Enigma by Dan Ryan

Author:Dan Ryan [Ryan, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781468505894
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Published: 2011-12-12T00:00:00+00:00

26

I graduated with the rest of the group in September and boarded the train for the Monterey Training Center. I had heard of the war department’s language school at Monterey. They accepted only those who spoke a foreign language already and wished to learn one or more additional. They reasoned if our brains already contained English and another language, it could learn to accept as many as were adequately introduced. I had passed my entrance exam in Wu Chinese and Mandarin and was there to learn Japanese and all the others that I could absorb in twelve months.

I found my billet in the “old barracks building”. The US Army was in the process of building new barracks for their detachments that would be training in some new form of cavalry which did not make use of horses. I had no idea how they were going to have a cavalry without horses. My roommate was already checked in, his name was Kiro Kunitomo. He had passed his test in Japanese and he knew Louis’ brother James.

It took me a few days to find Louis, he had moved from the barracks after eight weeks with his room mate Hans Becker. Hans had passed his test in German and he spoke English with a slight accent.

“Mine name is Ensign Hans Becker. What is yours, please?”

“My name is Sammy Chang and this is my room mate Kiro Kunitomo. Are you native born?”

“JA, ya have to be, to accepted into da school here, mine family has been in Pennsylvania for a long time.”

“Do you speak German at home, Hans?”

“JA, how can you tell?”

“Just a wild guess, Louis’ grandmother Schneider spoke German to me all the time.”

“JA, Louis has told me about da Schneiders.”

“Did you do your basic training in San Diego, Hans?”

“It was five years ago in South Carolina. Dat has to be the armpit of the nation, Sammy. Do not go there unless you have to. The insects are so large there dat three of them can suck you dry! I was a radio operator and I had to string wires at night through the woods on Parris Island. What a hell hole dat was.”

“Sammy? Did you know Louis’ fader works in the White House?”

“He is an Admiral and works for President Roosevelt.”

“Have ya been to da White House, Sammy?”

“Yes, many times, why?”

“Has every one in dis room been to the White House, except me?”

“My Uncle Teddy does not know I am alive, Hans. I have never seen him in the White House.”

“But dat is going to change, we have a letter from da President, dis Uncle Teddy of yours.” he shoved a letter into my face.

The White House

Washington DC

Ensign L. J. Caldwell

United States Naval Training Center

Monterey, California

Dear Nephew,

Your father shared your last letter with me. I remember how much I looked forward to letters from your Aunt Ruth when I was serving in Cuba. I will be looking forward to your visit with us here in the White House on or about November 21, 1903.

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