Newspaper article from September 14, 1942 [click to enlarge]
V- mail September 14, 1942 (GRY)
Letter transcription:
9-14-42
Dear Daddy,
Monday morning and still having fair weather. It will be nice for the fair this week which opens tomorrow. John is going tomorrow evening for the opening with the Band. I haven’t found anyone yet to take Mark Friday but maybe Dorothy will be taking Betty and Buddy and Mark will go with them. Yesterday being Sunday we had a few callers. Mrs. Roberts came over and visited a little while. She said she wanted to bring Joe’s Dad over but he has been so busy now that Earl is gone too. One day he had seven deliveries-not all in the hospital either. While Arlene was in the hospital Dr. Cole had three at St. E. in one day. He told me when he was here Thurs. he averaged one a day. He told me to send a specimen down with someone and Arlene Sondgerath was operated on for appendicitis this morning so her mother took a package to the hospital for me. She wanted to know if I would be going down while she has to go-suggested she take me down. I told her it wouldn’t be too soon to suit me but that it isn’t quite time. I am beginning to count the days now. Should be not more than three weeks now. I got quite a shock last night. Lucile J. was here and told me she was booked for the stork in about four months. I could hardly believe my ears when she told me. She thought I knew, that I had noticed, but I hadn’t.
I have been taking shots of liver & Vit B. the needle was so dull Margaret K. took it for Bud to sharpen, so now maybe it will be a little easier to give myself a shot. Ruthie M. called me last night. Your mother had written to her that I wasn’t feeling so well so they were anxious to know how I felt. I told her I was able to be up again. They would have come over but for the tire situation. Our tires haven’t been used the last three weeks but will get a run soon
Love Mother
I am still behind in catching up with all your blogs! But one thing that caught my eye was her mention of her dull needle. In the 60′s and in elementary school, we lined up for some kind of shots in the school’s auditorium. The nurses or doctors had the old fashioned metal syringes with the similar style needles mention in her letter. I think I remember seeing maybe five syringes.
As I approached the nurse for my turn, I noticed the doctor running the needle through the flame of a Bunsen burner. I knew it was to kill off “germies” but I was fearful it wouldn’t cool off before it was my turn to get stuck.
Yes, the war needed medical personnel badly…and many – although not in combat – would fight PTSD for the rest of their lives.
I wonder when they switched to disposable needles…I can’t recall if I’ve ever had a shot without one.
What is a shot of liver!!
I’m still working on what exactly a liver shot is, but I suspect it was some sort of vitamin cocktail to enhance the liver. I did find this link about Vitamin B shots: http://wellnessexpress.org/our-services/vitamin-injections/vitamin-b12-injections
I believe it was for Vitamin A. Military officials at that time felt it vital for eyesight (pilots), etc. Unfortunately, a huge source for Vitamin A was shark liver. They were slaughtered off the West Coast and nearly wiped out…and not for shark fins. The slaughter continued until they artificially manufactured Vitamin A.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing.
“Yesterday being Sunday we had a few callers.” Certainly was a different time, when people “went calling” on a Sunday afternoon.
“Lucile J. was here and told me she was booked for the stork in about four months.” That would have been my childhood friend Jimmy Ed Johnson.
“Our tires haven’t been used the last three weeks but will get a run soon”– I assume she means that their car hadn’t been driven for three weeks. And this is a sign of wartime: “They would have come over but for the tire situation.” (1) rubber was needed for the war, so civilians didn’t have easy access to new tires. (2) this was the era before inner-tubes, and punctures were much more common. So the lack of good tires (“the tire situation”) could mean you didn’t go on a trip.
One very interesting little item in that newspaper clipping. The average weight of the soldier in WWII was 152, in WWI 142 and in the Civil War 136! A soldier today at 152 would be considered a lightweight. People used to be smaller!
Very nice observations and comments, sir. Thank you.