MEMORIES FROM 1941, AND BEYOND

In the summer of 1941, we moved to a 6- family house. Today it would be called a 6-unit apartment complex .

So there we were, up on the 3rd, or top floor, on one side of the building. Opposite us, in the other top floor flat, was the landlady, Miss Egan. Below her were 2 sisters, also old maids. Opposite them, directly below us, was the Puleo family. Lovely Italian family. The husband had a famous cousin, Johnny Puleo, of the Harmonica Rascals. He, Johnny, was a little person, and the leader of the band . The Puleos who lived under us had 4 kids, Jackie, a boy, then 3 girls, Eleanor, Carolyn and the youngest, Susie. On the first floor on our side were the Alves family. 4 kids there, too... Virgil, Margaret Ann, Larry and Janey. I played with some of the kids from both families. Oh, on the first floor on the other side, were the Hurleys, a teen son, Leo, and a girl, Barbara, around my age. She and I played together sometimes, too.

It was a great summer .

My 12th birthday was on November 23rd, and exactly 2 weeks later, on December 7th, the Japanese Empire pulled a sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, in Honolulu, Hawaii ! It was unexpected, not prepared for, and many lives were lost. One of the ships, the USS Arizona was sunk, right there in the harbor, with most of their crew aboard. I forget how many died .

I believe it was the next day, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared WAR on Japan !

Many young men volunteered for military duty, in every branch of the Service. Some were drafted into the Service. A mighty military force was built in a short time, with all these brave young men, and some women, who were ready and eager to serve their country.

My husband, whom I didn't yet know, went into the Army, and of my 3 brothers-in-law, whom we also hadn't met yet, 2 went into the Navy and 1 into the Army .

At home, many things changed. Young women started getting jobs that freed up some young men for Military Service. They were doing jobs that, up until then, were done mainly by men.

They went into the aircraft factories, and became welders and riveters, and all the different jobs that needed to be done to build the airplanes our Military would need . There were 3 shifts, so that someone was working all around the clock .

Have you ever heard an old song, called 'Rosie the Riveter' ? That was about the young gals who worked building the planes that were used in the war. It wasn't about any one girl, it was a composite of all the young women who worked in the airplane factories, and were helping the war effort .

Our Moms and Dads had to learn how to feed their families on horsemeat, rather than beef, b/c the beef had to go to the 'boys' fighting the war, to keep up their strength .

That took some getting used to, but we still had our pork and lamb, so we weren't really deprived. And the country wasn't yet into the hamburger craze that we've been in for so many years now . In fact, in our little town of Roxbury, Mass. we only had 1 hamburger joint, that I know of, and it was called White TOWER, NOT White Castle. I never heard of White Castle until some years ago, when I saw it advertised as a frozen meal at the grocers. Once or twice, a family friend took me there and we had a burger for...grab onto your seat ... 5 CENTS !!!

Actually, that was before 1941. I was just a tiny girl when I got to go there. I do remember that it was delicious !

I guess they must have switched to horsemeat, too, like private homes did .

We didn't care too much , but the taste WAS different .

There were many things we, the citizens did to help our country . The government implemented a rationing program, and every American family was given a 'Ration book'. In it were stamps, that we had to give to the grocer whenever we bought the item that was on the stamp. I remember going to the market and getting a pound of margarine and handing over the margarine stamp, and evaporated milk, and many food items .

Even tires and gasoline were rationed. Since we didn't own a car, my parents traded with our Aunt Lena and Uncle Ed ... the tire and gasoline stamps for food items. We were a family of 7, and could use the extra food and they were by themselves. Their 2 sons, Herb and Russell, were grown, married and with homes of their own. So they had their own Ration Books.

Herb's wife was Eleanor, but everyone called her Eppie, and Russell's wife was Madeline. They were very intelligent. I don't recall what Herb did, but Russell became a Russian translator. The boys, our cousins, actually, each had cars, so I'm sure some of the trading of ration stamps benefitted them, also .

I believe that each family was issued a new Ration book every month, but don't think the tire and gasoline stamps were in it that often .

Well, I'm getting pretty tired, so will pick this up again tomorrow.

Hope you all enjoy reading about some of the WWII experiences.

I love you all. Until tomorrow.

D