I was born and raised close to a US Airforce base here in the UK, the year that I remember would be around 1949/50.

The kindness of one particular airman from the US has remained with me my whole life. His name was 'Bud' (probably a nickname) and he was courting the older sister of my childhood friend who lived next door.

At that time we rarely enjoyed the goodies enjoyed by US children due to rationing (details here):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationing_in_the_United_Kingdom

'Bud' would be sitting in the lounge with his lady friend, who he later married, and we little ones would be playing around in the next room. He would always, without fail, give us 'candy' aka chocolate bars and something to take home to our 'mom'.

Bud was a lovely guy and I will always remember how kind and gentle he was and I do hope his life was happy and fulfilling.

Bud was an African American and at the time I though that all Americans were just like him. Then I met some mormons.

Things were never the same with the mormons.

Bless you Bud - this lady will never forget you.

Briggy

Then you read the truth about African Americans from The BoM which erased all the goodwill and happy memories you had with "Bud."

Aren't you glad you had the one true church to open your eyes?

My memories of 'Bud' over-rode any doctrinal crap that I was later spoonfed. Maybe I always knew that something smelled bad but when one is young.....

I don't recall the doctrine being pushed so much over here though, as we don't really buy into everything to the max, remaining skeptical as American ideals didn't always go down too well after the war for a good while.

Bud was a great bloke. I often wonder though, as he took his English wife back home, whether or not they had problems that she wouldn't expect to have over here. I do know they both returned to the UK and settled here to raise their family elsewhere in the country. I do believe they lived in Yorkshire for a while, after that, I lost contact with my friend so don't know any more. I doubt they would become mormon so that's all good.

Briggy

It probably worked out fine as long as he stayed in the military or in Europe.

But a civilian mixed racial couple in the America of the 1950s?
You can bet there were problems eventually.

Lovely story!