Cleo Thompson

Maya Torngren

War bride (Germany )

I am a German War Bride. I was 16 years old when the war was over. For us it was May 1945 (V-E Day).

When I talk with my American Friends, all I could say was, "I wish I could have been there with you!!!"

Submitted by:
Laura Jimenez
San Jose, CA - United States

Relationship to Storyteller:
Adult volunteer

Richard Travis

Al Tschaeche

Civilian

As a 16 year old boy, my WWII experience was as a civilian. On Tuesday, August 14, 1945 I was vacationing at our farm. My grandfather was listening to a battery powered radio and told me about the news. His reaction and mine were both one of relief, joy, and hope for the future. We told my grandmother and she was ecstatic. We couldn't get enough of the news on the radio. We had friends in the service and now we would be able to see them soon.

No more blackouts. No more ration stamps. No more 45 MPH limits for the car. We could get new tires. We could throw away our toothpaste tubes again. We could get nylons for my mother. Maybe we could get electricity in our farm house. We heated with wood; cooked with gas, used candles and kerosene for lights and pumped water from our well for drinking. We caught rainwater in barrels for washing. We lived near a big river so we could use that water in dry years although it was a long way up from the river to the house.

And we waited in happy anticipation of seeing all our military men in the near future.

One word: relief.