Chapter 11 Chapter Eleven
It's great to be home.Richard is grown up, he's out of middle school, and he's going to high school.The only fly in the ointment of this trip home is that Natalie and Otto are still at war, but the person sandwiched between them has now been replaced by Richard.
I spoke to Natalie and Otto about it, but their rancor was so deep that a truce was out of the question.The two of them just weren't right for each other.
I think it's time to take Richard to Hollywood.Ben and I made enough money to feed our two brothers.
I asked Richard, "Will you come to Hollywood with me?"
He stared at me: "Are you serious?"
"Of course I'm serious."
After a moment of silence, he screamed so excitedly that I felt like my eardrums were going to burst.
A week later, Richard checked into Grace's boarding house.I introduced him to everyone, and it was the first time I saw him so happy.Only then did I realize how deeply we missed each other as brothers.
Three months after Richard and I left Chicago, Natalie and Otto divorced.I have mixed feelings, but when you think about it, it's the best thing for everyone.
One morning, I got a call. "Sidney?" "it's me." "Hi, man, I'm Bob Russell." I ain't your dude, and I don't even know Bob Russell.Eighty percent are salespeople. "I'm sorry," I said, "I don't have time..." "You should really be working with Max Rich." I froze for a moment.Does anyone know about this?Then I remembered right away, "Sidney Rosenthal!" "It's Bob Russell," he corrected. "I'm going to come to see you in Hollywood." "Great!" A week later, Bob Russell moved into the last available room in Grace's apartment.It was great to see him again.He was as high-spirited as ever. "Do you still write songs?" I asked him. "Of course. You really shouldn't have given up." He scolded.
The gregarious Richard makes friends among Hollywood's upper echelons.Sometimes he brought friends to Grace's apartment, and sometimes he was invited to visit other people's homes. One night we were invited to a dinner party.Before leaving, I take a shower.When reaching for the soap, the lumbar intervertebral disc suddenly protruded, and I fell to the ground in great pain.I stayed in bed for three days, knowing that, whether I accepted it or not, this problem would be with me for the rest of my life. Natalie called one night, "Honey, I have something to tell you. I'm married." I rejoice for her and hope she gets the pamper she deserves this time. "Who is he? Do I know him?" "His name is Martin Libo, he runs a toy factory, and he is very generous." "That sounds good." I said cheerfully. "When can I see him?" "We'll see you." I told Richard the good news and he was as excited as I was. The following week, we got another call from Otto: "Sidney, I'm calling to let you know that I'm married." "Oh?" This is really unexpected news, "Do I know her?" "You don't know her. Her name is Ann Curtis, and she's a very nice woman." "Well, I'm really happy for you, Otto. I wish you well." "I'm sure you'll be happy." I don't think so.
Bob Russell's arrival made me feel like a family reunion. He brought a song he wrote recently. "It's a sentimental love song," said Bob. "Listen to what you have to say." I played it on the piano and said, "It's beautiful." Then I thought, "There's a singer who's going to have her first concert at a club on the East Side on Sunday. I bet she'd love to sing it. I'll take it." Show her, what do you think?" "Please." The next day, I went to the club, and the singer was rehearsing, and I showed her Bob's song. "I love it," she said. "I'll pay you fifty dollars." "make a deal." I handed the money to Bob and he was very happy, "Thank you, now I'm a professional too."
Every day is a little bit of a storm in Hollywood, but in Europe a real storm is brewing.The storm began in 1939, when Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland, and Britain, France, and Australia subsequently declared war on Germany. In 1940, Italy was allied with Germany, and a total of twelve European countries entered a state of war.The United States declared its neutrality, but this state did not last long. On December 7, 1941, Japan raided Pearl Harbor, and the next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan. An hour after Roosevelt announced his entry into the war, MGM executive Louis B. Meyer convened a meeting of senior producers and directors at the behest of company president Nicholas Schoenker.After everyone arrived, Meier said solemnly: "You should have heard about the Pearl Harbor incident yesterday, right? We will never tolerate such a thing, and we must fight back." He looked around the room. "I believe that everyone here will support our great president—Nicholas M. Schoenke, as I do."
Ben, Bob, and I were all of military age and knew we would be drafted soon. "There's a war training filmmaking unit in Fort Dix, New Jersey. I'm going to try it," Ben said. The next day he volunteered to volunteer, and the troops happily accepted him.A week later, he was on his way east. "What are your plans?" I asked Bob. "I don't know yet. I have asthma and the Army won't take me. I'm going back to New York to see what I can do. What about you?" "I want to join the Air Force Special Forces." On October 26, 1942, I submitted my application to join the Air Force Special Forces. For the application to be successful, there must be three letters of recommendation from well-known personalities.I didn't know any famous people, so I wrote to those members of Congress that I was determined to serve my country and needed their help.Two months later, I finally got three letters of recommendation as I wished. The next step is to go to the federal government building in downtown Los Angeles to take the written test.There were about two hundred candidates in the room.The test is four hours long and includes sections on logic, vocabulary, mathematics and general knowledge.
The math part stumps me.Because of the frequent transfer of schools, I have almost no foundation in mathematics.I failed to answer most of the questions in this part, thinking that I must fail. Three days later, I received a notice to participate in the medical examination of the Air Force Special Forces.It was a surprise that I passed the written test.I found out later that there were only thirty people who passed the written test. I went to an arsenal outside the city to take part in the medical examination. I was full of confidence and felt that I would be able to pass the test smoothly. After the examination, the doctor asked, "Is there anything wrong with your body?" "No problem, sir." It suddenly occurred to me that I had a herniated disc, and I wondered if it was a serious matter, "I..." "what is the problem?" I realize it's a bit of a mystery now, "I do have a problem, sir, but it's nothing to do with it. I have a herniated disc, but..." He wrote "Herniated Disc" on my form, then picked up a rubber stamp that said "FAIL" in red letters. "Wait a minute!" I said. He looked up at me, "Oh?" I can't let anything get in my way. "The disc hasn't come off since, it's all healed. I can't even remember the last time I had it. I'm only telling you about it because I've had it before." I don't know what I'm doing Say what, but I know if he puts a red stamp on my form, I'm done.I kept talking and talking and finally he put down the stamp. "Okay then, since you're sure..." I said in my most earnest voice, "I am absolutely sure, sir." "very good." I am selected!Now the only thing left is the visual inspection, which is of course not a problem. They sent me to another office where I was given two index cards, each with the name of an optometrist, one of whom I could go to for an eye exam. "Take the card and go to a doctor," the staff told me. "If it is approved, let him sign and confirm it, and then bring it back here." I went back to Grace's apartment and told Richard that everything was fine.As things stand now, I'll be in Air Force Special Forces soon. Richard panicked at the thought of me leaving him, "I'm the only one left here from now on." "Grace will take care of you," I reassured him. "Mother and Martin will be here soon. Besides, this battle won't last long." Sidney the prophet. The next morning I went to see Dr. Fred Severl, whose name was on the first card.His anteroom was full of guys waiting for vision tests.I waited an hour.Finally someone took me to the doctor's office. "Sit down." He looked at the card I handed over and nodded, "Hmm, pilot?" "Yes, sir." "Well, let's see if you have the twenty/twenty vision they demand." He led me into a small room with a huge eye chart hanging on the wall.Dr. Sever turned out the lights in the house. "Read from top to bottom." The first few lines are easy, but the last two lines are not.I can't read a single letter.However, it will definitely be fine if you can reach this level. The lights came back on. The doctor is writing on a card. i did it! "Take this to the front desk," he said. "Thank you doctor." I looked at the card as I walked out.The card had my name on it, and at the bottom it said "Medical Disqualified, Vision Impaired," and signed "Dr. Fred Severl." I can't believe all this, and I can't accept this reality.Nothing can stop my determination to enter the Air Force Special Forces. I took the card and walked outside the clinic. The receptionist said, "Give me the card, sir." I pretended not to hear and kept going. "gentlemen--" I'm already out the door. I can still go to another doctor.However, how can we ensure that he passes the test? An hour later, I went to the office of my regular optometrist, Samuel Peters, and told him what had just happened. "Twenty/twenty eyesight," he explained. "You have to read every line of letters." "Is there anything you can do to help me?" He thought for a moment, "Yes." From a drawer he took a pair of glasses, the lenses as thick as glass bottle spouts. "what is this?" "This is the magic weapon that can send you to the Air Force Special Forces." "How to do it?" "You wear this for a while before you go for the vision test. The lens prevents you from seeing, and your eyes work hard to get out of it. This way, when you go for the vision test, your vision will be better." Better than the original." "Great," I said.I shook his hand, thanked him, and left. My appointment with the second doctor, Dr. Edward Gale, was at ten o'clock the next morning. I walked into the lobby of the building where his practice was located, and sat down on a bench.I put on those thick glasses and wait for the magic to happen. Thirty minutes before my appointment, I took off my glasses and went to Dr. Gale's reception. "Mr. Sheldon," said the nurse, "the doctor is waiting to examine you." I smiled smugly, "Thank you." I went into the consulting room and handed the card to Dr. Gale.He took one look and said, "Oh, Air Force Special Forces? Sit down." The doctor turned off the light, and all I had was an eye chart in front of me. "Go ahead, start with the top row." There is one small problem.I can't read any of the letters on the checklist. He waited for a while, "You can start now." That letter in the first row might be a big A, but not sure.I had no choice but to gamble, "A." "Okay, go ahead." Can't go on.I can barely see anything, "I can't see..." He stared at me, "What about the next line?" "I—I can't see." "Are you kidding me?" He was annoyed, "You can't read those lines?" "I can't see clearly, I..." "So you still want to go to the Air Force Special Forces? Dream!" He took my card and began to write something. Seeing that the last chance is about to leave me.I was shocked and started talking incoherently. "Wait," I said, "don't write yet." He looked up at me in surprise. "Doctor, you don't know, I haven't closed my eyes for a whole week. I have been taking care of my mother. My eyes are tired and never recovered. My favorite uncle just passed away. It is too bad. You have to give me one more chance." He listened quietly to my words.But after I finished speaking, he said, "I'm afraid there is no way for you to..." "Give me another chance!" He must have heard the despair in my words, so he shook his head, "Okay, let's test again tomorrow, but you are wasting..." "Oh, thank you," I said hastily, "I'll be back tomorrow." I bolted to my optometrist's office again. "Thank you so much," I said sadly, and told Dr. Peters what had just happened. "How long have you been wearing those glasses?" he asked. "Twenty, twenty minutes." "It's enough to wear it for ten minutes." He's only telling me now. "This matter is very important to me," I said, "and I must find a way to remedy it." He sat back in his chair and thought for a while. "Did the lights go out when he asked you to look at your watch?" "Off." "it is good." He went into a small storage room and came out with an eye chart in his hand. "Oh, great," I said, "I can memorize this and..." "No. Different eye charts have different letters." "Then I should?..." "Do as I say, and practice with this chart. You squint to read the letters, and it will improve your eyesight. Practice till you can read the bottom two lines. It's dark in the room , even if you do this, he won’t be able to see it.” I was dubious, "Are you sure..." "You decide. Good luck." All night, I practiced squinting to read the eye chart.This seems to be working, but I'm still not sure if going to Dr. Gale will help. At ten o'clock the next morning, I went to Dr. Gale's office again.As soon as he saw me, he said, "I don't see why we're asking for trouble, yesterday..." "Just let me try." He sighed, "Okay then." Let's go back to the room we were in yesterday.He turned off the light, "Okay. Let's get started." I sat in the chair and started squinting at the letters on the eye chart.Dr. Peters was right, I could see the letters very clearly.I read every letter, including the bottom line.The lights came back on in the house. Dr. Gale looked at me in surprise. "I can't believe it. I've never seen anything like this," he said. "You misread a few letters on the last two lines. Your vision is twenty/twenty-two. See what Air Force Special Forces has to say." He signed the form and handed it to I. The next morning, I went to the federal building to report to an officer.He looked at the card and said, "Twenty/twenty-two. Not bad, but we can't let you fly a fighter jet because that requires twenty/twenty vision." I was stunned, "Are you saying I can't..." "I'll tell you what to do. Have you ever heard of a special war training unit?" "No, sir." "It's a new branch of the Air Force. It used to be called the Civil Air Patrol. The wartime special training unit will train you to fly a transport plane to Europe, or become a flight instructor. No fighter jets, though. Would you like to go?" "Yes, sir." I just want to be an Air Force pilot. "You won't be a full member of the Air Force, so you'll have to prepare your own uniform. You'll get a cadet salary and a place to live. Do you accept that?" "Accepted, sir." "You'll be training at Ridgefield, Utah. Reporting time is the following Monday." I'm more excited than ever.
Natalie came to Los Angeles with her husband, and Richard and I finally met Martin.He was a short, stocky man with gray hair and a good-natured expression.I fell in love with him immediately.We all had a meal together, and I told Natalie and Martin how I was going. "Then you need a uniform," Martin said. "Let's go buy it." "you do not need……" "I'd be happy to buy you clothes." Our uniforms weren't specific, so Martin took me to a navy uniform store and bought a nicely tailored officer's uniform and a leather bomber jacket.I also bought a white scarf to wrap around my neck, which made me look more like an ace pilot. I am ready to play my part in America's victory.
One morning, I got a call. "Sidney?" "it's me." "Hi, man, I'm Bob Russell." I ain't your dude, and I don't even know Bob Russell.Eighty percent are salespeople. "I'm sorry," I said, "I don't have time..." "You should really be working with Max Rich." I froze for a moment.Does anyone know about this?Then I remembered right away, "Sidney Rosenthal!" "It's Bob Russell," he corrected. "I'm going to come to see you in Hollywood." "Great!" A week later, Bob Russell moved into the last available room in Grace's apartment.It was great to see him again.He was as high-spirited as ever. "Do you still write songs?" I asked him. "Of course. You really shouldn't have given up." He scolded.
The gregarious Richard makes friends among Hollywood's upper echelons.Sometimes he brought friends to Grace's apartment, and sometimes he was invited to visit other people's homes. One night we were invited to a dinner party.Before leaving, I take a shower.When reaching for the soap, the lumbar intervertebral disc suddenly protruded, and I fell to the ground in great pain.I stayed in bed for three days, knowing that, whether I accepted it or not, this problem would be with me for the rest of my life. Natalie called one night, "Honey, I have something to tell you. I'm married." I rejoice for her and hope she gets the pamper she deserves this time. "Who is he? Do I know him?" "His name is Martin Libo, he runs a toy factory, and he is very generous." "That sounds good." I said cheerfully. "When can I see him?" "We'll see you." I told Richard the good news and he was as excited as I was. The following week, we got another call from Otto: "Sidney, I'm calling to let you know that I'm married." "Oh?" This is really unexpected news, "Do I know her?" "You don't know her. Her name is Ann Curtis, and she's a very nice woman." "Well, I'm really happy for you, Otto. I wish you well." "I'm sure you'll be happy." I don't think so.
Bob Russell's arrival made me feel like a family reunion. He brought a song he wrote recently. "It's a sentimental love song," said Bob. "Listen to what you have to say." I played it on the piano and said, "It's beautiful." Then I thought, "There's a singer who's going to have her first concert at a club on the East Side on Sunday. I bet she'd love to sing it. I'll take it." Show her, what do you think?" "Please." The next day, I went to the club, and the singer was rehearsing, and I showed her Bob's song. "I love it," she said. "I'll pay you fifty dollars." "make a deal." I handed the money to Bob and he was very happy, "Thank you, now I'm a professional too."
Every day is a little bit of a storm in Hollywood, but in Europe a real storm is brewing.The storm began in 1939, when Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland, and Britain, France, and Australia subsequently declared war on Germany. In 1940, Italy was allied with Germany, and a total of twelve European countries entered a state of war.The United States declared its neutrality, but this state did not last long. On December 7, 1941, Japan raided Pearl Harbor, and the next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan. An hour after Roosevelt announced his entry into the war, MGM executive Louis B. Meyer convened a meeting of senior producers and directors at the behest of company president Nicholas Schoenker.After everyone arrived, Meier said solemnly: "You should have heard about the Pearl Harbor incident yesterday, right? We will never tolerate such a thing, and we must fight back." He looked around the room. "I believe that everyone here will support our great president—Nicholas M. Schoenke, as I do."
Ben, Bob, and I were all of military age and knew we would be drafted soon. "There's a war training filmmaking unit in Fort Dix, New Jersey. I'm going to try it," Ben said. The next day he volunteered to volunteer, and the troops happily accepted him.A week later, he was on his way east. "What are your plans?" I asked Bob. "I don't know yet. I have asthma and the Army won't take me. I'm going back to New York to see what I can do. What about you?" "I want to join the Air Force Special Forces." On October 26, 1942, I submitted my application to join the Air Force Special Forces. For the application to be successful, there must be three letters of recommendation from well-known personalities.I didn't know any famous people, so I wrote to those members of Congress that I was determined to serve my country and needed their help.Two months later, I finally got three letters of recommendation as I wished. The next step is to go to the federal government building in downtown Los Angeles to take the written test.There were about two hundred candidates in the room.The test is four hours long and includes sections on logic, vocabulary, mathematics and general knowledge.
The math part stumps me.Because of the frequent transfer of schools, I have almost no foundation in mathematics.I failed to answer most of the questions in this part, thinking that I must fail. Three days later, I received a notice to participate in the medical examination of the Air Force Special Forces.It was a surprise that I passed the written test.I found out later that there were only thirty people who passed the written test. I went to an arsenal outside the city to take part in the medical examination. I was full of confidence and felt that I would be able to pass the test smoothly. After the examination, the doctor asked, "Is there anything wrong with your body?" "No problem, sir." It suddenly occurred to me that I had a herniated disc, and I wondered if it was a serious matter, "I..." "what is the problem?" I realize it's a bit of a mystery now, "I do have a problem, sir, but it's nothing to do with it. I have a herniated disc, but..." He wrote "Herniated Disc" on my form, then picked up a rubber stamp that said "FAIL" in red letters. "Wait a minute!" I said. He looked up at me, "Oh?" I can't let anything get in my way. "The disc hasn't come off since, it's all healed. I can't even remember the last time I had it. I'm only telling you about it because I've had it before." I don't know what I'm doing Say what, but I know if he puts a red stamp on my form, I'm done.I kept talking and talking and finally he put down the stamp. "Okay then, since you're sure..." I said in my most earnest voice, "I am absolutely sure, sir." "very good." I am selected!Now the only thing left is the visual inspection, which is of course not a problem. They sent me to another office where I was given two index cards, each with the name of an optometrist, one of whom I could go to for an eye exam. "Take the card and go to a doctor," the staff told me. "If it is approved, let him sign and confirm it, and then bring it back here." I went back to Grace's apartment and told Richard that everything was fine.As things stand now, I'll be in Air Force Special Forces soon. Richard panicked at the thought of me leaving him, "I'm the only one left here from now on." "Grace will take care of you," I reassured him. "Mother and Martin will be here soon. Besides, this battle won't last long." Sidney the prophet. The next morning I went to see Dr. Fred Severl, whose name was on the first card.His anteroom was full of guys waiting for vision tests.I waited an hour.Finally someone took me to the doctor's office. "Sit down." He looked at the card I handed over and nodded, "Hmm, pilot?" "Yes, sir." "Well, let's see if you have the twenty/twenty vision they demand." He led me into a small room with a huge eye chart hanging on the wall.Dr. Sever turned out the lights in the house. "Read from top to bottom." The first few lines are easy, but the last two lines are not.I can't read a single letter.However, it will definitely be fine if you can reach this level. The lights came back on. The doctor is writing on a card. i did it! "Take this to the front desk," he said. "Thank you doctor." I looked at the card as I walked out.The card had my name on it, and at the bottom it said "Medical Disqualified, Vision Impaired," and signed "Dr. Fred Severl." I can't believe all this, and I can't accept this reality.Nothing can stop my determination to enter the Air Force Special Forces. I took the card and walked outside the clinic. The receptionist said, "Give me the card, sir." I pretended not to hear and kept going. "gentlemen--" I'm already out the door. I can still go to another doctor.However, how can we ensure that he passes the test? An hour later, I went to the office of my regular optometrist, Samuel Peters, and told him what had just happened. "Twenty/twenty eyesight," he explained. "You have to read every line of letters." "Is there anything you can do to help me?" He thought for a moment, "Yes." From a drawer he took a pair of glasses, the lenses as thick as glass bottle spouts. "what is this?" "This is the magic weapon that can send you to the Air Force Special Forces." "How to do it?" "You wear this for a while before you go for the vision test. The lens prevents you from seeing, and your eyes work hard to get out of it. This way, when you go for the vision test, your vision will be better." Better than the original." "Great," I said.I shook his hand, thanked him, and left. My appointment with the second doctor, Dr. Edward Gale, was at ten o'clock the next morning. I walked into the lobby of the building where his practice was located, and sat down on a bench.I put on those thick glasses and wait for the magic to happen. Thirty minutes before my appointment, I took off my glasses and went to Dr. Gale's reception. "Mr. Sheldon," said the nurse, "the doctor is waiting to examine you." I smiled smugly, "Thank you." I went into the consulting room and handed the card to Dr. Gale.He took one look and said, "Oh, Air Force Special Forces? Sit down." The doctor turned off the light, and all I had was an eye chart in front of me. "Go ahead, start with the top row." There is one small problem.I can't read any of the letters on the checklist. He waited for a while, "You can start now." That letter in the first row might be a big A, but not sure.I had no choice but to gamble, "A." "Okay, go ahead." Can't go on.I can barely see anything, "I can't see..." He stared at me, "What about the next line?" "I—I can't see." "Are you kidding me?" He was annoyed, "You can't read those lines?" "I can't see clearly, I..." "So you still want to go to the Air Force Special Forces? Dream!" He took my card and began to write something. Seeing that the last chance is about to leave me.I was shocked and started talking incoherently. "Wait," I said, "don't write yet." He looked up at me in surprise. "Doctor, you don't know, I haven't closed my eyes for a whole week. I have been taking care of my mother. My eyes are tired and never recovered. My favorite uncle just passed away. It is too bad. You have to give me one more chance." He listened quietly to my words.But after I finished speaking, he said, "I'm afraid there is no way for you to..." "Give me another chance!" He must have heard the despair in my words, so he shook his head, "Okay, let's test again tomorrow, but you are wasting..." "Oh, thank you," I said hastily, "I'll be back tomorrow." I bolted to my optometrist's office again. "Thank you so much," I said sadly, and told Dr. Peters what had just happened. "How long have you been wearing those glasses?" he asked. "Twenty, twenty minutes." "It's enough to wear it for ten minutes." He's only telling me now. "This matter is very important to me," I said, "and I must find a way to remedy it." He sat back in his chair and thought for a while. "Did the lights go out when he asked you to look at your watch?" "Off." "it is good." He went into a small storage room and came out with an eye chart in his hand. "Oh, great," I said, "I can memorize this and..." "No. Different eye charts have different letters." "Then I should?..." "Do as I say, and practice with this chart. You squint to read the letters, and it will improve your eyesight. Practice till you can read the bottom two lines. It's dark in the room , even if you do this, he won’t be able to see it.” I was dubious, "Are you sure..." "You decide. Good luck." All night, I practiced squinting to read the eye chart.This seems to be working, but I'm still not sure if going to Dr. Gale will help. At ten o'clock the next morning, I went to Dr. Gale's office again.As soon as he saw me, he said, "I don't see why we're asking for trouble, yesterday..." "Just let me try." He sighed, "Okay then." Let's go back to the room we were in yesterday.He turned off the light, "Okay. Let's get started." I sat in the chair and started squinting at the letters on the eye chart.Dr. Peters was right, I could see the letters very clearly.I read every letter, including the bottom line.The lights came back on in the house. Dr. Gale looked at me in surprise. "I can't believe it. I've never seen anything like this," he said. "You misread a few letters on the last two lines. Your vision is twenty/twenty-two. See what Air Force Special Forces has to say." He signed the form and handed it to I. The next morning, I went to the federal building to report to an officer.He looked at the card and said, "Twenty/twenty-two. Not bad, but we can't let you fly a fighter jet because that requires twenty/twenty vision." I was stunned, "Are you saying I can't..." "I'll tell you what to do. Have you ever heard of a special war training unit?" "No, sir." "It's a new branch of the Air Force. It used to be called the Civil Air Patrol. The wartime special training unit will train you to fly a transport plane to Europe, or become a flight instructor. No fighter jets, though. Would you like to go?" "Yes, sir." I just want to be an Air Force pilot. "You won't be a full member of the Air Force, so you'll have to prepare your own uniform. You'll get a cadet salary and a place to live. Do you accept that?" "Accepted, sir." "You'll be training at Ridgefield, Utah. Reporting time is the following Monday." I'm more excited than ever.
Natalie came to Los Angeles with her husband, and Richard and I finally met Martin.He was a short, stocky man with gray hair and a good-natured expression.I fell in love with him immediately.We all had a meal together, and I told Natalie and Martin how I was going. "Then you need a uniform," Martin said. "Let's go buy it." "you do not need……" "I'd be happy to buy you clothes." Our uniforms weren't specific, so Martin took me to a navy uniform store and bought a nicely tailored officer's uniform and a leather bomber jacket.I also bought a white scarf to wrap around my neck, which made me look more like an ace pilot. I am ready to play my part in America's victory.