By Kennedy Buckley of Ocean Grove, New Jersey (Re-posted from 2012; 2019 on Blogfinger.) Ken was a former writer for Blogfinger. net.
“I was 9, visiting Ireland, when the war started in 1939. To get home we embarked from Scotland, and Mom bought me some toy soldiers and a tank for the sea voyage home.
“The bombing of Pearl Harbor was what changed life in the US; now we were in the war instead of watching. Lots of small banners with a blue star in the center started appearing in front windows, meaning a family member was in the service. My two older cousins from Philly went in, and one would become an officer in the paratroopers (more about him later). Dad’s younger brother with no children was drafted — my dad not. Soon there were multiple flags in many windows.
“Nobody was allowed to go up on the roof of my uncle’s tall apartment building in Brooklyn because a spy could see all the ships in New York harbor awaiting convoy. All windows had to have heavy drapes to prevent light shining out. If light could be seen, an Air Raid Warden blew a whistle until you fixed it. Rationing books were needed to buy food and things. Tin cans and tin foil were saved and collected for the “war effort.”
“There was little car driving (gas and tires were rationed) so Esso (now Exxon) printed war maps instead of road maps on which you could follow the battle front as the Allies went through Europe and the Pacific. War news was really bad, defeat after defeat; however, our spirits were raised with very welcome GOOD news about a daring air raid on Tokyo by B-25 bombers flying off aircraft carriers. (The 70th anniversary of that raid just passed–in 2012.)
“As the war went on, many of the BLUE stars in the windows started changing to GOLD, signifying the death of that serviceman.
“Many of our neighbors in the tenements were Italian. Each family had a small storage room in the cellars. Italian families made wine there and stored it in big bottles. When V-E Day came, the celebrating started in the afternoon by bringing the wine to the street for huge block parties that went on into the wee hours. EVERYBODY drank. I was 14 and my buddies and I got falling drunk for the first time, rolling around in the street — nobody cared.
*Newsreels of color war footage of the island by island battles in the Pacific were shown in the movie theaters. The Japanese troops were so gruesome that when the atomic bombs were dropped, nobody complained — soon after came V-J Day. It was the end ….of that war.”
Postscript by Ken:
“The soldiers came back home in droves to try to begin a normal life. My cousin Jimmy, the paratrooper, was already back recuperating in an Army Hospital. He had jumped twice in Europe, D-Day in France and later in Belgium. He lost most of his men in the 2nd jump and was badly wounded. He never really resumed a normal life. He married (I was in the wedding party) a wonderful, beautiful woman, an ex-Rockette. He was in and out of Veterans hospitals until he died in his early 30’s.
“I fear for the returning veterans from our recent and current wars. Will they get enough care? I really worry.”
(Note: Ken Buckley died 2019 in Ocean Grove.)
* Maxwell Air University: Regarding how to finish off Japan: “A policy of imposed starvation—of food, as well as materiel—would have weakened Japanese capabilities without reducing their resolve. Lewis estimates that the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the extent that it induced Japanese surrender, saved the lives of roughly 30 million people.”
Blogfinger: Today , 10/14/23, as we watch Israel respond in their war with Hamas Islamic terrorists, the same standard should be acceptable. Perhaps 1 million American soldiers could have died if we had invaded Japan. PG
MUSIC from that era: A lot of the music was sentimental and often catered to the imaginations of homesick GI’s who literally spent years away from home and loved ones.
Here is Peggy Lee with the Benny Goodman orchestra with a song that undoubtedly reminded many GI’s of their girls back home. —PG
We visited the American cemetery at Normandy, overlooking the beaches, with her parents.
Her Dad Bernie was so emotional there. It was like the opening and closing scenes of “Saving Private Ryan.”
Our bus arrived as they were locking up for the day, but we were allowed in.
Reblogged this on Blogfinger and commented:
This remembrance by Ken Buckley appeared on Blogfinger in 2012. In the comments is a link to another article by Ken.
I just returned from a visit to the beaches in Normandy, France, with my children. I was born after WWII, but certainly appreciate the sacrifices made by our young soldiers.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Here is the link to Ken’s article about his adventures when WWII broke out in 1939. It was published in BF on June 11, 2011.
http://blogfinger.net/2011/06/02/a-familiar-ocean-grover-continues-the-saga-of-his-adventures-as-wwii-breaks-out-in-1939/
Janet, Thank you. My “Stranded In Ireland in 1939” piece was in Blogfinger two years ago around May 2010. I will email the editor if it is possible for Blogfinger to email it to you.
ken.
Ken, this is a heart-touching recollection and so interesting. Thanks for sharing your memories. It’s a miracle that your family members made it back home. Now, would you consider writing about your adventures on the voyage from Ireland?