Home for Christmas via the Holiday Christmas Train

 Advent Calendar December 8, 2022: The Party Train Home

Yesterday I sang a bit of "I'll Be Home for Christmas". And in 1983, I was a brand-new Private attending Basic/AIT in lovely Fort Jackson, South Carolina. I had arrived there in August to start my Basic Training and after graduating from basic in mid-October, I was sent off to the other side of the base to start my course work to qualify as an Administrative Specialist in the US Army. The good thing about going from Basic to AIT was that we got a little more freedom, including weekend "passes" and the chance to wear civilian clothes again. But we did not get leave between Basic and AIT, so it would be couple of months more before I would be able to go home. And so, I attended the Administrative Specialist Course, and learned how to type a variety of memos, forms and other documents. The weeks seemed to drag on. But as we entered November, our Drill Sergeants started talking about the block leave in December that everyone would be taking as the Base closed down over the Christmas/New Year holidays. And they let us know that we should begin making leave plans including how we intended to get home. While most of my fellow soldiers planned on flying, there were other options. I happened to see a flyer that advertised the "Holiday Party Train" on Amtrak that was leaving Fort Jackson and heading north, all the way to NYC! And although I don't remember the cost, I knew it was cheaper than flying and it seemed like quite an adventure. So many of my fellow soldiers and I, who all lived on the East Coast took the ride home on the Party Train. And as I recalled, there was quite a party on board. Lot's of drinking and carrying on the whole trip. And we stopped at almost every town along the route, dropping off soldiers as we went along. The train left in late afternoon a few days before Christmas and traveled all night. I am not sure how much sleep I got, but it wasn't much. I was too damn excited. Early in the morning the next day the train pulled into Penn Station in NYC and I hailed a cab to Grand Central Station to transfer to a train that would take me to Syracuse, where my twin and our friend Jim would pick me up. Then we had to drive from Syracuse to Watertown for the last part of this long journey home. Seeing my family and friends for the first time since early August felt so good. It was so wonderful to be home again and especially at Christmas. And whenever I see movies, like White Christmas or other movies that show scenes on trains during the holidays, I am reminded on my memorable adventure on the Holiday Party Train in 1983.