Friday, December 7, 2012

December 7th

I actually rremember hearing this event announced on the radio. We were big radio fans and listened to One Man's Family on Sunday evenings; Ma Perkins, Aunt Jenny's Real Life Stories, Stell Dallas, Inner Sanctum, Fibber McGee and Molly, Red Skelton, Bob Hope, Guiding Light and Grand Old Opry on other days.

When we heard the news, I could tell it was serious from my folks' reaction. I'm not sure what the draft age was but my dad was 43 and was an electrician for the Kansas Power and Light.  This was considered an essential job and it seems to me his rating was something like 4-H.  1-A meant you were going to be drafted.  4-F was physically unfit.

The next day in the fifth grade room, we heard on the small radio President Roosevelt's speech to Congress.

Later we bought stamps to put into books and change into War Bonds. We kids collected scrap iron with our wagons; also newspapers and our mothers saved grease in cans. Sugar, meat and gas rationing meant stamps. Only so much per family to control the supply.  I found out gas was rationed to save tires....there was plenty of gas but not so much rubber.

I was ten then and fourteen when it was over. We (with my 50 cent driver's license) drove up Main in the '34 Plymouth honking the horn and cheering the end in 1945.

To think we ended that global conflict in four years and we've been fighting somewhere ever since - not encouraging.

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