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NDrLoR
2016 Dec 27, 11:29am
Elena had graduated from Stanford Medical School in 1922
Don't you mean 1942?
I have an oral history of my cousin Doris (1922-2006) and her accounts of the years 1942-1945 when she was dating Vernon and married in 1944. He was missing in action from Thanksgiving Day 1944 until her birthday January 13, 1945 when he was found to be alive in Italy. She talks about all the different places they had to live, once in a little basement with a hot plate on which she learned to cook a roast, but she made it a cheerful home every time. Towards the end of the interview, the lady interviewing her asked what her views were on the war and it's ending with the bomb. She said they were just thankful to still be alive and that the bomb was absolutely necessary. My younger cousins Sherry and Melinda were born in '46 and '48, a son still-born in 1952. Vernon got his law degree from Baylor under the GI bill in 1948 and practiced until his 70's, passed away in 2001. Their lives centered around Baylor and First Baptist Church. It's hard to believe what she went through from the ages of 20-23 when most young women are occupied with parties and proms. She was no snowflake.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13057460
My 1946 Fantasy
Those of you who know me well know that I love 1940's music. Luah knows this well. She gave me a beautiful CD of 1946 music last night as one of my Christmas gifts.
I love 1946. The US had won World War II. Compared to other combatants, we had suffered little damages and loss of life. Our economy was booming. We were the only country with the atomic bomb. In short, we were “on top of the world.”
On cold afternoons after work I would play 1940's music. Our house was built in 1941 and was still a humble cottage in 1946. In my mind, I would go back to 1946. Elena and I are in the house. I graduated from Tulane long ago. In World War II, I was an officer in the US Navy. I served in some rough battles in the Pacific against the Japanese Navy. I was now in the investment business on Montgomery Street in San Francisco. Elena had graduated from Stanford Medical School in 1922. She was amazing to everyone because she did it on her own merit. She had no wealthy father who was a doctor. She did not follow the very few women doctors practicing then in to pediatrics or gynecology. Instead she became a cancer specialist and worked at Stanford Hospital.
Our radio in the living room was still our main source of entertainment and news. We had no television. We had one Pacific Bell phone line. I had a new Buick and Elena had just bought a 1946 Pontiac. For us the life was sweet. We were so thankful that the war was over and we were living in such a great country.