THE WAR YEARS

I was 3 years old when World War II broke out and the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. I remember playing on the floor when President Roosevelt came on the radio to declare war and “That We Have Nothing To Fear But Fear Itself”. I was too young to understand the impact of war but remember the events and changes that affected our lives from 1941 thru 1945.

The draft was in effect and family members were quickly called to service or enlisted. All my uncles were drafted into the Army. My brother was drafted into the Navy. When he was 16 or 17 he lost part of his index (trigger) finger while working on a machine. Because of this disability his tour of duty was spent stateside in Nevada. In a short time mostly everyone between 18 and 25 found themselves in uniform. The young men in the neighborhood were off to war. The war changed our way of living by what was to be produced in the U.S. To support the war, industries changed from producing domestic goods to producing war materials. Automobile assembly lines were converted to producing tanks and military vehicles. Women filled the void on the assembly lines by performing jobs that would have been done by men.

The news was slow in coming. It took days to receive word of what was happening. The major source for news came from the radio. The voices of H.V. Kaltenborn, Gabriel Heatter, Drew Pearson and Edward R. Murrow brought the stories of war. Walter Winchell was famous for his introduction: “Hello Mr. and Mrs. America and All The Ships At Sea.” I can recall the shouting of “EXTRA EXTRA READ ALL ABOUT IT” as newsboys sold papers on the streets of Chicago. There were four local newspapers: Chicago Tribune, Sun, Daily News and Herald, There were no pictures. The Tribune would have pictures on the back of the sports section. On the weekend the Trib had two magazines, one I believe was a pictorial magazine and the other featured stories and pictures. There was no colored artwork. It was black and white straight off the press. It was Look and Life Magazines that brought the story of war to life through pictures.

Before the war unemployment was about 10%, in a short time it was 2%. It seems that every able bodied person was working. Most of our daily goods were placed on ration. This meant we were only allotted so much meat, butter, chocolates, nylons etc. Cars were on a waiting list. Families had rationing cards or stamps that would be used to buy goods and food. Everything was being put into the war effort. To raise funds Bond Drives were conducted. The only place to see clips of the war was at movie theatres. The newsreels would show the highlights and events of Generals: McArthur, Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, Arnold and other heroes on the battlefield.

The scariest part of the war years were the blackouts. Sirens would ring out across the City alerting everyone to pull down their shades, turn the lights off and empty
the streets, until the all clear signal sounded. We had Air Raid wardens who kept us informed. They would come to the door to provide information and sometimes first aid kits. They coordinated the efforts of each and every neighborhood.

We maintained some form of normalcy through the entertainment of radio. We listened to Jack Benny, Fibber McGee and Molly, Great Gildersleeve and the Shadow. Sports continued, although many of the players such as Ted Williams left for the service. We were treated to the gridiron exploits of Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside, Doc Blanchard and Glen Davis as they led the cadets of West Point to historic seasons. Bing Crosby introduced Irving Berlin’s White Christmas and the Andrew Sisters sang Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy. War movies were big and supported the war and troops. Not withstanding the hardships and lose of life everyone was proud to be called an American.

Furloughs gave the troops a chance to come home, relax and spend time with family and friends. When they came home the troops brought souvenirs. I remember the fancy babushkas and pillow case covers from overseas. There were the military souvenirs such as lugers and helmets that found there way home. My brother gave me a white sailor cap... I was proud of it. I was out by the front gate one afternoon when a neighborhood bully came by and swiped it off my head, He ran away. I went crying to my mother, she went to the boy’s house on Potomac and told his mother, but never got the hat back. It was an example of how someone fails to take responsibility for their actions or that of their children. Our neighbors on the third floor had a son who enlisted, but was always AWOL. The MP’s would drive up to the house, in their green sedan marked with big white letters “MP”, and with Billy Clubs in hand marched up to the 3rd floor in search of our neighbor. They didn’t find him; eventually he was apprended and placed in the Brig.

During the war my eldest sister got married. Her husband was a Navy Petty Officer and served as an instructor at a naval base on the southeast side of Chicago that became Vocational High School. They lived near the base in a nice cottage they shared with an elderly lady. She had a cute little black Scottish Terrier. . We would take the long trip to visit them and I remember always getting sick on the train ride home. There was a movie theatre on base. I enjoyed watching The Thin Man. My brother-in-law would give me plastic replicas of the planes stationed at the base and communication call cards: Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog, etc. I knew them all. He was a big influence in my respect for the military.

All my uncles came back save and sound. My cousin Curly who enlisted as a Marine was wounded on Iwo Jima. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case for two of my father's brothers who died in the Russian Army. One died after being struck by lightening and the other in combat. I remember my father reading and crying after receiving the letters. The people on Evergreen Avenue were fortunate that most everyone came home. For the many that were killed, memorials were erected on street corners to commemorate there sacrifice.

In 1944 FDR was re-elected President and Harry S. Truman became Vice President. FDR was revered by most Americans as a true leader who took them out of the depression and led them through the Great War. On April 12, 1945 FDR died and Vice President Truman became President. Hitler committed suicide and VE Day (Victory In Europe) was celebrated in May. In August 1945 Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end the war. General Douglas McArthur signed the declaration of surrender with the Japanese Emperor Hirohito to officially end World War II.

Please stop by, My Front Porch, next week when we will discuss the changes that took place when the troops came home.


Sasiad