G'Moring all!
Hope you day is relaxing with fond memories.
As a teenager, would go to a Fleet Reserve picnic held on the Ft Lauderdale beach since both grandfather, father and great uncle belonged. Lots of good food (Grandma would start her famous coleslaw the day before in huge containers as their contribution.), all the kids (lots) would swim although still a bit chilly by Lauderdale standards, the guys would drink beer while cooking the meat, the wemins would set the tables and lay out the foods everyone made and brought and caught up on all the gossip. During that time there was only the Fleet Reserve for any kind of support for veteran sailors. Also at that time grandpa worked out of Port Everglades. He worked on submarine repair and retro fitting. Dad was going to school under G.I. Bill and working part time.
The average house was 1400 sq. ft. Our very first home was 1100 and we thought it was a palace!!! Dad was around ALL the time instead of gone for 9-10 months out of the year......There were times tho when his 20 yrs of navy training was hard to take and we kids wanted him back on the carrier! Mom said it took about 5 yrs. for him to mellow out, but I was gone by then. He kept his dress blues hanging in the closet for the longest. Adjustments to civilian life for everyone, and what is this staying in one spot for more than a couple of yrs? Ha!
All the men in my family of that generation and earlier are gone now. They didn't whine, never heard their war stories, they were silient and just got on with it the best they knew how. They grew up like the rest of us did on farms or cities, went to school, went thru some hard times (depression) and good times after WWII; however, there were a lot of veterans to absorb back in the civilian community. Perhaps because such a huge number were in uniform during the war, Memorial Day had a much greater meaning to them and their families for the years afterward. Be sure to take your flag down at sunset!
