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Terry Wooten: Elders Project

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  • Leda Miller, far right, and some of the other wives on the homefront during World War II. Special to the Record-Eagle

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December 6, 2010

Lifelines: Life on the homefront was scary

Amid the jitters of war, some had time to jitterbug

By Terry Wooten, Local columnist ----

The 69-year-old memories of Pearl Harbor are still loaded with powerful emotions. Many times they are entangled in romance. With the jitterbug generation, love and war often went hand in hand.

Betty Bowden, of Kingsley, said, "World War II was horrible news. My boyfriend who would be my husband had been on maneuvers in Fort Knox, Kentucky. Phil was going to be discharged. Then the news came that we were at war with the Japanese for sinking our ships in Hawaii."

For the infamous anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, here is a different perspective through the eyes of the young wives and girlfriends. We sometimes forget the trauma loved ones left at home experience. As an extra, I squeezed in a disappointed angel at a canceled Christmas pageant in 1941.

For you poetry buffs, Inez Morrison was Theodore Roethke's sister's friend, aide and housekeeper for years. After Inez's husband died in his mid-50s, she went to work for June Roethke in their childhood home. I ran into Inez again this spring at Ted's 102nd birthday celebration, but she left early, because poetry is not her thing.

Ruth Klein (Elk Rapids)

I first saw Leonard

the day I arrived from Chicago

for the summer.

He was with a bunch of guys

I already knew.

He was tall and so thin

I thought, "Oh, he can't be well."

All the men in my family were husky,

but he was nice,

and we were in high school.

Then the Japanese came across the ocean

and bombed Pearl Harbor.

They sank our battleships

and blew up our airfields.

So many young men died,

it makes me want to cry right now. (Breaks down)

Leda Miller (Rapid City)

Before Jack left he asked me

if I'd spend time

with his family

rather than just mine,

and I did.

At first I moved back and forth

between the two houses.

I was over at Jack's folks'

playing cards

when we found out about Pearl Harbor

and Clarks and Nichols Field

in the Philippines.

It came over the radio.

I found out about the Death March

over at his folks' too.

Jack's dad said I turned

white as a sheet.

I can't remember what the news said.

It was sad ...

but after

a while we kept on playing cards

because what else could you do?

I had my own bed

in Jack's room.

It made me feel closer to him

or worse.

Inez Morrison (Saginaw)

We met at a dance

at Moonlight Gardens

before the war.

Oh, we flirted!

I liked to dance

and George was a good dancer.

The jitterbug was very popular,

a lot of footwork

and swinging out.

George wanted to be a hero,

but didn't pass his physical.

Some minor work

had to be done on his teeth.

He went across the border

and joined the Canadian Army.

George was one of the first

sent over to Europe.

After Pearl Harbor

I went with my sister to Detroit.

We got jobs building aircraft.

I riveted just like Rosie the Riveter,

and made good money.

My man came home

with a lot of sad memories.

Jean Beach (Saginaw)

I loved Christmas pageants:

Mary, Joseph and the baby,

the angels, animals,

wise men and shepherds.

Everybody in school would go.

We'd take off our shoes

and walk down the auditorium

in our stocking feet singing,

"Oh Come All Ye Faithful".

Sixth graders got to be in the pageants.

I so wanted to be an angel.

They got to wear beautiful gowns

and had big wings.

Some people weren't crazy

about the wings.

You could see through the glitter

and read Hormel Ham on the cardboard,

but I still thought they were lovely.

On December 7, 1941,

the year I would have been an angel,

we got into World War II.

We didn't have a pageant.

Rubber was rationed.

One thing rubber was used for

was elastic in your underpants.

So underpants buttoned instead.

We weren't allowed to wear slacks or pants

unless it was a terrific snowstorm.

We had to wear skirts.

I was in seventh grade…my button popped off

and my underpants fell down.

Poet Bard Terry Wooten has been performing and conducting writing workshops in schools for 27 years. He is the creator of Stone Circle. Learn more about him at www.terry-wooten.com.

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