"WE MOVED TO CLOVIS ON PEARL HARBOR SUNDAY"

WE MOVED TO CLOVIS ON PEARL HARBOR SUNDAY"

    By  Dr. Albin Covington

    CHS '51

"I reminder that fateful day well."

Our president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, on  December 8,

asked  a joint session of congress for a declaration of

war, speaking these famous words: "A day that shall live

in INFAMY..."

The horror of that day, in the surprise attack that killed over

2400 Americans, is indeed a day that we will never forget.

I was eight years old at that time. I had no idea what Japan 

was, nor where Pearl Harbor was. But I do remember that day!

We learned of Pearl Harbor over our car radio as we

drove from Sudan, Texas to live in our next home in Clovis,

New Mexico. We were residents of Sudan for only a short 

time as we made the change from Mertzon,Texas  to Clovis.

Dad has transferred to Clovis to work on the "bridge gang,

in that area for AT&SF.  He had finally found a house for us

to live in at our new town.

All eight of us had been living for a short time in a three-room

house, and now we moved into a nice house on Thornton 

Street. I had never seen indoor plumbing before. In fact, Mom

got all over me for standing in the bathroom flushing the 

commode over and over just to watch the water, as it swirled!

Our "new" abode had a basement and we five boys slept

down there and life was so much better!

But there was another--special thing--that I remember. I had

never remembered having a friend except for my three older

brothers and one younger one. (I didn't really think so at that

time, for Ross was always chasing me and hitting me.) Now

I think the world of my brothers.

But there is another person who befriended me. He lived 

down Thornton a ways toward school at La Casita.

It was Arthur Snipes. He befriended me. We used to walk

to school together. He was the first real friend I ever had

outside of my family.

****************

FOR MIL'S PLACE

by Dr, Albin Covington

CHS '51