A Note About the Author: Colleen Wilson
Oran and Colleen Wilson live in Richardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. They have two children who were born in Saudi Arabia, Olan Keith, who passed away in 1996 from Melanoma cancer, and Victoria Gayle. Colleen spends her spare time writing about their lives in Saudi. Oran spends his time volunteering for the local hospital and police department.
Email Coleen and Oran: Oranandcolleen@msn.com
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Arabian Return Chapter XLIV: Oran's Departure and Colleen's Last Activities
That started our 4th of July weekend celebrations. The next evening, Wednesday, July 5th, 1978, we started out with drinks at the King’s with our group. There was another dance and entertainment by Cody Marshall in the school gymnasium that we all went to afterward.
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Arabian Return Chapter XLIII: Preparing for Our Departure
At the beginning of next week we were assigned a packing date of July 18th, and made reservations to leave July 26th on a British Airways flight to London. Oran would stay one night, then fly on to Dallas, and I would stay 4 more nights as a concession for not stopping in Athens again.
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Arabian Return Chapter XLII: Oran Returns
On Wednesday night I went to a dance in the gymnasium with the Kings, Yates, and some others to see a group called "The Blue Notes". My week alone went by really fast and Oran returned from the U.S. on a British Air Flight from London on Friday, June 9th, 1978, arriving at 6 p.m.
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Arabian Return Chapter XLI: My Trip Back to Arabian Alone
So we made arrangements, and on Wednesday, May 31st, 1978, I flew by myself first class on a Swiss Air flight from Dallas toward New York on the first leg of my trip. But we couldn't land in New York because of a storm, so had to fly to Washington, D.C., land, and sit on the plane there until the weather cleared in an hour or so, then flew back to New York City.
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Arabian Return Chapter XL: Vacation Trip to the States
Four days later, on Wednesday, April 26th, 1978, we left on our vacation at 12:20 p.m. on a Swiss Air flight to Athens, Greece. We were finally going to see Athens, and it was worth the wait. A beautiful, modern, yet ancient looking city greeted us as we drove in from the airport.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXXIX: Sandy and Jack Adam's Departure
Our impending departure was the reason I felt like I had to turn down the offer of a full time job. In fact, I told him I would like to just stop working altogether to do the remaining things I had planned to do while still in Arabia, and just enjoy the rest of the time I had over there.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXXVIII: Adjusting to Changes
So life went on. Sandy and Jack Adams had asked an Arab friend, Ahmed, to come to their condo one night to fix an Arab style dinner; so on Thursday, March 16th, 1978, Sheila, Keith, Oran and I, and a few people Sandy worked with, joined them to enjoy that.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXXVII: Kathi and Roy's Departure
Although things were going full steam ahead there and he had no more problems with the government, Roy Steindorf had decided he had rather go back to the States than move down there permanently.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXXVI: Trips to Riyadh and Bahrain Island
We had already made plans to fly to Riyadh on the AEA tour Thursday, February 2nd, 1978, so we caught a bus at the Dining Hall at 5:00 A.M. that morning to the Dhahran Airport local terminal. We flew on a Saudia Air flight to what was the old, original Riyadh Airport.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXXV: Settling into Familiar Routines
New Year's Eve had been different, and so was New Year's Day. Since the lack of daytime TV prevents the usual New Year's rituals, it was necessary to find alternate entertainment. So we selected one of our favorite and most available pastimes – a sand dune picnic.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXXIV: Thriving on New and Different Activities
Oran had been assigned to fly to the States for a computer training school to be held in Melbourne, Florida, for two weeks. This all came up very suddenly and we thoroughly discussed my going with him, but since Aramco didn't plan to pay my way and because I was working now, we decided I wouldn't go.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXXIII: Work - The Biggest Change of All
I didn't realize it then, but that was to be my last week of freedom for awhile. Jeanine King was still in the hospital so she requested I help out at Community Maintenance until she could return.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXXII: New Construction Everywhere
Construction of new camp facilities was progressing at a rapid pace, too. Work was under way to widen and pave the road to the new town houses, now 25th St, and the north perimeter road. As new housing areas and the additional 9 holes of the Golf Course were being completed, the camp was expanding to the west toward the highway to Dhahran.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXXI: And the Beat Goes On
For awhile after that our life was rather anti-climatic, but we went on with our normal routines as much as possible. Since it was Thursday and the weekend, we had breakfast in the Dining Hall, then drove to Mubarraz to call Keith.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXX: Top Name Performer in Abqaiq
The next day, Monday, it was back to normal. Estella and I went to breakfast in the Dining Hall and met a new wife, Jerry Hook, then went to the pool and stayed all morning. That Wednesday evening, Oran and I went to the Kaul’s for drinks before going with them to a performance by "Archie Bell and The LaDrells" and a dance in the Ain Nakhl Country Club (Golf Club House). It turned out to be rather dull.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXIX: Explosion at the Plants
The beach facilities at Qurrayah that were being constructed by the company for Abqaiq and Udhailiyah residents were not completed yet, but a site had been established north of the Seawater Plant. Our friend, Jack Hayes, who lived on the Construction Barge there, said he had been working on the site by bulldozing huge amounts of sand onto the beach itself and into the water.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXVIII: Williams Move to Udhailiyah
We ate breakfast with Sandy and Jack at the Dining Hall Friday morning, then went to the library for awhile before going home to pick up some film to take to the Kaul’s to see on their projector. Sandy and Jack had gone there as well, so we had coffee while watching the film.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXVII: Beginning Changes for Our Group
Oran started driving back to Mubarraz on his new job Monday morning, but, at least, this would be a short work week for him. Things were beginning to change for our group as a whole, both men and women. Sheila went to work at Community Maintenance, and Marge and Marvin Williams were going to move to Udhailiyah.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXVI: Oran's Trip to London
Oran found out on Wednesday that he was being sent to London for a week, starting February 13th, 1977, to recruit men for the Water Injection Operations in Udhailiyah. That was a pleasant surprise for him. I wasn't being sent on this trip with him, but really didn't want to go anyway, as it was still very cold there.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXV: After Second Vacation - A New Job
January isn't the best time of the year to travel through Europe, but we didn't have much choice, so we started our third return back to Saudi Arabia on Sunday, the 16th, from Dallas, Texas. By the time the plane arrived in New York, it was snowing so much we had to circle over the airport for an hour again before landing.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXIV: Home for Christmas Again
Oran still felt terrible, but flew on back to 'Udhailiyah anyway on Saturday. I met the girls at the Dining Hall at 9 o'clock for our "breakfast club". Sheila had received her film of our rug laying party at the Steindorfs, so we went to her house to watch that. It was really funny with everyone acting crazy, dancing, etc., but we wouldn't have wanted that film to fall into the wrong hands.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXIII: Settling into a Holding Pattern
Saturday, October 16th, 1976, Oran flew back to 'Udhailiyah for the start of another work week. Our lives were just settling back into a normal routine, and we were taking things one day at a time. Things came up at work every now and then that could have had an effect on what we did about staying, but so far Oran just remained calm.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXII: New Lease on Life
Oran was able to take his resignation retraction letter by his boss’s office before he caught the morning plane back to 'Udhailiyah on Wednesday, September 22nd, 1976. he caught the morning plane back to 'Udhailiyah on Wednesday, September 22nd, 1976. With a new lease on life, I had a spring to my step as I went to the Post Office to mail Vicky's birthday card, then the Commissary.
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Arabian Return Chapter XXI: The Pendulum Swings
The day before had been invigorating and uplifting, so we went to our breakfast in the Dining Hall with the other regulars in a much better mood, but the rest of the day was just routine. Back at the apartment, we discussed the pros and cons of Oran's resignation and different possibilities.
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Arabian Return Chapter XX: Night Visit with the Bedouin
There would be another cocktail party, dinner, and performance by the "Creative Source Group" in 'Udhailiyah Tuesday night, so that afternoon I went in a taxi to the airstrip with Trish Miller and Sharon Green, waiting there 45 minutes for the late plane to arrive.
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Arabian Return Chapter XIX: Oran Resigns
My worst fears came true the next day, July 28th, as Oran turned in his letter of resignation to be effective between September 23rd and October 23rd. He said he had decided that trying to re-adjust to living and working in 'Udhailiyah again just wasn't worth ruining his mental and physical health.
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Arabian Return Chapter XVIII: Oran Returns to Udhailiyah
All good things must come to an end, so after nearly six weeks of living and working in Abqaiq, Oran had to fly back to 'Udhailiyah to continue his work there on Tuesday June 15th, 1976. For a couple of days, I felt rather lost and just tried to adjust to the old routine of being in camp alone again.
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Arabian Return Chapter XVII: Teaching Arab Class in Abqaiq
The next day, Saturday, May 8th, 1976, started a new period in our life, though, that was different and stimulating for both of us. Oran didn't return to ‘Udhailiyah as usual, but started on his new job in Abqaiq teaching a class of 12 Saudi Arabs about the new Sea Water Project.
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Arabian Return Chapter XVI: Oran Assigned to Sea Water Project
Another trip to Al-Khobar was warranted Monday, so I made the usual bus connections and found another gold bracelet to buy on my one day shopping spree. I had finished a role of movie film on the way, so took that to the Post Office before visiting with Ruby and Frank Adams.
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Arabian Return Chapter XV: Sorority Chapter in Abqaiq
Monday morning I went to a bridge lesson at the Women’s Club Portable, and Marge Williams and I went to lunch at the Dining Hall afterward. All that afternoon I worried about whether or not to join the Sorority because of so many other activities.
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Arabian Return Chapter XIV: So Much for Good Intentions
Believe me, I mostly rested the next day after Oran flew back to 'Udhailiyah. On Sunday morning I went to a Newcomers' Welcome Tea at the Women's Club Portable then walked to the Post Office with Marge Williams and Harriet Fretwell.
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Arabian Return Chapter XIII: Oran's Tennis Knee
On Sunday, February 1st, I bussed to Al-Khobar to meet Pat Smyth and her sister, Phyllis, who was living in Arabia as well now, with her husband, Roy Boyd. We had known Roy in the early 50's in Ras Tanura, when he was married to Ilene, who later died. We had also known Pat's sister after several trips to Phoenix, Arizona, over the years to visit Pat and Guy. So, it was great to see her again, and have her in Arabia, too.
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Arabian Return Chapter XII: After First Vacation
After an enjoyable five week vacation in the United States, we left Dallas on Sunday, January 11th, 1976, at 2:25 p.m. on a Braniff flight to New York. We flew all that night on a DC-10 over the ocean. Once in the air, I had 3 Bloody Marys, a nice meal, then fell asleep during the movie with the earplugs still in my ear.
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Arabian Return Chapter XI: Preparing for First Home Leave
I felt the need to stay busy that week, so on Monday I caught the bus to Al-Khobar with Jeanine. Norma Branch and Alene Smith were also on the bus, so we all visited on the way.
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Arabian Return Chapter X: Visit to a Bedouin Tent
Oran had stayed in Abqaiq on Tuesday as he was going to have weekend duty again, and I would be going with him to 'Udhailiyah on Wednesday. So we slept late, had coffee on the porch before a big breakfast, ran errands around camp, and got clothes ready for the trip. That evening we went for a walk after dinner as it was a beautiful night.
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Arabian Return Chapter IX: Ramadan
Ramadan began the next morning, Saturday, September 6th, 1975. That is the yearly month of fasting, prayer, and good deeds each Arab or Muslim is required to fulfill as part of their religion, unless they are ill or under a certain age.
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Arabian Return Chapter VIII: The Long Hot Summer
During that time, on Wednesday, July 30th, we went to an all day orientation in Dhahran for new employees of the past several months. It started out with a series of lectures and films on, "What Aramco Is All About", with breaks in between for coffee and sweetrolls.
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Arabian Return Chapter VII: My First Trip to 'Udhailiyah
Oran had some business to take care of that required him to go to the Administration Building in Dhahran on Monday, July 2lst, so we caught the 7:30 bus that morning.
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Arabian Return Chapter VI: Life Goes On
So life goes on; one chapter ends and another begins. Since our arrival, we had been going at a pretty fast and exciting clip, especially while the kids were there, but on reflection, at that time, we didn't think it was nearly as nice as it had been when we lived there 19 years earlier.
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Arabian Return Chapter V: Vicky and Keith's Visit, Part III
The next day, Thursday, June 12, started another weekend. It was really hot already, with temperatures ranging from 109 to 111 degrees in the shade. Keith and Vicky went on one of the student group outings, west of Abqaiq to the Andar area to hunt for sand roses. While they did that, Oran and I went swimming. Later we had our first social gathering at our apartment for the Steindorfs, Todds, Kings, Marge Williams, and Vicky's friend, Mike Smith.
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Arabian Return Chapter V: Vicky and Keith's Visit, Part I
We still hadn't heard from Vicky and she was due to arrive in 4 days, so that evening the call that we had been trying to get through for three days finally made it. I went on with my activities, and tried not to think about it too much, so I wouldn't worry. It isn't every day your daughter flies half way around the world on her own.
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Arabian Return Chapter IV: Activities and Trips, Part II
Jeanine and I caught the bus to Al-Khobar again the next day. I had arranged for us to meet Pat Smyth there, and was looking forward to this trip a lot more as I wouldn't have to worry about tickets.
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Arabian Return Chapter IV: Activities and Trips, Part I
The next morning, Saturday, March 29, 1975, Oran flew back to 'Udhailiyah, and I started calling airlines and travel agents, when I could get a line through. Billie Tanner, the District Manager's wife, called me to play duplicate bridge with her that afternoon, but, as bad luck would have it, I had to turn her down because of my appointment.
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Arabian Return Chapter III: Death of King Faisal
It was there that I heard that King Faisal ibn Abdul Aziz, the present King of Saudi Arabia had been shot and killed. That was quite a shock, especially since we had been back in Arabia only three days. I was concerned about what might happen, as we had lived in that Kingdom, also, when King Faisal's Father, King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud, the founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, died on November 9, 1953.
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Arabian Return Chapter II: Abqaiq Camp
Daylight brought its own reward - the first real look at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia again and our camp. It dawned bright, sunny and cloudless, as it usually did, with a perfect temperature in the low 80's for now.
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Arabian Return Chapter I : Trip Over and Arrival - 1975
As the huge plane lifted off the runway on March 20, 1975, I sat back in my seat and tried to relax. However, I did not want to dispel the excitement I felt at the prospect of going on this trip that would take me halfway around the world to start a new life.
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Arabian Return: Going Back in Time - 1975
This book contains the highlights of my return to live in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the mid-1970s after an absence of 19 years. It was written for the express purpose of recording the events of my life and those of my family and friends, during that time, as I documented and remembered them.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter XVIII - Saudi Arabia Here We Come
There was a war situation brewing in the Suez Canal area that we were a bit worried about. The English & French were threatening to go to war with Egypt. We had heard rumors about being shipped out, and an American army unit being sent to Saudi Arabia, but both of those were false. The company was going ahead with construction and everything just like we were going to be there for many years to come.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter XVII - Another Scheduled Home Leave
On November 11, 1955, we left Arabia again to go on our scheduled home leave after two more years with Aramco. We flew to Amsterdam, Holland, spent one night there, and then flew on to New York City. We spent another night there, then flew to Dallas, Texas, the next day and checked into the Adolphis Hotel. It was good to be home again.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter XVI - Back Home in Ras Tanura
It was good to be back “home”. Oran found out at work that he was going to be on straight days for two months while he helped train the other operators for the Hydroformer. That meant fixing two big meals everyday, but at least, there were no graveyards. I spent a lot of time cooking and trying to think what to cook, but I got in the groove, and we were soon completely settled and back in the old routine.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter XV - Refinery Hydroformer Training Program
By the first of the new year, 1955, the company had decided on the schedule for the Refinery Hydroformer Training Program in the United States. So, for the next two weeks, we were finalizing plans for that. On January 16, we left Saudi Arabia on the Aramco plane with some of the others, spent one night in Amsterdam, Holland, and flew on to New York City the next day.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter XIII - Happy New Year, 1954
1954 came in with a roar. It would be very active, not only with the kids, but with parties, sports activities, and friends. A number of new people would arrive in Arabia with whom we would become very social. However, for the first week, everyone kinda kicked back and relaxed and recuperated from the Holidays. The next weekend, on Thursday night, the Company had a Las Vegas Party in the Recreation Building, which was different and fun, and everybody in camp turned out for it.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter XIV - To Kick Off The Summer
June was the month Oran had been back in Arabia for a year since his home leave, so it was time to go on his short leave. I really didn’t want to go anywhere as the kids were so young, and I sure didn’t want to leave them, but Oran felt he would really like to get away from the pressures of work for awhile, so we decided that he would go to Asmara, Eritrea for a week.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter X - First Home Leave
Before we knew it, it was March 21, 1953, and we were arriving at the Dhahran Airport. To say we were excited would be an understatement. We visited with other Aramcons as we waited to board the TWA plane, including another young couple with a new baby. We told them about making arrangements with the airlines to be seated at the front of the plane with just a wall in front of us. So, you can imagine our surprise and upset when the other young couple was given that seat instead of us.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter IX - Happy New Year 1953
During this month we had been making our final plans for our home leave, Keith and my first. Oran had been there exactly 2 years, so his contract was up. So, on March 6, we decided to make one more little excursion outside camp. We checked out an Aramco car, hired a baby sitter for Keith, and with two other couples, drove down toward Dhahran to the oasis town of Qatif.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter VIII - And The Beat Goes On
Oran finally took me on a tour through the Refinery on September 13th. It was a bit scary being around all that big machinery, but interesting. I enjoyed meeting more of the guys Oran worked with (the ones I didn’t already know), Roy White, Frank Gates, Frances (Hondo) Schmidt (Joe Schmidt’s brother), Burl York, Bob Wolf, Bill Gallivan, and Gene Johnson, the boss.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter VI - Being Pregnant
I received a letter from my mother saying that she had had a dream that I was pregnant, but was deliberately keeping it from her. So, I decided it was time to tell everyone. I wrote my mother first, on March 24, 1952, and told her she was certainly having some mighty fancy dreams lately, but I must confess that it was true. I wasn’t doing it to punish her though, honest. I just didn’t want her to worry about me for nine whole months. I was going to tell her soon, anyway, because the baby was due in about two and a half months.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter V - Happy New Year, 1952
All the celebrating wasn’t over yet. To start the New Year off right, we went to a dinner party for only “people from Texas” on January 1. The host & hostess were one of Oran’s bosses and his wife from Bandera, Texas, Walt & Daisy Mayfield. They had invited 10 of their Texas friends in for black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter IV - Beirut, Lebanon
Oran had been back in Arabia long enough to warrant his short leave or vacation, which every employee could go on once a year. We had decided to go to Beirut, Lebanon, so at 1:30 a.m. on November 14, 1951, we flew out of the Dhahran Airport aboard a KLM airplane for a two week local vacation.
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First Trip to the K.S.A.: Chapter III - Trips Outside Ras Tanura
We celebrated our first birthdays together in Arabia on July 26th. We have the same one. Oran was 24 and I was 23. We had managed to wait until then to open my parent’s gift to us that I had brought from the States and were very pleased with a record of our favorite songs. We didn’t do much, but I did bake a cake-my first, which was ‘fair to middlin”.