A wartime trio this evening:
Carol Jean Nicholson (Schwinn) of Tucson, Arizona
Date of picture: 1942
Date of contribution: May 8, 2009
Caption: “This picture was taken by the Pioneer Press in 1942 at the Wilder Day Nursery on Leech Street in St. Paul.
“I, Carol Jean Nicholson, was 4 years old. My mother worked at the defense plant in New Brighton, Minnesota, making bullets for the war.
“I live in Arizona now, but my family and friends are in St. Paul and wanted me to submit the picture.
“Thank you.”
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Contributor: Jeanette Fazendin
Date of picture: 1941 (?)
Date of contribution: April 25, 2007
Caption: “While cleaning out some boxes of paper and just plain old stuff, I came across this picture of my late husband, Richard Fazendin (also known as Faz), and his neighborhood chums doing their part collecting coat hangers for the military stationed at Fort Snelling during the Second World War. I think this was 1941. [Bulletin Board interjects: We’re guessing it was 1942 or later, given that the United States didn’t enter the war till December 1941, and Faz and his friends wouldn’t likely have been wearing short-sleeved shirts in December.]
“Times were really lean for all of us. Food, gasoline, tires and clothing were rationed. But everyone pitched in to help out in whatever way they could.
“I remember when the war ended. A man who lived in the area of Bates and McLean drove his car up and down Mounds Boulevard honking the horn, giddy with the good news. Let’s all hope we feel the same when our troops come home and the world is safe for all mankind. PEACE TO ALL!
“P.S. I hope you can use this picture in your column. It’s a change from the ponies, cars and tractors in recent papers.”
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Contributor: Howard Nessel
Date of picture: 1944
Date of contribution: October 10, 2007
Caption: “Here is a photo, taken in 1944 at Hollandia (Dutch) New Guinea, where we were stationed during World War II. In the photo are Bob Brooks, Jerry Becker, and myself. (I believe Brooks was from the East Coast, and Jerry was from St. Louis.) During our days off, we would go swimming in the jungle pool, in the background, and as you can see, the leaves were VERY large.
“During my 19 months overseas, I was never assigned to a naval ship. I was only on a ship for transportation from base to base. We were strictly land-based radiomen for Admiral Nimitz’s Seventh Fleet headquarters for my entire overseas duty: 10 months in New Guinea and nine months in Leyte, Philippines.
“I am very reminiscent of my time in New Guinea due to current news of MIA hunters recovering many World War II planes that have never been located until more than 50 years later.
“In 1997, a friend of mine from New Guinea (a native) wrote to me regarding a plane his cousin had found in the jungle. He wanted to know who to contact. I contacted Tim Ryan at WCCO, who in turn referred me to Bryan Moon, who then recovered the remains of the pilot, Lt. Harold F. Wurtz from Dearborn, Michigan, and Harriet E. Gowen, a Red Cross nurse from St. Louis Park, Minnesota.
“Since then, Mr. Moon has organized volunteer MIA hunters to recover more than 10 planes in 2006 and 2007, and his efforts are still ongoing.”
Bulletin Board 