Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Wondering How Many Were Around Back Then

I was going through a small box of old pictures that were the same size (3” x 4”) and looked like they were all taken at the same time, which must have been Easter 1944 or 1945. I was born in early 1943, so you guess the year.

But what interested me was the notice that I found in the bottom of the box:


I had seen ration vouchers for gasoline, tires, etc. but had never seen nor heard of this type of scarcity. But it is no surprise, when you think about it, and the prints were smaller than normal to also save photo paper. All types of things were needed for the war effort.

I remember some things from World War 2, how many things do you remember? I can remember my Mother holding me up and showing me a picture of my Dad. She would keep telling me that the fellow in that picture was my Dad and that he would be coming home someday soon. She did this often so that I would recognize and know who my father was when he did return to us.
OK, must prove that I was alive and kicking way back then. Here are some more old pictures that were in the same little box that the notice was in. Knowing my Mother, she would never mix up pictures and all would have been developed at the same time. Here is a picture of my Mother and me. Anyone know what make and year that car is in the background?


And here is one of just me:

And one taken up close:

I also remember other things from my early child-hood. At about the same age as the above pictures, my Grandfather was taking me for a walk and I ran away from him. When I got older, I regretted doing that. Will always remember his voice yelling at me, there was fear in it. Sadly, he passed away before I reached the age of six.

Other memories of that time period where playing in the snow (loved the snow) and the big oval etched glass window in our front door. My Mother and I lived in one half of a rented duplex while my dad was serving in WW2, and it had this neat front door. At least, I thought so.

How about something not as far back in time? Do you remember the four engine constellations? I can remember going to the Airport to pick up relatives and watching those sleek triple tail air-liners coming and going. There seemed to be excitement in the air at the terminals back then.

Do you realize that it has been over 40 years since the first moon landing? I remember my parents came over for a visit and my two sons, my Mom and Dad, and my wife and I were glued to that back and white TV screen as the fist man stepped on the moon. We were full of such hope for the great and unknown future of space travel. But look what happened, almost nothing!! Granted, unmanned missions have done spectacular things, but how long has it been since man last walked on anything extraterrestrial, even our moon?

Dang, how did I get from a ration notice to space travel? Go figure. . .



7 comments:

  1. Dizzy you make me feel like a kid. I'm just 52. When I went to work at the Fire Department, there were a lot of WWII vets still working there. Not many WWII vets left around any more.

    What happened, or more correctly, did not happen, to the space program? Thought I'd have a vacation home on Mars by now.

    Thanks for the memories.

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  2. Hey Sixbears, you ARE a "kid". But don't forget, you are only as old as your feel, and sometimes I feel like 150. . . You are right on the vacation home, I thought I would have one next to yours. Course I would be down wind so you would get all the red dust (grin). Thanks for stopping by today.

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  3. I got you all beat, I was born in 1980, and the first war I remember anything about was Bush Sr's operation desert storm. Sorry guys.

    On the other hand, I love learning about space travel. It's a shame the International Space Station just doesn't have the same glamor the moon landings had. I'm a little sad that we don't have any true heros like Chuck Yeager, Alan Shepard or Michael Collin's anymore.

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  4. Howdy Grant, glad you stopped by today. We have learned more through robotic space flights and the manned space station than returning to the moon or trying to put men on Mars. Just wish there was enough cash for both.

    Chuck Yeager was probably the best pilot that ever lived. The reason being is that he knew the planes he flew, inside and out. Those were the glory days.

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  5. Dizzy, Reread your post this Thursday morning and looked again at the ad copy .. THEN I Googled
    Technifinish Rochester3, New York , Found two different ads from the place in Popular Mechanics Oct, 1945 and May 1946 !!

    Go on,,Google it yourself!!

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  6. Dizzy, thank you for resurrecting some of my own memories. Somewhere around here there is a box of old photos, or maybe our daughters have it now. Little black and white shots. My grandfather worked in the shipyards in Portland, Oregon, during the war, and I think that's what evenyually killed him. I remember coming home one day and not being allowed to go upstairs; turnmed out my grandmother had died and was still up there. I also remember a few years later, my other grandmother falling down that same set of stairs, yelling with every bounce. She broke her hip, and never walked without crutches again. Maybe I should join the OldFartsClub!

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  7. Jerry & Suzy, thands for stopping by today. Glad I jogged your old memories. I have photos that go back to tin types or plates. People I have no idea who they were, but must have been related. Trying to sort them out.

    I enjoy your blog and would like to be full time but probably will not make it. Like to travel in the colder months. Got an Arctic Pack on the RV and it works well.

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