Herb left West Point in August 1934, driving their five year old Dodge across the country, as they wished to take the car to Hawaii with them. He invited a Cadet who was going home to California on Yearling Furlough to accompany him. The Cadet said that he was a good driver, but after a short while at the wheel taking sharp mountain curves on the wrong side of the road, he was relieved permanently as a co-driver, and spent most of the trip sleeping with his mouth open.

One amusing thing happened enroute. They reached Laramie, Wyoming, inquired for the best place to eat, and there ordered the "regular dinner". Each was given a knife fork, and spoon. As the dinner included watery stewed tomatoes, Herb asked for another spoon, his first one having been used for his coffee. "But you already have a spoon!", said the waitress. After he explained why he wanted another one, the waitress reluctantly brought it. Dessert was ice cream. When it was served, the waitress banged a spoon down on the table, saying "There! I knew you would ask for another one anyway!"

Herb joined Marian and the girls at Ocean Beach, California, where he took his first movies of the family (16mm black and white) with a camera he had borrowed from Otto as he passed through Caledonia, N.Y., on his way west.

The family then drove to San Jose, where movie film shows that they with Mom and Dad visited the Zoo in San Francisco while waiting for the time of sailing of the Army Transport "Republic".

As their household goods had been packed after Marian and the girls left West Point, all that was left to do was to check in the Dodge for loading aboard the transport. This was done, and on 16 Oct 1934 the Endertons sailed for the Hawaiian Islands.

The trip was pleasant aboard the transport from San Francisco to Honolulu; but Alice didn't change her time schedule to conform to the changing time zones, and Marian found herself giving that daughter her bath at ungodly hours of the night . . . .

Arriving at Honolulu on 23 Oct 1934, they were met with leis and by WAD Thomas, a classmate, who informed Herb that Colonel Lawson, commanding the 11th Field Artillery, would welcome him with open arms for they badly needed a Track Coach, and athletics were very important in Hawaii. Herb reminded Thomas that he had played football all four years at West Point and had not been on the Track Team. But the more Herb insisted, the more modest about his track experience was he considered by Thomas, who was the Regimental Athletic Officer, and later by the other officers of the regiment. (Thomas probably realized that he had confused Herb with some other classmate in lauding his qualifications to his commanding officer but it was too late to change his story and admit his mistake).

The first night in Hawaii was strenuous to say the least. The family was placed in a hotel in Wahiawa, outside the Post of Schofield Barracks, until their quarters were ready. It was the custom that newly arrived members of the regiment attend a welcoming party at the Beach Club on the night of their arrival. A Korean baby sitter was obtained, and promptly disapproved of by the girls, who were tired out by the landing ceremonies and disturbed by the strangeness of their new surroundings. The parents weren't in favor of going to the dinner dance either, but endured the welcoming party, making mental notes to do all they could to discourage the nightmarish custom in the future.

At Schofield Barracks, Herb was assigned to Hq. Btry. 2d Bn., 11th F.A. as Regimental Intelligence Officer, Assistant Adjutant, Athletic Officer, and (you guessed it) Track Coach. He served in these capacities until 23 Sep 1935, producing a winning track team by studying books on the various events and recalling how he threw the discus some twenty years before at Tempe. The Champions of the Islands are shown in the photo to the left. He received a Commendation as Regimental Track Coach from Col. L. Lawson, CO 11th FA, in Memo Hq 11th FA dated 16 March 1935.

In July 1935 the four Endertons, accompanied by Gladys Hopkins, a schoolmate of Marian, went to Kilauea on the Island of Hawaii for two weeks vacation. The trip was made on the "Royal T. Frank", appropriately known to all as the "Rolling T. Frank". Men passengers on the small boat were supposed to occupy bunks below deck; ladies and children had cabins. Gladys and Herb were not good sailors. The latter was so sick he couldn't go below; he barely was able to climb into an upper berth in the cabin. Gladys had the other upper; Marian put the two girls into the lower bunks, and she lay in the narrow "L" formed by the children's bunks. All were sick. It was one of the roughest crossings of the Royal T. Frank; even the crew got sick. (It was reported that the boat was sunk by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor- with mixed feelings by former passengers). The boat docked at the Island of Hawaii the next morning; it had been a bad night in the Enderton cabin! Herb had difficulty signing the Register at camp, for the book seemed to rock and pitch. It took two days to get back his equilibrium. The pleasure of seeing Kilauea volcano, black sand beaches, and of walking through lava tubes and fern Jungles was shadowed by thoughts of the return trip. But the return trip proved not as bad as going; it couldn't be.

Marian took riding lessons at Schofield Barracks. Although from Arizona, she had not ridden. Her "graduation ride" took her through Kole Kole Pass, where there is a "sacrificial rock" used long ago by the natives. The photo to the right shows her in riding costume (dust from the ground on the seat of her pants is not visible) and her gentle, faithful steed. Her instructor, Capt. Young, can be seen in the background, bareheaded, with a knife on his belt. His comments when she tried to "post" were: "Mrs. Enderton, I see no connection whatever between you and your horse".

The Endertons were fortunate in having Haruko Okimoto . . . as a maid. She was the best one they ever had.

Herb was promoted to Captain as of 1 Aug 1935, and commanded Battery B, 11th FA from 24 Sep 1935 to 16 Sep 1936 when his tour of duty ended. The photo below is of Herb taking his battery down the road for foot drill as they passed in front of the Enderton quarters.

While with Btry B, he received a Commendation from Gen. T.E. Merrill, CG 11th FA Brigade, for the Army Day exhibit of his battery, and a Commendation from Gen. H.A. Drum, CG of the Hawaiian Department for the outstanding success of Battery B in the efficiency tests (letter Hq. Hawaiian Department, 16 May 1936). His battery, a 155 Howitzer battery, also had to man two antiaircraft batteries and fire at targets towed by airplanes.

All officers had to be acquainted with the many trails which crossed the mountains on the island of Oahu, and were required to traverse them on foot. (In some places where the trail was only a foot wide on a knife-edge with cliffs dropping off on each side, some officers preferred to crawl on hands and knees- especially if there was a wind. One officer had to be carried over one portion of a trail).

A photo of Herb's Battery B, 11th F.A. is below.

The Endertons had an assortment of quarters at Schofield Barracks. First, they were in the "1000 block", then moved to more desirable quarters facing the parade ground (from which the third photo on this page was taken). They even moved into the Colonel's empty house for two weeks just so the girls could have a fireplace on which to hang their stockings at Christmas.

Herbert Bruce Enderton was born 15 April 1936 at Schofield Barracks, Island of Oahu, Territory of Hawaii. Herb and Lt. Phil Wehle, on maneuvers, celebrated the arrival of a son. They couldn't obtain a paper fish kite that night to fly from the tent pole. (Japanese on the Islands fly large colored paper fish for each boy in the family). Discussion included whether Herbert Bruce could ever be President of the U.S.

As Alice was bothered by asthma in Hawaii, Herb requested a station with a warm, dry climate, and in being assigned to Marfa, Texas, got just what they wanted (the first of only two times in his military career). They again sailed on the transport "Republic" on 17 Sep 1936, Herb being detailed as Commander of a Casual Company aboard. This duty required him to make daily inspections of the hold, but, poor sailor that he is, he had no difficulties.