Where Did President Roosevelt Go?

Since I was born in the depths of the Great Depression and today’s recession reminds me of my early years…which brings me to my parents, Ed and Maybelle. Since they knew ‘hard times’ both my Mom and Dad were New Deal Franklin D. Roosevelt Democrats. Yes I remember the days when my shoe soles had holes, a nickel ice cream cone was a big treat and there never seem to be enough money in the family money glass jar. In those days there was no such thing as a mid-day snack attack. Of we knew that President Herbert Hoover and his political party were for the rich Wall Street bankers, while President Roosevelt was for the common man, the working man... at least that’s what my Dad had told me. There was no such thing as special interest or focus groups... or computers, TVs, MTV, etc. My folks and their friends all idolized the president. And no one knew our president then was wheel chaired bound. As a young boy I listened faithfully along with my parents to the president’s fireside chats as he cheered on Americans to better times whether it was in the depths depression or in dark days of wartime. What wisdom this man had! In my young mind he seemed to know all the right answers and it seemed as if he was talking directly to my family but of course he wasn’t. I now recall no one much liked his wife Eleanor since was too socialist for Americans taste. Besides she was a busybody and wore silly looking hats. Plus she talked strange to most and had socialist ideas! With a charisma president encouraging them on everyone rolled up their shirt sleeves to win a war and to build a prosperous and a confident America. Since I was in childcare as my folks worked for the navy I can remember the unforgettable “Rosy the Riveter” doing her job - building tanks, airplanes and ships while her men folks were far away from America’s shores. When I was a young second grader I did my part by collecting scrap metal for the war effort and saving my nickels and dimes to buy War Bonds... and metal drives to build the tanks, ships...

Of course there was no war on drugs – only air warrens that come by in the darkness of the night and then inform my Dad to pull down the air raid curtains which were very heavy and made of the color green and sometimes the neighbor’s dog trashing his Victory Garden and boy there was hell to pay. Furious and shaking his head my old man somehow gotten his hands on a one shoot BB Gun and lay in wait for wandering dog.  I now can recall he’d have me as his lookout as he hid from sight  from our trespasser, when I spotted this ‘god damn dog’ as my old man called him like an alien spaceship flew down from the sky my Dad would take aim with his trusty BB Gun and shot the dog in the rear. Guys remember this was long before TV and the radio entertainers were either drafted or entertaining the troops. But sometimes we would gather around the family radio and listen to Tokyo Rose...Looking back 60 some years I guess it was our entertainment. Then, no TV  to watch or hot pizza to be delivered – can you imagine that! Oh before I forget to tell you the BB Gun had been given to me but I was never allowed to use it because it might put out my eye.

Since the Great Depression had passed and the war was on it’s last breath and then the day came when I was nine years old seeing the American flag flying at half-mast. Looking up to the 48 stars flag I wondered why this was so; as I had always seen our flag flying at the very top. Upon reaching home both my parents were sadden, my Mom in tears and my Dad who had gotten the day off from work at the Mare Island Navy Shipyard, he was wondering what the country would do without the common man President Roosevelt. The good news was by then we were out of the hard times, we were winning the war against our enemies and better times were ahead. And by the way who was this new fellow Harry S. Truman? There was a happy ending coming soon – the war would be over!