June, 1947. Page, 24, sits at the bar in the Sheraton Plaza Hotel in Daytona Beach, Fla. It’s hot, Florida in summer hot. She sips a drink alone.
A man walks in. A sport coat and pressed shirt drape over his lanky frame. His nose is sharp, eyes the color of coffee. As he crosses the room he seems to point to the floor — his eyes, his nose, his head, his chest. He served in the war. It’s that walk, she can tell. He comes toward her.
kAm“w:[” 96 D2JD] “|2J x D:E 5@H?n”k^Am
kAm“*6D[ @7 4@FCD6[” !286 C6A=:6D]k^Am
kAmw6 AF==D @A6? E96 492:C 2?5 D:ED] “%92?< J@F]”k^Am
kAm%96 A2DE 42? 36 92C5 E@ A:4EFC6[ :E =62G6D @?=J D925@HD] %96 :>AC6DD:@? C6>2:?:?8 :D 4@33=65 E@86E96C =:<6 D46?6D 7C@> @=5 >@G:6D — E96 492C24E6CD 2C6 C62=[ 3FE E96 D6EE:?8D 2C6 H@@56?[ E96 5:2=@8F6 :>28:?65[ 2=>@DE 7:4E:@?]k^Am
kAmqFE !286 :D C62=] p?5 D@ H2D 96]k^Am
kAm%96J E2=<] w6’D H:EEJ[ >2<6D 96C =2F89] $96 @C56CD 2 D64@?5 5C:?<] w6 7:?:D96D 9:D 7:CDE] {2E6 27E6C?@@? D=:AD E@ 6G6?:?8[ 3FE E96 52C< u=@C:52 yF?6 :D DE:== DE:7=:?8] $@@? 96 92D E@ =62G6]k^Am
kAm“x’> 8:G:?8 2 E2=<[” 96 D2JD] “xE’== 36 2? 9@FC] (:== J@F H2:En”k^Am
kAm$96 D>:=6D] “(2:E 7@C H92En”k^Am
kAm“x’5 =:<6 E@ 92G6 5:??6C H:E9 J@F[” 96 D2JD[ DE2?5:?8]k^Am
kAm“p? 9@FCn” D96 D2JD] “*6D[ x’== H2:E]”k^Am
kAm(96? 96 C6EFC?D E96J =62G6 E@86E96C[ H2=< @FE @7 E96 32C[ @FE @7 E96 9@E6= 2?5 :?E@ 2 C6DE2FC2?E] %96J <66A E2=<:?8 — 9:> E6==:?8 DE@C:6D 2?5 96C =2F89:?8] (96? E96J 7:?:D9 5:??6C E96J 8@ E@ 2?@E96C 32C[ E96? 2 E9:C5] xE’D 27E6C >:5?:89E H96? E96J H2=< 324< E@ E96 $96C2E@? !=2K2]k^Am
kAm“%92?< J@F[” !286 D2JD[ =62?:?8 282:?DE E96 5@@C E@ 96C C@@>] “x 925 2 H@?56C7F= ?:89E]”k^Am
kAm“|6 E@@[” E96 >2? D2JD]k^Am
kAm$96 DE6AD :?D:56[ 4=@D:?8 E96 5@@C 369:?5 96C 2D 96 H2=<D 2H2J]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE >@C?:?8 62C=J E96C6 :D 2 <?@4<] !286 AF==D @? 96C C@36] “*6Dn”k^Am
kAm“x H2?E65 E@ E92?< J@F 282:?[” E96 >2? D2JD] $96 @A6?D E96 5@@C 2?5 96 92?5D 96C 9:D 42C5] w:D 7:?86CD EC2:= 24C@DD 96CD 2D D96 E2<6D :E] “xE H2D E96 A6C764E ?:89E]”k^Am
kAmw6 D>:=6D] “(C:E6 >6[” 96 D2JD[ 2?5 E96? EFC?D]k^Am
kAm$96 =@@<D 2E E96 42C5i y]s] $2=:?86C[ HC:E6C]k^Am
kAm`hcf[ 7@FC J62CD 367@C6 “%96 r2E496C :? E96 #J6]” !286 :D ?@H ha] w6C 3:CE952J ;FDE A2DD65] $96 =:G6D :? $@FE9 r2C@=:?2[ DE:== 5C:G6D[ DE:== =:G6D :? 96C 9@>6] $96 :D >J 8C2?5>@E96C]k^Am
kAmx <?6H ?@?6 @7 E96 DE@CJ H96? x G:D:E65 =2DE 72==] $96’5 72==6?[ 3C@<6? 96C A6=G:D 2?5 H2D :? 2 C6923 46?E6C 2H2:E:?8 DFC86CJ] x 5C@G6 5@H? E@ @776C 96=A] pD:56 7C@> E96 3C62< D96 H2D 962=E9J 2?5 DEC@?8[ “%9:D A=246 :D 7F== @7 @=5 A6@A=6[” D96 E@=5 >6] “}@E =:<6 >6] x’> @=5[ 3FE E96D6 A6@A=6 92G6 ?@ :562 H92E 52J :E :D]”k^Am
kAmqFE ?@E 96C] }:?6EJ\EH@ @C ?@E[ D96 C6>6>36CD]k^Am
kAm“*@F’C6 2 HC:E6C[ D@ J@F >:89E 2AAC64:2E6 E9:D[” D96 D2:5[ 2?5 D96 E@=5 >6 E96 DE@CJi E96 32C[ 9@H 96 42>6 :? E96? =67E E96? 42>6 324<] s:??6C] %96 ?6IE >@C?:?8] p== @7 :E]k^Am
kAm“v@ :? >J 56D<[” D96 D2:5] “x? E96 324< E96C6’D 2? 6?G6=@A6] {@@< :?D:56]”k^Am
kAm“(C:E6 >6[” 96 D2:5] p?5 D96 5:5] p?5 96 HC@E6 324<]k^Am
kAm%96 6?G6=@A6 H2D J6==@H 2?5 DEF7765 H:E9 4=:AA:?8D] %96 C6EFC? 255C6DD — !]~] q@I ba[ (:?5D@C[ '% _d_gh — =24<D 2 ?2>6j E96 A@DE>2C< C625 |2J ab[ `hfe[ ah J62CD 27E6C E96 9@E6=]k^Am
kAm“s62C !286 q][” E96 =6EE6C 368:?D[ EJA65 :? E96 :CC68F=2C DEC@<6 @7 2 EJA6HC:E6C] “|2:?=J[ x DFAA@D6[ 3642FD6 @7 E96 <:?5 @7 H@C< x’G6 8@E >JD6=7 :?E@[ >J >6>@CJ D66>D E@ 36 2=>@DE 6IE:?4E] ~C D@ 4=FEE6C65 2?5 4C@DD\4=FEE6C65 E92E x 42? 86E 2E E9:?8D @?=J 2E E96:C 4@?G6?:6?46[ ?@E >:?6] }@E E92E :E 5@6D?’E 2== 4@>6 324< :7 D@>6@?6 G6CJ <:?5=J AC6D6?ED >6 H:E9 2? 2CE:724E @C EH@ — E96 D62E:?8 A=2? @7 D@>6 @=5 5:?:?8 C@@>[ D2J[ @C 2 D<6E49 @7 E96 H2J 564< 492:CD H6C6 A=2465 2C@F?5 E96 DH:>>:?8 A@@=[ @C D@>6E:>6D ;FDE 2 A=2:? H6E 3=24< 32E9:?8 DF:E 5@6D E96 EC:4<]”k^Am
kAmqFE 6G6? 72565[ E96 >6>@CJ DFCG:G65i “x H2D 324< 2E E92E s2JE@?2 9@E6= 2 4@FA=6 @7 H:?E6CD 28@[ H:E9 >J 49:=5C6?[ 3FE E96 A=246 925 EFC?65 D665J 2?5 E96 H62E96C H2D 4@=5[ 2?5 H6 4=62C65 @FE :? 2 9FCCJ]”k^Am
kAm~?6 A286 @?=J[ D:8?65 “ys$]” w6 C676CC65 E@ 96C 49:=5C6? W“x’> 2H2C6 @7 H92E 8@6D :?E@ 92G:?8 ;FDE EH@] %96 2=863C2 @7 D6G6? :D E@@ >F49 7@C >6]”X 2?5 96C D6A2C2E:@?[ :?5:42E:@?D @7 A2DE 4@CC6DA@?56?46] w6C H@C5D[ 9@H6G6C[ 2C6 D:=6?E[ @?=J 649@65 @? E96 A286 @7 2 >2? H9@ DA=2D965 =6EE6CD =:<6 A2:?E]k^Am
kAm“*@F 5@ D@F?5 :?E24E[ 3FE G6CJ >F49[ E9@F89[ 2?5 x’> 8=25] u@C H92E G6CJ =:EE=6 :E >FDE 36 H@CE9[ x D6?5 J@F 2== E96D6 :?2?:E:6D H:E9 H2C> 2A@=@8:6D]”k^Am
kAmw6 :D 5625 ?@H] $96 :D ha] qFE E96 =6EE6C C6>2:?D] %9:CEJ\?:?6 J62CD =2E6C[ eg J62CD =2E6C[ E96 A2DE :D DE:== 4=FEE6C65 2?5 4C@DD\4=FEE6C65] |6>@C:6D 7256[ E96? 5:D2AA62C[ 2?5 7C@> E96 C62CG:6H :E D@F?5D 2=>@DE =:<6 7:4E:@?]k^Am
kAmp=>@DE]k^Am
kAmtC:< t:D6=6 :D 2 C6A@CE6C 7@C %96 r@?H2J s2:=J $F?k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.