Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii May 1972 to August 1972
In early May I got a collect phone call from Lee from Hawaii.
“Get over here,” he said. “We’re not going anywhere for a while. The engines on the ship are being overhauled and we can’t leave port until they are up and running again.”
In three days I had a packed suitcase and was on a plane headed for Las Angeles. In Las Angeles the plane I was to transfer on to so I could fly across the ocean to Hawaii was delayed. I had no way to let Lee know and I didn’t know he had called Mother several times wondering why I hadn’t arrived yet. Finally the flight across the ocean was over and I was wondering through the Honolulu Airport looking for my husband while the loudspeaker kept blaring asking for William Shatner to contact someone. Yes, that’s right the William Shatner of Star Trek fame. He was in the airport filming a guest part on a Hawaii Five-O show. But I was so concerned with finding Lee I could have run into the famous actor and never have known him.
I did find Lee and we spent the first couple of my days there with another sailor from the ship and his wife and baby. We quickly found an apartment and moved into to it. Again it was a small apartment. Combination livingroom and kitchen with a small bathroom, and furnished. It was at 505 Seaside Ave. .
We bought a very used, blue Chevy Malibu from a used car dealer so Lee could get back and forth to the base. He was gone from sunup to well past dark most days helping overhaul those engines. Still not driving I walked. If I went west for a few blocks I was at a few shops, stores, a bank and the International Market Place and another block brought me to Waikiki beach. Of course I spent hours and hours on the beach watching the waves, and the people. Not being much of a swimmer I never did more than a bit of wading. It was interesting watching all the people from all parts of the world. There were a few of the large motels along the beach but not near like I hear it is now.
If I went south from our apartment I could walk along the Ala Wai Canal. The canals criss-crossed parts of the city and frequently there were people on the canals paddling the race canoes as they practiced for the races. Several long blocks and there was a city library with a nice garden around it. I spent lots of time there, and always had a good selection of books at our apartment for reading. A few more blocks from the library was the Hawaiian Zoo. It was free so I went frequently even though it was a long walk from the apartment and more walking in the zoo. Then a long walk back to make sure I was completely exhausted by the time I got back. But I usually made sure to stop on the way back from the zoo for a good break at the library.
Lee had Independence Day off that July. We decided to stay to our apartment and not do anything special. All day there were firecrackers going off. It was worse than it is on a July 4th in New Mexico. Towards evening it was getting worse and I heard a cat meowing. When I opened the door there was a mostly white, small cat there. She came in as if she belonged there and within a few minutes made herself at home on the bed. I gave her some lunchmeat that was in the refrigerator and some water which she seemed thankful for. We let her stay as it seemed so bad outside with the fireworks for a cat to be out in. I didn’t have anything for a litter box for her and early the next morning she asked to go out so I let her. We never saw her again but we hope we were able to make her life a bit easier at least for the short time.
Frequently when Lee had an evening off we would go to The Crows Nest, a small saloon that was on Waikiki Ave. near the beach. We really liked to hear a group called Brandy Wine play and sing there. This was where Lee took me for my twenty-first birthday. In all states we had lived in the drinking age was 21. Of course on most naval bases enlisted personal could drink on base at 18. So I had been drinking in Navel bars since I had been in the Navy. And in Hawaii the legal drinking age was 19. But still it was a big deal to reach my 21st birthday even if I had been legal to drink in Hawaii ever since I got there in May. Remember my birthday is August.
It was in late August that Lee’s ship was sent back out to sea and on the West Pac Tour they should have been on a few months before. We decided that I should go back to Silver City rather than staying in Honolulu. We knew it would be about nine months before his ship got back. On the plane to hide my crying I put on some headphones that were offered to listen to music. This time insteadthat I should go back to Silver City rather than staying in Honolulu. We knew it would be about nine months before his ship got back. On the plane to hide my crying I put on some headphones that were offered to listen to music. This time instead
During that time my Tiggy cat got pnumoma and died on Lee’s birthday, November 4.
It was March when Lee came back from the Navy. He was now a civilian. When we went to the airport to pick him up I briefly had the feeling I was meeting a stranger and I guess in some ways we were like strangers to each other. I knew many couples never got over those long absences from each other and ended up getting divorced. It was hard to make things work between us but we did it.


Silver City, NM September 1972 to March 1973
Lee was again on West Pac Tour while I was again in Silver City to wait for him. I worked at Silver City Museum for a short while and met Node McMillan who ran the museum and who I still correspond with by email. She is in Rosanky, TX now.
During that time my Tiggy cat got pnumoma and died on Lee’s birthday, November 4.
It was March when Lee came back from the Navy. He was now a civilian. When we went to the airport to pick him up I briefly had the feeling I was meeting a stranger and I guess in some ways we were like strangers to each other. I knew many couples never got over those long absences from each other and ended up getting divorced. It was hard to make things work between us but we did it.