After delivering the men to Philly, I decide to detour to Washington, DC. Kinda check up on our government.

When I get to DC I meet two GOOD LOOKING WAVES at the Information Booth at the Train Station. We agree to "Connect" There are NO rooms to be had in DC during this time so they were just doing their patriotic duty to take in a poor stray Submariner.

I then make a call on the Representative from my local District, his name is Ray Madden. While waiting to see him, I make a date for that night with one of his Secretaries.

After a short wait Rep. Madden comes out and gives me the BIG gladhand, invites me to join him at a joint session of Congress the next day to hear the State of the Union address by Vice President Harry Truman. (He gave the speech because Franklin Roosevelt was too sick. We didn't know at that time he was dying). I, nor anyone else had ever heard of this guy Truman.

After the speech I was escorted to the main dinning room with all the famous Senators and Representatives. They kept coming over to my table to talk to me. Very embarrassing because these were FAMOUS people that I had seen in the newspapers and newsreels.

The main thing they kept asking me was, " Have you been to Japan?" When I answered "yes", their eyes bugged out. That information was supposed to be secret. But what the Hell, this was our government.

Great lunch, free too.

Later I met the two Waves, we had dinner and ended up in their apartment. I'm telling you it was all in the interest of the WAR EFFORT, there were no hotel rooms available in DC.

Well I gave it my best.

Next day I caught the Congressional Limited from DC back to Chicago. Spent the entire time in the Club Car letting the Congressmen buy me drinks.

I don't think I spent more than a few dollars the whole week-end. Made out three times, got to see Truman, and generally had a ball.

How's that for a "Liberty Story"?

Ron "Warshot" Smith