John B. Goddard, Ogden, Utah: an interview by Becky B. Lloyd, September 30, 2004: Saving the legacy tape no. 714

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JOHN B. GODDARD EPTEMB R 30 2004 that plane. ' Now I hitchhiked home from Fort Lewis in the winter. It wa cold and I got out on the highway, and I can tell you, it took me about three or four days to get home. I got home the morning of the funeral, which was that afternoon. Now that was one experience I had with the Red Cross. The other experience was when I went into the service, I was called out of the ranks when I was at Fort Banning. And they said, "Cadet Goddard, step forward." And they said, "Here's a telegram for you." We were going in for a test. It was an I.Q. test. I opened the telegram and it said, "No need to come now. Dad was buried yesterday." Now the Red Cross had been told where I was and how they could get to me, and they failed to send for me or notify anybody that my father had died. If you want to know, I don't love the Red Cross. On two occasions, when I needed them, they failed me miserably, just failed me miserably. That's a sad story. I give to every community social service that I can think of, but never the Red Cross. I also found out about the big salaries paid there. I started to tell you about the money I was making up there in the Bridge games. Finally, as I was leaving, I said to this partner, "Well you have been a great partner. How long have you been playing Bridge? You're sure good." And he says, "Well, I ought to be pretty good. Eli Culbertson was my partner when we won the National Bridge Championship." I didn't know that until I was ready to leave. But he was sure a player, I'll tell you. But we did pass our time away playing Bridge and things like that. BEC: So that wasn't too bad then. I pictured they'd just have you in some hospital bed the whole time. JOHN: No, I could get around in crutches. I got to where I could run on crutches as fast as you could run on foot, because I could stretch them way out. You really can, you can 32