Thirteen/WNET New York WLIW 21
New York War Stories : Your Memories. Your Words.

Untitled

Submitted by: Mary E. Raymond

12/7/41 AGE 15 HIGH SCHOOL - PEARL HARBOR CHANGED OUR LIVES - RATIONING - EVERYONE WAS EXPECTED TO DO SOMETHING FOR THE WAR EFFORT - WRITING TO SERVICEMEN - SENDING COOKIES AND SPECIAL FOODS LIKE WHOLE SALAMIS FROM NYC.

BY 9/42 I WAS ENROLLED AT HUNTER COLLEGE IN NYC. IN ADDITION TO ACADEMIC SUBJECTS, EVERYONE HAD TO TAKE SOMETHING THAT COULD HELP THE WAR EFFORT. I WAS TAUGHT METEROLOGY TO READ THE WEATHER INSTRUMENTS ON THE ROOF OF THE COLLEGE. AT USO's , FRENCH MAJORS VOLUNTEERED TO HELP YOUNG FRENCH SOLDIERS, WHO WERE IN NY HARBOR FOR A FEW DAYS AND WERE ILLITERATE, TO WRITE TO LOVED ONES AT HOME. THE NEWS BROADCASTS OF EDWARD R. MURROW WERE THE ONLY SOURCE OF INFORMATION ON THE FIGHTING FRONTS. THERE WAS NO TV, LIMITED COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT. THEY WERE WAITING LISTS FOR TELEPHONES AS WELL AS RATIONING FOR GASOLINE AND AUTO PARTS.

AT A FRATERNITY PARTY 12/11/43, AT ROOSEVELT HOUSE, GIVEN BY SARA DELANO ROOSEVELT TO HUNTER COLLEGE FOR SMALL SOCIAL GATHERINGS. I MET MORTON RAYMOND. HE AND HIS FELLOW 'PERISHING RIFLE' BROTHERS HAD ALL VOLUNTEERED & AND AS EACH REACHED 18, LEFT FOR SERVICE- JAN. 1944, 3 WEEKS AFTER THE MEETING, HE LEFT FOR 2 YEARS. HE WROTE TO ME EVERY DAY - HE NUMBERED THE LETTERS, ALL 7500 OF THEM. I TRIED TO ANSWER HIS QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON EVERYWHERE. THE SOLDIERS WERE THE LAST ONES TO GET THE NEWS. HE WAS IN THE AIR FORCE, A NAVAGATOR. MOST OF THE PERSHING RIFLEMEN WERE IN THE INFANTRY. HE WAS ASSIGNED TO MORE THAN 10 AIRFIELDS. IN RETROSPECT, HIS SQUADRON KEPT MOVING FARTHER WEST. HIS LETTERS REFLECTED CONCERN THAT THEY WERE TRAINED AND WHAT WAS NEXT? NOW WE KNOW, IT WAS JUNE AND JUL 1945 - EITHER AN INVASION OF JAPAN OR THE ATOM BOMB. THANK GOD - AUGUST 5, 1945 WE LEARNED ABOUT THOSE SECRET PLANS! 2 MILLION OF OUR BEST AND BRAVEST YOUNG MEN WERE SPARED FROM AN INVASION OF JAPAN!

MORT RAYMOND WAS NOT RELEASED UNTIL NOV. 1945. I HAD A SUMMER JOB IN A 'TALL' OFFICE BUILDING IN MANHATTAN. IN AUG. '45, THERE WAS A PARADE FOR HOMECOMING HEROES, WE THREW ALL THE TICKER TAPE AND ADDING MACHINE ROLLS OUT THE WINDOWS TO THE GREATEST TEARS OF OUR LIVES!

YES, MARTY CAME HOME IN TIME FOR MY COLLEGE GRADUATION 6/46.

THE REST IS HISTORY, HE RETURNED TO CITY COLLEGE TO FINISH HIS AB WITH THE HELP OF THE G.I. BILL AND COMPLETE HIS MBA AT BARUCH COLLEGE.

WE WERE MARRIED JAN. '48 - WORKED HARD TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE OUR GOALS.

IN 2002, MARTY LEFT ME (AFTER 54 YEARS) TO CARRY ON WITH OUR SON, DAUGHTER AND TWO GRANDCHILDREN. HIS FIELD WAS BUSINESS SYSTEMS AND ALWAYS TOLD EVERYONE THAT HE GOT THE BEST SALES TRAINING FROM WRITING THOSE DAILY WWII LETTERS. INCIDENTALLY, HE SAVED EVERY ONE OF MY LETTERS AND I SAVED HIS. ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, WHEN HE HAD BRONCHITIS HE AND I HAD SPENT 2-3 DAYS AND NIGHTS RE-READING, RELIVING WWII & ASSEMBLING EACH IN PLASTIC SLEEVES FOR POSTERITY. THOSE BINDERS HOLD A DIARY OF LIFE FROM 18-22 YEAR OLDS 1943-1946. THE REST IS HISTORY.