WWII

Because we already lived a fairly humble lifestyle, we weren't affected more than anyone else by the war.  What I do remember were the blackouts and the rationing.  During the blackouts, everyone had to turn off all their lights or draw black shades down. They did this so that if the German's were to fly over and drop bombs, no light would be showing to give them a target.  People took it very seriously even though there were never planes sighted.  The air wardens, including my father, would walk about the neighborhood, making sure that all the homes were in compliance.

The rationing of food was also noticed by all.  There was no butter, and I remember my mother using a substitute called oleo when she baked.  Meat was rationed to about 2 lbs per month.....this doesn't sound like a lot, but we were never starving, we just knew we had to cut back on what items were limited.  I also remember that not only food was rationed, but other things such as ladies nylons, rubber for tires, and gasoline.  Because my father had the job building homes for veterans, he actually had coupons so that he could get gas and travel back and forth to work.

I had relatives that served in the war, but none who ever fought or who were even hurt.  I did have one cousin who fought, and sadly he ended up getting killed in an accident unrelated to the fighting!

Because my grandparents and other relatives who were German and who still lived there, we were of course concerned for them, and after the war my family sent care packages to them.

I remember the celebrations at the end of the war.  Everyone was honking their horns, and when we went over to my cousin's house, people were yelling and screaming, horns and sirens were going off...we had found out on the radio that a treaty had been signed, and everyone was just in such a celebratory mood.  But it wasn't too much longer that the Korean War started and so peacetime really didn't last too long.