Ernest Graves
Q:
He came home speaking French?
A:
No. He was only two when he came home. He wasn't speaking anything. He was just
beginning to talk. We think one reason he was so slow to talk was that he heard both
languages.
Q:
Military families appear quick to form support groups.
A:
This is very true. But just our environment there in Paris--there wasn't any. That's all.
Q:
That's right. But other places, that does obtain, that these people do--
A:
Oh, absolutely. But most of the time, we lived places that we were not in an Army
group.
Q:
That's right. I hadn't thought of that. You really were left on your own resources.
A:
I was left on my own resources. Everyone needs a support group. And everywhere we
moved, I joined a Wellesley group. There is a Wellesley alumnae association in every
city in the world, I think. I met some people through that in Paris. As a matter of fact,
one of the women who did become a close friend of mine lived nearby and was also a
Wellesley graduate. Her husband was with an oil company. We discovered each other
out pushing baby carriages.
So, yes. There were different support groups. Actually, I would say that in those early
days, I don't think the Army, although it was supportive, had the emphasis on family
that it has now.
You know, this was 30-some years ago. The world was quite different. Everyone was
very friendly, and especially [Major General] C. Rodney Smith, for whom Ernie was
working, and his family. They were all very supportive of us.
But I really didn't seek support or help. I had my friends. We were a little more
oriented towards Susan Somervell's friends in the civilian world than we were the
military. We had military friends, of course, especially the Canadians, but socially we
were more in the civilian world.
Q:
Did you get much of an opportunity to travel during that tour? I know you had a
youngster.
A:
I had two babies in those three years. So no, I did not travel much. We did make some
trips. We went to Garmisch for a week, and that included going through Switzerland
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