I was married to Jane Long about a year before I shipped out for a two-year tour in the South Pacific during World War II.
When I returned to Dallas where my wife lived, we wanted to spend our first night together at the Baker Hotel, but were told by the clerk that the hotel was booked solid and there was no room for us.
I told the clerk I had just returned to the States from the South Pacific. She said, “I believe you on account of your Marine uniform and your deep, dark suntan, but we have no room for you and your wife.”
A man then stepped from behind a par-tition and said, “I think we can find you all a room.” He handed me the room key and off to the elevator we went. When we entered the room, I started to return the key, for I had never seen a more luxurious room and I knew I did not have enough money for such a room, but we stayed just the same. At dinner that night at the Baker Hotel, we were served a bottle of champagne. I told the waiter we did not order the champagne. He said it was the compliments of a man at the hotel.
When we checked out the next morning, the clerk said there was no charge for the dinner or the room. I will be forever grateful to the management of the Baker Hotel in Dallas.
Bob Carr
2dMarDiv
Texarkana, Texas
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Col. John Glenn
I joined the Marine Corps in the summer of 1967 from Houston, Texas. That makes me a Hollywood Marine. At that time my parents were living in Nassau Bay, Texas which is located directly across from the NASA Manned Space Center. This is where I took my “boot leave”. One day, while on leave, I asked my Dad if he would take me water skiing after work and he agreed. So when he got home we got into his boat, an 18 foot Boston Whaler, and went down Clear Creek across Clear Lake to “Fred’s Gas Station” to get gassed up. I got to be the helmsman. While I was bringing the boat into the slip to get gas I really banged it into the adjacent boat that was also filling up. Well, I knocked both of the occupants to the deck of their boat. After a few seconds and much to my surprise and dismay up popped Col. John Glenn and Alan Shepard. They were getting ready to water ski also. I had put them both on their keister. Col. Glenn was very gracious and magnanimous as he dusted himself off and said he was A-OK. Alan Shepard just shook his head and laughed. They both could tell I was just out of “boot camp” with all of the “yes sirs” when I was apologizing and then the funny tan of just my neck and hands. My Dad didn’t help matters much when he exclaimed, “Private, there is a reason you went into the Marine Corps and not the Navy”. At that point they all had a big laugh at my expense. To this day I still do not laugh about it, but I will always remember the day I put Col. John Glenn on his backside.
Sgt Steve Waldner
President
3rd Marine Division Association
Houston Chapter
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