Beginning on November 1, 2024, 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,, Thursday, July 17, 1941

Dear Daddy & Mother –

Haven’t had a chance to write since Saturday – as usual, have been in a nose dive every minute, and doing my best to do some financial figuring for my trip home – right now
am deep in my boots because the white chest I had picked out was sold from under my nose & the only one left is a large medium size for $44.00 with no prospects for another shipment in from the Orient soon. I’m tied up at every angle until I can get my big
check cashed for my S.S. ticket.

Not much excitement lately – have been on two awfully dull picnics and a ditto dinner party. Saturday night went with Max to DeRussy with the Major Holmes, Bob Hand & Mully
– wore my blue net dress with blue flowers in my hair & a lovely gardenia lei – the dress fell into a thousand parts when I took it off that night. Early Sat. night Budge Meridith called to break our date for Tues. night because he had to go to Kawai, & asked
me to marry him – I said I was sorry but couldn’t on account of I had a date that night. He came by the next morning to offer a coke & reproposal – said we’d buy a house on Hawaii & live there. I finally wished him Happy Birthday out the door & set to, making
sandwiches for the afternoon picnic with Bill Hoffman. On the way out, Bill & I stopped by the Royal to see Dixie (who, with some other Ft. Kam officers had rented a $56.00 suite for a sat. nite party) then went on out to Nanikuli^[1]
in an old open air “ensign special” machine (known as autos, when first introduced as a new model in 1923). They were all Navy people & most uninteresting. The swimming & surf were swell, though, & we had delicious charcoal steak sandwiches. Finally got home,
praising Allah that I had reached home before Bill’s stupid chatter had driven me completely nuts. Yesterday morning, I crawled out of bed at daylight, still covered with sticky coral sand — & my disposition in no better shape – for a hula lesson. Got home
in time to press some shorts before Max came to go to Mary McDonald’s aloha picnic for Mully at Haleiwa Beach^[2]
near Schofield. Everyone there was married or engaged – so you can imagine what fun I had.

Today went with Babe, kay & a Navy girl to play bridge, have lunch and swim at DeRussy – and now I am headed for a good nights sleep to improve my disposition and black deposits
under my eyes. Kay just called wanting me to take a Navy date for tomorrow night – guess I will.

The Lurline, Thursday July 18, 1941

Cecilia King departed Honolulu on Thursday, July 17, 1941,^[3]
and arrived Los Angeles July 25, 1941.^[4]

Un undated newspaper clipping from Honolulu reads:

Miss Cecilia King sailed on Friday’s boat for her home in Arkansas after a visit with her uncle and aunt, Col. And Mrs. Edgar King at Kahala. Miss King was very popular with the
young Army and Navy set during her stay in Honolulu.

Another popular member of the young set sailing on the Lurline as Lt. (jg) Randolph Meade, Jr., U.S. Navy. Lt. Meade is going to Norfolk where he will join his ship after being
on duty in Hawaiian waters and making many friends during the past year.

Figure
82 – Telegram from Mandy Allison

Undated Newspaper Clipping

Cecilia King, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Harry King of Beebe, is in California en route home after a stay of nine months in Honolulu, Hawaii, the guest of her uncle and aunt, Col.
Edgar King, United States Medical Corps, and Mrs. king, stationed at Fort Shaster (sic). Cecilia, who will get home the first of August, will attend the University of Arkansas this winter – as a sophomore. She landed in San Francisco Wednesday and was the
guest of Mandy Allison Ryan, daughter of General Ryan, commanding officer at Hamilton Field. This week-end, Cecilia is in Los Angeles with the Dick Hogans (Mrs. Hogan was Frances Ellen Hayes).