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ARMY MARRIAGES
From the Viewpoint of a Local Private*8 Wife
Marriage has always been one of
fee juciest topics for discussion. In
Grandma’s day a girl was raised
knowing the necessities of. house
keeping and the niceties of neeipe
^TQrk—^nd perhaps if her fmnily
was “genteel” she was Uught to
tat and paint pretty flowers on china.
The ultimate end, of course, being
marriage—and pi^ the poor young
thing whose teeth were too large or
whose figure too slim—or horrors if
she lived to read and discuss the
events of the day. She, I’m afraid,
was relegated to mournful spineter-
hood—while her cameo-like if less
intelligent sister, became wife and
mother and lived, we hope, happily
ever after.
dipping the years we find hoop
skirts and stays have gone—^the bi
zarre suffragettes are just a hazy
recollection. Institutions of learning
have opened wide their portals
-Wds women” uSg make-uj) and
smoke cigarettes and pretty young
things major in psychology, merchan
dising and art—and bravely if not
brazenly—endeavor to seek a career.
Here we are in 1942—the emanci
pation of woman has been fought for
and won—^and still our most perti
nent topic for discussion now—as
then—is marriage.
Marriage in 1942 does bring with
it more obstacles. I’ll concede, than
in former peacetime years. We are
all deeply conscious of the serious
ness of the day and the tom-up con
dition of our world—and undoubtedly
wiser heads than ours are trying to
guide us in our decisions.
But war or no war the youth
of America, 1942( is falling in love,
jiist as youth has always loved. Of
course, our snug, well-patterned lives
are just a bit different. Our boys are
in xmiform, bugles are blowing. Irv
ing Berlin is again writing patriotic
songs—everyone is buying bonds and
stamps and our energetic young wom
en are turning their efforts to can
teen and Red Cross work—and join
ings the WAACS and WAVES—to
further help our country in her crisis.
Much has been said about “War
Marriages,” a term I have come to
dislike for it is too much of an im
plications that scatterbrained youth is
madly messing up heir lives—without
a thought for the future.
There are so many diversified
opinions on this subject that I thought
as war bride, I’d add my own humble
thoughts on the matter—hoping, per
haps, to help some other young couple
to come to a decision. Natiu-ally,
I’m for nrarriage, 1942, or any time,
providing the couple involved have
carefully thought over the step they
are taking. My husband and I had
been friends for a good many years.
So it was no three-day wonder
rather a natural result of knowing
each other and our own minds—when
we decided to be married last July.
Knowing Jim was going to be drafted
we decided to abbreviate our engage
ment and be married as quickly as
possible. We managed despite our
haste, to have a wedding in a lovrfy
garden, in the presence of our friends
and families. And off we went for
l3-day honeymoon, both of us
Tasty Dishes the
Family Will Enjoy
Thrill the appetites of the fam
ily with taaty meals that are
different New ideas suggested
by Mrs. Christine Frederick,
noted anthority on food, will be
found in the October iSth issue of
The Amerkait Weekly
Th^ Mg Magazine Distributed Witii
THE
BALTMORE
SUNDAY AMERICAN
On Sale at All Newsstands
aware that our wedding trip would
be all we could have together. We
found a lodge in the Adirondacks
and for a week we swam, fished and
“roughed it,” making the most of our
vacation. We ended up with a week
end in New York and then came
home with a day to spare, for Jim
to say goodbye to his family. The
next morning he left.
That goodbye at the draft-boar.l
we both thought was to be for a
long, long time. We made it casual,
just as though he were going on a
fishing trip. After a kiss and a
smile he was gone—land I went home
once again to live in sin^e blessed
ness and wait for the mail.
Jim was sent to an induction cen
ter for five days and then shipped
to Ft Bragg for six weeks basic
training. I settled down then, ac
cepting our separation, determined to
go on painting—and looking for gay
little bits to enliven my daily let
ters. Then Jim wrote suggesting I
come down for the week end. Hav
ing reconciled myself to probably
months of not seeing him, it was
inconceivable to plan, a visit, but fi
nally the night rolled around, and
one month after we said goodbye I
was on my way to North Carolina
to get my first taste of life in the
Army.
I don’t want this to E)e too bio
graphical a sketch, but in order to
prove my point I feel the first person
cpeaks better than quoted volumes.
Ihe trip down was a gay if some
what hectic one. The train was filed
with girls, like myself, on their way
to visit their respective men in the
servee. I arrived at the Guest House
at Ft. Qtjagg Saturday afternoon,
where Jim had made a reservation
for me for three days. After my
first shock of seeing Jim itanned and
thinner, but looking just like the
hundreds of other soldiers, I put my
bags in the room I was to share with
two other guests (they, too, were
young wives) and off we went for
a visit to enlighten me about life in
the Army.
The Guest House is run on a strict
Army basis—G. I. cots, all guests in
at 11, and no soldiers permitted be
yond the reception room, but despite
the strictness, no matter Jim had to
be in his barracks by 11, it was
wonderful to be reunited and have
the rest of Saturday and all day
1 Sunday to be together. Monday Jim
had to work again, and while he was
busily marriiing and drilling I was
playing with the idea of prolonging
my visit. I noticed there were girls
' employed in the restaurant of the
Service Club and ri^t ttieo and there
I decided to get a job and stay on
as long as Jim was stationed there.
I’d like t^mention here how very
wonderful and helpful are the host
esses at Ft Bragg. They have an
enormous job, with constant demands
on their time and energies. They
deserve a vote of thanks from every
wife and mother who have boys in
the service for their untiring toler
ance and understanding.
I spoke to the senior hostess about
a job. No "artists” were needed,
but if I’d take a job as a “counter
girl” there was a place for me.
Take it I did—and after a day spent
in moving into the USO in Fayette
ville and notifying my parents %at I
was remaining for Jim’s duration, I
went to work. My husband (JIHn’t
know a thing about my change in
plans—till after I had already start
ed. I broke the news at dinnersthat
night and he was so pleased I m sure
he didn’t know what he was eating.
Then started two weeks of a new
and strange routine. With some trep
idation I donned a white uniform
and hair net and set about to ntake
salads—and dish up mashed potatoes
and gravy, coffee and pie to hordes
of hungry soldiers that poured in all
day long.
The working' bjurs were in two
shifts, about six girls on each. We
were supposed to alternate daily-
first morning, then evening, but since
I wanted to spend my evenings with
Jimmy I managed to switch with
other girls and so be free for the
evening. For two weeks I r»#e at
five in order to catch a bus, started
to W08k at six and finished my day
at three.
I used to bring a change of cloGies
out with me and spend the remainder
of the afternoon at camp, sketching
the soldiers, while waiting tiM it
was time for Jimmy to come in and
have dinner and spend the few hours
before 11 with me.
Picture the bus that came faithfully
at 10:30 every evening to pick up
its load of Army girls and take them
back to town. It was always crowded
to capacity and filled with female
chatter. Usually three or four of
spective "spinster” establishments.
The USO clubs here deserve a word
of praise in helping the girls find
lodging and Work and in sheer hos
pitality to the soldiers they are im-
surpassed. The club I stayed at is
run by the Salvation Army and my
thanks are coupled with those of all
the girls who were made to feel so
at home.
Friends are quickly made when
people with mutual interests and
similar ways of life, thrown
together. Our coffee parties became
a habit and presently we became a
sort of ‘‘Army Sorority.” We came
from all over. We were all sorts and
all religions and we were the best
of friends. All would make li^t of
the fact wa had such little time with
our husbands and when one of the
boys got an “ovemi^t” every one
was as pleased as if it were their
own. Due to over-crowded condi
tions several of the girls shared rooms
to conserve space and expenses, and
if a roommate’s husband got a pass
for the night or a week end, their
fellow lodger automatically found
herselve somewhere else to stay. The
lack of formality is amazing and
everyone met it with genuine good
nature. In all, the. girls met in
conveniences with good humor, the
antidote for dissatisfaction.
Most of our husbands get no passes
later than 11 o’clock, occasionally one
o’dlock on Saturdays and so we all
sort of pretended we were on a huge
house party visiting our fiances. We
met our husbands—as tho it were
a “date.” If it rained we gathered
in the s wice club, talking and drink
ing cokes. Occasionally some one
would play records and those of us
whose husbands weren’t too "done
in” would dance a bit. In clear
evenings,we’d stroll around camp and
once, in awhile we’d walk to the open
air theater to sit under the Carolina
moon for a few minutes alone—^be
fore bus time. And so it went until
basic training was over and the boys
were sent to their line camps.
Jimmy left early in the morning of
our second months’ anniversairy,
knowing we wouldn’t be together
for it. We celebrated the occasion
the week end before with one an
other. We bought a bottle of cham-
paigne and we drank it out of paper
cups,
ning for home, to see my fam^ and
again await word, of his location'- I
spent a little over a week at home,
then with an additional gas allotment
from the ration board, I set off
again^ bringing our h%lovedi rec
ords and victrola and my paints.
Jimmy was sent just 20 miles from
Ft. Bragg and so I’m back in the
South again. This time its quite dif
ferent. He is in a noncombat unit
and is out in thq woods about foi^
miles from Raeford. He works in
regular shifts and when he’s off duty
he is permitted to come into town.
Raeford, too, is overcrowded, for
three hours I went from door to door,
looking for a room. Finally I found
one in a lovely little house with
grand people. All I have ever heard
about Southern hospitality I’ve found
absolutely true and proven by the
people of this little Southern town.
I looked for a room and found a
home. Everyone is so friendly that
I feel no longer a stranger, rather
a very fortunate visitor who is rap
idly becoming a native.
I don’t know how long we’ll be
here but I hope its an indefinite stay.
We’re experiencing our first bit of
domesticity and are getting quite a
kick out of it and if I’m able to
get a job it will be as near a per
fect setup as we can wish in these
times.
This first hand account, then is
my argument for getting married de
spite the war. If you have the ini
tiative to seek it, you can find hap
piness. I think there is only one
requisite—Be sure of yourselves. If
you are certain of yourselves you’ll
find a way.
Weigh the subject carefully and
from all angles. If you are reluctant
to change your way of life—if the
inconveniences seem too much, if you
are fearful of living on your own
or if your jobs mean too much to
you—take it all into consideration.
Perhaps fou had better wait—but if
you have an ounce of fire in your
nature and the “pride” to take any
job that offers itself if it is enough
to live on, if you have an adven
turous nature and a , sense of humor,
get married—and you’ll get along.
Perhaps we’ve been exceptionally
and perhaps the next place
and foUow I will as long as
Into our three mon^s.of
"family” we’ve packed so ““ch
aiThappiness we feel we’ve
married for years and
a prolonged honeymoon. And whm
the time comes I J" J^^^ive
low I’ll return home knowi^ we
S«nderl»lm».lhstc^^=m4
certain that this war cant last for
Some day, when we bec^ «
portly, middle-aged couple, stuffy «
STcomforts and contentment, v^U
dig out our dusty snapshots and
ters and chuckle fondly together over
our first months of marriage, m crazy,,
hectic, war-tom 1942.
—Elizabeth Langsdorf Miller.
Wk(d^044, Wdh
WAR BONDS
The Navy is making a plea to
civilians to turn in their b^culMt
for military use during the War. The
Army and Navy both need bmMiH
lars for navigation and scoutinf
purposes. Depending on the po^qr
of the lenses, they cost from ^
to $80 each.
^rert oft'together and had a Utna' «
coffee before we retired to o\r re- was being sent, I left th
If you Have a set of 6 x 30 up to
7 X 50-power lense binoculars lom
them to the Army or Navy. If no^
your purchase of War Bonjis and
SUlnps will help buy this equi^
ment for our fighting forces. At least
ten percent of your income in WM
Bonds every payday wUl do the
job . . . and provide the eyes
through which a scouting pilot may
spot an enemy battleship^ .
U. S. Treasttry Drpartm*** ,
lucky
Jimmy goes I won’t be as fortunate.
But this much I’ve decided: I’ll go
too. I’ve become a camp follower, xe^s-JOURNAL.
the monogamous variety to be sure.
IT PATS TO ADVEETISl IN THE
m
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WE HAVE KEPI FAltH
/
T
last cAll
IF YOU CANNOT GET COAL THIS
WINTER, DON’T BLAME US.
WE HAVE IT NOW pUT WE CAN
NOT BE ASSURED OF ANY THIS
WINTER.
HOKE OH & FErIiLIZER CO.
TELEPHONE 2401
We Sell Blue Diamond Coal
T.J 'V • • , 4' . •‘.t ' > f’lV'"' a
Our boys are fighting on the battle
fronts of the world. Wherever our
Aitny, Navy or Marine Corps go into
action, Southerners are in the middle
of the fight I
Here at home Southerners are
carrying on in defense work of every
description with the same enthusiasm
our boys are showing on the fighting
fronts. Every defense plant in the South
has had to overcome tremendous proh-
lems in bringing their production to
tbs record peak necessary to supply the
ever-increasing demands of war.
Here in the Atlantic Company we
too arc meeting the problem* brought
on by the war in the traditional South
ern spirit
Shortages of metal for bottle caps,
restriction* on deliveries to conserve
rubber and gasoRne, shortage of man
power due to enlistment of personnel
in the Armed forces—^nd faced with
unprecedented demand, we have in
creased our productioi^ to the limit of
our capacity without saprificing quality
one iota, in order to care of the
business that has fopnerly gone to
competitors who havq abandoned this
market and are now devoting all their
efforts to serving their own home com
munities. I
Realizing that the| demands of the
wartime job create »ain and tension
which make all the njorc vital the need
for a relaxing glass of good Ale or Beer
oocasionaUy, we plfd^e ourselves to
make every effort hipanly possible to
insure both our cmjtomers and trade
alike against any avoidable shortage of
Good Old Atlantic |Ue and Beer.
M..
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AtbatkCo. Ctariett*. Korltlk. Orindo'