Tom Butt
 
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  Cecilia King's Extraordinary Senior Trip - November 30, 1940
November 30, 2024
 

Beginning on November 1, which is the date of my mother’s first letter from her Hawaii trip 84 years ago, I am serializing day by day, the book, Cecilia King’s Extraordinary Senior Trip, which you can obtain from Amazon in either Kindle or paperback.

I hope you enjoy the upcoming nine-months in Hawaii 1940-41. You can order the entire book from Amazon in either paperback or Kindle format, click here.

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 Honolulu, Saturday, November 30, 1940

Saturday night –

Whew! What a day. Up at six this A.M. and dressed – over to DeRussy pavilion for breakfast. Only three people in the whole crowd I knew so a felt rather squirmish. Then after breakfast on with the radio & out with the Army-Navy game. A young Navy officer just from Annapolis & an Army one fresh from W. point kept the plays marked on a chart at one end of the room, using the colored pencils (each for his team) and a thumb tacked paper football to record movements.

Watching the two scorekeepers fighting the battle between themselves was more of a treat than the game. Hey scribbled various messages of sort about opposing teams on the chart and one happened to be, “ 7th inning” So, Aunt Susan, knowing nothing about football, chatted with various people at the half and gave reports tonight about different scores and acts of the 2nd, 7th and other “innings.”


Got home about noon, ate a bite, then dressed for the wedding (but not very wholeheartedly – what with indigestion from the awful breakfast, sinus and heat). So all fresh & crisp in my pink organdy & pink hat, I crushed myself into my third of our little coupe and started on the hour & a quarter drive to Schofield – arrived hot, faded, and wilted – but after a few minor repairs got into the church just before the bridal family came in. All the officers in dress white and the women ranged from black cocktail dresses & hats, pastel taffeta evening dresses, winter suits and summer whites & organdies to my own rather “fluffy” garb. The decorations were all calla lilies, white glads, and white lotus with greens around (the chapel – a vey plain white steepled church – frame building). The bride wore white moire & lace veil miles long – lovely & her only attendant (sister Mary Jane) and aqua taffeta (designed by a local Russian of color). Then of course, the six groomsmen making the saber arch for the couple.


Reception at Thomas house. Aunt Susan introduced me around vigorously & every time I showed the least promise of ticking she rushed off to leave me alone. Thus I had a very pleasant chat with a boy (Capt. Williams) from Newport, Arkansas – had a dreadful chat with Mrs. Headly – an Army mother-in-law who is nothing but a social climbing hussy – then met an Air Corps chap who new Eliz. Lyghtle & Frances Ellen. Very nice girl – Ann Burgess.


Almost forgot the receiving line – met Col. & Mrs. Thomas first – introduced by best man – and as Mrs. T. gushed gorgeously forth from her dubonnet velvet ensemble I was confusedly asked on to the Skenes – and while I was still trying to remember where I had met hem before, I heard the last few words of a young man saying, “Weve heard so much of you” and there  was the bride – I’d sailed right by the groom without even seeing or hearing him.


The described wedding was Margaret Earl Thomas (1915-1980) and Clarence A. Langford (1912-1989). Langford retired as an Army colonel in 1968 (Source: Ancestry.com)

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Drinks, sandwiches on dining and porch tables – Hawaiian orchestra playing just outside parlor. Lovely wedding gifts displayed – beautiful array of silver.

Mrs. Foster (whose husband is head of medics at Shafer) took me under wing and started introducing bachelors. Two hours later I was sitting under a potted palm in the hall – my hat off – hair straggling – I lived through the reception but was a forlorn creature at the last as I sat discussing “Lizard tails – how they drop off.”


The wedding cake was cut, of course, with the groom’s saber. And the bride’s bouquet was thrown and, of course, it looked at me & I changed courses.


Anyway, the wedding wasn’t nearly so nice or pretty as Carol’s – but even then, it was lovely, and I enjoyed the reception and U. Ed’s and A. S’s best friends have and are being perfectly marvelous about introducing m around – so tired, but not defeated, I say again – goodnight.


Am looking over & counting these pages – I must have written a lot of “mess” to cover so much frontage. Will try to be more concise and interesting after this.

 

 

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