WW2 letters



14 Jul 1942
My Dear Benjamin,

My love, I’m so glad to hear from you, and that you’re doing fine we all truly miss you a lot. As I read your letter I felt you where next to me—it made me remember all the good times we spend together. I pray to the lord every night that these days soon come to an end so we can all reunite. Anyhow, today was our John’s first day of school he was very sad that you were not there to walk him in, but he soon realized that he was not the only child in the same situation. The children are worried about a bomb attack. Schools are showing a short film that states that a bomb could happen at any time with no warnings and it teaches them what they need to do in the situation. William can wait to find a job, he wants to help me bring money into the house he has take the role very series of being the men of the house.

Anyhow, these times are making us women more independent and value men’s work. Life is comply different with what we are use to, most of now drive and know how to fix’s a car, including me. I’m still working in the airplane manufacturing plant; everything is going well so far. It was hard at first because I had no idea how to use the power tools but coworkers have taught me everything. You will be proud of me when you come back and see what I can do. The airplane plant I work for is only ran by women. We hope that the work we are doing will bring all the men back home earlier. There are propaganda posters everywhere in Washington encouraging women to work saying things like “the more women are work the sooner we will win” “we can do it”

I decided to get the night shift it fits more with my schedule so I would not interrupted my housewife shores. I often get home just as the children are getting ready to leave for school. Immediately I make break fast and send them off to school, William helps me by dropping of John first. Then I take our baby Julia to Mrs. Conwell’s house our older neighbor to babysit her meanwhile I sleep—Julia loves her. I’m very mad at the government for not helping us. He promised to help working mothers by offering childcare but till this day I haven’t gotten the help. Anyhow, once I come back home from Mrs. Conwell house I Clean the mess in the kitchen, and then go bed around 10 am. I wake up an hour before the alarm goes off at 2:00 pm so I can make food. Our backyard has become a small vegetable garden, because the grocery’s stores are lacking on food—they are sending it off seas for the war. After I’m done making dinner I go to Mrs. Conwell’s house to pick up Julia who cries because she doesn’t want to leave. Once the children are back home from school we all eat together. I do homework with them until there bedtime comes. I leave to work at 10:00 and I have Mrs. Conwell stay to make sure that they are fine
I hope when you get this letter you are in a good state and write back as soon as you can the children love when I read your letter to them, I take some parts out, so they would not worry. Well hope to here from you soon.

Yours truly forever,
Elizabeth Williams