After high school graduation (Deer Creek 1941) my dad did a three month stint in the CCC, and then worked for a farmer in Southern Minnesota. The war had broken out and harvest was done, so he met up with his sister in Ogden, Utah to work in the munitions factory.According to Dad, bomb assembly was too physically demanding for women, so Ruthie worked in a different area of the ordnance plant. Dad put bombs together and loaded them into railroad boxcars securely nestled in wooden crates stamped Ogden Ordnance.
War or no war, Ruthie and Dad had a good time! To this day, when the two of them get together it's pure joy. The love they have for each other is tangible and generally very loud as they hark back to those golden days. One of the best gifts Dad ever gave me is love of family.
When I asked him about this picture, he started to laugh, as he pretty much always does when he starts a story. Dad loves life, and he doesn’t care who knows it.On a day off from the bomb factory, they were on their way up to see another sister, and the car broke down, so they took in a movie. (Laughter) They were hungry later, and were sharing their food. (More laughter, remembering, remembering.) I forgot to ask about the old mattress and bedspring tied to the roof. No doubt he'll laugh and have another story to tell.
So, Dad signs up with Uncle Sam. When he gets to Europe, he looks at the bombs being loaded into his Flying Fortress. Yup. Stamped on the crate — Ogden Ordnance. He was about to drop bombs he may have created.
An Army of One!
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands. Psalm 90:17
I love all the pictures you put up! So much fun to see old black and whites. :)
ReplyDeleteAlaina: Trying to keep Courtney's delusions -- "Mom, what was it like before there was color in the world?" One of her greatest childhood lines!
ReplyDeleteTip of the hat to Nate for "An Army of One." Witily uttered after Grandpa told this story to us last weekend.
ReplyDeleteA sigh. I just finished catching up on your blog. What wonderful memories! Thank you for sharing them with all of us. The night mother was in the hospital with back surgery, dad sat in our kitchen and talked about the past for 3 hours. We were mezmorized by his life experiences - I wish I'd had a tape recorder.
ReplyDeleteMemories - I was reading my bible this morning and saw a note 12/99 Le Puy. We've had some good times too!
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ReplyDeleteLe Puy! Should I write about it? The sad cathedral, big black weiner in the lentil soup, Mary and Joseph (each holding their own Jesus) on tall puys bookmarking the town, tart tatin (YUM!), the same songs we sing at our church only in French, Ellen sitting directly behind us translating the sermon. Don't you wish we could go back?
ReplyDeleteYes, you should write about it. Ikea, Fountain Bleu, chestnuts roasting on an open fire, in this town they make knives, only knives the best knives in the world - can't get such good steal anywhere but here....Ellen's husband "hates" Catholism, even St Theresa, all the steps up the hill to the cathedral, dreary with a black Jesus, the lovely walk along mountain foot hills and the lone sheep, the fast train to Paris, getting lost, being found by a stranger and him leading us to the hotel, rude cab driver....the memories mount like living a life time in a couple of days.
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