Home Front to Battlefront. Frank Lavin

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СКАЧАТЬ stations were forbidden from using the transition phrase “and now for some good news.” That week President Roosevelt used the perseverance of Washington at Valley Forge as a theme for his Fireside Chat radio address.²

      Carl joined the discussion when he entered the essay contest sponsored by the Canton Repository. On the same day as Time’s pronouncement, Carl won second prize in the City Division for his essay, “Right or Wrong,” urging Americans to buck up:

      We have been told again and again that this will not be an easy war and that we must expect many defeats before final victory, just as we have been asked to have faith in the capacity of our leaders, our factories and soldiers, and our allies.³

      Hometown Canton adjusted to wartime. The Hoover plant was producing hand grenades instead of vacuum cleaners.⁴ Diebold was making armored cars and airplane and anti-aircraft parts. Republic Steel manufactured armor plating, ordnance, and bombs. Hercules Motors churned out engines. And Timken—whose gun barrels and bearings were vital for the war effort—went from eight thousand employees at the beginning of the war to eighteen thousand by the end.⁵

      These industries made Canton part of the war effort, but Timken Bearings was the talk of the town. The fact that most of America’s ball bearings were made in Canton meant the Nazis knew it as well. Everyone knew this meant Canton was number 11 on the list of German targets in the United States. Or maybe it was number 17. Anyways, it was up there.⁶

      In April, Carl turned eighteen and registered for the draft. Lehman also adjusted to the war. Civics and history classes had radios for the latest war news. Defense stamps were sold every Thursday. Knitting clubs were organized.

      But the seriousness of the war did not stop small-town eccentricities. The most quirky Lehman tradition for senior year was in the math department. The math teacher made a pact with the seniors at the beginning of every school year. If they could cover the entire year’s requirements in the first semester, the teacher would then use the time allotted for math class during the second semester to read Victor Hugo’s entire novel Les Misérables to his students. Carl’s class, like the preceding classes, accepted the challenge. It wasn’t so bad listening to and discussing the great novel as winter turned to spring.

      The senior class gift was an ambulance, a converted 1940 Packard donated to the City of Canton, with funds raised through a scrap metal drive. The ambulance was presented at the June 5 graduation. The commencement speaker’s theme was the need for people of all races and backgrounds to work together.⁷

      That fall it was off to join elder brother Fred at the University of Miami, just north of Cincinnati. Leo had not gone to college and was not too keen on Carl attending, but he agreed to send Carl under two conditions: that the college be in Ohio and that Carl major in business. So Miami it was, notably the Ohio college farthest from Canton.

      As a freshman in the fall of 1942, it was difficult for Carl to take school too seriously. He was expecting to be called up at any moment, and he joined the army reserve program on campus, the Enlisted Reserve Corps (ERC).⁸

      When Carl discussed the ERC with his mom and dad, they didn’t quite get it. They asked, “Can’t you just wait until you are called up?” Dorothy and Leo wanted Carl to stay out as long as he could. The draft was there and everyone was going to be grabbed sooner or later. There’s no point in going in any sooner. Take your time, they said. Those words of caution might have been just what prompted Carl to join. For as soon as he arrived at Miami, he hitchhiked to Columbus to sign up for the ERC at Fort Hayes.⁹

      Albeit a reservist and still a student, Carl had officially signed up with the army. Throughout his life, Carl could recite his army serial number with a bit of pride: 15140578. It started with a one, which meant he was a volunteer. The draftees’ serial numbers all started with a three.

      When the school year began, everything was near perfect. Carl was cheerful and proud of his accomplishments. It was good to be in college and nice to be on his own, though Carl did get homesick. Signing up for the reserves meant Carl was doing his part, at least until it came time to really do his part. Fred, two years older, was able to get into the V-12 program, the officer training school for the navy.

      But for Carl, not much happened in the ERC. There were no monthly drills. At first, there was not even a uniform. In many respects these months had a peacetime aura to them.

      Still, America was at war; talk of gas and meat rationing had begun;¹⁰ and while Carl sent chatty letters home, some tweaking his family, Dorothy must have been worried about her younger boy going off to war. In the fall of 1942, Dorothy began saving Carl’s letters.

      . . .

      November 30, 1942

      Dear Mom,

      It’s probably a good thing I didn’t write you last week. I spent all my time studying for the nine week exams (sounds good anyway) with these results: Business—incomplete (missed the test and took it later but I don’t know my grade yet—I believe it is an A); Math, A; Geology, A; English, A; and history, A!—Honest, it was three times as much a surprise to me as it is now to you! The very worse I can have is a 3.8 average and it’s probably 4.0. Whoppee!—but don’t go expecting it every time now. I was just darn lucky.

      Yes, a yellow scarf and gloves would come in very handy. And how about sending down some more ties. I need them very badly, about 10 or 12 of them. Just pick out the clean ones I’ve got and send’em along. AND SEND ME THE DAILY REPOSITORY [the Canton newspaper]—right now!! Please!!!

      I’ve been waiting for it for at least two or three weeks now.

      I told the guys down here about your having those tickets on the Canton-Massillon game 50 yard line and not going—they didn’t say anything—just ran around in circles on the ceiling!¹¹ But I suppose the excitement down here was nothing like it was in Canton—and I also suppose that you’ve talked about it so much that you’re tired sick of hearing about it.¹²

      By the way, my roommate is now about three food shipments up on me. Why don’t you send some more down before Xmas vacation? It’s cold enough for orange juice to keep—and we could use some more cheese, and some meats, and some dates, and some fudge most of all—also anything else you can think of would be greatly appreciated.

      Love Carl

      P.S. Any big dances going on this Xmas?

      Tell me what’s going on between the U.S. govt. and the Sugardale Prov. Co., willya?

      Got drunk a couple of weeks ago to see what it was like—fine, but I don’t think I’ll try it any more.

      I went to Cinci last week and had a lot of fun—behaved myself too. Don’t bathe Spitzy [the family dog] any more this winter—she can’t take it. How’s the gas up there?¹³

      . . .

      Sunday 12/13/42 only four, 4, more days (to Christmas break)!!

      Dear Mom,

      I hope by this time you have sent down the 25 or 30 dollars we will need in order to buy the tickets and get ready to come home. We are leaving at 8:15 from Oxford on a special to Dayton. From there we take the Cleveland train up to Crestline where we change to the Canton train. We will get in some time between six and ten o’clock, and perhaps later if we are held up so much that we miss a connection at Dayton or Crestline.

      I’m СКАЧАТЬ