1944

My brother Lysle, left and me on the right

The War continued for all of 1944 and people were weary and anxious for the troops to come home.
Here in Maine the Army opened a POW Camp for German men who had been captured, it was located in Houlton in Aroostook County.  There was a labor shortage on the large potato farms and the prisoners were put to work, for which they were paid a stipend to use a the camp commissary.

POW picking potatoes, the barrels are for shipping.

Payments for picking

Aircraft taking off from the USS Hornet in the South Pacific,
I was stationed on the Hornet during the Vietnam War

1943

I do remember a couple of things that took place in 1943, on my brothers first day of school I spent a good part of the day on the porch waiting for him, I had a toy guitar, move to blank.  I also remember that someone at the shipyard was taking food from Dad's lunchbox.  He took a dog biscuit (they used to be shaped sort of like a Hershey bar), and Mom had some baking chocolate, they melted some and coated the dog biscuit; that was the end of someone taking food from Dad. 1943 is also the year of the so-called steel penny, it was really zinc, it was, and is, a mild curiosity; the copper was harder to get than zinc for the war effort.  I still have some of the ration books (can't scan, we're packing to move) so you can find an image on Google.




The Commissioning of the Destroyer USS Abbot DD629, in Bath Maine

German bombers

Every one was worried about being attacked from the air, Germany being closer to Maine than Japan, we only worried about the German ones.  I was a bit scared of 'planes until I was about 10, but in that time I saw some interesting friendly ones.  I saw a Flying Wing once, probably on it's way to Bangor or Limestone.

                                            ON A SEPARATE NOTE:

Ain't that the truth

1942

I don't remember much about World War 2, I probably slept through most of it anyway.  I must have started walking by now, and if that's the case, it was the start of a long period of years for Mom.  I am convinced that I was ADHD and if there had been Ritalin then she would have had me a drip IV!  I was a terror as a kid and worse than that until I was 40.

I'm sure life on our little place changed a lot during the War, Dad left the mill and worked at Kaiser Shipyards in South Portland, a long ride back then before the Turnpike was built, he was in a car pool.  His car, a 1934 Plymouth couldn't have made even one trip.  He taught math at the start and ended as a welder, they turned out about two Liberty ships every week.

A ship under construction

The Yard, when Linda and I got married she owned a house in the neighborhood. 
The shipyard is long gone, it closed right after the war.

I do remember some nights waiting for Dad to come home, but that was probably later than 1942; one other thing I remember is that we couldn't get butter from my Grandmother anymore and had to use Oreo-margarine (just plain margarine now), it was white and if you wanted yellow there was a small capsule of coloring in the package, I loved to stir it in, with guidance and supervision.

Well, let's see what 1943 brings.

1941

Me and my big brother, Lysle

I'm not sure that anyone can remember when they were one year old, I sure can't.  So, instead of "remembering" anything I'll tell you about where I lived - I do remember that.  I'm really not even sure about my age in photos that I put up; Mom didn't write on the backs of photos so who knows?

the house now, taken from Google Earth

This is what the old house looks like right now, when I was one, there was no garage, no paint, and where that lawn is (front) was a huge garden with asparagus and raspberries, and rows and rows of vegetables (mom canned every year).  There was no running water, there was an indoor outhouse in the barn, and a full woodshed between the house and barn. Other than that it's the same:)  My cousin Donald's widow Jackie still lives there, they bought the house (improved) in 1955.

That's me with a neighbor, I don't remember which one

1940

Early 1941

...after I saw a book, or journal, to make comment on your life each year between 1 and 100; I thought it might work on this blog.  We'll try it, if it doesn't pan out we'll try something else.  Please feel free to comment on the blog, it's simple, just click and fill out the box(es).

1940:  I was born on December 19th, in Goodall Hospital, Sanford, Maine. just six days before Christmas.  I don't remember anything about it, but my mother was there.  We stayed in the hospital for 4 or 5 days, the total bill was $48.00; dad had Blue Cross and the co-pay was fifty cents!

We went home to North Lebanon, also in Maine, where we had a small egg farm, there were about 400 chickens, two pigs and us: Dad, Mother, my big brother Lysle (he was 3) and now me.

There was an earthquake when I was born, so my Grandmother Goodwin told me, the dog hid under the stove and my brother was crying.  I don't remember that either.

We lived in the old farmhouse, above, it wasn't in very good shape then, but in a few years there were new clapboards and nice yellow paint.

I don't remember getting any Christmas presents, nothing at all.

The ball game!

NOTE:  Because I failed to do my home work, I am giving you a copy of a blog I did in July 2010,
since the Red Sox aren't living up to their "super" billing, it's appropriate now too.

SUNDAY, JULY 25, 2010


(Expletive deleted)...

...that's the manner of this blog,
the game was played, I should've slept like a log,
the Sox played Seattle in a baseball game,
to the pitcher OK, to the bats go the blame!

The (expletive deleted) guys can't hit the ball,
for two million bucks a year, that can't be hard to call..
put the (expletive deleted) bat on the (expletive deleted) ball!
The (expletive deleted) game is finally over, that may be best of all.

Jon Lester pitched a jewel, the high point is that;
but the (expletive deleted) guys need to handle the bat!
For the money that they earn, it should not be a task,
hit the (expletive deleted) ball! Is that too much to ask?

Boy! They got me going, I can feel the boil,
if it was me I'd throw the bunch into red hot oil;
hit the (expletive deleted) ball, I know it's hard to do,
but you're making millions, you get paid for what you do.

And get rid of (expletive deleted) Delcarmen, get someone to pitch,
get him out and keep him out, that lousy (expletive deleted)!
So, there you have it, that's my take on the game;
and I'm sure there are others, who feel the same.

Now the (expletive deleted) game is over, it's time to eat,
I can't stand to watch, when that (expletive deleted) team gets beat;
but, let's understand, it's just a game,
and it (expletive deleted) me off just the same.

So - now I'll get on, with the rest of my day,
and be interested in what others say;
I can get their take on tonight's game,
and probably most of them, feel the same.

(Expletive deleted)
Have a great day!