Page 128 - Senior Link Magazine Fall 2018- Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS
FROM THE HOME FRONT
BY SUE CARLTON SWINSON
I was five years old when
the Japanese bombed Pearl
Harbor on December 7,
1941, and America went to
war. The Carlton family, like
many others, left the farm and
moved into government jobs
to support our country. My
daddy worked shipyards from
Pascagoula, Mississippi to
Pensacola, Florida. My most
vivid memories are of Mobile
and Chickasaw, Alabama.
Housing was hard to find.
For a short time, we lived in a
very large tent. It had wooden
floors and canvas flap window
coverings. If it rained, you had
to go outside and roll down
the flaps. After the tent, other
places were pretty tame. We
kids thought it was great!
Rationing books were issued for
each member of the family in
order to have food, shoes, etc.
Even babies received rationing
books for canned milk. A ration
stamp was required with each
purchase. These stamps had
to be torn out of the book by
the merchant. Mother made
sure they took only the allotted
number. The merchant had
to produce the stamp as proof
an item had sold in order to
replenish his inventory. There
128 Lubbock Senior Link
MEMORIES OF WWII
were rationing stamps for sugar,
coffee, shoes, clothing, gasoline,
tires, and canned goods; the
list was endless. Clergy and
doctors were given more gas
stamps than the general public.
Most things were either rationed
or unavailable; everything was
needed for the war effort.
One exciting event for me
was the air raids. We lived on
the second floor of my Aunt
Prudy’s boarding house at 5
South Joachim St. in Mobile.
Our wrought iron balcony
extended over the sidewalk, and
we watched the activities from
this vantage point. Across the
street at 6 South Joachim St. was
the beautiful Saenger Theatre.
As the sirens moaned, I loved
watching the long marquee
lights go out and then come
back on when the “all clear”
sounded. To see the city in
darkness and then re-awaken
was magic.
A TIME WHEN AMERICA TRULY WAS UNITED
When the air raid sirens began
to moan, every light would
go out in this town of 112,000
people. Only the huge search
lights that swept the sky were
visible. With the darkness
came silence. Traffic halted,
and people stopped talking and
quickened their steps to their
destinations.
We watched as uniformed Air
Raid Wardens patrolled their
districts. If a warden saw the
slightest glimmer of light, he
would blow his shrill whistle,
pound on the door with his
night stick and yell “Lights
Out”. There would be instant
darkness! Most homes and
businesses had black-out
curtains. All vehicle headlights
had the top half painted black
so the beam would show only
on the roadway and not be
visible from the sky.
Mobile, Alabama was a prime
target for an attack from
German U-boats in the Gulf
of Mexico. Ship building was
essential to the war effort,
and the shipyards had to be
protected. One afternoon
a German submarine was
captured near the Gulf shipyard
at Chickasaw.
Every American was at war
on the home front or on the
battlefield. Everyone knew
someone who was fighting
for freedom. All the military
were “our boys”. It was a very
patriotic time, a time when
America truly was united.