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.

Honolulu, Friday, January 31, 1941
Friday morning –

Here I am all behind again – but the last few days have been such horrible Kona weather that no one has even tried to rouse. Wednesday night was terribly stuffy. Adamas is about eight inches shorter than I – it was all I could do to resist patting him on the head & saying, “There, there, sonny – run along.” And to top it all we double dated with Dick Dole & some frowsy Italian girl. BUT last night was quite a different story – Max is always fun. Helen called yesterday afternoon & said they were going to see the town at all the Birthday Balls with a new bunch of bachelors just in on the last transport & would I like to play with them? I had to say No Thanks. Then max & I were invited out to the Yacht Club by Dick Dole but I knew we wouldn’t go because Max is a sort of stick about certain people and places.
After having dinner here, Max & I went to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel to meet Bob Hand (his ex-roommate) & help Bob celebrate his new commission of 1st Lt. – met another couple Lt. & Mrs. Adamas there -- & two more bachelors – we met in the bar there & it is a lovely place. Native flowers painted all over the walls – lights coming out of the hearts of Calla lilies.

Editor’s Note: Robert Edmund (“Bob”) Hand (1916 – 1960) When Robert Edmund Hand was born on December 4, 1916, his father, Thomas, was 26 and his mother, Dora, was 28. He married Elizabeth Herman in Honolulu, Hawaii. They had two children during their marriage. He died on November 6, 1960, at the age of 43, and was buried in Arlington, Virginia.  Bob Hand was a lieutenant colonel when he died in 1960.[1]

The streets, sidewalks, hotels entrances were positively jammed with people. Everyone in Honolulu turned out to celebrate – and since one dollar ticket gave entrance to all the best hotels and dancing places, it was the one tome everybody jammed to see and do. Sailors, Negroes, Hawaiians, and an army of Orientals! Thousands of people in a room built to be overflowing with a hundred! After giving up even getting to the dance floor at the Royal – we retired to Trader Vic’s – met several other Army people there, and stayed until eleven, then raced over to get in the last dance, Aloha medley, at the Young roof garden. At the beat of 12 – and Aloha Oe Nui, we went across the street to a Swanky Franky for hamburgers & bottle of milk.
My goodness – it’s 4:00 o’clock & I have to press my pink organdy dress, mend it & be dressed in two hours – Aunt Susan & I just pasted two big blue paper stars above the front door bell because no one can ever identify our house – now I can ay “at the sign of the stars”—
That’s about all the news. Max is coming in for me next Saturday morning – then we go to lunch & do something in the afternoon – go to Scholfield Club that night & I stay with Helen – then he brings me home Sunday – which still doesn’t get my dress pressed s I’d better quit right here & get at it.


Figure 41 - From Cecilia's Scrapbook