CAJUNS IN FLIGHT

It was the summer of 1950 and four National Guardsmen from the 156th Thibodaux Division with duffle bags in hand were ready to board a plane in Lafayette for Fort Reilly Kansas officer’s training school We were Donald Owens and I from Golden Meadow and Jerry Ledet and Sammy Morrelo from Thibodaux Arriving on time was a Douglas C-47, the cargo plane war house of World War II, built in the 1940’s, but still in use in 1950.

I was a full time musician, single and sponging off my parents far room and board. The school was scheduled during the 40 days of lent when Catholics did not dance and musicians were unemployed. I was Company Clerk and a corporal and my Guard duties were to attend training every Monday night and two weeks at Camp Polk in Leesville, La every year.

It was another special day. After corresponding with Mrs. Jimmie Rodgers since 1947 we were to meet at WBOK radio But I had forgotten. We had lunch at Arnaut’s but an urgent call from my mother rerouted me hack home and to Lafayette. My very pleasant day with Mrs. Rodgers will be another column.

As Donald and I. Jerry and Sammy “boarded the plane the pilot informed us that there was no heat seats or hunks in the area we would occupy, so we had to sit and sleep on our duffel bags and use the blankets furnished. “‘There’s more blankets in the bade” we were informed. Blankets? It was 99 degrees in Lafayette. Having never traveled much we found out that as you went north, the weather changed. Brilliant discovery! I also noticed a sign above our heads that read, ‘This area contains non-essential parts and personal O.K. Egos properly deflated!

We were sleeping when the Captain shouted. “Fort Reilly is snowed in. We are in South Oklahoma, and the temperature is 25 degrees. We have been ordered to turn and land tomorrow in New Orleans.” Landing during the early morning hours we were led to an old army barracks New Orleans being no big deal to us, we went to sleep. The only way to travel! After a night of flying we were over 100 miles south of where we started.

At six that morning the Captain called “Board up” which us non-essentials did and once again viewed as the land scape slowly turn from green to white and the temperature from warm to framing, Once again I was reminded about the old army axiom” “Never volunteer for nutting.”

We were getting well acquainted with our duffle bags and once again the Captain announced “Alert, we are now over Kansas, ifs 19 degrees and Fort Reilly is snow bound again. We will land in Tulsa. Oklahoma and stay there until Reilly defrosts. You will have over 24 hours to visit the City. Buses run every hour and Cain’s Ball room is the big attraction tonight with die animal “tattle of the hands’ dance which will feature “Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys” and “Leon Mcauliffe the Cimarron Boys.” Wow! Better times are coming. “Bob Wills! We were led to a barrack and after a quick shine, shave and shower took the bus to Cain’s and a new adventure. Could this be happening?

I could not believe my eyes and ears. Bob Wills was my favorite band and artist next to Jimmie Rodgers and Ernest Tubb. God must have arranged my schedule. Cain’s is the largest dance hall in the West with usually 1600 customers on Saturday night. A band stand stood on each side of the dance floor and each band played for an hour. This was an Annual event, the place was packed and here I was watching from a band side table and 160 rows of 10 per row formed a line of 1600 Texans dancing the Schottische and filling this giant ball with the music of Bob Wills and “Take it away” Leon Mcauliffe, I was no longer in Tulsa…..I was in Heaven, Even seventy years later if s hard to describe, but I’ll try next week, BYE NOW!

CAJUNS IN FLIGHTCAJUNS IN FLIGHT