After zigzagging across the Atlantic Ocean from New York City, my Victory Ship landed in Southampton. My M.A. is in literature, so it was special to know I was at last on the island where so many of the authors lived that I had taught.
An acting 1st Sergeant, I helped lead my companydown the gangplank and got a glimpse of a cop, uh, a bobby. But he only directed us to a nearby train, and we took our seats after hearing that we must pull the window blinds down because we would be traveling through a blackout area.
For hours the train traveled on and on, one rumor being that we were in London, another that we had turned around and were going back to Liverpool. At daybreak, the train stopped. And when we exited we learned we were in Southampton. After only a few steps, however, we were directed to the H.M.S. Rangitata (how could I ever forget such a name), and I estimate that the total number of steps I took in England must have been fewer than 100.
Off to Omaha Beach, wherever that was - some place in France, I guessed.
In 1994 I returned, along with President and Mrs. Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, and numbers of dignitaries. I really should have returned again in 2004, this time spending a little more time in the land of one of my ancestors, Thomas Blogate of Haughley (wherever that is), who was born in 1490.
For some photos, see PHOTO GALLERY on my home page:
http://wasm.us
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