Gwendoline (Lyn) Patrino

War bride (United Kingdom)

I was at home in Southampton England when the announcement was made on VJ Day. V.J. day was somewhat quiet in my hometown.

After VE day, and all the celebrations and thrills of that day, we were somewhat subdued. My brother and sister were both overseas in the RAF and would be coming home. Our house had been bombed and we wondered what life would be like.

But most important "the Americans will leave". How different we all were and how much they were like family now. My particular American, Lt. Ben Patrine was likely going on to Japan, and wanted us to get married before he left. I agreed but wondered when I would ever see my sister and brother again. But now going to Japan was called off!

The Americans were all feeling great but all said one more good-bye. I married Ben in November and he left for America on Christmas Eve.

How the Americans changed our lives. We often said we took bits of ourselves and swapped. Of course we were all happy it was over, but for us, nothing could live up to V.E. day.

Submitted by:
Linda A. Laurie
Poway, CA - United States

Relationship to Storyteller:
Adult volunteer

Leon Pawinski

Evelin Peirce

Robert Peratti

Wilbur Pestell

U.S. Navy

“Liberty isn’t free, freedom isn’t free, there is a price to pay for freedom and often it is war, you know like 9/11.” That is what Wilbur A. Pasel wants future generations to remember. As a veteran of World War Two, he was part of the U.S. Military serving as a U.S navy man, GM 3rd Class. His ship was the USS Lardner DD487. On the ship he was responsible for the maintaining one of the gunships. He remembers that the guns were “fired often enough to be maintained”. He went to gun mate training in Fairgate Idaho. Wilbur joined the Navy when he was seventeen in March of 1944 and completed his high school education through the Navy, as during the time period 19 credits were needed to graduate and he had 17 when he transferred to the Navy. The navy gave him two credits for his two years of service. Patriotism was held in high regard and when Wilbur heard about the “bullies picking on us” after the events of Pearl Harbor on December the 2nd 1941. When questioned about his feeling towards the end of the war Wilbur responds “In a way it was like winning a football game, excited it was over.” He continued on to say that he was in the fleet of ships that traveled to Japan and signed the Peace Treaty on September 2nd 1945. He commented “This is good.” on hearing the war had ended. A simple sentiment to an amazing history, “A lot of words go through your head, but I can think on one word relief” Wilbur now resides in California.

Submitted by:
Caitlin E. Young
Santa Rosa , CA - United States

Relationship to Storyteller:
Youth volunteer

Lavada Peterson

(Maiden Name: Begley)

Office worker in an essential industry

Lavada in the 1940s.

Born: 1928

Residence: Los Gatos, CA United States

Original home: Chowchilla, CA United States

December 7, 1941 will be etched in my mind forever. I can tell you every thought I had, where I was and who I was with when Japan attacked our nation.

But let us fast-forward to August 14, 1945, the day World War II ended and America declared victory. I cannot tell you where I was, or whom I was with or what I was doing. My mind has blocked out all of the happenings on that day. I can only tell you what I was feeling.

I felt lonely on August 14, 1945.

Six months before the war ended my brother, Tommy Begley, a Marine, was killed while serving in the Pacific. Whatever happened in the war after his death was still a concern for me but, I did not track it as carefully as I did before his death. Our family paid the ultimate sacrifice. We would never see Tom again. My mother and dad gave their only son, my sister and I gave our only brother. There was no more to give; we had given all.

When the people of our little town celebrated our victory over the Axis powers, I was sad, maybe even a little angry knowing that Tom would not come home, but I also felt happy to know the war was over. Our country had endured forty-five months of bloodshed and sorrow. Now it was time to embrace peace. Peace at last.

The days following the armistice presented a new challenge for me. The service men started coming home. There were Tom's classmates who had served in the military, the neighbor boys who returned and tried to put their lives together again, our cousins who served in various battles all over the world, and his church friends who came up to me to shake my hand.

I was wondering how I would accept these men who escaped the horrors, the agony of death. I soon discovered these young men felt pain and loneliness just as I did. They truly cared for their friends who were left on foreign soil, came home in a casket or lay in the ocean deep. They expressed compassion for their fallen comrades. They spoke kind words; words of understanding and sympathy. Their devotion and loyalty to those who never returned was sincere and true.

No, I cannot tell you all the details of August 14, but I can tell you of the love and sympathy of the days that followed I cannot adequately express my gratitude for their generosity, their love, and the sympathy these veterans expressed to me. My concerns were soon banished.

August 14, 1945 was a new beginning for America.

Lavada and Tommy as children.		Tommy Begley, Lavada's brother, U.S. Marine. Killed off of Iwo Jima, February 1945.		Excerpt from telegram notifying the family of Tommy's death.

Submitted by:
Warren C.. Hegg
Los Gatos, CA - United States

Relationship to Storyteller:
Adult voluntee

Betty Phipps

Walter Polk

Joan Polyak

Virginia Powell

(Maiden Name: Midget)

Office worker in an essential industry

At the start of the war Virginia Powell was living in St. Louis with her husband and one year old child. There she worked as a secretary in a match company. When the attack on Pear Harbor happened, Virginia's husband resieved notive of a draft. Shortly after in 1942 Virginia's husband was sent to Hawaii . Virginia then spent the remander of the war living with her in-laws while her husband was away for a total of 3 years. When notice came to Virginia that the war was over, she felt an extreme sense of happiness. Finally the war was over and she was able to see her loving husband again.

Submitted by:
Anya A. Boersma
Santa Rosa, CA - United States

Relationship to Storyteller:
Youth volunteer

Jack Pressey

U.S. Navy

Although he wanted to enter the war in 1941, his mother forced him to wait until February of 1942. He didn't think about politics, he just wanted to fight. He served as a radio technician in the submarine service, roaming across the entire Western sea frontier during the war. The job entailed working with radar, sonar, and understanding the workings of the four engines. Of the people he said that "if you had a problem you were out." He remembers the rationing of fresh water for washing, so the men had to clean themselves using a substandard liquid and could only rinse off the soap with fresh water. He recalls that when his submarine got word of war's end he said hi to his girlfriend and the quartermaster shot off flares to celebrate.

Submitted by:
Alan D. Ramey
Healdsburg, CA - United States

Relationship to Storyteller:
Youth voluntee

Lowell Prior

Faye Prior