War Impacts Many Things

Just as "9-11" immediately brings back to memory the horrifying events in New York City when the Twin Towers were brought down by terrorists, so does Dec. 7, 1941 bring back to my memory the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese which catapulted the United States into World War II. I was only seven years old at the time, but I remember well the reaction of my parents when the news came over the radio that Sunday morning. I remember after seeing the shock in their faces, they tried to explain to us kids what had happened and what would probably be the result. We would be at war. Up until that time I was hardly even aware that a war was going on in the other side of the world. But that would all change and change very fast. It not only affected us at home, but at school as well.

At home the biggest concern was the draft into military service. Every eligible adult male between the ages of 18 and 40 was subject to being drafted into the army. Many enlisted in the Navy, Marines, or Air Force rather than be inducted into the Army which was considered the most risky. By age and fitness, my dad was eligible for the draft which was a real concern to him because he was needed so much at home to take care of the family. Mom was just not able to go it alone. He immediately applied for a deferment on that basis which was granted on the condition that he would have to change his employment to what was considered a "critical" war industry. A small print shop was not considered critical to the war effort, but a newspaper was. I guess that was because it was considered important for people to be kept informed about the war. So Dad began to work for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City. He was also appointed the neighborhood Air Raid Warden which meant he was a first contact if enemy planes were sighted headed for Utah. It was his job to then alert the neighborhood by sounding off a siren that was kept in our basement. People were supposed to take cover in a basement or in a pre-arranged shelter when they heard that siren. We had helmets and food supplies provided by the government in our basement in case of need, and occasional surprise drills were held to test the program. The seriousness of a possible attack really didn't enter my mind at that time. I just thought of it as a game as I ran to the basement and put on a helmet during one of those "raids".

Other things in our household changed when we entered the war. There was "rationing"! That meant that certain commodities that had been readily available were now being used to support the war effort and the soldiers. Such things as gasoline, sugar, shoes, required allotted "stamps" to purchase while other things such as anything made out of nylon were just impossible to get. So women would paint their legs with a special dye introduced by a creative enterprenaur which made them look covered by hosiery. Nowadays, most women no longer wear hose so it would have been no big deal. But back then hose were considered necessary if you wanted your legs to look "sexy", and most women would do almost anything to get a pair. They became a big "black market" item.

The amount of gasoline you were able to get depended on how far the provider of the family had to drive to work, necessary medical appointments, distance to church, etc. Mileage was calculated and you were given a sticker with an "A", "B", or "C" to put in your car's front window. This sticker told the gas station attendant how much gas you were allowed to buy and how often. There were no allotments for vacations or special trips. To buy sugar and shoes, stamps were required. So many pounds of sugar per person in the family determined the number of stamps you received. (I can't remember how much that was, but I don't remember feeling deprived of sweets.) Shoes were a different story. Stamps for shoes were issued according to the number in the family as well. But as I remember, that was about one pair of shoes per person per year, and you know how hard kids can be on shoes. We had to wear the same shoes on Sunday that we wore all week, and by the time we were eligible for a new pair of shoes, ours were pretty much "gone". I wore a lot of shoes with holes in the soles. No one really complained about the shortages or other sacrifices that were made because at that time there was an abundance of patriotism. Citizens loved their country and were willing to sacrifice whatever it took to protect our liberty. I've never felt such patriotism since. Many women went to work to replace men who were called into the service and to man new factories producing war materials. I'm sure this was difficult for some families, but again, it was that feeling of patriotism that made women to also make great sacrifices.

Banners with stars began appearing in windows showing that someone in your family was serving his country in the military. I remember seeing banners with as many as four or five stars. The only one who went to war in our family was my dad's brother, LeGrande who had joined the Navy before Pearl Harbor and was stationed there when it was bombed.

I think I felt the effects of the war more in school than at home. But that's my next blog.