My first memories of war years are from when we lived at 24 Devereaux Street in Buffalo. Americans were encouraged to become more self sustaining during troubled times and Dad dug a vegetable garden in the back yard in the shape of a V.  He called it a Victory Garden.  We collected foil and made balls from the inner wrappers of cigarette packages which could be recycled for some use in the war.  String was also collected.  Grandmother Moeller did her share by taking a job in a "war plant" where ammunition was being made.

After we moved to Grand Island, my Dad joined the "Civil Defense" as a volunteer.  Since we lived so close to the city of Niagara Falls and the many chemical plants there, we were considered to be in an area of interest to our enemy.  Dad spent many nights in the tower at our town hall watching for unscheduled planes that might be flying over.  There were frequent "black out drills" where all curtains and shades needed to be drawn and lights out.  Dad was one of the men who would walk the neighborhood streets yelling "Lights Out," and then later "All Clear."  He also helped paint the inside of dirigibles.  I remember him saying he could "taste" the paint many days after doing this.

There were ration stamps allotted to each family.  Grandma Moeller drove a car and would collect up the ration stamps from her daughters’ families, drive to Buffalo and stand long lines to get various food rations and cigarettes for the men.  If my memory is correct we were only allowed 2 pairs of shoes per year.  Butter was rationed and oleo margarine used instead.  It was fun to get to squeeze the little capsule inside the package and work the yellow coloring around making the white oleo look more like butter.  It didn’t taste like butter!

There was a CCC Camp in Buckhorn Island State Park not far from our home.  The men in the camp were being trained to serve in the Armed Forces.  Many evenings they would march swiftly in uniform carrying rifles down our road.  You could hear them coming, and by the time I could run in and hide under my bed they would be gone!

Everyone remembers where they were when huge events happen.  I remember our family being at our Aunt Hazel and Uncle Wes Link’s home when the news broke that Japan had formally surrendered aboard the USS Missouri ending WWII.