50 years ago today I left Cherokee, KS for Great Lakes Naval Training Center

Bill Martino said:
Living thru WWII even as a boy had a profound effect on me -- perhaps even more because I was a boy and trying to get a value system established within myself.

An old now retired college prof pal of mine a few years older than me puts it this way: What this country needs is another great depression and WWII.

I sum it up simply: Those who lived thru WWII are different.
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I can still remember riding into town with my Mom and watching her use the coupons at the grocery store that were issued to everyone for the purchase of shortage items.No matter how hard it got we seemed to get by.I now really appreciate the great good fortune of being raised in the country on a farm where you always had at least one dog for your constant companion and unpastuerized milk and that churned buttermilk with a big slice of buttered cornbread and fresh tomatoes and corn on the cob.Oh!Oh!Oh! :)
 
It was the best of times and the worst of times.

And, you're dead right about the ration coupon books. Remembering back it seems like everything was rationed then and some stuff was just plain unavailable. The Sears catalogs during the war had signs printed across about half the items in the catalog which read: Sorry. Not available. I coudn't get tires for my bike or "tennis" (that's what we called them back then) shoes for sports. And Dad couldn't get gas or tires for the car. And the speed limit was 35 mph.
 
Bill,
Remember the cardboard coins? I remember red ones and gray ones. I don't remember the denomination or what they were used for, but I can remember how they felt in my fingers. I think they were ration tokens.

My Grandfather had a drug store. Booze was considered to have medicinal uses and your doctor could prescribe it so they would come to the drug store to have their prescriptions filled and would trade their gas rations stamps.

Grampa didn't drive, but my Mother and Grandmother always had plenty of gas for their cars.
 
dep must be somebody who remembers WWII. I can see where this group of guys would dig this up but I didn't think we had that many around.
 
No wasn't even born yet, just someone who appreciates our military guys and galls, cause i've been there. Served 13 years in the Navy, now civil service working for the Dept of the Army Police in Ft Leavenworth Kansas.



James
 
I had to escort a guy there once...dropped his a$$ off and left as quickly as I could.
 
I like the Korean war memorial. It's different than the Wall, but you see the determined eyes. The sculptor did an excellent job. I don't remember if I saw it in person, or in a picture, covered with snow, but those guys keep coming. It would be good if more people could understand that mentality. You really don't know what you can do until you're pushed to the edge and see that survival is possible. Regardless of how hard life seems, I think most Americans have it very, very easy most of the time.

Some other stuff: I've read that the ROK marines were tough as nails in Vietnam and on into more recent conflicts. Perhaps the war changed their mentality.

Another good book - Dear Mom, A Sniper's Vietnam. Written by a guy who spotted for Hathcock at the very end of Hathcock's tour, then took over the sniper role and Hathcock's rifle.
 
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