Being born in 1923, life for me during the Great Depression years of the 1920’s and 30’s was no jolt to me. Everything seemed normal. I knew nothing of my life that compared with anything I heard from others except I knew many people were hungry with many inadequacies, suffering from lack of food, unemployment, illnesses, and miseries of all sorts, etc.
Being born in 1923, life for me during the Great Depression years of the 1920’s and 30’s was no jolt to me. Everything seemed normal. I knew nothing of my life that compared with anything I heard from others except I knew many people were hungry with many inadequacies, suffering from lack of food, unemployment, illnesses, and miseries of all sorts, etc.
The following details are to tell you, or remind you, of some of the events and some comparisons of situations that occurred in America, leading up to the most disastrous sneaky jolt many of us have ever witnessed, or became aware of how things were.
Millions of war Veterans had returned from World War I. Life was a jolt for many people. We had no way to foresee the future or anticipate another war.
I was fortunate in having loving and caring parents, and three younger siblings. My dad had his own barbershop. Haircuts were 25 cents, shaves were 15 cents; and I shined men’s shoes for 5 cents on Fridays after school and all day Saturdays. Sometimes I received a few cash tips.
Dad usually collected cash for most of his services but due to mass unemployment and the shortage of actual funds, many times he was paid with various kinds of fruits, vegetables, poultry, and an exchange of other workman’s services from a carpenter, plumber, etc.
Mom always did the very best she could; cooking delicious meals, did some baking, house-keeping along with nurturing and teaching four kids how to grow up. She mainly spoke Greek.
To add to our family income, mom altered and repaired other women’s and their children’s clothing. She gradually learned to speak English while conversing with her clientele.
While our family slept, my mother worked in a chili factory for a few hours at night. She walked the three blocks to and from the factory. She was paid some cash and a few large cans of beans. We ate well, having beans for breakfast and dinner, and bean sandwiches for school lunch.
National economic conditions gradually improved. At age 16 I had a newspaper delivery route. When the Detroit Times conducted a five-week contest for new customers, I increased my route from 56 customers to 106, and won an all expenses paid trip to the 1939 New York World’s Fair for five days and four nights.
In 1939, German Chancellor Hitler’s massive army invaded Poland and started World War II.
Our Navy began their enlistment and recruiting plan. One of their most memorable signs read, “Join the Navy and see the world.” Three of my schoolmates and I were intrigued to enlist but we were told, “you are too young.”
I had also heard and got excited about the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps.) This was one of President Roosevelt’s make-work programs to increase employment countrywide.
I dropped out at the end of the 11th grade of high school and joined the CCC. The Raco lumber camp provided all the essentials we needed. We were paid $60 each month but $50 was automatically sent to our home. We only needed cash when we went to Saulte St. Marie to watch a movie. They showed two featured movies, a newsreel, a cartoon and coming attractions, all for 10 cents.
The experiences I had in the CCC became “the turning point” in my life. With my duties there of planting young trees, being a tree-topper, fighting in three forest fires, and working in the Ranger Station is when I had determined I wanted to become a Forest Ranger.
In speaking with Mr. Armstrong, he encouraged me to become a Ranger, but he also told me I would have to have a high school education. I relinquished my duties and rode a bus to Detroit with the intention of going back to school. But when I learned about the high wages so many war production workers were earning in the factories, I decided to get a high-paying job.
I was hired into Cadillac Motor car Company that paid $1.10 an hour for a grinder to grind the connecting rods for the Allison engines that were installed into the P-40, P-38, P-51 fighters.
I needed better transportation than riding a streetcar twice a day, so as soon as I had saved $50.00 for a down payment, I bought a used 1940 Chevrolet for $700.00; and $50 per month payments.
Most employees worked 10 to 12 hours daily and on some weekends. Our mass production facilities were so immersed in producing vast quantities of war material for the British and the French, we became known as “The Arsenal of Democracy.”
I had very little time to read the newspapers or listen to the radio, (and of course we had no TV set to watch.) The best news I remember was the Japanese Ambassadors had come to a mutual peace agreement. We all felt good about that.
Most of the employees were scheduled to work on the first Sunday in December, so they would more time off during the year-end holidays. While working intensely on our particular projects at Cadillac, we heard swing band music on a nearby radio.
Quite suddenly a man’s voice announced, “a vast number of Japanese planes have strafed and bombed our forces in Pearl Harbor–there is tremendous damage.”
A woman employee nearby screamed: “my son is in Pearl…” before she began crying. Other employees rushed to console her. Bruce, who worked at two benches from mine, swore loudly, “Those bastard Japs. My nephew is on duty there. I hope he’s okay.” Bruce slammed his fist onto a sheet of aluminum.
Many other employees remarked, “What is Pearl Harbor? What is it?
Bruce spoke, “Its one of our air and ship bases–an island way out in the Pacific.”
Our foreman had heard all of the sniffling and crying for over ten minutes, climbed onto a bench, “please give me your attention. Yes, a really horrible thing happened on a place I know nothing about. We’ve all been building these fighter planes for the French and Brits. Our president is sure to declare war. Our job now is to really pitch in and build these planes for our boys. Let’s go to work.”
Immediately, there was a loud applause for Jim’s words and everybody started to work more eagerly and passionately than ever before.
The employees learned my 19th birthday was on November 12th so they staged a birthday party at the end of a shift.
Early in February 1943, I enlisted in the Army.
Bill Thomas of Rossmoor is a Veteran of World War II, and Past Commander of VFW Post 4048 and American Legion Post 857. Contact Bill at vvbthomasvets@gmail.com.