The GI Bride (35 page)

GI brides, the Daughters of the British Empire (DBE) and one
American friend, Mary Nicholson (
left
).

Mom Evans, one of the angels in my life. She adopted me into her family of nine
and nicknamed me Number Ten.

Cowboy Wayne on Christmas Day, 1961, in Las Vegas.

Palmer and me outside City Hall, in Chicago, on our wedding
day.

Palmer fooling around in front of friends, but was this a sign of things to
come?

Palmer, Wayne and pregnant me, just before he left for his new job in Las
Vegas.

Robin and Wayne back in Des Plaines, Illinois, after our brief stay in Las
Vegas.

My adopted sister Jodi (Mom Evans’s daughter) with her husband, Dominic
Cortina, aka Big Dom.

Robin on her third birthday, pictured with her godparents, Mary and John
Nicholson.

Left to right
: Mum (on her visit to America), me holding onto
Robin’s ears, Spiro T. and Wayne. Taken outside my brother Peter’s house
in Elk Grove Village.

I cannot leave my story without a few words
about what happened to some of the people who featured strongly in this part of my life
story.

Bob Irvine, my first love and husband,
married several more times, but after his last marriage ended, he lived alone for many
years. We always remained friends and I sent him a card on what would have been our
fiftieth wedding anniversary; he got a big kick out of that. I think I always loved him
in a special way.

Bob Palmer, my second husband, never
remarried. He lived with his parents until they died and then continued living alone,
supported by the state. He never stopped drinking and subsequently developed serious
health problems; he ended up on dialysis and in a wheelchair. He continued to harass me
for many years, but he had given me my beautiful daughter, Robin, the best thing he did
in his sad and troubled life.

As for my relationship with my parents, my
visits with them remained the anchor for my often-troubled life; I always lived for that
next trip home. My father never changed: he continued his flirtatious ways, much to the
embarrassment of the family. Mum’s words still ring in my ears,
‘There’s no fool like an old fool,’ but she never stopped being
jealous.

Pete Huber and I lost touch after he moved
to another
state. I wondered why I stopped hearing from him, and when
I located and spoke to his brother Joe, he told me that Pete had died of leukaemia. I
was deeply saddened to lose such a friend, and I will never forget his kindness to my
children and me. Pete, with Dr Edward Crown, renewed my faith in humanity. They saved my
life.

I am still in touch with Jodi Cortina and
her daughter Vicki, who now live in Florida. Dominic, who was nicknamed Big Dom, The Hat
and Large, died in 1999 of cancer at the age of seventy-four. His attorney, John C.
Tucker (one of America’s top criminal lawyers), wrote in his book
Trial and
Error
of Dominic and his business partner Donald ‘The Wizard of
Odds’ Angelini: ‘We soon discovered that Donald and Dominic were delightful
company and men of impeccable honesty and candor in their dealings with us. That was
also their reputation with their betting clients, their employees, and even the FBI
agents who had spent many years trying to catch and convict them.’ Another comment
I read, which made me grin, said: ‘Cortina never was associated with the violent
faction of organized crime. In fact, he and Angelini were known for not strong-arming
clients but instead for treating them politely. In some cases, prosecutors said, the duo
even suggested that their clients give up gambling for their own well-being.’
Dominic was well respected and liked by all who knew him; he was indeed a gentle
man.

Barbara, or Bobby, McCarthy, my very first
GI bride friend, struggled to raise her two daughters following her divorce, but
eventually remarried and became Mrs Stuart Oliver. We lost touch after she moved to
California, but I was glad that she and her girls were happy and cared for. I
later learned that she had remained an officer with the Transatlantic
Brides and Parents (TBPA) until she died suddenly and tragically of a brain
aneurysm.

Spiro T. and I continued our beautiful love
affair until … Well, that’s another story.

For now, let me leave you with my dear
friend Woody Barlow, who wrote: ‘I am still dealing with myself. I look forward to
future moments of joy and grief they seem to blend together over time in moments that
give weight to reflection and oddly disconnected thoughts.’ Thanks for allowing me
to quote you, Woody; it seems to say it all for me as I arrive at yet another crossroads
in my life. I don’t know where the next road will take me, but I look forward,
with optimism, to the ongoing journey.

To everyone who contributed and gave
permission for me to share pieces of their stories and lives in
The GI Bride
:
June Gradley Armstrong, Shirley Ashburn, Jodi Cortina, Vicki Annecca, Mary Nicholson,
Cindy Ballmaier, my son Wayne Irvine, and my daughter Robin Palmer. To Valerie Bettag
for providing a forum for local writers to share and improve their writing skills at the
Sidmouth Writing Circle. To Alison Kerruish and Margaret Pilkington for their continued
friendship and encouragement. To my editor Daniel Bunyard, for his patience, support,
suggestions and encouragement; ditto to my dear friend Roger Stanley for his excellent
feedback and suggestions. To my treasured writing friend Woody Barlow, who tells me
he’d rather be pecked to death by a chicken than check every punctuation mark in a
manuscript. Last, but by no means least, to my wonderful life partner, Ralph Brooks, who
not only provides loving support and encouragement but also brings me cups of tea when I
need them the most. Ralph, I finally picked a winner!