Those were the days, days of unity

By Pat Eudy

My brother is a collector. He has always collected something. So when he decided to clean out his attic, he found some old magazines. He was kind enough to share them with us. One he sent was an April 20, 1942, issue of “Life Magazine.”

The cost was 10 cents a copy, or a yearly subscription of $4.50.

In 1942, World War II really cranked up. The ads in the magazine all reflected that. Even the Kleenex ad read, “Keep Them Frying.” The ad said to strain the impurities from fat with a tissue and then save the grease for defense purposes because it helped make explosives. General Motors stressed in its ads a need to keep your car running because instead of manufacturing cars they were making aircraft engines, aircraft parts, bomber sub assemblies, military trucks, armored cars, rapid fire cannons, machine guns and many other wartime essentials.

The country also called for careful consideration before using rubber, oil and gasoline.

During World War II, our men enlisted in the service. Thirteen billion dollars in war bonds were sold, and the country made many sacrifices. And they did this all with a smile.

Throughout those war years Americans stuck together doing whatever and being wherever they were needed and did what they had to do. They embraced each other and supported each other. Now, 69 years later, we are a totally different country divided by ideas, politics, and status just to mention a few things. It has become a country of “all about me” for most of us.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could all work together again for the future of our country, and go back to some of those basic beliefs?

Are you listening, senators and congressmen?

Mother Teresa wrote, “Peace begins with a smile.”