Memories from Washington, D.C.
September 15, 2008 – 6:00 amJoan was ten years old, growing up in the city of Washington, D. C, during the war. She recalls spending wonderful summer afternoons in the city for just seventy cents. The bus to and from home was three cents, the cream cheese and olive sandwich at People’s Drugs was twenty cents, the soda was five cents, and admission to Capital Theater was forty cents. Here, she and her friends would be entertained by Frank Sinatra, Vaughan Monroe, and many other performers, who were in Washington mainly to entertain the troops, frequently in USO’s.
Her grandmother ran a rooming house, which, because of the huge influx of people into Washington, was always full. She recalls Sunday dinners at which time lively arguments about the way various generals were managing the war took place. She also remembers learning about the war from the “Weekly Reader.”
Her dad’s job was to read the mail and to inspect all packages for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Because of the numerous items arriving at the White House without sufficient storage space, her dad was given some of the hand-made gifts to take home. Joan recalls a number of dolls and also a crocheted rug with a flag design worked into it. Her dad continued in this job throughout the presidency of Harry S. Truman.
Truman’s first act after taking office was to issue a Proclamation of Peace, and Day of Prayer following the end of the war in Europe. On the following Christmas, original Proclamations were sent to everyone working in the White House. Joan still owns her father’s Proclamation.
Joan’s doctor uncle served in the Pacific. He treated U. S prisoners aboard a ship stationed off the coast of Manila. Her mother was an air raid warden in the neighborhood. Joan recalls dark curtains at the window and rationing. She tells about going to the grocery store when her mother heard that butter had become available. She took her ration book with her and placed the butter in her cart. While she was in the line to pay her bill, some woman came by and stole the butter from her basket. No butter for her family that week, but she did have steak for her birthday, after a year of no steak.
Like many other people, Joan remembers where she was December 7, 1941. She and her younger brother had been given five cents to go to the candy store. There she heard about the attack and ran swiftly home to share the news with the family.
For more stories on World War II, go to www.peggeorge.com.
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