The Oct. 15 letter writer who mentioned how World War II affected children (raising money to buy war bonds and stamps, knitting blankets, planting victory gardens) triggered other memories for me ["Wartime Reflections," October 15].
I wrote letters to servicemen on tissue-thin V-mail paper that folded into a self envelope. My friends and I saved tinfoil from packages and crimped it around growing balls of foil to turn in to help the war effort. Every week at school we purchased a ten-cent War Savings Stamp and glued it into our war stamp book until we had enough to purchase an $18 War Bond which matured years later for $25. Meat and gasoline were rationed and eggs were difficult to obtain. No matter how much money you had you could only purchase the amounts for which you had unused ration stamps. People walked, took public transportation, and car-pooled. During air raid drills at elementary school we sat on the floor in the halls and sang patriotic songs like "Coming In On a Wing and a Prayer" and "Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition". I guess today songs like that would be banned in public schools because of the words "Lord" and "prayer" but the songs made us feel very patriotic.
Janet L. Haseley
Rensselaerville, N.Y.
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martin of FL 6:03AM May 17, 2010