The other day I found myself wide awake at 4AM taking in the quietness of the early morning. Sitting alone in the dark on the living room couch, there was barely enough light to see, but I could make out the cover of Classic Trains special issue titled Pullman. It brought back thoughts of long gone exploits of decades past, memories that are now clouded by the mists of time. My first Pullman ride occurred on May 12, 1967, between Chicago and St. Louis. That’s a really strange routing, isn’t it? Well, that was the day I was invited with open arms to help defend the US from the insidious Communists in Vietnam. After spreading my cheeks for an indifferent doctor, we were herded like cattle to the now demolished Central Station where we boarded a train to take us to who knows where.
Feeling like I’m on my way to a death camp, I was happy to see a couple of nice, shiny Union Pacific Pullmans coupled to the rear of Illinois Central # 9, the Seminole, a train I was intimately familiar with during my years at the Univ. of Illinois at Champagne. I made up my mind to find a room rather than a section, something I was successful at. Things are a bit fuzzy now, but I did make friends with my roommate who talked me into going forward to the lounge. For me, it was a BIG mistake…the place was jammed with newly drafted GI’s trying to get drunk before getting killed in the jungles of Nam. And with no place to even sit down, I went back to my room, where I found the berths already turned down. Absolutely exhausted, I turned in for the night.
Somewhere in southern Illinois, we were REALLY ripping…I could hear ballast bouncing along the bottom of the car. During t
Great story GN Fan, thanks for posting!
It’s always good to hear from folks who had the railroads weave in and out of their lives over time.
And thanks for your service during the 'Nam years, even if you’d have rather been doing other things! And I’ll say this much, if you’re like me and others who’ve worn the uniform you do know things, a million things, that those who haven’t never will.
The WILL ROGERS was discontinued in September 1965 along with the overnite METEOR on the St Louia-Oklahoma City route. In their place Frisco ran the daylight OKLAHOMAN until it too was discontinued in May 1967.
I am also an alumnus of Ft. Leonard Wood.
I stand corrected. My OG of that period is dated Dec, 1960, so it would not have listed the Oklahoman. As a draftee, you know that you have to get ride of almost everything personal, so I had no watch, I had no access to any timetables or anything of the kind and no one told us anything. I had to kinda piece this all together years later when I got all my junk back. My next OG after the 1960 edition is dated 10 years (tears?) later, and by then everything was gone.
Thanks for the memories.
My first Pullman ride was also provided by the US Army. A roomette from Pittsburgh, Pa to Washington D.C.on the B&O and then coach to Columbia, S.C. on the SAL. While in the army I got to do all but two of my post changes in the U.S. by rail. I traveled about twenty five thousand miles and got to ride some nice trains while seeing a good portion of the country.
They even paid for me to visit Australia and do a little train riding there on R&R from Vietnam.
Mark Vinski
Thank you for your Vietnam service Mark!
And I’m going to say this with all sincerity. To all you guys out there who served in 'Nam, did your duty and did it well, every one of you are heroes!
Even if you may not think so, but the real heroes never do.