DIY History | Transcribe | Nile Kinnick Collection | Nile Kinnick correspondence, December 1942-March 1943

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Nile Kinnick correspondence, December 1942-March 1943

1943-01-03: Page 02

daylight discloses a huge base with most of the buildings made of red brick. The BOQ (bachelor officers quarters) is a fine big building with comfortable rooms, spacious lounges and recreational parlors, and an high ceilinged mess hall. Coming in the front door the lobby and attendant desk reminded me of a college union edifice. This mornings breakfast gave promise of very good chow, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for a few days. There is one disturbing possibility, however - supposedly all of squadron 16 is going to be moved into the annex part of the building where the rooms are not nearly so nice. 
Getting in and out of the Naval station at Norfolk is a nightmare. The base itself is immense, the buses and streetcars are always crowded, the cabs almost extinct - and there I was with a duffel bag, a fortnighter, and a small navy issue bag. Happily, a couple of us managed to get a station wagon which took us out to the main gate where we finally hailed a taxi. This was at one oclock Thursday afternoon and we were trying to catch an one-thirty train. Although it was 15 or 20 miles into town and the driver had "snailitis" we did manage to pile aboard just as the train was pulling out. We were due

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daylight discloses a huge base with most of the buildings made of red brick. The BOQ (bachelor officers quarters) is a fine big building with comfortable rooms, spacious lounges and recreational parlors, and an high ceilinged mess hall. Coming in the front door the lobby and attendant desk reminded me of a college union edifice. This mornings breakfast gave promise of very good chow, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for a few days. There is one disturbing possibility, however - supposedly all of squadron 16 is going to be moved into the annex part of the building where the rooms are not nearly so nice. Getting in and out of the Naval station at Norfolk is a nightmare. The base itself is immense, the buses and streetcars are always crowded, the cabs almost extinct - and there I was with a duffel bag, a fortnighter, and a small navy issue bag. Happily, a couple of us managed to get a station wagon which took us out to the main gate where we finally hailed a taxi. This was at one oclock Thursday afternoon and we were trying to catch an one-thirty train. Although it was 15 or 20 miles into town and the driver had "snailitis" we did manage to pile aboard just as the train was pulling out. We were due