Throwback Thursday - The Notebooks

To clear up some confusion, the Notebook passages posted on Throwback Thursday were written by my father and found by me after he passed away. They were his attempt to tell the family history. He was in his late 80s or early 90s when he wrote them. Today's chapter:

Besides the Draft in 1941 other things were going on, the war was getting closer to us. The government began movements that were preparation for war. We were supporting Great Britain, Russia and other countries that the Axis as Germany and Italy were called and also the President declared a freeze on the shipment of scrap metal to all countries that were outside the Western Hemisphere. 

Japan was our biggest customer and it complained actually it protested.

The President also declared an unlimited state of national emergency. He froze all of Japan's assets in the U.S. Shut down the German and Italian Consulates. Agreed to help Russia which was at war with Germany.

All the actions that were directed to helping nations fighting the Germans and Italy began opening factories in America. We were or started to get out of The Depression and to also invited our getting into the war even if we were attempting to stay out of it.

The government was negotiating with Japan. The Secretary of State informed the Japanese that to avoid a war between the U.S. and Japan, Japan should remove their army from China and Indochina .

They refused and on Dec. 7, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

In the late Summer of 1940, Skip informed me that he had taken courses at Columbia University that had to do with national disasters, wars, etc. And upon completion of the course his name was sent to the Federal unit that would be in charge. And the agency was calling him. That he ha dtold this to the  Club's Board of Directors.

That Doris would be a consultant. And I would not move up to the Director's post because the Board wanted an older person. I would train the incoming director whom I knew as he was active in the Club. That I would train him I would get a good increase in salary. Have my cut restored and the addition and also receive a deferment.

As he was telling me this I wasn't too happy as to what was happening. I felt that I could run the Club as its Director. But the deferment was unpleasant.

The selective service act was in position and it developed another group of citizens who could not pass the physical examination or were needed in key positions received deferments. They were called 4Fs [ed: four effs]. In short the public considered these people as slackers. I did not want that title. And feeling I was getting a rotten deal. And I also felt that the Board thought it about time to have a local resident in the driver's seat.

I told Charlie that I would not accept the offer because of the deferment. I wanted to go when called. So I gave my 2 week notice.

So I returned to East Boston whence I came from.