Victory–A Remarkable Coincidence

Some people have all the luck.  Jennie Gwilliam Austin told the following story about her husband, Ray Gwilliam:

Ray “had finished his training and was just waiting for assignment overseas.  He came home one night and said ‘I have orders to go to [the] Europe[an] theater tomorrow.'”So we packed up and  got me a train ticket to go back to Utah.  He went on base the next morning and had said goodbye and thought that he was leaving.  He called and said ‘Have you heard the news? Today the war ended in Europe.’  And [it] looked like he didn’t have to go.  So that was Victory Day in Europe–VE Day.  I can’t remember the length of time between that and the next time he was assigned.

“We were transferred from Sioux City, Iowa to Monroe, Louisiana.  He called and said ‘I’ve for orders to go to the Pacific.  I’ll come home and we’ll pack and serve.’  We packed and bought a train ticket for me to go home and we said our prayers before we went to bed.  I cried most of the night.  He reported the next morning and said, ‘You’re not going to believe this.  The war ended in the Pacific today.’  So that was VJ day–Victory in Japan.” MSS 2350, No. 1404

V-J day was August 14, 1945.