This was my second and least exciting cross country trip on Route 50. I was moving from California to the Washington, DC area in search of a new job in a new profession – computer programming. The reason for the trip was exciting, but the drive itself was pretty much “put our heads down and drive”.
My 1967 Ford Mustang
But the driving was pleasurable as we were in my brand new 1967 Robin’s egg blue Ford Mustang complete with dimples on the hood and black piping down the sides. It was a dream car that I had literally bought off the dealer’s display floor. They had to open the big display room doors and drive it off. I do wish I still had a picture MY car. This picture shows the color but mine was prettier!!!
It was in June of 1968 when we left my home in Milpitas, California. Nothing adverse happened along the way. With two drivers on this trip, it was easier for me. There was my son, who was around 12, and also a friend of my brother who had just returned from Vietnam. His name was Jim Spitler. I had met him two years before when he was with my brother when they both deployed for Vietnam. He went with us as far as Ohio, which was his home.
Route 50
Route 50 cuts right across the middle of the United States through mainly farmland states. Lots of open area and rolling hills. It is a quick way to go but not very exciting.
The only excitement I remember on the whole trip was the nighttime. We had a dog and a cat with us. During the day, we tranquilized the cat, but at night when the tranquilizer wore off, that cat was wild. He would fly around the hotel room up over the window drapes and up on anything high.
But we all made it to Maryland, where a friend had lent us a house. It was in District Height, Maryland, which is a suburb of Washington, DC, and an easy bus trip to downtown DC. This was before the subway transportation that is there now.
The saddest part of that whole move was the loss of the cat after we got there. I took him with me to the shopping center which was near the house. It was warm and I left the windows in the car down just a tiny bit for the cat. I’m not sure if the cat could have managed to squeeze out or if someone let him out, but he was gone. Never found. The shopping center was surrounded by woods, so I hope he found a good home.
Working Downtown DC
My first year back there was spent hunting for the “right” job. I did end up working for a year for a company called Gates Radio, that sold communication equipment to radio and television stations. The office was two blocks from the White House. I ate lunch on a nice day in the park in front of the White House that has been in the news this past week.
My job allowed me to be out and about the city. I had to go to the FCC (Federal Communication Commission) twice a week to review the new applications for upgrades to broadcasting strength. This would require upgrading equipment. I found the applications and sent telex messages to the salesmen in the applicable area. Telex – a precursor to text messaging.
It was while working at this job, that I found the announcement that a division of the Navy was going to be hiring a number of programming trainees. I put in my application and filled out the security documents which listed every place I had lived EVER in my life. Other pages in this series talk about all of those, but needless to say, the security investigator had a big job. I think there was 21 addresses listed on that form.
It was with that investigation that many of my new neighbors got to know who I was. My son by that time had already made friends with the neighborhood kids and particularly with one family that we are still in touch with. That family, The Lewis’, had four kids – two girls and two boys. They were all close in age to my son and he practically lived at their house.
So this area was to be my home for the next six years. See my pages on Washington, DC for more information about this time.
