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I was assigned to Orleans, France during 1960 to 1962 as a general medical officer. The dollar was worth eight NF which stands for New Francs. A good three or four course meal for two cost about four or five dollars. A fine hotel room for two and a baby cost five to six dollars a night. You can just about multiply that number by one hundred now.
Speaking of baby, remember that my wife was due to deliver our first child in February. We were living in a hotel until we could find civilian quarters.
When we first arrived there we ate out every night, enjoying great French gastronomy. Our favorites were Sole Meuniere, Coquilles St. Jacques, Veal Nicoise, Coq-au-Vin, Steak Tournedos, and Chateaubriand. Of course these were accompanied with lots of fine sauces including Béarnaise, Hollandaise, Bordelaise, and Sauce Blanche. My mouth still waters at the thought of these dishes. We have no comparable fare in the U.S., only veiled attempts at imitation.
The result of this over-indulgence was the increased weight Jean picked up. When she had her first OB check-up in France she had gained 10 to 15 pounds in just a few weeks! This was taboo in those days. I think the recommended gain was about two pounds per month. So from the next day on we took the bus to the PX snack-bar for dinner every night. I would order a big, juicy hamburger with all the trimmings and pie for dessert. Jean faithfully kept to a new, very rigid diet. She had a hotdog with no trimmings along with a dish of cottage cheese with pineapple trimmings. It was tough but she showed very good results. I think she even lost a pound at the next checkup and continued on to deliver with only modest gains. To this day it is hard for her to look at cottage cheese.
We bought a new car, our first, which helped us to get around. It was a new line of cars for the French Peugeot Company called the 404 (cat cent cat to Americans, Mrs. Morrell). It was a wonderful car and took us to many places. It had adequate room for our luggage and plenty of room for Nancy riding in the back seat in the basket part of her baby carriage.
We were looking for civilian housing since, as a two-year draftee, I was not authorized government housing. We had been in the Hotel Marguerite for several weeks and still hadn’t found an acceptable place to live from the government list so we tried a recommended civilian rental agency. It was getting into November 1960 and every time we went out looking in the evening it would rain cats and dogs.
We had no furniture but quickly ordered appropriate pieces from the PX. Danish was in at that time and I think our kids still have a few pieces although the colors have changed several times from the original blond stain. I bought a stove with an oven that ran on propane. When I hitched it up, there must have been a small leak because when I lit a match it sort of exploded in my face. I jumped back, broke the chair, and severely singed my eyebrows and hair. Jean said I should try out for Santa Claus by my looks. I finally got the leak fixed and had no more trouble.
We had shipped some hold baggage with towels, bed linens, and clothes. This was due to arrive at about the time we arrived in France. Well, it finally arrived in late December, two months late, and everything inside was soaking wet. The trunk had apparently been left out on the dock. But we weathered this crisis just fine.
While doing all this waiting, we had struck up a friendship with our new acquaintances from Texas, Bob and Myra. We passed the time by learning how to play bridge. It was boys against girls using Gorham’s Rules. I never got too excited about the game. One has to think very hard to play correctly and that just didn’t seem like a relaxing game to me. Bob loved to bid the highest bid, six no trump, and occasionally we would pull it off, much to our delight. The girls would be burned.
Next time I will share the arrival of Nancy.
Here are more Victoria heroes who died during World War II:
Federico Sanchez served as a private in the Army with serial number 38247373. He served with the 387th Port Battalion. He served in the Pacific and was killed on June 10, 1943 in an unknown place. He is buried in the Manila American Cemetery in Plot D, Row 14, Grave 207.
Need to find his birth date and place, his middle name, and where and how he died.
Nelson Schmidtwas born on February 2, 1926. He entered the Army on August 12, 1944 and was assigned to the 108th Regiment of the 40th Infantry Division (Sunburst Division). He was a private assigned serial number 38701496. He went overseas to the Philippines during January 1945. He was shot and killed by a sniper near Tankulan, Mindanao, Philippines on May 15, 1945. He was nineteen years old. He is buried in the Manila American Cemetery in Plot L, Row 2, Grave 93. There is also a memorial stone in the Woodlawn Cemetery.
Need his place of birth.
Erle Henry Schneider, Jr.was born on January 21, 1919. He entered service at Camp Hulin in Palacios and served in the Army Air Forces. He was a captain with serial number O-660205. He was reported to be the first Victoria pilot to receive his wings at Foster Field in Class 42-E of May 20, 1942. He was a fighter pilot in the China-Burma-India Theater. He flew twenty missions. On his final mission he shot down four enemy planes when a fifth crashed directly into him. This battle was held directly over a Japanese base in Burma. The date was March 8, 1944 and he was twenty-five years old. For his heroics he received the Silver Star. He is buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
Need his place of birth.