The Clarkwood Story (1941 to 1944)

While I was in the navy at Cuddihy Naval Auxiliary Air Station in Corpus Christi I went to visit my father's twenty acres next to what is now Choke Canyon State Park. Hitchhiking back to the base and not being able to get a ride from Clarkwood, I met two boys who were on their way to a boy scout meeting. They invited me to go with them; after the meeting they invited me to spend the night. Their parents were gone on vacation, to return the next morning. I thought I would be gone before they arrived, but not so. I thought I'd be in trouble, but it was the opposite. I got treated just like one of the family.

Back at the base, I had to tell of my good fortune and it started an influx of navy people. Mrs. Goodlett of Clarkwood, "Navy Mom" to them all--especially me! The two boys, Gilbert and Junior, became as brothers to me. During their oldest sister's wedding, the usher asked if I was family. Before I could answer Gilbert said, "of course he is, he's my brother."

I used to help at the Clarkwood cotton gin, using the vacuum pipe to unload the cotton from the mule-drawn wagons. My buddies from the base formed a dance band. They'd play around Robstown in old country barns; I was part of the group because I was the one that had the car. One of the girls from the dance I met in later years at a navy PX where she worked (she was married to a Navy chief).

I started this influx of navy guys who later got their wives, but I goofed by taking Junior's word when I asked, "how do you make a girl think more of you?" He said, "you have to make them jealous." I thought my girl, Ouida Mac Leroy, didn't like me as much as I wanted, so I took another girl to the Mexican supper which they had every year at the Clarkwood school gym. As I walked through the door, I could see the table where Ouida sat with an empty spot, meant for me, next to her. Needless to say, that ended our relationship.

Then the navy buddy I'd been with since boot camp took over. He seemed to know everything I was doing. Mrs. Goodlett owned a grocery store in Clarkwood. On my days off I was always at Clarkwood, maybe setting on a bar stool, sipping a thick ice cream malt made by a pretty girl behind the counter or helping at the Goodletts' store, grinding up hamburger.

George Hack
Garvin, Oklahoma
Published: November 14, 2005

Related Handbook of Texas Online articles

	NAVAL AIR STATION, CORPUS CHRISTI
	CHOKE CANYON STATE PARK
	CLARKWOOD, TX

Other My Texas stories by this author

Cuddihy U.S. Naval Auxiliary Air Base, Corpus Christi.