Louise said, >I certainly remember collecting tin foil for the War Effort. We also >collected the fur from the Milk Weed plants but I do not remember where we >took it or what it was really used for. Some said for parachutes. Dear Louise, Oh I really, really wanted to collect milkweed pods myself but I lived in the city of Niagara Falls and there just weren't that many vacant fields where milkweed grew. The purpose of the fluffy silk inside the pods was a substitute for kapok (from Asia) for life vests. > > We also saved our pennies and bought savings stamps to be licked and put > in booklets for war bonds. Oh my goodness yes. Once a week in the fourth and fifth grade (1941/42) we handed over a dime to our teacher and she would hand us one red War Savings Stamp. Yes, we took them home and pasted them into booklets with hopes that we could eventually turn them in to the post office for a real War Savings Bond that would eventually be worth $25. > I came from a family of 9 children and there were never enough rations > coupons to go around for all we needed especially shoes. My Aunt used to > take us girls over to Canada where there was no rationing and buy us > shoes. Oh my goodness, I can't begin to imagine how your mother with a family of 9 children could juggle all the ration stamps to keep you in shoes. I can't recall our family having that problem; there were only my older sister Norma, me and then baby brother Johnny. I have a vague recollection of people doing that, not only with shoes but especially with meat. I also recall that it was a pretty risky business getting back through US Customs. It seems to me that if the Customs Inspector would find such goods in your car, you would be either/and/or be fined a high duty or the goods would be confiscated. Yes those days were difficult ones for the civilians to cope with especially when so many families were worried to death that they would receive a telegram telling them that one of their sons or daughters had been killed overseas. The telegram would start out, "We regret to inform you . . ." Yes, that was a death knoll. vee

Hello all, Having been born in 1940 one wouldn't think I'd have any memories of WW2, but such is not the case. The songs of that time are some of my favorites, and I remember bringing money to school (I started in first grade at age 5 so this had to be at least June of 1945) to buy stamps that went in a small paper book.) ??? What do you think? Do I have this correct or is my memory playing games with me this morning? My family was poor anyways, so I don't recall eating less since my father had a vegetable garden, raised chickens for eggs and meat, and usally got a deer each hunting season. Plus my mom worked at a nearby fruit farm. As for collecting tin foil and such - it must have happened though I don't remember. Perhaps with my earliest childhood being during WW2 is where I learned to be frugal and not waste. Evelyn

I was born in '42 but I still remember certain aspects of the war. I remember rationing, tokens, and yes, collecting the tin foil off cigarette packs and gum wrappers. We live on what used to be the main route through eastern Vermont before the interstate went in so there was quite a lot of stuff thrown out and we used to pick up and save the tin foil. Ruth At 8:28 AM -0500 3/20/05, evelyn wrote: >Hello all, > >Having been born in 1940 one wouldn't think I'd have any memories of WW2, >but such is not the case. The songs of that time are some of my favorites, >and I remember bringing money to school (I started in first grade at age 5 >so this had to be at least June of 1945) to buy stamps that went in a small >paper book.) ??? What do you think? Do I have this correct or is my memory >playing games with me this morning? > > >My family was poor anyways, so I don't recall eating less since my father >had a vegetable garden, raised chickens for eggs and meat, and usally got a >deer each hunting season. Plus my mom worked at a nearby fruit farm. As >for collecting tin foil and such - it must have happened though I don't >remember. Perhaps with my earliest childhood being during WW2 is where I >learned to be frugal and not waste. > >Evelyn -- Ruth Barton mrgjb@sover.net Dummerston, VT