A short non controversial nostalgic story

[solo1]

1944.  Rationing was on, Some things were hard to find. When squirrel season was open, I would jump on my bicycle, sling my model 69 Winchester .22 over my shoulder and pedal my way through Ft. Wayne to my relation's farm, hoping to bring back some fox squirrels. I never was stopped as most people trusted kids who were taught responsibility, same went for police.

At that time Dad had a subscription to "Outdoor Life" magazine for fishing and hunting.  The cover of the May, 1944 issue had a painting showing three Gi's taking a break from war to go fishing. I would think that the painting pictures Africa or Italy since the biggest effort of the War wouldn't take place until the next month June, 1944, D Day, where many GI's lost their lives on Omaha beach.

Here is the painting.

[Robert]

When I was in grade school we used to have shooting class and had small shooting range below the school. It was really fun and had 22 rifles that we learned on. Times have really changed and not necessarily for the better.

I think most who went through the war had a much better attitude about life and things. My mothers friend was a doctor and the stories that he would tell were pretty amazing. Some were the usual like people could not pay and would give him food and whatever they had to pay the bill. He was a good diagnostician something some doctors have lost the ability to do today. He could look at someone check them out and know what the problem was a good portion of the time. I really did enjoy the man although we didn't spend all that much time together.

[DDT (12)]

Wayne,

Thanks for the story! "Each generation stands on the shoulders of those that preceded it" is a saying that resonates loudly with me. Anecdotal stories like this and many others you've shared must be told and shared so the collective knowledge of who we were is not lost... Thanks again!!!

DDT

[John Schmidt]

Great story Wayne. I also had an old .22, paid $5 for it and used it until the rifling was so worn I swear the slugs came out and tumbled end over end. Like many of us raised during the war, my dad wouldn't let me use it until he spent some time with me, teaching me how to use it without shooting myself. I recall he and his next older brother were crack shots, I've watched them close down a carny because they won too many of his prizes. I remember it wasn't always easy to find ammo during the war, once over things loosened up quite a bit....at least in my area of Iowa. To think a kid barely old enough to attend school(me) could carry his rifle to school and lean it against the blackboard at the front of the classroom during class hours. During recess a bunch of the boys in my class just had to check it out....but only after the teacher made sure it wasn't loaded. How things have changed!