My father, Joe, joined the Massachusetts State Guard after the Pearl Harbor attack. This meant attending meetings at the courthouse in East Brookfield. His uniform was an old CCC shirt as evidenced by the yellow and green Civilian Conservation Corps of the thirties. Dad related "we had to drive to EB with no light's on." Photographs reveal the top part of his headlights was painted black.
Bell Hill Observatory was manned by Boy Scouts looking for enemy airplanes. The Town Hall Belfry was also used for a lookout. At Howard's Market in the town hall block , Jim McCarthy, admitted to me of rationing certain things such as butter and "taking care of my friends."
Hundreds of volunteers and conscripts served the Brookfields well. I have a sample V-MAil letter from Uncle Albert. His mother, Ida Marie attended the Catholic Mass daily! As my folks were 2nd floor tenants to Oscar and Ida, our family unit was tight!
Dad chummed with his father-in-law each evening as Pepere repaired shoes in the North Brookfield Community as cobbler.
Skip LeDoux's Variety Store was around the corner serving the Little Canada community well. Dad called it Barroom Junction as 44 Forest Street was between Harts Café and Morrisons. Saturday nights were tough, dad related. Old John Feldman stored scrap metal on my folks back yard... then Dad had a huge Victory Garden!
Just months before WWII ended we moved to South Main Street. Uncle Albert returned from combat in Germany laden with NAZI Souvenirs. Today, SonJosh owns a Nazi Dagger Albert gave to my dad. Post-war Prosperity settled in and dad went from building shoes for the Russians to building houses for local clientele.
World War II was horrific yet the romance of music by the Andrew Sisters, Benny Goodman and others made it all worth while.
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