13. Christmas of 1945 in California and along the East Coast
The troops arriving in the United States in late 1945 spent Christmas, for the most part, either in or near the processing centers, unable to gain a seat on a train home. Some, particularly those who had served in the Air Forces of the Army and Navy, managed to hitch a ride on aircraft which were being sent to inland bases and airports for eventual scrapping. Men flew to bases near their homes in the unheated holds of aircraft which had formerly dropped bombs over Germany and in the Solomon Islands and other Pacific areas. Officially men riding in airplanes were required to have orders giving them military priorities, unofficially the aircrews ignored the requirement.
Those forced to remain at or near the processing centers found hospitality among the civilian populations nearby. Many were welcomed into the homes of total strangers for holiday dinners and celebrations. The generosity the returning troops found was overwhelming. Many long-haul truckers offered to drive veterans to their destinations if they lay along their route. A Los Angeles cab driver took six veterans to their homes in Chicago, 2,000 miles away, for the price of the cost of gasoline. Troops still aboard ships in American anchorages were served Christmas dinner supplemented with donations and entertainment from local groups.
