1945 Road Trip I

In the summer of 1945, my uncle Dick was in high school. The Germans had surrendered in Europe, but the war in the Pacific was still on. My mother must have been off at Girl Scout camp. Henry Ford was a few months away from passing the presidency of his namesake company to Henry Ford II. Two years later, the elder Ford would be no more.

With the summer stretching out in front of him, Dick got on a bus with a friend and headed across the country to find a job haying in Canada.

In ink, on a penny postcard postmarked Provo, Utah, 4:30 p.m. June 29, 1945, addressed to Mr. & Mrs. D.H. DeWitt, 3482 Knollcrest Ave, Los Angeles 43, Calif

Friday
June 29, 1945
1:30PM
Provo, Utah

Dear Mom and Dad:

We left Los Angeles early Thursday morning on the P.E. bus for San Berbnado! [scribbled, apparently trying to say San Bernardino]

Last night we slept at Cedar City. That’s where Dad and I slept in 1939, and in the same auto court.

Yesterday we got several rides and about 75 miles out of Las Vegas we got a ride with the man we are still driving with.

Hope to get to Laramie early Saturday. Everything is going well. Hope you’re fine

Dick