Our Memories Of The U.S. Grant Hotel
Our Memories Of The U.S. Grant Hotel
In August of 1959 Dale was a Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class in the Independent Duty School at Naval Hospital, San Diego. During the summer he asked his fiancee (a nursing student at the University of Colorado) to come out to visit him. She convinced her mother that she was mature enough to go visit "that sailor" with much controversy from friends and neighbors in McCook, NE.
Sandy booked her trip and made reservations at the U.S. Grant Hotel. When we arrived we thought the hotel was the most beautiful building and felt the lobby was wonderful. The room was spacious and comfortable. We had lunch in the Grant Grill and was impressed with the decor and service.
While in San Diego we visited all the important places; the zoo, Old Town, two preformances of The Kingston Trio, a memorable bar called The Honey Bucket, attended church at All Saints Episcopal Church and even spent a day going up to Disneyland.
Two months after Sandy went back to school, Dale received his orders to go to Naval Hospital, Guam, M.I. In order for a wife to travel a marriage was necessary before he left. In her innocent way Sandy called her mother and said,"We have to get married". After her mother picked herself off the floor, Sandy explained about the orders.
Our 1st child was born about a year and a half later, a girl we named Kelli. We had decided that our first son should be named Grant to commemorate our wonderful time we had in San Diego and at the U.S. Grant Hotel. Grant was born in October of 1962 while we were still on Guam.
We celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary on November 28, 2009 with Kelli, Grant, and Kurt, our grandchildren, family and friends.
We are planning to visit our neice, Marie, in San Diego in late June of this year and it was through her that we learned about the 100 Year Anniversary of the U.S. Grant Hotel. Thank you for giving us an opportunity to relive some wonderful memories of our young lives.
Sandy and Dale Sander
