Old Time Remedy for Upset Stomach

Things were simpler when I was growing up. Whenever a member of our family had a stomach ache, we depended on a remedy out of our medicine cabinet.

Back then there were fewer choices for medical remedies. If we had an upset stomach or diarrhea, Mom would treat us with an over-the-counter product from the general store. 

There are countless products now, claiming to relieve minor indigestion with catchy jingles about heartburn, stomach ache, and diarrhea. But I still turn to the old family favorite when it's needed. Whether it's the carbonation or the actual formula, this product still works for me when I'm feeling queasy.

Our family medicine cabinet held only a few items like aspirin, Vick's VapoRub, Noxema, Mercurochrome and Merthiolate, a child's worst nightmare. For minor burns and insect bites, we had Unguentine or Bactine. But the most frequently used product for minor stomach aches was a brown elixir purchased from the local pharmacist. We would head to the corner store to fetch a refill if our supply ran low.

Mom would send my brother and I to the corner store on our bicycles where we'd park in the bike racks and head to the pharmacy at the back. 

We'd waiting patiently at the glass wall while the druggist clanked out a prescription label on an old manual typewriter. The pharmacy was raised above the rest of the store which allowed a glimpse of his white coat when he moved around. Racks of glass bottles and blank labels littered his work counter.

The store had a variety of household items from bread and canned goods to toys and fishing gear. There was also a rack of comic books like Super Man, Donald Duck, Tom and Jerry or Tweedy and Sylvester that sold for ten cents.

The store was the neighborhood hangout with its soda fountain where they served the best hamburgers around. That was where we ate before fast food places made their way to Key West.

We'd sit on the vinyl stools and sip our five-cent Cokes from a real glass while our fifty-cent hamburgers sizzled on a flat grill. Many summer days were spent sitting near orange and grape drink dispensers, basking in the aroma of hot dogs grilling on the rotisserie.

From our place on the stools, we listened for the pharmacist to call our names to fetch the white bag with the precious remedy; a concentrated solution of Coke syrup in a small bottle.

We’d pay the cashier while eyeballing the nickel candy bars and penny bubble gum, then, hop back on our bikes clutching the package like a bag of gold.

Postal services were available and we mailed parcels wrapped in brown paper cut from grocery store bags. Packages had to be tied securely with cotton string. Regular postage stamps were four cents, with air mail stamps costing seven cents. Letters could be dropped off at the mail slot next to the pharmacy.

We kept our antics in the store to a minimum, knowing better than to cause trouble. If our parents got a call from the druggist that would mean big trouble when we got home.

Once we got home with the remedy, Mom would send us to fetch a tablespoon from the silverware drawer. Armed with the bottle of coke syrup, she would climb the stairs to the bedroom of the ailing family member.

If Dad was the one with the stomach ache, we would sneak up the stairs behind her and wait quietly on the landing while she gave him a dose. If one of the children was ill, the rest of us would march boldly behind her into the bedroom of the afflicted. We'd surround the bed and watch as she opened the glass bottle and poured out a measure of the sticky syrup. The patient, sitting in bed, lips puckered, would swallow the brown liquid, leaving us to lick our lips vicariously at the sickeningly sweet taste.

Coca-Cola was originally intended as a patent medicine. Invented by John Pemberton in the late nineteenth century, it became a popular carbonated soft drink. Two of its original ingredients were kola nuts and coca leaves. The Coca-Cola Company, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, produces concentrate of the revised formula, which is sold to licensed bottlers and distributors in over 200 countries throughout the world.

The current formula still remains a trade secret.

Walker Bag and Organizer - Gift for the Mobility Impaired

Looking for a handmade gift for a friend or beloved senior? If you've used a walker you know how hard it is to carry things around.

This gift makes it easy to carry lightweight items like pens, nail clippers, cough drops, tissues, photos, eyeglasses, or the TV remote.

This project will take a few hours depending on your experience with sewing. Most of the stitches are straight lines and there aren't too many pattern pieces to cut out.

Start by asking your loved one their preferences for flowers, plaids, stripes, solids or animal prints. The fabric store is a good place to get ideas.

What You'll Need:

• Simplicity Pattern 2300 - Try to catch a sale at the fabric store. Mine was 99 cents.
• A good pair of sewing scissors for cutting through the thicknesses of this polyester-filled broadcloth.
• A flat surface and good lighting. Try to set up a dedicated area for sewing that doesn't require everything to be put away after use.
• Practically any sewing machine will do. No zig-zag stitching is required.
• A good fabric marking pencil helps for marking the spots to be matched up. Or, a number two pencil or eyebrow pencil will work.
• A measuring tape helps keep the pattern even on the fabric
• Straight pins are essential.
• Notions needed are thread, double-fold bias tape, and sew-on Velcro for the straps.

The pattern will tell you how much fabric you'll need. This pattern calls for double-sided, quilted fabric. Be sure to buy enough to match designs if you choose a fabric with stripes or a  pattern.

Remember thread, Velcro tape, and double-fold bias tape in a color that matches your fabric. If you find the fabric and pattern on sale you'll save a bundle.

Begin by ironing the pattern pieces flat using a warm setting on the iron to get out the creases and folds in the paper. It really makes things easier.

Determine the pattern pieces that you'll need and put the extras in the envelope. Cut apart pieces that are printed on the same sheet. That helps in laying the pattern on the fabric.

Turning the straps after stitching takes a little patience and a keen eye. There are optional devices to speed this task along like a heavy-duty needle or a strap turner.

For Mom's walker, an extra strap was needed on either side of the center support Instead of just one strap in the center.

After the straps are turned right side out, Velcro is added and the straps are attached to the main body of the bag. Pictured above are the top straps and the side strap that holds the organizer to the leg of the walker.

Notice how the pattern of the fabric is matched to the pattern on the bag bodice.

The most trouble I had was the lack of directions for the side straps. It took a little improvising to cover the raw edges on the strap for the leg of the walker.

Notice along the side seam where the strap extends outward from the main body. The instructions say to encase the raw edges with the bias tape. That was hard since the strap is in the way.

I cut an extra strip of double fold bias tape about two inches long to affix to the unfinished edge left after attaching the strap to the main body of the organizer.

Attaching a short piece of bias tape along the edge of the pocket insert will cover the unfinished edge.

This organizer gets a lot of interest from the residents at the nursing home and I've been asked if I would make one for them.

The cost to make the entire project is around forty dollars depending on the fabric chosen, the notions, and the cost of the pattern. It's a worthy project to bring happiness to the receiver and the giver.

Secrets of Making Boiled Eggs

Boiling an egg may seem like a simple task but in reality, it takes some basic knowledge for them to come out perfectly every time.

Making a perfectly cooked boiled egg is simple if you follow a few guidelines. The most important thing to remember is to not boil the eggs for too long. They turn tough and rubbery and get a green tinge around the yolk.

Mrs. Smith, my home economics teacher said "Hard-boiled eggs should really be called soft-cooked eggs, because there's no reason to boil them."

The water needs to boil, but once it reaches a boiling point, it's important to remove the pan from the heat. Set the pan aside, cover it with a lid, and set a timer for 10 minutes. That's about it.

Eggs are among the most versatile foods. They're in cakes, pies, salads, sauces, meatloaves, baked goods, pancakes, and sandwiches, as a main dish or a side. One favorite ways to serve them is hard-boiled.

How to:

1. Start by adding two to three inches of water to a saucepan.
2. Add the desired number of eggs to the tepid water allowing enough water to cover the eggs completely.
3. Bring the water to a boil using medium heat. Raising the temperature too quickly will cause the eggs to bounce and crack.
4. Once the water begins to boil, turn off the heat.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and set a timer for 10 minutes.
6. After 10 minutes, run cool water over the eggs and using a slotted spoon, place them in a bowl with cold water. Add ice to speed the cooling process.
7. To peel the eggs, tap the large end on a hard surface like the countertop or the sink.
8. Continue tapping the egg until the shell is cracked all around and on both ends.
9. Roll the cracked shell between your palms gently and remove the shell, starting with the large end.

To cool the eggs quickly, place the hot eggs into a small bowl and add some water and a few ice cubes. Immediately submerging the eggs in cold water helps separate the membrane from the shell to make peeling them easier.

Lightly tap the cooled egg on a firm surface like the inside edge of the kitchen sink. Once you've cracked the shell all the way around, roll the egg gently between your palms. Begin peeling the egg at the large end.

A warm, soft-cooked egg right out of the shell is delicious with a little salt and pepper. Or leave them in the ice water to get nice and cold, then serve them any way you like.

Easy Deviled Eggs

1. Start by cutting the boiled eggs in half.
2. Bend the eggs slightly away from the yolk and pop the cooked center out into a small bowl.
3. Blend the yolks by mashing them with a fork.
4. Add salt, pepper, mayonnaise, a dab of mustard, and a tablespoon of pickle relish.
5. Combine the ingredients well.
6. Refill the egg cups using two small spoons, one to scoop up a small amount of the mixture and the other one to scoot it off the spoon into the egg white.
7. Sprinkle with a dash of paprika, if desired.

Blend the ingredients together and refill the shells using two small spoons.

Sprinkle with a dash of paprika and you're ready to serve them on your beautiful vintage deviled egg plate!

Easy Egg Salad

Keep a few boiled eggs in the refrigerator to make into egg salad sandwiches. Just peel them, cut them into small pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a small amount of mayonnaise and a bit of sweet pickle relish.

Sandwiches made with egg salad on toasted whole wheat or rye make a quick lunch meal. They used to be on the menu at the lunch counter in the dime stores. Paired with a vanilla or chocolate milkshake, it will fill you up.

A Generous Slice of Navy Life in the 1940s, 50s and 60s

On December 7, 1941, the United States suffered a devastating attack on U.S. Military forces in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The next day, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared war on Japan. A wave of patriotism swelled enlistment in the armed forces as young people sought to do their patriotic duty.

The Greatest Generation

February 8, 1942, Byron Moore and two high school classmates, E.C. Powell and Bobby Futch took the bus from Valdosta, Georgia to a military recruiting station in Macon where they enlisted.

At 17 years,10 months old, Byron was underweight according to Navy regulations. At the recruiting station, he filled his pockets with rocks to add a couple of pounds.₂

Shortly after returning home, the trio received their official letters to report for duty. They boarded the Southern Railroad to Portsmouth VA and took the ferry to Norfolk the world's largest Naval Base operating out of the original Jamestown Exposition site.

During the first two weeks of training, the new recruits of Platoon Unit 842 were administered shots, given dental and physical exams had their clothes stenciled and began a rigorous calisthenics program to prepare them for battle.

After Boot Camp, the enlisted men received a three-day leave. Byron traveled to Washington, D.C. to visit his sister, Leila Moore Cartwright, who worked at the Anchor Room in The Annapolis Hotel, a favorite service man's hangout.

As an active duty Apprentice Seaman, he earned $21.00 per month.

He received new orders for Tampa, Florida to serve aboard the Auxiliary Mine Sweeper, the USS Augury when the ship was put into commission after sea trials, making him a plank owner.₁ His next assignment as Temporary Prison Chaser Guard included orders for New Orleans with 22 other Military Guards to escort prisoners to Portsmouth NH.

When his new orders assigned him to a ship that had already left port, he hitched a ride on board another ship, a WWI Destroyer heading toward Russia. They traveled to New Jersey to pick up ammunition, then, headed toward Key West and his duty station as “Sound Man.” He completed a five-week course with the last ten days of class practicing their new skills at sea.

As an SoM3c, Sonar Man 3rd class, he earned $78.00 per month. Reenlistment in 1945 for 4 years in the Regular Navy earned him a raise to $119.70 per month.

Family traditions -

Byron's older brother, Harold, enlisted in the Army during World War I. His other older brother, Ervin, also served in the Navy. After a tour of duty overseas, Ervin developed tuberculosis and was not expected to live. After losing a lung to the disease, his brother went on to become a lawyer and later, a judge in Marianna, Florida.

USS Augury AM-149 Minesweeper

Admirable Class Minesweeper, one of the largest and most successful classes of minesweepers ordered by the US Navy during World War II.

They were designed to locate and remove naval mines before the rest of the fleet arrived, thereby ensuring safe passage.

• Built: at the Tampa Shipbuilding Company Inc. December 1942
• Launched: February 23, 1943 and commissioned March 17 1943.
• Displacement: 650 tons
• Length: 184' 6"
• Beam: 33'
• Draft: 9' 9"
• Speed: 14.8 knots
• Complement: 104 (officers, non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel)
• Armament: one 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount, two twin 40 mm gun mounts, one depth charge thrower (hedgehogs), two depth charge tracks
• Propulsion: two 1,710 shp ALCO 539 diesel engines, Farrel-Birmingham single reduction gear, two shafts.

The Augury’s shake-down cruise took them from Tampa to Norfolk VA, afterward, to the Panama Canal, then San Francisco, then to Hawaii. Nearing the Philippines, a new set of orders changed their destination to Kodiak Alaska for convoy duty. Their job was to escort Merchant ships back and forth from Alaska to Attu in the Aleutian Islands. Between escorts they sailed Picket Duty or steaming in a Picket Square traveling north, east, south, then west, patrolling in each direction for an hour.

He was also on the USS Augury for his 21st birthday, and served aboard until its decommissioning in July of 1945.

After two years on the USS Augury, he served on the USS Sierra (AD18), the USS Rich (DD820), NROTC Unit, Duke University (as an instructor), NTS Norfolk, Virginia, Sound School, Key West, Florida, Naval Pre-Flight Training, Natchitoches, Louisiana, Minecraft Training Center, Little Creek, Virginia before reenlisting in the Regular Navy.

Crew of the USS Augury AM 149

Moore is on the 2nd row from the bottom, 4th from the left of the photo.

Wartime Romance

Mid 1945, Moore received orders for Okinawa. Taking a troop transport from Seattle WA to Denver, the young Moore boarded a commercial flight to Dallas on a Braniff PBO Hudson with one pilot and one stewardess.

During his thirty-day leave in Texas, he met the woman who would later become my mother. They were married 9 days later in a private ceremony at the bride's family home in Fort Worth, July 15, 1945. Shortly after the marriage, he was deployed overseas.

Mr. Moore set out on a determined program of schooling and enrolled in every class he could get. After completing a five-week Sound Course, he was selected to take a ten-week Sound Maintenance Course detailing how to repair, tune and maintain sonar equipment.

Later he enrolled in Flight School in Dallas, Texas. While he was learning to fly Piper Cubs and N3N Navy Peril craft at this sixteen-week course, the war was raging overseas. When a surprise navigation test caught the student pilots off guard, he washed out of flight school along with 49 of 60 classmates. Soon afterward, he headed back to the danger zone.

USS Rich DDE-820 Gearing Class Destroyer 

https://www.hullnumber.com/DD-820

U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships photo 19-NN - DD-820 Rich - 137766, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

"The second Rich (DD-820) was laid down on 16 May 1944 by the Consolidated Steel Corp. Orange Tex. launched 5 October 1945 and commissioned on 3 July 1946 Comdr. R. C. Houston in command.

After shakedown in the Caribbean, Rich departed Norfolk in late October for a Mediterranean tour most of which December 1946 to March 1947 was spent on patrol in the Atlantic. Returning to the United States in March she was converted to a specialized antisubmarine ship at the New York Naval Shipyard; and in the fall she resumed operations with the 2d Fleet."

• Launched: October 5, 1945
• Commissioned: July 3, 1946
• Length: 391 feet
• Beam: 41 feet
• Draft: 18.7 feet
• Speed: 34 knots
• Moore, Byron O SO1 1946-1947 Plank Owner USS Rich

Officer Candidate School 1954

Byron Moore is at the far right side of the photo.

Commissioned Ensign USN August 1954

Next duty station.

USS John S. McCain (DL-3)

Reclassified in 1951 as a Destroyer Leader, it was the second Mitscher Class Destroyer in the U S Navy.

Photo: USN; Original uploader, ScottyBoy900Q at English Wikipedia.; 2005-10-09 Public Domain

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_John_S._McCain_(DL-3)_underway_in_the_early_1960s.jpg

• Class: Mitscher Class Destroyer
• Named for: John S. McCain
• Complement: 403 Officers and Enlisted
• Displacement: 3,675 tons
• Length: 493 feet
• Beam: 50 feet
• Flank Speed: 30 plus knots
• Final Disposition: Sold for scrap January 1980

"John S. McCain spent the first year of her commissioned service undergoing sea trials and shakedown training in the Atlantic and Caribbean. One of the new Mitscher class of large and fast destroyer leaders she carried the latest in armament and embodied new ideas in hull design and construction. The ship arrived Norfolk 19 May 1955 to begin service with the Operational Development Force in testing new equipment and tactics. She operated out of Norfolk until 5 November 1956 when she steamed from Hampton Roads bound for the Panama Canal and San Diego. After her arrival 4 December 1956 she spent 5 months on maneuvers in California waters."₃

USS Thrush MSC-204 

Redwing Class Motor Minesweeper

• Laid down: May 7, 1954 as AMS-204 by the Tampa Marine Co., Tampa, FL
• Launched: Jan 5, 1955
• Reclassified: as a Coastal Minesweeper MSC-204, Feb 7,1955
• Commissioned: USS Thrush (MSC 204), November 8, 1955
• Displacement: 320 tons
• Length: 144 feet
• Beam: 28 feet
• Draft: 9 feet
• Speed: 13 knots
• Complement: 39 Officers and Enlisted
• Armament: Two 20 mm Mounts

_{USS Allegheny ATA-179}

_{US Navy photo (http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/38/38179.htm) [Public domain], via Wikimedia}

Specifications (As Built)

Displacement 835 t.(lt) 1360 t (fl)

Length 143'

Beam 33' 10"

Draft 13' 2" (limiting)

Speed 12 kts.

Armament

    one single 3"/50 dual purpose gun mount

    two single 20mm AA gun mounts

Largest Boom Capacity 5 t.

Complement

    Officers 5

    Enlisted 40

Propulsion

    two GM 12-278A Diesel-electric engines

    single Fairbanks Morse Main Reduction Gear

    Ship's Service Generators

    two 60Kw 120V. D.C.

    single propeller, 1,200shp

https://www.hullnumber.com/ATA-179

USS Suribachi, AE 21 Ammunition Carrier 

Photo By USN (U.S. Defense imagery photo DN-ST-87-09067 [1]) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Suribachi Class Ammunition Carrier deployed in the Mediterranean where Lt. Cmdr. Moore served as Chief Executive Officer 1961 - 1963. The ship traveled from Bayonne NJ to Norfolk VA, to Key West to patrol the Atlantic during the Cuban Missile Crisis. 

• Launched: November 1955
• Commissioned: November 1956
• Displacement: 9,758 tons
• Length: 512 feet
• Beam: 72 feet
• Complement: 20 Officers, 324 Enlisted
• Cargo booms to load fully equipped trucks, carried a full war load to outfit an Aircraft Carrier or 3 - 4 Destroyers.
• Armament: 4 twin 3"/50 dual purpose gun mounts

Set in the center of the 6th Fleet in a 50-mile square, it was surrounded by 3 Carriers, 21 Destroyers, 3 Cruisers, 3 Oilers and a second Ammunition Ship, the Yosemite AD-19.

Lt. Commander Byron Moore's life was a collection of roles played out over eighty-one years: brother; student; instructor; fisherman; mariner; beloved father; husband; carpenter; and devoted Christian. He could at times be stern, rigid, disciplined and aloof, yet, there were times his tender side came through.

He lived the motto, "a place for everything and everything in its place." He drew a penciled outline around each tool on the pegboard at his workbench. We learned not to borrow tools without asking and to return them clean and to their designated place.

He was an avid reader and shared the value of books and the importance of good reading skills. He impressed on his children and others the value of discipline and hard work. He stressed the importance of honesty and loyalty and was an example of kindness and compassion to all living creatures.

Duty Stations and Ships

• 1942-Mar 1945, USS Augury AM-149, Plank Owner
• 1945 USS Sierra AD-18 as a Senior Sonarman
• 1946, USS Rich DD-820, Gearing Class Destroyer, Plank Owner
• 1949 NROTC at Duke University, Sonar Instructor
• 1949 Sound School, Key West FL
• 1949 March - Nav Pre Flight Training, Natchitoches, LA
• 1949 March - Minecraft Training Center, Little Creek, VA
• 1950 May - Jan 1951, Fleet Sonar School, Key West, FL, Chief Sonarman
• 1953 Mar 17,  Assigned Secondary NJC 3423 "Qualified Instructor"
• 1953 June 27 - Mar 1954, USS Wilkinson DL-5 1947, Ensign, Plank Owner
• 1954 Mar 17- Aug, to Naval Schools Command, Officer Candidate School, Newport, RI
• 1954 Aug - Graduated and Commissioned ENSIGN, USN 4-Jun-1954
• 1954, Aug to Aug 1956, USS John S. McCain DL-3
• 1956, Aug to Mar 1958, USS Thrush MSC-204
• 1958 Apr to Oct 1959, USS Allegheny ATA-179, as Commanding Officer
• 1959 Nov to Jun 1961, Fleet Sonar School Instructor
• 1961 Oct - July 1963 USS Suribachi AE-21 as Chief Executive Officer
• 1963 July to Aug 1964, Fleet Sonar School, Director of Training
• He served separate assignments at the Fleet Sonar School in Key West, FL as Instructor, Assistant Director of Enlisted Training, where he reviewed the training plans of officers who were instructors and later was promoted to Director of Enlisted Training. He worked there until his retirement in 1964.

Commander Moore served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, Korea and the beginning of the Vietnam era. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal (3*), American Theater, European Theater, Pacific Theater (2*), Victory Medal, European Occupation, China Service and United Nations medals. He worked his way up the ranks from Apprentice Seaman to retire as a Lieutenant Commander. He was awarded a post-retirement commission to Commander.

_{Notes/Sources:}

The bulk of research came from the information packet from the National Personnel Records Center along with notes taken during Mr. Moore's lifetime. 

To begin your own research, see this article, How to Find Military Service Records for your relative who served in the Military.

1. Plank owner, also called a plank holder, is an individual who was a member of a crew of a US Navy ship or US Coast Guard Cutter when it was put into commission
2. NCBI, WWII Height-Weight Standards at 67 inches was 140 pounds with a minimum weight of 125.
3. www.Hullnumber.com
4. National WWI Museum
5. USS Rich DDE-820, Plank Owner
6. NavSource online

My Former Life as a Flight Attendant - Braniff International

Sometimes one phone can turn your life completely around.

For months, I'd been working the late shift as receptionist in a hair salon and attending school in the  morning. My cosmetology training was nearly complete when I decided to take a short vacation. I had a job lined up as a hairstylist once I graduated beauty school and passed the State Bar Exam. 

One of my regular beauty school customers found out I was headed to Texas for a few days. She asked me to call her daughter while I was there. Long-distance calls used to be expensive while local calls were free. She gave me her daughter's business card with the phone number. Little did I know that phone call would change my life.

Once I settled in with the family in Texas, I gave the daughter a call. She was happy to hear news about her mother in Florida. We had a nice conversation. She was an executive in Flight Attendant services for a major airline. I mentioned that I'd always wanted to work as a flight attendant.

"Well, we're currently recruiting flight attendants." My heart skipped a beat. "But I'm not allowed to interview you."

"I understand," I told her somewhat disappointed.

"I'll ask someone to give you a call, but I can't promise anything."

I figured that was the end of it when the phone rang at my mom's house.

"This is Flight Attendant staffing," the caller announced. "Are you available for an interview tomorrow?"

Of course, I said yes. My mom and I immediately went shopping for an appropriate outfit to wear. All I had with me were vacation clothes. We had a great day shopping in downtown Fort Worth where she grew up.

The next day, I borrowed their car and headed to the airport. I weaved my way through a twisting maze at the huge airport, located the right building and found a good parking spot. Walking across the asphalt in the summer Texas heat, I could feel my hair and makeup withering.

The Interview

She asked about my work history and the reasons I wanted to be a flight attendant. I'd been a hostess and stand-in bartender at a couple of expensive restaurants and shared that experience. I'd also worked at banks and my cosmetology training was almost finished.

She also asked questions to evaluate my personality and suitability for the job like, "What would make you make a better flight attendant than someone else?"

 Despite my nervousness, I thought the interview went okay.

Once I got home, the phone rang again.

"Would you be available tomorrow for a group interview.?" There would be a panel of pilots, senior flight attendants, and training instructors that would interview several applicants at the same time. If we made it to the finals, we'd have individual interviews after the group session. Yes!

There was an advantage to not being the first to answer a question. We learned from the reactions of the panel what they didn't want to hear like, "I want to be a flight attendant because I just love people." They were sick of hearing that.

The challenge was to come up with something original after several others already answered the same question. When the group session finished, I was chosen for an individual interview.

Afterward, I resumed my vacation. That's when the phone rang again.

This call changed all my plans going forward. The friendly voice on the phone said I'd been selected to attend Flight Attendant Training starting in one month. A couple of days later, I flew home to Florida. I could hardly believe this happened, until the official offer letter arrived with the date to report for training. I was still in denial.

Over the next few weeks, I finished beauty school, quit my job at the salon, sold most of my belongings, and packed my car for the trip to Texas. Driving through Florida, my roommate and I stopped in Pensacola to take my State Board Exam for my cosmetology license. She'd come with me to be my hair model for the practical exam and flew back to Tampa after that was over. I continued the twelve-hundred-mile drive to Dallas alone.

I'd wanted to become a flight attendant for years. At twenty-one, I applied with Eastern Airlines. They didn't hire married applicants and I got a letter of rejection.

Once I became single again I applied again. This time, they sent a round-trip ticket to Miami for an interview. It took a couple of weeks before another rejection letter came in the mail.

At twenty-five, I applied with Northwest Orient Airlines and went for an interview in Minneapolis, Minnesota in winter time. There were only thirty positions available and they had 800 applicants. We were rushed through the process and told they would let us know the results. A few weeks later, another rejection letter came.

Training in Dallas at the Royal Coach

During the five-week training course, we lived in The Royal Dunfey's Hotel in Dallas. After breakfast, we were bused to the training facility on Lemon Avenue for classroom training and to practice emergency drills and CPR. 

We jumped out of second-story windows onto scorching hot evacuation slides, learned to use fire extinguishers on real fires and fumbled our way through dark airplanes to locate safety equipment. We trained to open exit window hatches. One test required us to open the door of a 747 which was five stories above the ground.

"Again!" the emergency procedures instructor would yell as we practiced pulling the emergency hatch off the mock-up airplane.

"Now toss that hatch on the seat and move those passengers along."

We spent hours practicing airline announcements, reading them from our manuals as required by the FAA. We worked in galley mock-ups learning how to use convection ovens and coffee makers. We served seven-course dinners on real dishes with glassware. We trained for a week on bartending skills learning cocktails and how to serve wine and make Cappuccino.

At night we studied our training manuals and memorized configurations for the fleet of Braniff jets. We formed groups and quizzed each other on airport codes and their abbreviations. We practiced and role-played for hours, but it was nothing like serving onboard a flight with real passengers.

After Graduation

Our travel assignments were based on seniority, the length of time we had with the airline, or within our class, our date of birth. Each month we bid on different flight schedules and those with fifteen years plus with the company got the better schedules like five trips to Hawaii during the month. I longed for that kind of route.

Newbies like us had little seniority and usually flew reserve. That meant nine days off during the month with the rest of the time being on twenty-four-hour call. At a moments notice, scheduling could assign us a trip with a one-hour notice. Usually, we filled in for absent employees or those delayed elsewhere by mechanical difficulties on a previous flight. We had to keep a packed suitcase ready, like an expectant mother.

Despite the unusual hours, the waiting by the phone, the meal service on back-to-back commuter flights, and the rigors of standing for up to fourteen hours at a time, the job was a lot of fun.

I'll always remember those days as some of the best of my life.