June 16,1946
Seventy years ago (can it be?) today was my Birth-Day (though it was a Sunday not a Thursday). At 1:59 AM I was born in a Los Angeles hospital and made celebrities of sorts of both my parents and myself; I was the first baby born in Los Angeles to a World War II veteran (Navy) on Father's Day. My father won the honor as the first veteran out of 800 entered in the Downtown Business Men's Association "stork derby". My mother should have received as many accolades as she, too, was a veteran having served in the WAVES during WWII, and let's not forget, she did most of the work during my birth! Having won the derby, my father received "a complete new outfit for himself, including suit, white shirt, underwear, socks and shoes, and a box of imported cigars". My mother received "honorable mention" in the newspaper articles that were published about the event as well "Congratulations" cards.
The long letter above told me something that I never knew; the author sent a check for $1.00 to my parents so that they might open a savings account in my name which was to be the start on my first million! She also sent a little bank so that visitors could drop coins in it which would provide me with more money than my dad. The writer promised to send the cancelled check to me to be placed in my baby book. I still have the Baby Book along with the letters, pictures and newspaper articles, but no million dollars! Not even a $1.00 or the cancelled check!
The baby book also contained the envelopes that the cards and letters were mailed in and postage for a first class letter in June of 1946 was 3 cents!!
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| My Dad and his new suit, complete with hat, shoes and a box of cigars |
