Trip from Montevideo to the U.S., 1945

Towards the end of 1945, when WW II was over, Dad resigned and we prepared to return to the U.S. He thought it time for his family to return to the States, to be with family and experience the full program of the church. We had been gone seven years, not counting the months in Nogales, AZ.
Freddy broke out with chicken pox just before we left. The doctor thought it would be a couple of weeks before the rest of us would get it so we went on to Buenos Aires to catch the boat. But only after a day or two the rest of us started scratching and breaking out. My parents tried to get us on board but the captain wouldn't allow it, he was afraid his crew would all get sick, so we had to stay at the Mission Home with President and Sister Young. They were serving as Mission Presidents a second time in Argentina. Their son Carlitos, now a young man, was serving as a missionary. There were two others: Elders Fletcher Memmot and Harvey Call, from the colonies in Old Mexico. What a blow to my fourteen-year-old pride to come down with chicken pox! I was literally covered while Nancy had about one. Greta gave up her bedroom which was turned into a sick room for the four children and there we stayed. Carlitos gave me a book to read but I was so embarrassed to be seen all covered with scabs that I almost didn't accept it. The smell of rubbing alcohol brings back those memories.
By the time we were well another ship was available to take us home; this was the S.S. Cuba Victory, a Merchant Marine ship. The war had just recently ended but the ship still had her guns, with two Navy men assigned to take care of them. The sailors were very nice to us, always treating us to candy and gum. They taught Gina and me to play cards; one of the games was called "Coon Can". All of us children had a wonderful time but I know my parents worried a lot about us, especially little Nancy. I even worried about her! We found her once, sitting on the edge of the ship with her legs dangling down; she could have so easily slipped through to the water below. There was a race horse on board which we liked to visit. It was in a stall on one of the decks. The whole family stayed in one cabin; it had been the gunner's quarters and had many bunks in it. All the crew was from the South except one; he was from Iowa, and he was the only one that talked like we did.
Christmas found us off the island of Trinidad. We had bought presents ahead of time and the folks had purchased a very small artificial tree in Brazil. The electricians rigged some colored lights over the tree for us. Instead of hanging up stockings we had pillowcases and the sailors filled them with gum and Life Savers. Mom and Dad went to the galley and baked a cake, a very large cake, I don’t know how many times my Dad multiplied the recipe. Everyone thought it was great. Many of the sailors complimented Mom on it and said they had saved an extra piece to eat on watch that night. The cooks on board were not very good so the cake was a very special treat for the crew. Gina and I went swimming over the side of the ship with the folks after they decided it was safe. The sailors had been swimming all day and, since no barracuda and sharks had appeared, they thought it all right. Freddy and Nancy had to watch.
We landed in New Orleans the morning of January 31, 1945, New Year's Eve, and the family caught a train for the west that night with Dad going to Washington D.C. to finish up his work. It was a good thing that it was New Year’s Eve as the town was crowded with people for the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day and everything would have been booked up with people going home on Jan. 1st.