I think my age here is about two years old; we lived in San Antonio, Texas. Some of my earliest recollections are during the latter part of that year. My father had gone into the Army and was gone almost a year as I was told. He used to send us Hershey's chocolate almond candy bars. I remember we received a box of them from him while he was in the service. I loved eating the almonds and chocolate candy! I later discovered that because of the War (II)--sugar was rationed and not everyone could buy those Hershey's chocolate candy bars. My father bought us the treats at the Post Exchange aka the PX. The service men had the privilege of buying it unrestricted due to they were being rationed for civilians.
My mother did not drive very much at that time. So I recall going on the public transportation on the bus. She would take us into town since we lived in a rural area not far from the cement plant where my grandfather worked. My grandmother and grandfather were separated since my father was about twelve or thirteen years old. My grandmother lived farther down near town. They finalized their divorce about the time I was born. We would go see Buelito, as we called him which came from the Spanish word for grandfather, "abuelo," or "abuelito." When I was almost four my Uncle Richard built my grandmother's home on Center Street. I believe my grandfather, Richard may have provided the building of that home for her and my Aunts Celia and Helen who lived with Nane, (Nah-nee) as we called her.
Sometimes we would take the bus into town and stop at the drug store and get an ice cream come for each of us. Bea(trice) Canchola was a young cousin who worked at the drug store and made our ice cream cones for us. Mama always got me a strawberry ice cream cone``I think that was her favorite flavor. It was always a treat to go there on our way to town.
I think I was about 16 months here. I was just learning to walk at 15 months.
My mother had this photo taken for my Dad and sent it to him while he was gone in the Army. [He carried this photo in his wallet for many years with a wallet size photo of my beautiful mother]. He was a driver stationed near Portland, Oregon driving the medical corp vehicle aka an ambulance and picked up POW's from Germany and drove them to Camp Adair during the War.
P. S. I once saw a documentary about the "encampments" that housed prisoners of war who were sent to San Antonio from Japan, I believe or even Germany too. They were in makeshift tents along the sides of the road for some reason. It was something I had never imagined when I was growing up and just only discovered that this year. It is something I could research a little more to find out about that particular event.
