Dad left Guam on an Army transport. Or he transferred to an Army transport later,perhaps in Japan. I am not sure just what his course took. But a consciencious Navy man who had no compunction of expressing his opinions about Army handling of ships, or whatever else they may have argued about caused friction between the two men. Later, the ship made a stop at an island seldom visited by ships. The Captain gave Dad specific instruction that he, out of all of the passengers on the vessel would not be permitted to go ashore without having a certificate or written permission from the shipís doctor.

Dad obtained the written permission from the Doctor, written in pencil. He and a civilian were sight seeing in the village and were behind some buildings and could not see the beach or the ship.

A small boy came around the corner of a building and exitedly told them that the ship had sailed. Dad and his companion ran to the beach, They got an outrigger canoe to race out behind the ship, and the pilot boat. They continued on until well out to sea and the pilot left the ship. The pilot picked Dad and his companion up and started after the ship. The Captain had failed to sound the fifteen minute whistle, the five minute whistle, nor the departing whistle. The Pilot was angry about the violations.

The ship did not slow down. a fairly short sea ladder was dropped over the side. As the ship rolled the ladder would swing out from the side of the ship, it would then slam into the side of the ship when it rolled back. The little pilot boat raced along side of the behomneth. Dad balanced himself on the top of the pilot house. Then the pilot maneuvered his boat so that it leaned toward the ship, when it was leaning toward the pilot boat. When these conditions were achieved Dad grabbed the sea ladder, pulled his feet up to take the shock when he hit the ship. He climbed up the ladder and then saw to it that the ship was slowed down, and the ladder extended so that his companion could climb up onto the ship. He then went to his stateroom and dried himself off. He put his note from the doctor between dry towels. At this time an orderly from the Captain came to his door and told him that the Captain wanted to see him immediately. Dad told him he would be along as soon as convenient.

When he saw the Captain he was reminded that he had been instructed not to leave the ship without the Doctorís permission. Dad showed him the Doctorís note, and when he tried to take it from him Dad withdrew it and reminded the Captain of his violation of the whistle regulations. It was. I suppose, a verbal Mexican stand-off,

All of this became academic when they arrived in San Francisco. They were digging out from the earthquake and fire. At that time they were shooting looters. Dad forgot the Captain and the incident at sea. So he proceeded on to Washington.

Pearl packed her wedding gifts carefully, together with all of her other precious family possessions, and all the other household paraphernalia. She and her children took transport ,and left for San Francisco. When she arrived there, her baggage was examined by the Customs Authority. The Officer conducting the search of her things reached down into the bottom of a trunk and vigorously pulled a blanket from the bottom thereby breaking every piece of a set of china given to her by her grandmother as a wedding present. There was no redress.

She left San Francisco to rejoin her husband, and face up to her inólaws,