Halfway Around the World, in the Middle of a War
After several missions on Eugene's new C-47, by mid-January 1945, the young lieutenant received an informative letter from his mother.
She told her son that there was only one number difference in the APO addresses for his letters and those of his childhood friend Corporal George Johnson.
Eugene's mom went on to tell him that George was stationed at Mohanbari Airfield, and it seemed as if it must be close to Eugene's location, Dinjan Airfield.
Eugene went to his headquarters clerk and discovered that Mohanbari was merely three miles away.
Lt.
Hall obtained a 2-day pass to visit his friend.
It was already a hot, humid morning when Eugene reached Mohanbari, and he promptly visited the field headquarters where he verified George's barracks location.
George worked in the motor pool, but throughout the previous night he had been loading cargo planes.
Eugene found the young corporal fast asleep in his bunk and chided, "Its reveille, Johnson.
Rise and shine!" George jerked and quickly jumped up, inadvertently ripping his mosquito netting during the commotion.
As his eyes cleared, he yelled "Gene, you old son-of-a-gun!" The two friends lunged toward each other and embraced in a big bear hug.
They tried, but couldn't hold back the tears.
Eugene and George grew up together, enlisted together, gone through orientation and basic training together, and now, over 2 years later, they met halfway around the world in the middle of a war.
George got a well-deserved pass, and the two men spent their time reminiscing and touring Dibrugarh, located along the Brahmaputra River.
It was the largest local village.
They dined in the open-marketplace cafés and perused through the multitude of street peddler wares.
Years later, Eugene recalled, "We ate a watery curried soup with chicken, goji berries, and sorghum, and we drank refreshment known as orange squash, an Indian drink of watered-down orange juice mixed with the juice of other available fruits.
" Eugene also recalled the abundance of Tibetan and Indian Assam peddlers.
They lined the streets with blankets upon which they displayed trinkets, Tibetan calendars, and professed health supplements of pulverized musk deer glands and cow bones.
Some vendors even sold counterfeit coins and fake gemstones.
Eugene and George visited a barber and received a trim and a shoe shine.
But their most memorable entertainment was provided by a snake charmer whose defanged, blinded cobra followed the sound of the charmer's gourd flute and moved about, tracing a figure-8 in the air.
Lt.
Eugene Hall and Cpl.
George Johnson had a much-needed respite from the turmoil and violence of the war.
Their spirits were bolstered by the encounter and they were able to return to their duties with the knowledge that a friend had survived.
Shortly after that, George was transferred; but by war's end, the two young men were back in their diminutive, beloved community of Farmington, Idaho.
But in the meantime, they still had numerous missions to accomplish.
She told her son that there was only one number difference in the APO addresses for his letters and those of his childhood friend Corporal George Johnson.
Eugene's mom went on to tell him that George was stationed at Mohanbari Airfield, and it seemed as if it must be close to Eugene's location, Dinjan Airfield.
Eugene went to his headquarters clerk and discovered that Mohanbari was merely three miles away.
Lt.
Hall obtained a 2-day pass to visit his friend.
It was already a hot, humid morning when Eugene reached Mohanbari, and he promptly visited the field headquarters where he verified George's barracks location.
George worked in the motor pool, but throughout the previous night he had been loading cargo planes.
Eugene found the young corporal fast asleep in his bunk and chided, "Its reveille, Johnson.
Rise and shine!" George jerked and quickly jumped up, inadvertently ripping his mosquito netting during the commotion.
As his eyes cleared, he yelled "Gene, you old son-of-a-gun!" The two friends lunged toward each other and embraced in a big bear hug.
They tried, but couldn't hold back the tears.
Eugene and George grew up together, enlisted together, gone through orientation and basic training together, and now, over 2 years later, they met halfway around the world in the middle of a war.
George got a well-deserved pass, and the two men spent their time reminiscing and touring Dibrugarh, located along the Brahmaputra River.
It was the largest local village.
They dined in the open-marketplace cafés and perused through the multitude of street peddler wares.
Years later, Eugene recalled, "We ate a watery curried soup with chicken, goji berries, and sorghum, and we drank refreshment known as orange squash, an Indian drink of watered-down orange juice mixed with the juice of other available fruits.
" Eugene also recalled the abundance of Tibetan and Indian Assam peddlers.
They lined the streets with blankets upon which they displayed trinkets, Tibetan calendars, and professed health supplements of pulverized musk deer glands and cow bones.
Some vendors even sold counterfeit coins and fake gemstones.
Eugene and George visited a barber and received a trim and a shoe shine.
But their most memorable entertainment was provided by a snake charmer whose defanged, blinded cobra followed the sound of the charmer's gourd flute and moved about, tracing a figure-8 in the air.
Lt.
Eugene Hall and Cpl.
George Johnson had a much-needed respite from the turmoil and violence of the war.
Their spirits were bolstered by the encounter and they were able to return to their duties with the knowledge that a friend had survived.
Shortly after that, George was transferred; but by war's end, the two young men were back in their diminutive, beloved community of Farmington, Idaho.
But in the meantime, they still had numerous missions to accomplish.
Source...