| At the time of this reenlistment in 1931, William Crismon has been in the Army for more than 17 years. He is married with two children, JoAnn and William, Jr. Pop did not have a middle name; neither do his first two children. At the time JoAnn was born, William and Bessie lived in an apartment over a garage in Junction City. The apartment faced an alley, among many other small apartments rented by soldiers. Pop referred to the area as “Incubator Alley” as it seemed most of the soldier’s wives were pregnant. At the time of this enlistment they lived in quarters on the Post. The large limestone building housed a number of enlisted men’s apartments. The Army provided a safe haven during the Depression years; these were known as the “Garrison Days”. This meant professional soldiers and officers were stationed at a permanent Army Post with acute awareness of financial security and intrinsic Post social status. Living quarters and utilities were provided at no cost. All medical services were available at no cost. Groceries and other items could be purchased at the Commissary or the Post Exchange at considerable savings. Saturday shopping traditionally took place in Junction City. However after the monthly payday, a 25 mile shopping trip to Manhattan was usually in order. |