Read game article from LA Times.
Note reference to Johnny Baker and the field goal ending,
refering the famous game of Jim's 10th birthday.

Due to his bout with poison oak, Jim missed his chance to go to war. His good friend Lester Leavitt, who did ship out with Jim's original P-38 squadron, died in combat. Jim and Betty had spent time with Lester at his parent's house in Oregon. It was now the fall of 1945. The war was winding down, Betty was pregnant with John and living living in Chico, CA near Jim's training base, the Chico Army Air Field. Meanwhile, Jim had been transfered to March Field (now a museum) in California located outside Los Angeles and was flying around the country playing football for the Fourth Air Force Flyers. Jim was a modern day gladiator playing football nearly every weekend. He dosen't remember many of the games, but he does remember one big confrontation at the L.A. Coliseum with the 2nd Air Force "Super Bombers." His Aunt Elsie and Uncle Otto were present, along with 61,560 fans, to witness the evening ground-battle between the "fighters" and the "bombers." It was Friday, September 14, 1945, just a few weeks before John was born on October 5th. Elsie went up to Chico to stay with Betty after John was born.

The war was over at this point. Germany had surrendered Monday, May 7th, and Japan surrendered August 14th. The troops were coming home, and Jim was discharged January 31. 1946. Transportation was hard to come by with millions of troops trying to return home, so the young family of four stayed in L.A. for a time with Elsie and Ottow. It seems they wore out their welcome because Elsie and Otto ended up driving them back to Minneapolis. This was the second and last time they would visit the west coast or travel cross country by car. They spent the rest of their life close to home in Minnesota.