PARKED CARS (END) TRUCK DRIVING (BEGIN)

END OF PARKING CARS
BEGIN DRIVING TRUCKS

I quickly developed a reputation in the
car parking set--- CRASH !

This parking garage was something like
six levels, with a steep drive from one
floor to the next.  When in a hurry, which
was always, we would run up the stairs
to the top level , jump in a car and race
down the circular driveway to the ground
floor level.
One day, not my finest, I started the descent
jammed on the breaks at the last minute
before hitting ground level----no breaks,
"T"boned a car parked against the far
wall--- The car of a government official ....

As a kid I adopted the philosophy of my hero,
Knute Rockne, famed football coach of
Notre Dame University.  Rockne was fond
of saying, "The Best Defense is a Good Offense".

True to my training, whenever I wrecked a
car at the Oakland Garage, I would march
in to the office and demand a raise.
For many times it worked, why I don`t know,
but finally when I marched in and started to
speak the manager said , "you`re fired".

DRIVE TRUCKS.
With all this driving experience under my belt,
somewhere I had taken time to get a license,
I marched over to KELLOG EXPRESS a
drayage company and applied for a job.
Lloyd Swain (Swayne?) one of the owners saw
me struggling with a big White double header
and spent an entire evening showing me how
to operate (properly) a big semi-trailer rig.

Then the war got under way and we had to
drive with no lights, sit around the office telling
big lies about our exploits, during air-raid drills.
Then,  P-38`s started to fly over and I was lost.
To me nothing was more beautiful than a P-38.
So, I quit---- going to enlist and win the war.

My personal car at this time was a 1936, Straight
eight, Packard convertible.... a beautiful thing,
I sincerley loved her.  So, I drove in to the dealer
on Harrison Street in Oakland--- Cochrane-Celli
and handed the keys to the first salesman who
approached me.

I walked out and took the bus home.

Someone had told me that if you enlisted in the
Mid-West they would send the enlistee back to
San Diego (Navy) or some other training station
if Army or Air----- so, back to South Dakota.
Enlisted in the Navy, sent back to my brother ,
Neal to wait until called.

One month later they sent my orders, USNavy,
San Diego.   In the meantime I broke a little
horse for Neal`s wife, Dorothy to ride......

Out of Faith, South Dakota, bound for Omaha,
Nebraska, for induction.

The little train out of Faith.................

----- John Crowley