Thursday morning I interviewed the
Slagle family who told me about what it was like on the home front in
Chestertown during World War II. They all had different stories about what they
did as kids during the war. A few of the stories they talked about were the
local businesses, where they got there news, women in the work force, and talking
about the war ending. The community during that time was close as ever because
so many people they knew were in the war. Local businesses during that time
were family owned businesses and were much busier than it is now. All the kids played games after school downtown.
Where they got there news was mostly
from the radio. They talked about certain radio speakers that always came on
during that time and they gathered around and listened. Jobs during that time
were mainly women. They were working in various areas, but many were working at
the munitions plant in town where they made detonators for the grenades. Some
worked also at the grocery stores in town. Women played an important role
during that time and it changed the role of women from being a homemaker to the
bread maker while the men were off fighting the war. Lastly, they talked about
the end of the war, Rene who was only a child back then remembers her brother
getting his shotgun and shooting a radio or something electric in two to celebrate
the war ending. The stories they told came from the heart and you can picture
yourself in their shoes, which I found amazing.
--Abby Gordon
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