What were your parents' occupations?
He was a full-time cook at the Manhattan Cafe on Houston St. and at night he would work at the St.Anthony's as a cook. My mother was a housewife making babies. (laughs)
What would you do for entertainment during the war?
At the time of the war, we would get free movie passes and watch movies that were made about the war. I remember this one particular movie that made me think horribly of the
Japanese people. These people would amputate their arms and legs and cut off their tongues and dump them in rivers. Thats what made me more patriotic. My family and I would watch
other movies that are cartoon oriented as well as comedy and such.
What would you call a typical day in your life during the time of the war?
I was nine at the time when the war was going on. I would around from 7:00am to 8:00am , I would pass out milk to children who did not receive milk at home. I would go to school until 3:00 and clean blackboards and go to work at the bakery until 9:00 or 9:30 at night. I had got that job when
the war broke out through a court order by Judge Onion in order for me to support my family.
How were wages during and after the war?
During the war, wages were pretty bad, but as soon as the war was over, wages got lowered.
What kind of effect did World War II have an effect on you and your family?
We used to have "black outs" or in other words air raids in the first portion of the war. My siblings and I were told to get under our bed for our safety.
It did have a great effect on me throughout. I remember the family would gather around the radio and listen in on the latest of what was going on the other side of the world.
I was praying that the soldiers would be safe. Those movies that I watched at the theater made me fear for the soldiers more.
I understand you were young when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was president, what were you told of him based on his decisions on the war and homefront?
I was told how much of a great president he was and what things he did for this country. I remember my father and my mother would constantly on a daily basis talk about how great of a man he was. They thanked God that
someone like him supported giving back to the elderly by making the New Deal. On the radio, we listened as he would give his speeches. He was indeed a good man that was patriotic of his country.
How would you describe patriotism in the United States during this time?
I would describe patriotism as being proud to Americans and being free. I remember while the war was going on in elementary, every morning I used to be proud to stand up and say the "pledge of allegiance"(saying the "pledge of allegiance out loud")
because of what those brave individuals were doing for our country-fighting and dying for our freedom and rights. People around this time were patriotic and they showed much respect to our soldiers who fought in the war.
We all were strong people about the war and believed that the United States would come out victorious in this battle. Foreigners would send their children to schools in America to teach them of what it is like to be free and live in unity, I believe, so these children
could pass it on to their parents and later on their children of their teachings in schools here.
What was the most important saying you recall during this time?
I remember my father saying to us not to be afraid that we are in America and that we should be proud to live in a place of unity and freedom. There are other countries in this world that wish they could have this kind of freedom. He also told us to be careful with our
surroundings as well.
If you would want to change anything about the past, what would it have been?
I wish that I could have finished high school because I needed to help my family out so I could not finish school. The other things that I lived through, I would not want to change at all.
There were other topics that I found very interesting about my grandmother. One was where she was stating the "Pledge of Allegiance" and how in elementary school she was proud to be an American. Also how she helped out unfortunate children receive milk when they were not receiving it at home. She admired greatly how united her neighborhood was during the war and how higher powered officers handled the situation. She also recollected how Texas and World War II were interrelated.
She taught me through living in the World War as well as many other battles that America fought in and her financial problems due to numerous amounts of siblings, that she still was proud to live the life she lived and to appreciate the simple things in life.
Throughout this interview most subjects touched were either positive or taught me to be a better person and look at that particular time frame in a different light. I learned of the patriotism of people within her neighborhood as well as her constant need to help out another human being in need of sheltering. There was one slight draw back to this interview, though. I learned that she had personified the enemies as all the time being cruel and judgmental because of what was being to her by the media and the Hollywood genre.
I believe that learning through a relative or some elderly individual would be an efficient way of learning about the past is because they have so much to tell and we, as people, should value these instances greatly in order to not make a past mistake as well as become more unified and appreciate the value of life.
St.Anthony's This website gives vital information on the St. Anthony hotel detailing its expenses, dining, etc.
entertainment during the war The following website is an article that would best describe my grandmother's response to the question of how the war movies reflected to the actions of both sides of the war. I felt that most people living during this time were thinking the same way as she was.
effect did World War II I found this website useful in a sense that it did give the Americans more patriotism for their country after the Pearl Harbor attack.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt I found to be interesting on this website was the fact that it was all about FDR. This would be a good website for people wanting to know the 411 on perhaps the greatest president that ever lived.
patriotism The following website made me a believer of patriotism. As soon as you click into the website there's an American flag in the background as well as on the front face. It looks like the perfect site of defining patriotism and it shows too.
Texas and World War II Last updated Jan.27, 1996 This site gives the scoop on how Texas was involved in the war and I thought it was useful in order for me to understand my grandmother's living during the time of the war.