17. Love at First Sight

Royal G. Jackson: Is most of what you remember gone then?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Well, yes, most of it. But I don't know about this here, where we're standing on the row here in the picture. Them buildings there, it looks like they made a new building there. But we had buildings there, and we had buildings there, and we had the PX down here. And we had all our barracks lined up this way, see? Four of them. Then we had a Forest Service quarters, a long one, besides them two, out that way. And then they had a building with four stalls -- stalls separated by four poles -- that was for the ambulance, the supply truck and the Forest Service, like the head of the Forest Service. They'd park their cars in there; that's why the other two stalls are there. The officers, they didn't have any stalls for their cars, they just had a building. But, if you know some of them pictures, they had lots of buildings, but I don't know why they should tear them down. They were all good buildings.

Royal G. Jackson: Do you have a lot of good memories of the camp? Was it a good experience for you?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes, it was a wonderful experience for me. If I had any kids I wouldn't mind sending them all down there. I only had five children.

17. Love at First Sight

Royal G. Jackson: They're all grown now?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes, they're all grown.

Royal G. Jackson: Did you meet Mrs. Sekermestrovich while you were stationed there?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes.

Royal G. Jackson: And where did you meet her?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Skating rink. I'd seen her before.

Royal G. Jackson: What was it about her that caught your eye?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Well, I guess I was driving down the road in my ambulance one day, where Berman's Drug Store was -- well, whatever drugstore it was. She was coming across the street and I had to stop her, or if I didn't stop I saw her; but she went by, and that was it.

Royal G. Jackson: What year was that, do you remember?

Edward Sekermestrovich: 1940.

Royal G. Jackson: Toward the end of your stay here, then?

Edward Sekermestrovich: Yes, 1940. I was out of camp, but I'd seen her before I left the camp. I was still driving the Army ambulance. I used to go to Triangle Lake and a side camp there.