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A War Fought By All Americans

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By NANCY PLATE

Special to the Tribune

Published: October 19, 2008

These days, unless a family member or close friend is serving in the armed forces, the 6 o'clock news is the only reminder to Americans that they are at war. Very few feel any repercussions from the conflict.

It was a much different mood during World War II. Every citizen, regardless of age or gender, had daily reminders that we were at war and all were expected to do their part in the fight against tyranny abroad.

The greatest sacrifice was apparent in the banners that hung proudly in the front window of many homes. They signified that a son or husband was in the military.

Rationing was a constant reminder of the war. Ration books for each member of the family limited the amount of meat, sugar, butter, gas and other items one could buy.

"Oleo," as we called it, was the substitute for butter. My job was to transform a white block of lard-like substance into a facsimile of butter. I mixed a red circle of food coloring into it by squishing it through my fingers until it turned a bright yellow. I never knew work could be so much fun - like playing in the mud without my mother yelling at me!

My sister and I also helped the war effort by collecting tin cans to recycle, and picking milkweed pods to stuff in life preservers.
Bubble gum was the treat I missed most as a child. I assume the shortage was due to the large amount of sugar necessary to produce it. I longed to bite into the little round piece of pink heaven! Occasionally, Mom would bring home a piece or two from the corner grocery store. My sister and I could spend hours blowing bubbles, playfully bursting each other's creations. We would pick the mess of elastic gunk off our faces, knowing we would get "what for" when Mother had to cut the gum out of our hair. We stuck it on the bedpost at bedtime and could easily make it last two or three days.

Meat was scarce and was often replaced with macaroni and cheese and lots of vegetables. Many families grew their own vegetables in "victory gardens." My mornings during the growing season were spent weeding, hoeing and picking fat caterpillars off the tomato plants. However, the rewards were great! Picking fresh corn and tomatoes for lunch and washing it down with cold grape Kool-Aid made me forget the unpleasantness of sunburns, sweaty hair and the bugs my sister liked to drop down my shirt.

Nylon hose, the precursors to pantyhose, were seldom on the store shelves. My mother would paint her legs with pancake makeup to give the illusion of hose. Some ladies even went to the trouble of painting a thin black line up the back of their legs to look like a seam.

Gas and tires were limited for civilian use, so long drives and vacations were out of the question. Even bicycles didn't escape the effects of the war. Bikes were designed with less metal, and balloon tires were replaced with very thin ones.

These sacrifices made all Americans feel they were contributing to winning the war. This may be why people of my generation are very patriotic and realize how much freedom can cost.

As a 7-year-old in 1945, I vividly recall the day peace was declared. Men piled into neighbors' cars and hung on the running boards as they rode around waving flags and shouting, "The war is over! No more fighting! No more killing! No more wars!"

Or so they thought.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nancy Plate, 70, who lives in Valrico with her husband, Gary, grew up in Lima, Ohio. They relocated frequently during Gary's Air Force career and moved to Florida in 1979. She and her husband have two children and three grandchildren.

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I Remember It Well is a feature of the Prime Time page. E-mail entries to pmorgan@tampatrib.com or mail in typewritten form to Philip Morgan, The Tampa Tribune, P.O. Box 191, Tampa FL 33601. Submissions cannot be returned. Please be sure to include a contact phone number.

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