Initial Courtship

Tom: What happened — now, you have to realize I’m coming out of the kill or be killed school, and I’m tough. I mean I’m just tough as nails. And this girl named Swish came to me. She said “Lieutenant, we’re having a fashion show, and we’d like you to be in it.” I said “me in a fashion show? No way.” She said “well, let me tell you this: we got the 20 prettiest girls in Oak Ridge.” I said “wait a minute. Tell me that again.” [laughter] She said “well, just come down tonight and watch.”

So I went down that night and sure enough there were some pretty girls there. But the one sitting at the bench all the way on the other side — I looked around and said “if I can be with that girl right there I’ll do it.” She said “well, she’s going to model the wedding gown.” I said “I don’t care what she’s going to model; if I can be with her I’ll be in it.” So she went over to say something to her about it, and whatever she said, all I know is I just saw Martha’s hand… [raises hand in a shrugging gesture] …like that.

Martha: I did. I said I’ll just go talk to him.

Tom: Then I got called out of town, and didn’t get to rehearse.

So when I got back it was time for the regular show. So I just walked right in, and walked up to the altar and we got married. In the mock show.

And that’s the first time I’d met her. And so we got married, and afterward we changed clothes, and I said “well, being married, how about we go down to Knoxville and have dinner.”

I was in the Army intelligence at that time. And so, getting back to Oak Ridge, on the way to Knoxville, I said “I want you to know right now that I know something, and I’ll tell you later on.” I knew I was going to marry her, and ninety days later we were married.

Martha: He was.

Tom: She was totally — knew everything about what had been going on, and I did too, but neither of us knew the other one knew it. It’s that secret.

Martha: We didn’t discuss it at all.