Those of us who stayed formed a
line, our identities were verified against our badge numbers and
photographs, and our job titles entered on a list. Each was given an
instruction sheet and ordered to comply.
The next morning, following instructions, I reported to the dispensary
for vaccinations and immunization shots and on to the Personnel Office
to sign papers that came at me from all directions. I was informed that I
had one week to get my affairs in order; after that I would be on standby
for departure.
A week later, along with several hundred other volunteer workers, I
boarded a train on a siding adjacent a base supply warehouse. The train,
with all windows covered by blackout curtains, departed Patterson Field,
Ohio in the dead of night, and arrived three days later at Moffett Field
near Mountain View, California. Disembarked, we lined up for bedrolls,
and were pointed toward rows of tents in a muddy field adjacent a
dirigible hangar. An instruction sheet, tacked to the tent's center pole,
told us where the mess halls were located, and the meals' schedule by
tent number.
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