Dad was shipped home on an ocean liner, the U.S. Argentine. He said it was wonderful. They had three meals a day and you could even get food between meals if you wanted. He gained ten pounds on his way home. Even though the food was wonderful, he couldn’t wait to see America. He wanted to kiss the ground and never leave her again. Dad had related in many of his stories to us about how happy the French people were when he and other soldiers had marched through France early in the war. They were very appreciative of the American soldiers. He told how pretty the European country side was even if had been bombed and how nice the people were. But nothing he said, could hold a candle to America. He related how people were lined up all along the shore line to greet them, waving flags and cheering. People were so happy that the war was over and their boys were coming home. Many of the boys including dad kissed the ground after they disembarked from the ship.
He traveled back to Cincinnati by train, meeting Mom at the Cincinnati train station which was all abuzz with men returning from war. On their way home they stopped at the grocery so mom could pick up a few items. Once in the store, Mom located a cart and started down the aisles of food. Dad followed. He hadn’t been in a store for at least three years. Mom said Dad’s eyes got as big as saucers and his mouth was hanging open. He turned his head in all directions. Then he started proclaiming out loud, “Look at all the food!” “Would you just look at all the food!” Repeating, it over and over! Mom kept telling him to lower his voice and stop making such a scene. Dad couldn’t be stopped. He was overcome with the sight of so much food. Mom was happy to get what she needed and get out of the store. When I look back now, that could be one of the reasons Dad always told us kids that whatever food we took out on our plate we were to eat. We did because you were not getting up from the table until your plate was clean. We were taught to always thank God for our food and not to take our blessings for granted. Today, I thank God for those lessons
Adjusting to civilian life was difficult at first. Dad and Mom were back on the farm where Dad would return to farming to make a living. In 1929 his Dad had fallen off a farm wagon hitting his head and breaking his back. Dad had to leave school in the eighth grade to help on his parent’s farm. The depression hit and Dad was never able to return to school. After the war the government offered schooling for soldiers through the GI bill. I remember dad talking about Carl McIntire and him attending GI school together and some of the pranks they would pull on their classmates. Carl and Dad were cousins as well as neighbors and helped each other out on their farms as the generations before them had done.
A few weeks after returning home Dad went to town (Seaman) to get a haircut. Ralph Stevens was his barber. (Ralph lived just outside of Seaman on a farm with Florence, his wife who taught first grade. They were a really nice couple. I remember he always gave my brothers suckers.) When Dad climbed into the barber chair, Ralph warned him that he would be using the electric clippers, but before he turned them on, he would warn him again. Ralph had already had several of his customers hit the deck when he turned the clippers on. So, learning this lesson the hard way, he now warned everyone in the barber shop he was preparing to turn on the electric clippers to try and prevent a mass exodus out the door. Dad said that even though Ralph warned him before turning on the clippers he still had to grip the chair handles to keep from jumping out of the chair and hitting the floor. Some of the men seated in the shop waiting their turn, jumped up, ran out the door and laid flat on the sidewalk. It sounds funny now, but it really wasn’t funny. These strong young men were terrified of the sound. It was a difficult time for the soldiers returning home from war. Some men were never able to adjust to a normal life again. War is a terrible thing. It was hard for dad to talk about it at times, but having Dad share those stories gave us kids a love for our country and a knowing that freedom wasn’t free.
We were taught to stand and give reference to our flag. When I was in the sixth grade, we were given a class on how to hang, take down and fold the flag. It was a privilege just to be able to handle our flag. Our fathers, brothers and the generations before us had paid a high price for what we so many times take for granted today. I pray we all remember what sacrifices all of our families and neighbors have made. I also pray that we tell the generations to come what the cost of freedom has been and what it will take to keep that freedom. Our nation was founded on the principles of the Bible, the family unit and trust in God. Belief in those principles have kept us for over 200 years. An appeal to heaven birthed this nation and an appeal to heaven is the only thing that will save our nation! God bless America and keep our country free!
