Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Pin Up The Garage Calendar....

Saw a lot of these calendars when I was growing up.

Often in gas stations.

VERY often in auto repair shops and garages.

It was a back room item.

Varga Girl style.

This one I found among my Dad's stuff in his downstairs shop.

It shows a January 1941 calendar page.

Eventually one's eye gets down to that section of the calendar.

As part of a termite treatment for the house, I had moved boxes and stacks of stuff that hadn't been handled in decades.

"Move everything away from the interior walls," the termite guy had said.

I was seeing parts of the basement that had been covered up for a long time.

There was the minature railroad my Dad had set up.

He wasn't really "into" trains but something had caused him to act on a whim.

Over the years I've moved it around a few times. All the tiny engines and cars are in boxes.

It actually is supposed to go to my older brother who lives in Oklahoma. That's a long drive for a beat up train set.

But, back to the calendar.

It was in a very large thick envelope marked "The Clarion Line" by Newton Manufacturing Company in Iowa.

I went online and saw the company, founded in 1909, specialized in advertising promotion printed items.

The samples included huge scenics, patriotic views, Boy Scouts, etc.

They added the company name and shipped them out to clients.

I'm pretty sure I saw the Scouts in there.

I was distracted.

(Click on the photos for more details.)

Sent an email to the company in Newton, Iowa about my find.

I asked if this really did date back to before WWII?

When I find out, it might be eBAY time.

Labels: , , , , ,

Monday, January 07, 2008

Be A "Marine For A Day!"


Stationed at Camp Lejeune, NC, in the late 1950s, I often would drive down to Charleston for a long weekend. My dad once was involved in an accident while I was there and I called the base to arrange an emergency leave.

I forget the details now but The Corps decided I needed to drive back up to the base and actually pick up the leave papers. My teenage younger brother said he would ride up and back with me to help me stay awake.

Arriving at the base that evening we were told paperwork would have to be done in the morning. Too cheap - and short of cash - to go to a motel, I brought my 16-year old brother into my barracks for the night.

For a SOS breakfast in the mess hall, he wore a set of my utilities and some borrowed boots, but we still did not get to leave. I found I had a photo assignment with a bunch of reservists out in the field so I gave him a clipboard and we hopped into a jeep.

I had briefed him on how to respond with the name of my company and battalion if he were asked but I nearly panicked when I saw a reserve officer walk up to him. My brother gave a snappy salute, talked a moment and saluted again as the lieutenant left.

As we drove back to get him out of uniform and grab the paperwork, I said "where did you learn to salute?" "In the Boy Scouts," he answered, giving me a crisp three finger salute.

I hope the statute of limitations has expired.

Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,