G.I. FUN

folks do you know what the most valued document is Uncle Sam can confer on a deserving nephew correct it's a furlough pass and if the lucky possessor is stationed anywhere near the Middle Atlantic states its cash to crawlers that he'll head directly for the most famous skyline in the world yes New York City wants a more or less dignified metropolis but nowadays just another GI playground completely at the service of servicemen on the loose of course some of the boys have been here before and know the address of every point of interest others in town for the first time have no particular plans all they want to do is a bit of casual sightseeing get a close-up of a skyscraper or two and Rockefeller Center provides an ideal opportunity it's one place where everybody young and old goes in for necking gosh look at the height of that darn thing will you 70 stories tall and from the roof you can really give little old New York the once-over aha that's Fifth Avenue right below and sometimes through a telescope you observe the strangest things Hey lay off sister don't mess around with a navy see or you'll get this check and now a nickel spare right from the heart of Manhattan is Coney Island and today the mere civilian there is as rare as caviar and the GMs Hall darn near as exciting as a ride in any army Jeep to seven million New Yorkers Coney Island has always been fun headquarters and the Army and Navy are learning why photographs taken Coney island-style wait'll the boys back at the post take a gander at this one this will be something to really pin up that's fine soldier hold it and at the end of the day they still have plenty of stamina left not not quite my friend try again ah that's more like it that rings the bell what does a paratrooper do on a furlough rides an airplane and they feel pardon the expression he's going around with a lot of interesting people it looks like a busman's holiday for boys from the air service but the girls in the world make a genuine GI fund out on the Pacific coast when furloughs come around San Francisco gets a big play from the services yupp fellows that's a cable car and when it reaches the end of its run it has to be turned around if you want to see the town from the top you start at the bottom and go up Nob Hill today the conductor has been replaced by a conductorette no wonder the voice of being so helpful to the lads from the corn belt this to nerville trolley is honest to goodness GI fun hang on soldier she's gaining altitude San Francisco has many attractions from the Barbary Coast to the Golden Gate but nothing surpasses a cable car for really hitting the towns high spots and now on to another location training in Florida today are men and women from every state of the Union and one of the first questions they always ask is where can I see an alligator so when the boys and gals get a little time off chances are many will head straight for the famous st. Augustine Alligator Farm yes sister this is a Florida Gator a young one when it grows up it will probably be a pocketbook or a suitcase these spars have never seen one before and if they never see one again well that's alright to spray em buddy and this is where the older boys get their daily dose of vitamins but it looks like a terrible place to drop in for dinner the food is simply thrown around the service is nothing to speak of and the customers are definitely bad customers yes sir it's a scene to be filed away in your memory book under the letter n as in nightmare this is horse meat and if it comes from the fourth race last Thursday at Tropical Park boy they're welcome to it hey look at these crazy gobs they're on leaves so of course they're also off their base reading gate let's elevate man this will make a nice surprise for the boys back at the station if they can only land it easy there fellows play em easy not too fast ah too bad say here's a sport that has never been very popular but trust a sailor to try anything once no deck of a ship was ever like this Avast there my hearty a little more to port no a little more to starboard well all ashore who's going ashore say maybe this one will provide a little more action is there a doctor I mean is there another sailor in the house okay step up son let's get a look at your footwork hmm very fancy a gi's idea fun depends on very station if it's near California Yosemite National Park offers a lot to the man who really wants to see America here the boys are investigating a giant sequoia tree vernal falls is typical of the beauty of this pain park too bad the folks back home can't see this grand scenery ah but there's a way to show it to him a camera is usually part of standard furlough equipment in this neck of the tall timber and shutters click one of you like this turns up many of the men in service today have the opportunity to really see this great country of ours they're learning what the word America really means they're learning that she's big and beautiful in appearance and the kind of country that was made to order for man's freedom this is the kind of country America has been from the beginning this is the way it will still be centuries from now yes take her picture and pin it up fellows she's worth fighting for and now back to Florida where the GI boys are snapping camera shots of a different sort at beautiful Cypress Gardens here's a souvenir for you sister say a lot of camera bugs out today also a lot of non camera bugs but interested in the scenery just the same there seems to be an extra man around somehow at Cypress Gardens the army gets a chance to engage in naval maneuvers and here a couple of visiting firemen are putting out to see convoyed by three trim escorts a picture of grace and beauty hello grace this is the kind of furlough a soldier will never forget especially if he should land on his ear at 40 miles per hour and this is where the soldier calls it quits and now for landing operations the situation seems well in hand and that about winds up the GI fund for today for tomorrow these boys from 48 states have fighting jobs to perform all over the map break it up soldier furloughs over and sister don't be downhearted my guess is he'll be back for more GI thumb of very first chance he gets