Texas in September

Can you believe that we took no pictures for 2 weeks? Neither can we.

Bill was invited to participate in a symposium at the Nimitz Museum. Yes, we still call it the Nimitz Museum but the name is The National Museum of the Pacific War. That is too much of a mouthful.

On the Friday before the Symposium, Frances, Libby and I helped the Veterans and Historians and authors sign the poster which will be sold as a fund raiser for the Museum. We have done this for several years. We never tire of listening to their stories.

The subject of the symposium was Siege and Bombardment:War of Attrition. The roles of strategic bombing and the Submarine war against Japan in the last months of World War II was the focus.

Bill and his friend Art Burry flew P-51's off Iwo Jima. They flew cover for the B-29's. Both were shot down and were rescued by a submarine. Jack Toliver, who was on the submarine Trutta that picked up Art, was on the panel with Art. Art rode out a typhoon on his rubber raft for 6 days before being spotted by the Trutta. Jack told how delirious Art was. Art was waiting for a party boat to pick him up and kept refusing to take the rope.

Bill was rescued by the Pipefish and was on it for three weeks before getting back to Iwo Jima.

The rest of the time in Texas was filled with seeing friends. One morning Frances, Libby and I prepared breakfast for the men's Bible Study and their wives plus some other friends. There were 30 in all. It was a great time to visit and re-connect. The day was beautiful so we could be out on the porch of Biedermann's home and enjoy the view of the Hill Country.

We had one breakfast at Rather Sweet and a lunch at the Herb Farm. Both are still delicious.

The Pirches treated us to an evening of good food and fellowship.

Sister Frances has made the decision to leave Fredericksburg and go to live near her children, John and Mary and their families in Salt Lake City, UT. Much time was spent doing things to prepare for her leaving....like change of addresses and choosing movers and packers, etc.

On the way out of town to the airport, we stopped by the Fredericksburg Bakery to buy Sweet German Pretzels to take home. We would not have been allowed to come home without them.

It is good to be home but the trip was memorable.