“Here’s one more.” And we ate theirs and then the salad came in, we ate the salad and then Maggie and the other guy said, “Here’s the salad.” So, basically, we each ate two meals. Then I went in the service and I spent four months in the U.S. and 20 months overseas, four months in Japan and 16 months in Korea. And I have to say, that was probably the worst thing I’ve ever been into. Not only the war itself, I mean how many people get killed, it was just incredible in 1950 and 1951, but the weather. I had never seen anything like it. Twice as cold as in Sweden, but the worst thing for me was summertime, 120 degrees with the full uniform and helmet and everything on. Anyhow, I got back to Seattle and, again, I met a friend at the same doggone King Street Station. He was a young lawyer and we had joined a place called the Soldier Club, Alaska Club, and they served dinner and had dancing every night. He said, “Where are you going tonight?” And I said, “Well, I’m just coming back from San Francisco and the war.” And he said, “Well, good, I’ll drive you wherever you want to go.” So, we went to this place for dinner and there was this whole group of people there from one of the offices in Seattle. There were two ladies left at that party. So, naturally, they moved over to our table. One girl was from Copenhagen and the other one she was just moved up here from Oregon. And, after about four years, she became my wife. We are still married. So it really takes luck. Everything just falls in, you know. And then in 1958 I went into construction and had my own company. And I had a wonderful time. We retired that company in ’92. Now I got to give something away. I’d already been president for ten years of the Nordic Heritage Museum. So I start learning (about) a lot of non‑profit organizations (to decide) which one I was going to carry on with. In the meantime I was president of the Swedish Club.. I finally joined the Northwest Kidney Center in 2000. I was president of the Northwest Kidney Foundation for three years and I’m still in the foundation and out raising money every day. So I’ve had a pretty good life. So I’ve always been lucky. But, you see, luck, you create that yourself.
130 - Bertil Lundh