Not sure that Daddy and his fellow Marines-to-be were in troop sleepers, as they were not in full use until late 1943, but he does mention being in a nice Pullman coach. Daddy always liked to talk about his trip from Jackson to New Orleans to San Diego via the train. It was a calm before the storm; he was very impressed with the food (always a high priority to him!) I think he considered it a grand conspiracy to treat them like kings before they got off the train and stepped onto the yellow footprints at boot camp.
Q: Do you recall your first days in service?
A: Yes. They put me on a Pullman train to New Orleans and from New Orleans to San Diego and that was the very beginning of going to boot camp.
Q: And what did that feel like?
A: It was almost too good to be true; the food was good...in the Pullman coach we got to sleep...lived it up!
Q: So what was the food like? Do you remember?
A: Very good...I can't remember what it was, but it was typical railroad Pullman car food.
Q: Did you know anybody that was on the train with you, that left Jackson?
A: No.
Q: Were they all Marines or all services?
A: All Marines, but I didn't know any of them.
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