. S. Combat Engineers.  He served four straight years in the South Pacific, including Saipan, Tarawa, Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and Hawaii.

Germany continues its conquest of Europe and North Africa.   U. S. sends planes to England to assist in Battle of Britain.  Germany pushes French and English troops all the way to the North Sea at Dunkirk, France.  Britain sends every boat available to rescue as many as possible.

December 7:  Japan bombs Pearl Harbor without warning.  Sinks many U. S. Navy ships, kills thousands of innocent civilians.

December 8:  President Roosevelt delivers his "day of infamy" speech.  Congress declares war on Japan and Germany.

1942 (15 yrs old)

Germany occupies all of France and Belgium, continues Battle of Britain.

U. S. sends Marines and Infantry forces to South Pacific Ocean to fight Japan on Islands of Saipan, Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, Phillipines, and New Zealand.  Rationing of food, clothing, gas, tires, sugar, and even toothpaste.  In order to buy a new tube of toothpaste, you had to turn in the old tube (it contained lead).  Collection of all waste metal was encouraged in order to make more  ammunition.  Many U. S. Navy ships under construction along the Gulf Coast.

My oldest brother (Malcolm) enlisted in U. S. Army after four years as a cook in U. S. Navy.

1943 (16 yrs old)

War in Europe and North Africa drags on.  U. S. troops invade Italy and Sicily.  Thousands of U. S. Navy, Coast Guard and Marines and Infantry continue to recapture Islands in the South Pacific.  Under Admiral David Nimitz, there were heavy losses of  Japanese as well as Americans.

1944 (17 yrs old)

War continues both in Europe and South Pacific.  U. S. continues to build troop strength in England (under General Eisenhower) in preparation for D-Day invasion into France. 

June 6, 1944 was to be the largest concentration of any invasion force in the history of the world.  Thousands of ships, all loaded with British troops, U. S. Infantry, Marines, and Coast Guard arrived before dawn on the coast at Le Havre, France  to meet the German forces that were waiting for them with machine guns and cannons right on the coast.  Thousands of men and hundreds of ships were lost under blistering fire by the time the invasion was completed

.

  By noon that day, the German defense had been removed and the Allied Forces had come ashore.  Even to this day, I can almost hear the radio reports of the "BOOM-BOOM of the German artillery guns shooting down on our troops.  At the same time, American forces were well into Italy, and attacked Germany from the south.  A friend of ours, Frank Reitzell, was on active duty in Italy at the time.

Our troops marched all the way across France and into Berlin, Germany by December.  My two brothers,Wren and Malcolm, arrived in France after the invasion.  They both participated in the Battle of the Bulge against the Germans in the Fall of 1944.

1945  (18 yrs old)

Germany surrendered to the Allied forces in June, 1945 at a school house in Reims, France (just east of Paris).  President Roosevelt died in office.  Vice President Harry Truman ordered the atomic bomb to be dropped on Japan, in order to end the war in the Pacific.  Japan surrendered.

William Durrett (Virginia's brother) was discharged from U. S. Army

I graduated from El Dorado High School on May 25, 1945.  I was drafted into the U. S. Army Infantry on June 4, to serve for the duration of the war, plus 6 months.  I was sent to Camp Fannin, Texas for 18 weeks of Infantry training.  Our battalion was selected to march in a huge parade for Admiral Chester Nimitz in Dallas during this time. After 18 weeks of training, I was sent to Camp Pickett, Virginia to prepare for occupation duty in Europe.

In April, 1946, I unexpectedly received orders to report to L. S. U. to teach Military tactics  in the R. O. T. C. Department.    I was so excited that when I called my mother to tell her this great news, we both just started crying over the phone!

Received honorable discharge in September, 1948.

CANDY MAN

While selling World's Finest Chocolate to raise funds for a small mostly black Church in Baton Rouge, the leader of the Sunday School Class was highly successful for his Church.  After several years, he came to me and said, "Mistuh Gene, I ain't no longer with that Church, but I now have a Church of my own.  Can my Church sell that chocolate candy right here in Baton Rouge?"

I told him, "Certainly, when do you want to start?"  He replied, "Rat now"!  He would preach on Sunday and sell chocolate every other day to offices, stores, friends, and every other prospect that he could find.  He was highly successful, and now calls himself "CANDY MAN".  His church seems to be prospering, too.

WHITE SUGAR

Before retiring in 2001, I enjoyed 25 years of selling a product called World's Finest Chocolate to Schools, Churches, and non-profit organizations for fund-raising.  The chocolate is a high quality product, and provides the schools, etc. with 50% profit after the sale.  It has been highly accepted since 1945, all over the United States.   My territory consisted of 19 Parishes in south Louisiana, with over 900 schools as potential customers.

A huge school in New Orleans had a very active P T A, and this group made the sale a big success every year.  

An interesting thing happened at the start of this particular sale, when I was making a call to offer the product to the school.  The PTA president was a very large black lady,  and very friendly.  When she first spotted me on the top of a tall group of steps entering the school front door, she jumped from her car and rang out in a loud voice, "WAIT, MISTUH GENE, I WANT SOME OF THAT WHITE SUGAR!".

She literally ran up all the steps and gave me a big hug!

WALKING IN THE STREET

For a number of years, Virginia and I have enjoyed doing a little exercise, mostly walking or jogging in the street right in our neighborhood.

BUT, WE DECIDED TO CHANGE THE TYPE OF WALKING - FOR THREE REASONS:

TRAFFIC

DOGS

WEATHER

We now have a treadmill, and can quietly exercise all we want, stay safe and dry, with AC,

AND EVEN ENJOY TV AT THE SAME TIME!

FIRST TRIP TO EUROPE

FRANCE AND LONDON, 1979:

(This was to be the first of numerous trips we would later make to Europe and elsewhere)

In order to encourage the teaching of French in Public Schools in Louisiana, the French government invited Virginia and me to France (along with about 40 other elementary school principals in South Louisiana).

We left from Houston aboard a huge "jumbo jet" plane (Air France), and flew non-stop to De Gaulle airport in Paris.   After arrival we were bussed to a 300 year old home in a suburb called "Pont de Sevre".  This had formerly been the home of Madame Currie, who had participated in the invention of radium many years earlier.

The next day, with an English speaking guide, we boarded a bus for a tour of Paris.  Saw the Eiffel Tower,  the Louvre Museum, Napoleon's tomb, and the Church at Mont Martre.  Then the next day we visited several elementary schools to observe the teaching.

We then boarded another bus the next day to tour four days in the countryside.  Saw the following towns: Chartres, Rouen, and the coast town of Le Havre and the American cemeteries on the coast near St. Lo and Pointe-de-Hoc where the Normandy invasion occurred.  Spent the night at Honfleur on the North Sea coast.  The name of the hotel was "NOIR CHAL" (Black Cat).

We then visited the Loire Valley sightseeing several French castles, including CHAMBORD, CHENONCEAU, AND VILLANDRY.  Then we returned to Paris for two more days of sightseeing.  Then flew to London for a week of sightseeing on our own, before returning home.

We decided that we wanted to return to Europe and see more sights later.

GERMANY REMEMBERED

Several years ago Virginia and I had rented a car in Europe while on vacation.  One time we arrived in Karlsruhe, Germany on a Sunday.    Our hotel was in a small suburb of the town.  All the stores were closed, but a nearby Police station was open.  Without hesitation I went inside and found a very friendly policeman who spoke English.  I told him what we were looking for and immediately he stopped what he was doing and said, "Follow me in my patrol car".  He led us straight to the hotel about 5 miles from his office.

The small suburban town was celebrating their 900th anniversary of the founding of the town with a huge parade.  Our room was right on the parade route, and we thoroughly enjoyed watching the parade from our ground floor room in the small hotel.

FIND A NEED AND FILL IT

This is the best description of successful salesmanship I have ever heard.  It is far-reaching and covers all the aspects of living and even surviving in this world today.  It is limitless in that the entire world is the market.  It also describes salesmanship as "depression proof".  There are innumerable instances of successful salesmen all the way from P. T. Barnum to Donald Trump, T. Boone Pickens, and John D. Rockefeller.

To be successful as a salesperon requires MANY qualities such as: skill, patience, understanding, cleverness, and downright desire to please.  Also there is always competition for the same market you are seeking.  "Stick-ability" is also essential. 

 "A quitter never wins, and a winner never quits"

Advertising is a big part of salesmanship; if your prospects are not aware of what you offer, they cannot help you reach your own goals.

Goal-setting is another requirement of any successful salesman.  You will never reach your goal without a plan of how to get there.

Honesty and trust-worthiness are essential also.  Your prospects deserve nothing less.

This profession is not suitable for everyone.  If you are not comfortable in sales, it is not wise to continue in it.

HOW VIRGINIA AND I FIRST MET

It was April, 1946, while in the Army,  stationed at Camp Pickett, Virginia, the most amazing incident occurred out of the clear blue sky when I received orders to report to L. S. U. to teach R. O. T. C. !  My brother, Wren was playing football at L. S. U.,  so I could not wait to go to Baton Rouge.

One of my favorite pastimes was fishing.  I lived near one of the University Lakes so I could walk to the water's edge several times each week after work.  One day I met a man with only one arm who was also fishing by himself near the bank.  I noticed that he had hooked a catfish and was desperately trying to remove the hook from the fish with his only hand.  I offered to help him and then we became better acquainted.

I discovered that we both had a similar love for music.  He just happened to be a voice teacher at L. S. U. (Mister Loren Davidson).  He was also the choir director at First Methodist Church in Baton Rouge.  He invited me to join his choir since I enjoyed music so much.  

I arrived at the choir room that Thursday night and there was only one vacant seat available in the large choir.  I couldn't help but notice a very pretty young lady sitting right next to me.  Her name was Virginia Durrett, and later we became much better acquainted.

She had a beautiful voice and several times we would meet on campus after her voice lessons with Mr. Davidson.  Neither of us had a car, so the "courting" would consist of us going on a city bus to a movie after after a "formal" dining at the only Piccadilly Cafeteria on 3rd Street downtown.  Sometime I would visit her in her dormitory on campus (in the lobby only!)

We were married August 5th, 1947 at the First Methodist Church.  I was 20 years old, and really enjoyed singing in the choir for the next 30 years.  I was discharged from the Army in 1948 and enrolled as a Freshman student at L. S. U.  She had graduated and was working as a secretary on the campus while I was able to graduate in 1951 after three years.  She had studied Elementary Education and began her teaching career at Highland Elementary school in Baton Rouge.

We wanted to own our home instead of renting, so with the help of the G. I. Bill I was able to qualify for a loan for a small home near the University (824 Aster St.)

DRAWING STRAWS

Two of our great grand-children, (Caleb and Alexis) were ages 6 and 3 when they would come to visit us.  We have a long-rope swing in the pecan tree in the back yard that they always loved to play on.

Each time they visited they would both want to be the first one to swing.  To settle the argument, I thought of a perfect solution that my mother had used earlier with me and my brother, Wren.

I told them we would "draw straws".  They were thoroughly confused until I took a straw from the kitchen broom and broke it into two pieces, one longer than the other.  Then by hiding the entire length of both straws I let them select one straw each.  The one who selected the short straw would swing first.

This was the perfect solution!

The next time they came they both wanted to "DRAW STRAWS"

WASHINGTON D. C. MEMORIALS

April, 2009:  Virginia and I each have birthdays 1 week apart at this time of year.  This year we decided to celebrate in our nation's capitol.  The Smithsonian Institute has for years been the largest group of exhibit halls in the country. 

 Most all of these exhibits are near the United States Capitol building, including the Botanical Gardens, George Washington Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Museum of American History (highlights: the hat that Lincoln wore to the Ford Theater where he was assassinated, and  the original American flag that had flown during the War of 1812 and The National Anthem was written) - Museum of Natural History,  the Air and Space Museum (highlights: the "The Spirit of St. Louis plane flown by Lindburg, and the capsule that was used to deliver and return the spacemen to the moon and back), The Newseum is fairly new with all the information about the gathering and dissemination of world-wide news, and is very interesting.

Since World War II there have been numerous new memorials, including the World War II memorial, the Viet Nam memorial, the Korean memorial, and more recently there is a magnificent park area dedicated to Franklin D. Roosevelt.  We visited one or two of these areas each day for five days.  Probably the two most impressive for us was the F. D. R. and WW II areas. 

 We sincerely believe the United States could have lost that war had it not been for the leadership of Roosevelt and Winston Churchill of England. We laughed and cried and thoroughly enjoyed all the visits we were able to make.

Another highlight of the trip was when our close friends, formerly from Baton Rouge - (Rick, Virginia, and their son Spencer Andrews), visited with us.  They now live in Delaware where Rick is Dean of the Business School at the University of Delaware.

The best part of any vacation is to return home and enjoy the great-grandchildren while they swing in the backyard!