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SiG MT 109 Ernie lived on the ship. ey picked up U.S. mail and supplies for WWII from the Hawaiian Islands. ere were times when they dodged submarines operating off the coast of Japan. "We had eight 40 millimeter guns and eight 20 millimeter guns on board and one five- inch gun on the fantail. We were never actually in bale. At this time we were geing to the end of the war. We got up at daylight, or before, when in bale zone. Our main purpose was to go to Guam to replenish planes with flyable ones. I don't know how we did that. We were off the coast of Japan when the war ended August 8, 1945." ese experiences resulted in lifelong friendships. Ernie has aended seventeen reunions all over the U.S. ere are 19 of the original crew out of 550 still alive. In May 2015, Ernie was chosen to be on the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. that honored WWII veterans. Aer he was discharged, Ernie came back to Great Falls. He married Audrey Calvert in 1951 and from 1948-1982, he worked in customs at the International Port in Eureka. He returned to Great Falls in 1982 and was employed in the warehouse for imported concentrates. "I feel I have had a very good life. I've done a lot and have enjoyed life. I'm very thankful. We believe in the positive not the negative. We both had good parents that were positive. ey gave us the right way to live.'' Aer retiring from the Post Office and driving a school bus, Ernie now volunteers at the Scoish Rite Childhood Language Center. One of his special memories came from a tall skinny kid who stopped Ernie at the fair and said, "You used to be my bus driver. at skinny kid was Barry Darrow, who played for the Cleveland Browns. R & R Casino & Lounge GOOD B TIME Charlie ' s Breakfast Served All Day & Night 24 Hour Family Dining Cody Bill's STEAK HOUSE Food for the Whole Family 3801 10th Ave. Great Falls. MT 406.452.8433 S MT Polly Kolstad lives in Great Falls and on a wheat ranch in Liberty County. She writes travel, fitness, and human interest stories when not cooking or tending to her field of Chinese lanterns.