A Classic Story of Mid-West Immigrants Coming to Southern California During the War By Philip Roger Shafer Retold by His Daughter Micaela Porte Chapter 1 The Idea  -- It started with the letters. The letters from California. The letters from my father’s friend, Walter, had been arriving for over a year, who moved there to work for the defense industry. Father read them to us at the dinner table. We could hardly believe it. Roses and oranges in winter? A postcard of snow-capped mountains in the background and fruiting orchards in the foreground from Burbank, California. It was January, 1944. We lived in Columbus, Ohio. I think we all dreamed a lot of California that year. Christmas had been dreary. Dreary weather, dreary long war rationing, dreary death of Uncle Sydney, prisoner of war, my mother’s young brother, she was so sad. Dreary death of my dad’s mother, Grandma Emma, from a long illness, he was so sad. I wasn’t sad about death and war. I was ten. I loved sledding, but I busted my front teeth in a jump and all the dental work was making me sad. “Dear Phil and Edith, Happy New Year 1944, glad we are alive. Friends, you must move to California. The place is booming, towns forming overnight. Ask for a transfer, we need good Bell Men. The war drags on, our condolences to you for the lost of your loved ones in this tragedy… I miss the snow sometimes, for about 15 minutes at Christmas. Our winter coats hang unused in the hall closet. Give our love to the family, Happier New Year to all,