It’s 1941

I live in New York City, and it’s been one hell of a month. For starters, just one day after Pearl Harbor was attacked the city officials decided to have a practice air raid drill. It scared the crap out of most people in my neighborhood because most folks thought it was the real thing!

 Can you imagine hearing loud sirens blasting all over your city or town the day after the invasion of Pearl Harbor?  It was nerve racking to say the least. Many Americans feel that Japan or Germany would love to strike right in the heart of our homeland. So today when I go to work at the factory I will be ever more mindful of the dangers that exist but I’ll also be more determined to do the best I can to further help the war effort.

I was listening to the news today about the destruction of Pearl Harbor and the devastation that occurred to all the personnel on our battleship, the USS Arizona. This startling news really got my attention. Did you know that half of our boys that were killed during that brutal attack were on that battleship? The sad part is most of them were defenseless and had no idea what hit them! The newspaper calls it a surprise attack but the folks at the factory where I work feel different. After all, what kind of fighter would beat up on his opponent before the bell rings?  Many of my co-workers feel this was “an act of cowardice” and payback will be coming very soon. These Japanese folks definitely woke up a sleeping giant!

In the national news there also is an article about President Roosevelt procuring from our Treasury Department a second-hand bullet-proof automobile. Apparently the executive branch could not afford to buy him a new vehicle because of some United States government regulation that prohibits his branch from spending over 750 dollars for a single vehicle. The only bullet-proof vehicle available within that budget was Al Capone’s old limousine. It was seized after Capone was put in prison for tax evasion. So our president will now be chauffeured in a car that was designed for gangsters! Is that a hoot or what? Furthermore, it was reported that our great president Mr. Roosevelt jokingly quipped, “I hope Mr. Capone won’t mind!”

Meanwhile back to the reality of life in the big city, I am presently living with my family in a somewhat cozy but cramped apartment in Queens, New York. Not having the privacy of a private room is not unusual these days, as many families that I know live this way just to get by. It’s really no big deal and by now it has become a routine thing for me. You see I am almost 20 years old and I still live with my parents along with my two spoiled brothers. I am presently sleeping on the living room couch. In the evening that is my room and sleeping quarters.   We have one bathroom with an old bath tub which is shared with our neighbor next door. Therefore, it’s sometimes often hard to get ready for work when I have to compete with my brothers and others to wash up.

My clothes and other personal items are stored in the hallway closet. Once again, this is not unusual as it’s just a way of life for many families in this city.

I feel so fortunate because I am a woman and I have a great job working for the Westinghouse Corporation. Most of my friends have jobs as well and many work in industries that support the war effort. At the factory I inspect radar sets and work 8-10 hours per day, seven days a week. No, we don’t get off during the holidays and that includes Christmas and New Years! You may think that some folks are complaining but we know we are helping the war effort and we are glad to do it!

To be continued in the book:

http://www.amazon.com/Reflections-Great-Depression-WWII-1/dp/1481169874/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1355907597&sr=1-1&keywords=john+michael+domino