Today, “The day of Infamy”, I remember so clearly. I was 10 years old and couldn’t believe how all the men I knew all rushed in the excitement to help and to “Join up” after hearing President Roosevelt’s speech. At that time, there was no TV, so you listened under the radio and imagined what had happened in Hawaii. My uncles all wanted to join but my father wasn’t allowed to, cause he was the oldest son, and could only join rhe war effort by working in the Navy shipyards in Brooklyn. Uncle Joey joined the Navy and was a hero, Uncle Al the army and was a Chief cook, Uncle Mickey was “4f”, and Uncle Raffie too young. My two first cousins on my mother’s side joined as well. One was killed in France, and wounded in Anzio beachhead.
As the war progressed, my brother Al would gather all us kids under a lamppost and tell us what happened each day. He was a great story teller and made sound affects as the planed dived at each other and guns rattling and bombs blowing up. All of us listened quietly in wonder… I can hear him now!