Early on FROM AL
1932 MY FOLKS BOUGHT A HOUSE IN THE MARINA SO I WENT TO WINFIELD SCOTT GRAMMER SCHOOLWHEN I WAS 7. IRWIN (ALSO LIVED IN THE MARINA)WAS A HALF A YEAR OLDER SO WE WERE IN DIFFERENT CLASSES BUT WE WERE BOTH IN THE CUB SCOUTS. THIS WAS THE BEGINING OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION .
1937 WE BOTH WENT TO MARINA JUNIOR HIGH, STILL HALF A YEAR APART AND DIFFERENT HOME ROOMS. I HAD A DISLIKE FOR MOLLY SMITH, THE PRINCIPAL AT WINFIELD SCOTT AND WAS EITHER INVOLVED WITH ROCKY AND THE GARBAGE CANS OR COPIED IT. ALSO SPENT TIME CLEANING UP THE PRINPAL'S OFFICE.
1940 WE GRADUATED FROM MARINA JR. A FEW WENT TO LOWELL HIGH
BUT IRWIN, GLENHALL TAYLOR AND I WENT TO GALILEO HIGH SCHOOL
AND ENROLLED IN THE ROTC.
DECEMBER 7, 1941 I WAS NEAR IRWIN'S HOUSE PLAYING WITH FRIENDS IN THE STREET WHEN THE NEWS ABOUT PEARL HARBOR CAME OVER THE RADIO. PEOPLE WERE SHOUTING THE NEWS FROM THEIR WINDOWS. WE WERE 16 AND OUR LIVES HAD JUST CHANGED.
SAN FRANCISCO WAS PARTICULARLY IN DANGER BECAUSE WE COULD NOT HIDE THE CITY WITH A BLACKOUT; A BIT OF STAR LIGHT WOULD REFLECT ON WATER ON 3 SIDES OF SF. SINCE MOST HOMES WERE BUILT WITH WOOD, SMALL INCENDARY BOMBS COULD SET THE CITY ON FIRE. AN ADULT FIRE MARSHALL WAS APPOINTED FOR EACH BLOCK. WE VOLUNTERED AS ASSISTANT FIRE MARSHALLS WHO WOULD HELP CHECK THAT EACH HOME HAD SOME ACCESS TO THE ROOF AND THAT WATER AND SAND WAS AVAILABLE TO PUT OUT FIRES.
THE RED CROSS PROVIDED RESCUE TRUCKS AND IRWIN AND I JOINED ONE. WE TRAINED PUTTING OUT FIRES WITH HAND PUMPS WITH WATER TANKS ON OUR BACKS. WE WERE ALSO TRAINED TO RESCUE PEOPLE FROM DESTROYED BUILDINGS. LATER ON I TOOK A COURSE ON BOMB DISPOSAL.
MOST MEN 18 YEARS OLD OR OLDER WERE ENTERING THE ARMED SERVICES SO THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF PERSONEL IN SOME AREAS.
IN THE SUMMER, I VOLUNTEERED TO PICK PEARS IN YUBA CITY.
THERE SUPPOSED TO BE SIGHTING OF A JAP SUB NOT FAR FROM THE GOLDEN GATE. SF BAY WAS MINED AND SUB NETS WERE PUT OUT.
ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS WERE AT THE MARINA GREENS ABOUT A HALF A BLOCK FROM OUR HOUSE.
A DRAFT WAS IMPOSED FOR MEN AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD BUT YOU COULD VOLUNTEER WHEN 17. WE GRADUATED FROM GALILEO SPRING 1943. AT THAT TIME, GLEN WAS LT. COL, I WAS MAJOR AND IRWIN WAS A CAPTAIN. WE ALL WENT TO UC BERKELEY. VOLUNTEERS WERE NOT CALLED UP UNTIL THEY WERE 18. WHEN CALLED UP LATER THAT YEAR WE WERE ALL JUST ENLISTED MEN AT THE LOWEST LEVEL.
1946 WE WERE ALL DISCHARGED AFTER 2.5 YEARS OF SERVICE.
IRWIN WAS IN THE MERCHANT MARINE OR COAST GUARD. HE HAD AN INJURY TO HIS LEG OR KNEE FROM CLIMBING ON A ROPE LADDER.
GLEN AND I DID INFANTRY BASIC TRAINING AT FT. BENNING GA.
THE ASTP (COLEGE) PROGRAM WAS DISCONTINUED AFTER 10 WEEKS TRAINING AND BOTH OF US WERE TRANSFERED TO DIFFERENT INFANTRY DIVISIONS AS PRIVATES. AFTER MUCH TRAINING, GLEN'S DIVISION WAS SENT TO FRANCE AND GLEN SUFFERED FROZEN FEET DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE.
MY DIVISION WAS TRAINED FOR AMPHIBIOUS LANDINGS IN THE PACIFIC.
THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE SURPRISED OUR GENERALS WHO FELT THE NEED FOR TWO MORE INFANTRY DIVISIONS. MINE WAS ONE OF THESE; WE WERE SENT BY TRAIN FROM CALIFORNIA TO BOSTON, SHIP TO LE HAVRE, AND WENT ON LINE AT THE RHINE. FOUGHT FOR 40 DAYS (ALMOST KILLED) ENDING IN PATTON'S ARMY AND IN AUSTRIA. FIRST DIVISION BACK FROM EUROPE, CELBRATION IN NY AND A 30 DAY FURLOUGH, PICTURE ON FRONT PAGE OF EXAMIER. THEN PUT ON A SHIP FOR THE PACIFIC. HALF WAY ACROSS THE PACIFIC, ON MY 20TH BIRTHDAY AUGUST 9, 1925, THE SECOND BOMB WAS DROPPED ON NAGASAKI.
1946 IRWIN AND MARION WERE MARRIED.
CAL WAS PLAYING USC IN LOS ANGELES. I DROVE TO THE GAME WITH A ROOMMATE. AFTER THE GAME WE WENT TO THE BILTMORE HOTEL FOR A PARTY. IRWIN AND MARION WERE THERE - MY FIRST MEETING WITH MARION. THEY CAME TO LA ON A UC SPONSERD TRAIN AND FOUND IT ROWDY AND UNPLEASANT. I OFFERED THEM A RIDE BACK. THE NEXT MORNING WE GOT A 6 PACK AND HAD A WONDERFUL RIDE BACK TO BERKELEY.
1947 AL AND MARILYN WERE MARRIED.
1949 THE FOUR OF US PUT OUR GOLF CLUBS, ETC. IN THE BACK OF THE "GREEN GODESS", A CONVERTIBLE WITH PIGSKIN SEATS. WE DROVE OFF TO GARBERVILLE, THE REDWOOD HIGHWAY AND CRATER LAKE. THE WAY BACK THROUGH THE MOUNTAINS AND DOWN THE FEATHER RIVER CANYON. A WONDERFUL VACATION.
NEXT THE FOUR OF US WENT CAMPING IN YOSEMITE. IRWIN BROUGHT A JAR OF COLOSAL PITED BLACK OLIVES WHICH I FOUND IRRESISTIBLE.
I WAS LYING IN MY SACK AND MARILYN WAS FEEDING ME ONE AT A TIME.
I FELT LIKE THE ROMANS EATING GRAPES.
AT THIS TIME BOTH WOMEN WERE PREGNANT.
1950 GARY GIBBS AND JEANNE BENIOFF WERE BORN. FROM THIS POINT ON, YOU KNOW THE STORY.
IN IRWIN'S LAST MANY MONTHS HE FOUND IT UNPLEASANT EATING DINER ALONE AT HOME. WE TRIED TO HAVE HIM DINE WITH US, BUT IT WAS INFREQUENT. I VISITED WHEN HE SAID OK AND I CALLED OFTEN.
THE LAST TIME I CALLED FOR A VISIT, HE SAID NO BECAUSE HE WAS DEALING WITH AN IMPORTANT DECISION.
AS I SAID AT THE MEMORIAL, THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE BECAUSE IRWIN GIBBS LIVED IN IT.
