ITEM 3 - FOOD & WAR

Food, a different meaning and a little short then; in the 30s - lack of money; in the 40s - war. Ration stamps for food. Everything was rationed. Top of the list was Butter, Coffee, Meat, of course gasoline and tires. The introduction of Margarine with that obvious orange dot to squeeze and manipulate 'til it looked like butter.  Each family was alloted stamps according to their number. I was always the family shopper and I did go to a super market (rare find) but can't remember the name.

There were air raids with the sky filled with searchlights, but thanks to our military and leaders, our country was never touched. Exclusive of Hawaii and Alaska which were not yet states. My father was an air raid warden, he could not serve in the military. When he was twelve he was hit by a truck which left him with a silver plate in his head and a silver bone in his thigh. So, he became a welder at the Sun Ship Yard in Chester, PA. The unstoppable Joe the Barber. At the end of the war was laid off from Sun, got on a bus and got a job at the Gulf Oil Refinery that same day.

The war years - little red wagons and trash picking once or twice a week, by my friends and me. Collecting every recyclable item we could find - tin, copper, lead, rubber, rags and newspaper for the war. Of course we made enough money at the junk yard for a saturday matinee and maybe a box of Good & Plenty.

Saturday matinee, wow. Always a great feature film plus, "Joe McDoaks" , "Heckle & Jeckle" , "Laurel & Hardy", "Spy Smasher", "Captain Marvel", "The Bowery Boys", "The Lone Ranger", just loaded with Chapters and Short subjects. "The News Of The Day", uncensured clips  of the war and in 1945 the horrible films of Nazi concentration camps.

At the end of the war we had many, many block parties to celebrate. First VE Day then VJ Day. Lots of food, music and dancing under the Christmas lights strung across the street from house to house. The women made all kinds of food which were laid out on many tables. There was soda for the kids and beer for the adults. That was our block, but every street in South Philly did the same thing.

Before that, FDR was my hero and I had to see him in-person. I played hookie from school when I was eleven to see him on South Broad St. in front of South Philly High. I wanted to touch his hand but chickened out when I got within 15 feet of his open limo. In his famous black cape and long cigarette holder he looked at me and smiled. He wasn't wearing his funny black hat on his way to the Philadelphia Naval Yard to give a speech. I was sad he did not live to see the war end.