February 28, 2012
Thoughts by Roseann
For the last two weeks, I have been going through Granny’s (Caroline Bottorff) old trunk which was an old trunk when she got it from one of her relatives, cleaning out some stuff, organizing other things that were in it, but this time there was an exception, I actually had the time to pay attention to the items I was looking at and do some investigating.
Although over the years, I have gone through the stuff and added others, I have not taken the time to read each and every piece of paper nor taken the time to think what some of the things clearly meant to the person that saved them.
A lot of the things tell stories of their own, some of my grandmother, some of her Mother, some of her Sister. How much of what was kept by my Mother, what I’ve added. It all turned into a major project and I’ve been enjoying it.
One nice thing is I have been able to share some of it with my “cuz” Tony Little who is descended from the same old gent as I – Green Little.
Although at times, depending on what I was looking at, emotions have taken over. Looking at a picture of my Grandmother in her youth, my great Aunt’s things, my great grandmother’s autograph book. What a wealth of history is in so much of it and what information can be gleaned from going through it all.
Today I decided to read the 3 newspapers that were there. One, I am assuming my grandparents put aside. It is dated September 1, 1939. Chicago Daily Tribune. Cost 2 cents. That right there is historical!
The headline reads “WAR! BOMB WARSAW”
And continues to display “Nazi Army Order” and quotes Hitler’s order to invade Poland..
In investigating further, I see that these are facsimiles of 12 front pages, highlights of World War II.. I didn’t have a paper that was original to that day. I had 12 front pages on the beginning of that war and the end. How interesting! And proof that I can read and think at the same time! WOW!
Here are the Highlights:
The 2nd one states “US & Japs at War’ DEC. 8, 1941
The 3rd one states “Corregidor Falls dated May 6, 1942
The 4th one states Repulse Jap Fleet May 9, 1942
The 5th one states “Japs repulsed at Midway dated June 6, 1942
The 6th one states “AEF Invades Africa” Nov. 8, 1942 (and it was 10 cents)
The 7th one states “Allies Invade Italy” Sept. 3, 1943 (and it was 3 cents)
The 8th one states “Allies Invade France” June 6, 1944
The 9th one states “Roosevelt is Dead!” April 13, 1945
The 10th one states “ V-E Day-Truman May 8, 1945
The 11th one states “ Atomic Bomb Story August 7, 1945
The 12th one states “ Great War ends” Japs surrender to Gen. M’Arthur Aug. 15, 1945
The thoughts of what went through my grandparents minds and the effect it had on the country as a whole. I was born in 1943 so all this was going on at the time. As I reached high school and beyond I never could get any in my family to talk about it at any length. In later years, like around 1986, I tried to get my Father to discuss his war years after he found me reading a book on Patton and got angry. He wouldn’t talk about it. As recently as this past year, as I took a trip to Germany to visit my son in the army, I found it was a touchy subject there also, maybe more so. The Germans really want to forget it. I did manage to visit a cemetery dedicated to the US fallen on the way to Luxembourg and lo and behold, there was Patton’s grave. Although he didn’t die at war, he requested to be buried there and was. Beautiful interesting place.
Though the paper is older than I am and delicate, I continue to read all the pages. MMM, interesting. Though it took me hours to peruse, now the question is how do I preserve it for another 70 years?
Moving on I find the papers I put in there after I had possession of the trunk and again am fascinated and emotionally rung out after reading those. Again the Chicago Sun Times November 23, 1963 (America Weeps) and Dec. 29, 1963 (A Monday walk in Gothic Gloom) followed by you got it the Chicago Tribune’s “The Warren Report” Sept 28, 1964. I am once again crying..unstoppable tears as I read and look at Jackie Kennedy and John John saluting his father and am right back to the day it happened. I was going to be of legal age to vote for the first time and was so excited because I loved JFK and now I couldn’t bear the thought. How that day and all that followed changed our country and all of us.
Moving on, another newspaper (once again the Chicago Tribune) I put in there dated August 9, 1974 headlined “Nixon Resigns.” This time all 60 pages of it and it was 15 cents. Again, I am lost in the news reading even the advertisements. My son in Germany is interested in all of this but it’ll have to wait as it all has for so many years.
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