SLPAD - 107 - "Low-Lands" - 19

[Michael Bailey]

Big resonance with _V._ here: Norfolk, old East Main -

"The last time Cindy had seen [Pig] was in Norfolk, on the night of her
wedding. Just before his ship had been reassigned to the Seventh Fleet,
Flange had managed to swing thirty days’ leave, which he and Cindy were
going to use for a honeymoon. Only Pig, upset because the enlisted men had
not had a chance to give Flange a bachelor party, descended with five or
six friends on the reception at the NOB officers’ club, disguised as boot
ensigns, and dragged Flange off to East Main Street to have a few beers.
This
               “few beers” was sort of a rough estimate. Two weeks later
Cindy received a telegram from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. It was from Flange and
he was broke and horribly hung over.
               Cindy thought about this for two days and finally wired him
bus fare home, with the stipulation that she never set eyes on Pig again.
She had not. Not until now."


So if he was broke, that indicates a lack of familial wealth on his side,
or he'd have access to funds even in Cedar Rapids, wouldn't he?; it's
probably at least partially Cindy's family money buying the house and the
police booth and the stereo and the Mondrians, and it's quite possible that
her maiden name is either Wasp or Winsome.

Since Flange's service was during the Korean Police Action, he may have
been a draftee?

Useless, really, to speculate. For whatever reason, Cindy does have
significant power in the relationship at least to the extent of buying
things & supplying emergency funds & being the one who took him back & set
conditions, and when she says to get out, he gets out.


https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entries/naval-station-norfolk/#:~:text=The%20Navy%20initially%20called%20the,still%20incorrectly%20used%20by%20sailors
.

The Navy initially called the new base Naval Operating Base Hampton Roads,
or NOB, a term that is still incorrectly used by sailors.



"Flange scratched his head and blinked at her for a minute or so. No. He
figured not.  Maybe if they had had kids. . . . He considered it a fine and
lovely irony that thenavy had made him a competent communications officer.
“Well,” he said slowly, “allright, I reckon.”"

What he's saying no to - something like this?

https://youtu.be/JFvujknrBuE?si=mp50X-Dc3YiCem7g


At greater length:
https://youtu.be/ftt4f2H3GDs?si=8oTJWCUxzAc0L4_5