Air Raids, Nuclear War, and a Little Roller-skating

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the students posting. As such, this writing reflects their perspective alone; historical errors or discrepancies are also their own. The director of this blog does not necessarily agree with the views and/or opinions expressed below. Names have been shortened or changed to protect individual privacy where necessary. 

Ms. M had so much to share with us. We learned so many things ranging from her childhood memories, college life, how she met her husband and her favorite things to do. But maybe most importantly, how the World War II and the Cold War affected her daily life

Her life began near Rochester, New York on 80 acres of land in the country. On her family’s land were picnic groves and barns; one of her favorite pastimes when she was younger was roller-skating with music playing on the jukebox in one of the large barns.  Her father William was a wholesale grocer and her mother Edna, did the accounting work for their store. Carolyn told us that her and her sister grew up with a nanny who took care of them. Her brothers were always off working with something to do with the war and her parents were running the store.

 Because of WWII, Ms. M mentioned that her family would go through air raid drills. During these drills they would line up in the hallways, sitting down with their legs out in front of them. As a small way to help out in the war effort, the school children were encouraged to purchase stamps and eventually, victory bonds. Rationing was also in place during the war. The rations were a way for the government making sure that everyone got their fair share. Because Carolyn’s father was a grocer, her family dealt with fewer limitations. WWII ended with some of largest civilian deaths in history. Later on during the Cold War, all across America, many people were filled with fear because of the possibilities of nuclear weapons being used. Ms. M confirmed that she lived in fear during this time. 

 Throughout her life Ms. M always excelled in math. She was not like other girls who would become nurses or teachers; Ms. M had other ideas. Ms. M’s aspirations were to use her math skills to become an accountant. She attended Rochester University and completed her undergraduate degree in Economics and Business Administration. During her junior year at Rochester University, Ms. M went with a singing group to Germany. Because of the relations the United States has with Germany, the families that Ms. M stayed with would always bring up the subject of how the United States bombed Germany during the war.

Later on, Ms. M lived in Yorkville, in an apartment with her friends. While living in Yorkville, Ms. M met here husband, who had been pursuing education in the law field. They later married and moved to Queens. From Queens they moved with their baby daughter to West Nyack, where Ms. M still lives today! Ms. M was very excited to tell us about her many adventurous trips which all seemed to include outdoor activities such as camping, skiing, canoeing, tennis, and Ping-Pong. Ms. M also told us about trips to New York City where she and her girlfriends would see ballet and theater presentations together.