Oral History Interview with R. Bruce Porter, September 30, 2000 Page: 17

                                
MR. COX: Yes, you did.
COL. PORTER : Well, I was supposed to meet my wife and she didn't show up at the train. I
said, "This sounds funny." My Mother said "Did you get a letter from Gretchen?" I said, "Well, I got
some letters." Mom said, "I think you're going to get some bad news." I said, "Oh, really, Mom?" "
She wasn't a very good girl anyway." She was from a wealthy family, Pasadena family. So I said,
"Okay" so I get down there and sure enough I met her in the hotel there, the Cortez Hotel, the only
Cortez in San Diego. In the lobby and she tells me she wants a divorce. So that sorta stuck me, you
know, and so I said "Okay" and there's not much I can do about it. At any rate, she had my red
convertible Ford, and she kept every penny that I'd sent her in a bank account for me. I mean, you
know, she didn't need the money or anything and she kept a couple of my medals and things I used to
have from swimming. I said, "Can I have my medals?" She said, "No, I want those." At any rate, we
went back up to LA and I went down with her to the bank and later I got an annulment. I said
goodbye and never saw her again.
MR. COX: Is there anything else that you'd like to tell us about? I think that's a remarkable story,
Col. I'd like to thank you on behalf of the Museum for your time and patience in the telling of your
story.
COL. PORTER: Bill, it's been a pleasure.
MR. COX: Personally, I'd like to thank you for what you did and I certainly can feel the emotions of
all your experiences, especially your trip back home. And I would like to, at this point and time, put
on the tape that Col. R. Bruce Porter presently lives in Redmond, Oregon, and he has a web site and
that web site is web..coinet.com/squigleybruce. In case that doesn't work, we'll put it in the report.
And thank you again, sir.
COL. PORTER: Areal pleasure.
Transcribed by Eunice Gary, December, 2000.

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