Interview of Elizabeth "Betty" Hulings Booker on her service in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps during WWII Interviewer: …your name and address, the branch and years of service, your background be-, before entering the service. Betty Booker: Okay. Uh, my name while I was in the service was Betty Hulings. Actually, my, um, uh, legal name is Elizabeth, but you know, I didn’t know any better at that time. But my married name is Booker. I live at 531 Edgewood Avenue, West Mifflin, PA. I served with the Army Nurse Corps from April 1, 1944 until February 5, 1946 [inaudible 0:43]. Interviewer: Uh-huh. Betty Booker: Uh, I was overseas in the Persian Gulf Command with the 19th Field Hospital from, um, December 25, 1944 until December 15, 1945. Be-, before entering the service, um, I attended, uh, I lived in a small mining town in Western Pennsylvania, uh, attended California State, uh, State College for a year and a half and then, uh, entered, uh, Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Nursing in Baltimore, Maryland. And while I was a student, I joined the Cadet Nurse Corps in preparation for enlistment, uh, in the service. As a senior nurse, we were assigned to be charge nurses the last six months, um, overseas, uh, the last six months, um, our nursing, uh, training because Hopkins had sent two units overseas, and there was a shortage of RNs at that time. And this proved to be good preparation for overseas, uh, duty and service with the Army Nurse Corps. Uh, so… Interviewer: [2:04] How did you or when you went overseas, how, what was your mode of transportation? Did you fly or? Betty Booker: Uh…let’s see. I, um, well, first, uh… Interviewer: When you went as a unit. Betty Booker: When I went as a unit. Interviewer: Yeah. You… Betty Booker: Uh, first I’d like to tell you a little bit… Interviewer: Oh, sure. Betty Booker: …about, uh… Interviewer: Certainly. Betty Booker: …the early enlistment… Interviewer: Oh, early enlistment and all that. Betty Booker: …okay? Um, I volunteered I guess [clears throat] primarily because patriotism was high, and also I had six brothers in various branches of the service. And one of these brothers had been on the Utah in Pearl Harbor when it was sunk and, but he was able to swim to, to safety and continue his service. Uh, I feel I was kind of [new 3:09], uh, as all people are by the history of their times. Uh, I think at times of war, it’s a little more apparent that we are a part of the history of our times. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: Uh…my nursing education was my primary preparation for service in the, uh, Army Nurse Corps, and I was fortunate that two classmates of mine enlisted the same time that I did… Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: …and they, uh… Interviewer: [Kept you 3:45]. Betty Booker: …yeah, they, they assured us we would stay together, and we did. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: So that kind of made the… Interviewer: Oh, that was good. Betty Booker: …adjustment, uh… Interviewer: I didn’t know they would make those promises. Betty Booker: Yeah, well they, they, uh, we weren’t sure whether they’d be able to keep it or not, but… Interviewer: Uh-huh. Betty Booker: …but they did, and so we, we served the, uh, the two years together. Uh, I had my basic training at, um, Camp Meade. Interviewer: Did you? Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: Oh, my. Betty Booker: And in the month of April 1944. Interviewer: Well, I was there later. Betty Booker: Uh-huh, uh-huh. Interviewer: September. Betty Booker: And, uh, the basic training was, was rather rigorous for, for us, but of course, not as rigorous, rigorous, as the, uh, for the GIs. We did have our gas mask training and… Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: …and, uh… Interviewer: Good you recalled that. Betty Booker: Yeah. Interviewer: That was frightening. Betty Booker: And the drills and… Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: …and you know, learning to keep step and so forth. Um, from basic training, I was transferred to Camp Lee, Virginia. Interviewer: Camp Lee. Betty Booker: …stationed, uh-huh, uh-huh. Interviewer: We went on one of our reservist [inaudible 4:54]. Betty Booker: Yeah. Um, and I was, at that time, I was assigned to a large surgical unit. And the time that I spent there provided good orientation to the Army Medical Service and especially the supervision of corpsmen, you know, as they… Interviewer: That was a very… Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: …big. Betty Booker: And it’s amazing the, you know, to me, the help that they were able to give us. We received all of our immunizations there; our typhoid and smallpox and tetanus and typhus and cholera. So from all those injections, we really weren’t sure where we were going. [laughter] Interviewer: We got all of that in basic training. Betty Booker: Oh, did you? Interviewer: You know, in Fort Meade. Betty Booker: Yeah, we had some there and some… Interviewer: Oh, I see. Yeah. Betty Booker: …at, um, uh…at, um, Camp Lee. Interviewer: Yeah. Betty Booker: Uh, at, at, um…Camp Lee, we were issued, um, helmets and canteens and bedding and duffle bags and all of that, and boy, we really began to feel that we were… Interviewer: Right. Betty Booker: …we were in the service. And, and, uh, uh, we’d be getting orders soon. Uh, in October, we were sent to, uh, Camp Patrick Henry, Virginia to the women’s staging area there. Interviewer: We returned. Betty Booker: That’s where you came in to? Interviewer: That’s where, yeah, near there... Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: …McLean. Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Then on October 29th, we, we went to Hampton Roads, and on November 1st, we sailed. Uh, we got on a large, uh, cruise ship. I don’t remember the name of it at this time… Interviewer: No. Betty Booker: …but there were about 30 nurses, and you know, a few thousand… Interviewer: GIs. Betty Booker: …soldiers… Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: …uh, on that, on the ship. Uh, we had a trunk issued to us, a duffle bag, and a field bag, and we had to make those do for all of, everything… Interviewer: That’s right. Betty Booker: …that we had to take or wanted to take overseas with us. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: Uh…I can still remember, you know, being in this, those military outfits, in that military outfit marching up that gangway, and it’s hard to believe… Interviewer: You were fright-… Betty Booker: …that, yeah. You’re really a part of it. Interviewer: …you were frightened. Sure, sure. Betty Booker: …because at that time you were [inaudible 7:31]. Um, the, the trip overseas was exciting as a new experience for me and… Interviewer: Mm-hm. Were you seasick? We, there were many of us. Betty Booker: I got seasick, yes. Interviewer: Yes. And they didn’t have Dramamine. Betty Booker: Right, no. Now, the first couple of days… Interviewer: Right. Betty Booker: …and of course there were… Interviewer: [Crewmate 7:48]. Betty Booker: …there were nurses, we had one nurse who was seasick all the way over. Interviewer: No. Betty Booker: …and she was so… Interviewer: And they put her in sickbay. Betty Booker: …yeah. She was in sickbay. When we got to our destination, she was sent back to the States because she had gotten rundown so bad. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: And they found out she was pregnant. [laughter] I remember sleeping in an, an upper bunk. Interviewer: Bunk, right. Betty Booker: And, uh, uh, it, and, and the tight quarters were a new experience. Interviewer: And as the water swayed, you swayed. Betty Booker: Yeah. I remember sitting on deck and reading in the afternoons, meeting, uh, people from across the country. Uh, two meals a day. You know, I never thought I could survive with two meals a day… Interviewer: But you do. Betty Booker: …but it certainly was plenty. Uh, probably the hardest part was the confinement and the blackout of the ship at, uh, at night so you… Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: …couldn’t be out at all after dark. We still weren’t sure where we were going, but, uh, our first indication was when we spotted the Rock of Gibraltar and sailed into the Mediterranean. But again, we still weren’t sure. But the ship anchored off Algiers, and the nurses were invited to a dinner onshore, a dinner dance, you know? So we were excited about that. Interviewer: In your exciting clothes. Betty Booker: Yeah, we got on our, our dress uniforms and took off for an evening of fun. Um, from there, uh, we went, uh, to Port Said in Egypt and sailed down the Red Sea. Interviewer: Oh. So your history is… Betty Booker: Uh-huh, so I learned a little bit about geography on this trip. Uh, so we sailed through the Red Sea, and of course, as you do that, you’re sitting on a deck, you’re thinking about the Bible, the biblical story about the… Interviewer: Yes, I’m sure. Betty Booker: …Sea being divided. Uh, we went down to India, Indian Ocean and sailed and, uh, landed in Bombay, India. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Uh, we were, while in Bombay, we were billeted in a hotel and had a couple tours of the city. We were there about three days. One evening, uh, my two friends and I went to an English officer’s home for dinner, and, uh, I was really amazed at the, uh, number of servants… Interviewer: Servants. Betty Booker: …this English officer had in his home. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: They were… Interviewer: Oh, interesting. Betty Booker: …um, it seemed like a caste system because there was one to take care of children, one that cleaned, a cook, and must’ve been five or six of them. And after the three days, we were loaded on a train for a trip to Pakistan. The train had bench seats with overhead racks for luggage. And when the train stopped for fuel, natives would swarm to the train begging for handouts. In the villages, poverty and poor health was more evident, especially, uh, the incidents of eye infections. Interviewer: Hm. Betty Booker: But we didn’t get off the train [at all 11:20]. In Pakistan, we boarded a small English ship for the trip to the Persian Gulf. Uh, tea was served early in the morning when you were awakened and again in the late afternoon. Interviewer: Hm. Betty Booker: We enjoyed these, this. It was a leisurely trip but somewhat of a culture shock that I watched the Indian making or kneading the bread with her bare feet... Interviewer: Oh, my. Betty Booker: …on the, on the [corner 11:50] of the, uh, of the ship. Interviewer: Yeah, so exciting. Betty Booker: Uh, yeah. Interviewer: [Where 11:56] you saw poverty in France. Betty Booker: [Oh 11:59], did you? Interviewer: We didn’t. Betty Booker: Oh, you didn’t. Okay. Interviewer: No. Betty Booker: You wouldn’t see it to that extent. Interviewer: No. No. They… Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: …provided meals and eggs and [supplies 12:07]. Betty Booker: So, uh, we sailed up of the Persian Gulf to the Port of Khorramshahr, Khorramshahr, [that’s 12:17] how you pronounce it, and we landed there on Christmas Eve. Interviewer: So you… Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Forty-four and you in, in France. Interviewer: Yeah. Betty Booker: Uh, when, when we packed for overseas in late October, Christmas seemed, uh… Interviewer: So far… Betty Booker: …ages away. Interviewer: …in the, mm-hm. Betty Booker: But one of my friends, uh, Liz, one of the two classmates that went overseas with me, had been a little fores-, uh, foresighted, and she opened her footlocker and pulled out a Christmas gift for [Bonnie 12:52] and I… Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: …all wrapped with Christmas wrap. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: And we all cried because of her thought-, thoughtfulness. Interviewer: Sure. Betty Booker: But we cried… Interviewer: Well, you were [stopped 13:03]. Betty Booker: …because it was [how 13:04], because it was Christmas, and we were so far away from home. And also I guess a little fearful because we didn’t know, still didn’t know what was ahead of us. And we stayed on the, uh, ship that night ‘cause it was on Christmas Day we were loaded onto a truck for a ride to the 19th Field Hospital in Andimeshk. Uh… Interviewer: [13:31] Oh, you were with the field hospital? Betty Booker: Yeah. Interviewer: Oh, I… Betty Booker: That was about 150 or so miles inland, the desert area of Iran. Interviewer: Yeah, yeah. Mm-hm. Oh. Betty Booker: We were exhausted, but they had a full course Christmas dinner waiting for us with turkey and all the trimmings. But the biggest treat occurred when we were shown to our villas and found the accumulated mail of two months on the bunks. Interviewer: Oh, mail call was so very… Betty Booker: Mm-hm. Interviewer: …and, and overseas and stateside. Betty Booker: Yeah, yeah. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: Uh, the, this camp was on the train and truck route for transport of supplies from America near the Persian Gulf, uh, to Russia in support of the, uh, fighting on the Western Front in Europe. The 19th Field Hospital provided medical service to the troops that served in, uh, in this supply service. Interviewer: [14:40] You were in the 19th, was that? Betty Booker: Yeah. Interviewer: Oh, I see. Betty Booker: Uh-huh. For a while. There was also a 19th Station Hospital, which was in Tehran… Interviewer: Yemen. Betty Booker: …so we, we were there later. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: Uh…an interesting story I read about the Persian Gulf Command, uh, told that late in 1943, a truck driven by a Negro sergeant from Texas left the Persian Gulf Port and headed north toward Russia with a million tons of lend-lease supplies to be hauled across Iran to the Western Front. Interviewer: Hm. Betty Booker: And as he left, an American General and a Russian General shook hands with that. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: And as I rode that truck to Andimeshk a year later, there were other trucks traveling the same road with supplies with more supplies for the Russians. Uh, the, um, the loaded trucks and trains heading for Russia were evidence of an American triumph in support of the battlefront. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: It was a massive transportation effort, where it included the modernization of a railroad system, changing fishing villages to modern ports, and setting up assembly lines in Southern Iran to put together truck parts sent from, uh, Studebaker, Dodge, Chevrolet, Ford companies in America. And there were civilians that served in Iran too as experts to, to help with this, uh, um, assembly of all these parts into trucks that could be used. The, uh, medical care, uh, needed, uh, to take care of the thousands of soldiers and technical advisors and maintenance workers was provided by several centers in Iran. Uh, when the nurses first arrived, they lived and worked in tents, but by the time I got there, there were permanent facilities and you know. There was the 19th, uh, Field Hospital in, um, Andimeshk where I first served. Then at the 19th Station Hospital in Tehran and, uh, with the 21st Station Hospital in Khorramshahr, which was the port, and, uh, there was also 113th General Hospital in [inaudible 17:30] in Ahvaz, Iran. Uh, course when I reached, went over, I went over as a replacement… Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: …so at that time, the, the service was beginning to… Interviewer: Expand. Betty Booker: …to get smaller. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: No, it was getting smaller. Interviewer: Hm. Betty Booker: The camp at Andimeshk where I first served, uh, was sprawled over the desert near the rail and truck routes. The hospital had three buildings with, you know, fingers which were different units, wards. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: Uh, course they were all one story buildings. Uh, the nursing quarters were near, nearby, and they, it was a square construction with a center court… Interviewer: [Inaudible 18:28]. Betty Booker: …so the rooms were around the square… Interviewer: Around the s-… Betty Booker: …and the, uh, the bathing facilities and, uh, the lounging area’s there too, but we did have privacy or [something along those 18:42]. Interviewer: They always tried. Betty Booker: Uh-huh, uh-huh. Uh, all the rooms had a desert cooler set up over the windows, and that was a primitive form of, uh, air conditioning. Interviewer: Air conditioning, right. Betty Booker: …with a straw, inside wire on the window, and then water dripped through the straw and a fan moved the air. Interviewer: That was really primitive. Betty Booker: Yeah. So they all had that and, uh, which helped with the heat, you know, it could get as hot as 120 degrees there or hotter. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: We were encouraged to take salt tablets… Interviewer: Right. Betty Booker: …and they were always readily available. Interviewer: Mm-hm. [19:28] Describe your perception of a contribution your service made to America’s efforts for peace and time and place. What was the, and what was the nature of some of your assignments? Betty Booker: What were my assignments? Interviewer: Well, you had indicated you were… Betty Booker: Yeah. Interviewer: …a field hospital. Betty Booker: We were a field hospital. Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: But we weren’t, uh, the assignment was primarily general duty nursing. Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: Uh, which included responsibilities for management of the units. Uh, there was always at least one corpsman on a unit to assist you, uh, you know, each shift. Interviewer: Due to the lack of nurses. Betty Booker: Right. And, um, and we were responsible, at night, we were responsible or evenings may be responsible for, you know, two or three units with a corpsman… Interviewer: That’s right. Betty Booker: …on each unit. Uh…the supplies were plentiful. I don’t remember having a shortage of supplies. A physician was always there or on call. Interviewer: On call, right. Betty Booker: Uh, we worked a 12-hour shift. Interviewer: There was no, as I indicated, sometimes, you know, it was more than 12 hours. Betty Booker: Yeah, 7 a.m., usually 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and then 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Interviewer: Probably as they brought your patients in. Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Night duty was, uh, assigned about two weeks every three months. You know, you didn’t have a lotta that. Uh, our uniform was a seersucker dress… Interviewer: Mm-hm, striped. Betty Booker: …and a nurse cap, a brown and white stripe and with, uh, oh, the uniform was a wrap-around. Interviewer: Right. Betty Booker: So, so you had to tie it securely. Interviewer: Securely all right. And a pin up at the top. Betty Booker: Right, uh-huh. Interviewer: Much starch. Betty Booker: Yeah. The, uh, the pay was about, I think, 166 a month, but you did have, um, separate pay for overseas, which was about $16 a month. And also at, at certain times, I would be designated as flight nurse, and you might get a little extra for that. That was to take a patient, uh… Interviewer: That was extreme. Betty Booker: …accompany a patient… Interviewer: Sorta [detached 21:57] service. Betty Booker: …on a plane. Yeah, uh-huh. The food was good. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: But I missed mostly fresh fruits and vegetables. Interviewer: Right. Betty Booker: Uh, there was an officer’s club where dinners and dances were held weekly… Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: …including movies. And, uh, you know, occasional USO shows. So that kind of, uh, summarizes my, um, assignments. Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: And I did enjoy the, the flight nursing because it was a little break from the hospital nursing [inaudible 22:33]. Interviewer: Yes, well… Betty Booker: But it was usually an overnight trip. Interviewer: Sure. Betty Booker: There and back. Interviewer: It’s like if we went to the evacuation hospital. You had [yours 22:42]. Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: [22:47] Um, what about, uh, about any benefits, Betty? Did you, uh, glean any after you left the service? Were you able to take… Betty Booker: Mm-hm. After I left the service, I, uh, I did use, utilize the GI Bill and… Interviewer: Uh-huh. Betty Booker: …in fact, uh, I was separated in early January, and in that same month, enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh for a Baccalaureate Degree. Interviewer: [23:19] What year was that? Betty Booker: Uh, ‘4-, ’46, ’46. Early ’46 I started there. Interviewer: [Write it down 23:27]. Betty Booker: Mm-hm. Interviewer: [It was August 23:29]. Betty Booker: Mm-hm. You know, I really, I had fully appreciated that... Interviewer: I did too. Betty Booker: …because it, it help stabilize your future. Interviewer: Mm-hm, right. Betty Booker: Mm-hm. Interviewer: Mm-hm. Really, it was the guiding… Betty Booker: Sure. And I had had some previous college, and you know, was able to transfer those credits... Interviewer: Sure. Oh, that was good. Betty Booker: …and finished in a year and a half. Okay? Interviewer: [23:57] Um, what did you do after? Your grad work? Betty Booker: Well, yeah. Interviewer: Was your education helpful to you for your future… Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: …employment and [lifespan 24:05]? Betty Booker: Mm-hm. I, uh, while I was, uh, working on the Bacc-, Baccalaureate Degree, I did work part-time general duty in, uh, pediatric nursing. So after I got the degree, then I, uh, I got married and started to have a family. Interviewer: Your own pediatric. [laughter] Betty Booker: Started to have a family and, uh, uh…didn’t work for a couple years, but when I did return, uh, I of course went into nursing education, teaching pediatrics and, and eventually went on and got a Master’s Degree and, uh, and served, uh…worked at the University of Pittsburgh, uh, the Nursing Faculty for four years and then went on to nursing education administration. Interviewer: Good. [25:05] Betty, don’t you wonder now how you made all the adjustments? Uh, when you came from a small town and how everything fell in place after a while, even the time, the army time-telling this [inaudible 25:21], you know, the 0900s… Betty Booker: Uh-huh, uh-huh. Interviewer: …and the, oh, it’s 1900 and so forth. Betty Booker: And, and I did, um, I did learn that at that time, but I think I’ve forgotten it, and now they’re starting to use it again in college… Interviewer: Yes, yeah. Betty Booker: …schedules and so forth, so I had to, I had to go back and recall, uh, all of that. Interviewer: [25:42] Betty, are there any other, uh, thoughts that you’d like to share for your oral history? Betty Booker: Well, I think that, uh, probably my most satisfying experiences were those spent working and talking with the soldiers… Interviewer: Right. Betty Booker: …about home as you cared for them. Uh, even the Russian soldiers that we took care would pull out pictures of family. Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: …to show us and, uh, most of our patients in Iran were, of course, none of’m were battle causalities. They were in the hospital for medical reasons or… Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: …the result of injuries. Interviewer: See, ours… Betty Booker: …[or 26:23] these truck accidents and so forth. Um… Interviewer: Mm-hm. Ours were battle. Betty Booker: Yeah? And, and it was interesting when I, to meet a soldier from, uh, my high school class. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: You know, you don’t see, see anybody from home for a long time. I did have two vacations while I was there. I had a, uh, a 10-day trip to the Holy Land… Interviewer: That was very nice. Betty Booker: …which was all very well planned by the army, I mean, by the service. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: I don’t know exactly who did it. Interviewer: Wow. Betty Booker: But all of the transportation and everything was planned. We got to visit Jerusalem and Nazareth and Bethlehem and Tel Aviv. Interviewer: Well, that in itself was, uh, dividend and plus. Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Mm-hm. And we al-, I also took a four-day, uh, trip to the Caspian Sea. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: Uh, we rode up the, uh, over the mountains of Iran on a, in a truck, an army truck. Interviewer: You must be makin’ many comparisons today and, and yesteryear about… Betty Booker: Yeah. Interviewer: …the army and what’s going on in Iran today. Betty Booker: Yeah. I think it would be, oh my gosh, when I think about what’s happening there today… Interviewer: Yeah, that’s why… Betty Booker: …and how the relationship with the United States… Interviewer: That’s… Betty Booker: …has changed dramatically. Interviewer: Just warped. Betty Booker: Yeah, it’s sad, it really saddens you. Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: Um, I never, I never felt in any danger while I was over there. Interviewer: I never did either. I [read 28:00] we were… Betty Booker: I, I was threatened a couple times emotionally. Uh, females as a small minority… Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: …among the male military… Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: …received a great deal of attention. And, uh, but sometimes, you know, it could be overwhelming. Interviewer: Yes. Betty Booker: And you would wonder about the sincerity… Interviewer: Sincerity of it. Oh, yes. I think every female and every nurse that served [would talk 28:33]. Betty Booker: Yeah, I, uh, I, going overseas, I spent, uh, a fair amount of time with a young officer that I’d become acquainted with, and, uh, when we were about to leave the ship in Bombay, an, an older, uh, Colonel came and said, Betty, he’s married. And I didn’t know. I didn’t know. So I was, I was grateful for the warning… Interviewer: Warning. Betty Booker: …and of course, we st-, stopped the relationship right there. But, uh… Interviewer: There were many such, uh, [inaudible 29:11]. Betty Booker: It’s, it was funny because when I mentioned it to, uh, a priest later when, after I reached Iran, he, uh, he laughed. But he also published a list of all the single officers. Interviewer: Oh, no. [laughter] Betty Booker: Yeah. Interviewer: I never heard [that 29:29]. Betty Booker: So I don’t know. I think they all laughed about it but, uh… Interviewer: Oh, that was. Betty Booker: …yeah. Interviewer: Well, Betty, that was very, very interesting. I was so happy to hear [that 29:39]… Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: …because your experiences were maybe parallel but different. Betty Booker: Yeah, parallel in time but different, right. Interviewer: But different, right. Betty Booker: Yeah. You know, I think what was interesting, it took us two months to get to Iran on land and sea but only five days to fly back home. Interviewer: That’s why I asked you mode of transit. Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: We flew, when we flew back, we came back, uh, we stopped at Casablanca and stayed overnight there. Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: And then stopped in the Azores, did a little sightseeing there, and then went to Newfoundland… Interviewer: We passed by the Azores… Betty Booker: …and then to New York. Interviewer: …but not… Betty Booker: You didn’t stop. Interviewer: …didn’t stop. Betty Booker: So, you know, I arrived home and we went to Fort Dix. Interviewer: Fort Dix. Betty Booker: And we’re giving, given a leave, uh, for Christmas. So I went home, you know, arrived home Christmas Day in 1945 and then went back to Fort Dix and was, um, uh, separated from active duty… Interviewer: Mm-hm. Betty Booker: …at that time. Interviewer: They gave you an option to stay or separate… Betty Booker: I don’t, I don’t remember. Interviewer: …don’t they? Yeah, they… Betty Booker: They probably did, but I… Interviewer: Yeah, but I… Betty Booker: …don’t remember. But I was ready to go home. Interviewer: …chose, uh, I was too, but then… Betty Booker: Uh-huh. We fully, we thought we were going to be reassigned to the, uh… Interviewer: Same. Betty Booker: …the Japanese. Interviewer: Yeah. Betty Booker: Uh, [inaudible 31:02]. Interviewer: That was very, very interesting. Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: I’m sure, Betty, you’ve contributed a lot for the history. Betty Booker: Well, it was a great experience for me too. Interviewer: It is. Betty Booker: I would never… Interviewer: Oh. Betty Booker: …have thought. Interviewer: You couldn’t. Betty Booker: …I would have that, you know? I, I think if, if I had the same trip now… Interviewer: How costly. Betty Booker: …the cost would be, but I think I wouldn’t get a lot more out of it. Interviewer: Yeah, well your reactions, don’t forget, we matured. Betty Booker: Sure. Interviewer: You have many years later. Betty Booker: Yeah. Interviewer: Well, there’s there’s the span of 40 years. Betty Booker: Uh-huh. Interviewer: Really? Betty Booker: Right. Interviewer: Forty or? Betty Booker: It’s been 40 years. Interviewer: Yeah. Betty Booker: Okay, thank you, [dear 31:40]. Interviewer: Thank you. /dd