Letter to the Editor: Memories of WWII

Posted 12/5/21

Betty Chandler Williamson shares her memories of the day Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.

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Letter to the Editor: Memories of WWII

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There are not a lot of people living, who remember where they were when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941.

Our family had a large Philco radio which required a hug battery.

On that fateful day, my parents were listening to the evening news on that radio. My siblings and I were playing on the porch. All of a sudden, our parents walked out to where we were.

Mama was crying and Daddy had his arm around her.

Daddy said, “Children our country is at war. This morning, the Japanese bombed Pear Harbor in Hawaii!"

Mama started sobbing and said, “Many of our men will go with the military to fight.”

I ran to my daddy, grabbed his hand, looked up and said, “Daddy don’t leave us to go to war, I would miss you so much!”

Mama stopped crying, laughed and said, “Child, your father will not be drafted. The government would have to give us too much money for allotments because of the size of our family. It would break the government.”

We all laughed.

I did have one brother, Morris, who joined the U.S. Navy at only 16. He served for almost 36 years.

Two of my cousins, Vernon King and Duward Lightsey, also served in WWII and died for their country.

My brother, Gene, served after WWII in the restoration of Japan and my brother, Ray, served in the Korean conflict five years after WWII had ended.

As children in school we were very patriotic and sang enthusiastically about America. We learned to appreciate America.

We had “air raid” practice where we learned to hide under our wooden desks. They were much like fire drills except we didn’t go outside.

These memories will stay with me and remind me of how fortunate we are to live in “The Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave.”

We are truly blessed to call America home.

letter to the editor, WWII, pearl harbor, betty williamson

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