Growing Up Before the Bomb
The Innocent Years 1935-1945
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1945 Franklin Delano Roosevelt died SENIOR PICNIC, CLASS OF '45
t was well before the lunch hour when we piled off the Key System Bus on the edge of Oakland's Lake Tamascal. Plenty of time to take a quick dip in the cool waters of the man-made lake before we dug into the lunch Cookie had prepared for us before we left Concordia. Some forgot about swimming and just stretched out with the girl of their choice on their towels on the shore's white sands. The temperature that day in the Berkeley hills was ideal for swimming. There was also enough sun to guarantee a blistering sunburn for those of us susceptible to the ravages of ultra violet rays. This was wind-down time for all of us who belonged to the class of '45. We all had mixed feelings about saying good-bye. There was undeniable sadness at leaving friends we had lived with for four years. In a few short weeks this close association would end. Before long, in cap and gown, and proper serious looks on our faces, we would march down the aisle to the strains of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance, eager to get on with our lives. I had just turned eighteen on April 9 and registered for the draft the same day. I was immediately classified IA, so I volunteered for immediate induction upon graduation from high school. At that point I was given a date for my pre-induction physical. It was scheduled for the second Saturday in May. Provided I was found physically fit for active duty, induction into the military was less than two months away. World War II's European phase was winding-down. However, the War was still raging in the South Pacific. Cracks were beginning to show in the Japanese empire. When that conflict would end, was another question. Bloody battles for Okinawa an island in the Ryukyu chain had been raging since the first of April. This important piece of real estate is only 350 miles from Japan. Once captured, the United States Air Force would be within easy striking range of all of Japan. This battle might go on for another month or two. The newsreels of the day vividly detailed how resolute the Japanese were to retain that valuable speck of land in the South Pacific. Doggedly, they defended every foot of ground. Death was their only escape as the word 'surrender' had no place in their vocabulary. The American 10th army and the marines were as obstinate as their opponent. They used every means at their disposal, flame throwers, tanks, and satchel bombs, to dislodge their foe. Okinawan waters were just as hotly contested. Navy and the merchant marine ships were prime targets. By this time, kamikaze, a Japanese word, translated literally 'a divine wind' was now part of Americans' everyday vocabulary. The Kamikaze were Japanese suicide pilots trained to dive their airplanes, loaded with explosives, into naval vessels. On good days, the news reported how many kamikaze planes were shot out of the air. On bad days, there would be an announcement that one or more of our ships were sunk or damaged by them. My thoughts were with two of our classmates who, upon reaching the magic age of 17 had enlisted in the Navy. Karlos Kaufeld had joined the navy and the last we had heard he had become a navy corpsman. That meant he was a navy medic, although we had no idea of what danger he was in. Roger Mycroft was aboard the navy destroyer USS Stormes and had been subject to a number of kamikaze raids off the hotly contested, Japanese held island of Okinawa.. Prior to his enlistment in the navy Roger had been one of my closest friends. He, at the age of 17 was on his way to fast becoming a master magician. I learned he had written his mother that, in the event of his death, he wanted me to have all of his magic books and equipment. My mother passed this on to me who had been in touch with Roger's mother. I felt very honored although I knew deep in my heart that I didn't have the talent to make an audience willingly suspend disbelief the way Roger could. At seventeen he was a great performer, especially in the field of magician's patter which is basically the art of talking an audience into believing something which isn't so.
suddenly of a brain hemorrhage
at his estate in Warm Springs,
Georgia. Vice-President Harry S.
Truman was sworn in as president.
The 2nd armored division of the
US. Ninth Army reached the Elbe
river, at Magdeburg, only 63 miles
from Berlin.
Formats
Book Details
About the Book
Growing Up before the Bomb
The author lived through the depression years when millions of workers were out of work looked to the Roosevelt Administration for help that included such pump-priming devices as the WPA, PWA, NRA, and the CCC. None of these worked very well. It took the build-up and prosecution of World War II to bring about employment levels that matched the pre-Depression days.
This is a collection of impressions about what it was like to grow up in a simpler world, before the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan. This effectively brought about the end of World War II and cast the United States, willing or not, into the role of Super Power.
About the Author
Richard Rohrbacher is professor emeritus from the College of San Mateo where he taught theatre arts, public speaking, and English. He has worked as an actor and/or director in the United States, Ireland, London and Australia. He is a produced playwright, and his plays have been staged on the West Coast and in Australia. His affiliations include Rotary International where he served as a District Governor during 1995-96, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Docent Association of Columbia State Historic Park and the Tuolumne County, San Joaquin County, and Calavaras Historical Society. A Stockton, California native, he is a third generation Californian. A graduate of College of the Pacific. He was, in 1978, honored by being selected as an Alumni Fellow of the University of the Pacific. He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Fraternity, Washington State University chapter and has an earned M.A. and Ph.D. degree. Dr. Rohrbacher is currently working on research connected with mid-nineteenth century California history.