My Love/Hate Relationship with Christmas Trees

This year I REALLY didn't want to put up my Christmas tree. My 63 year-old body protests at the thought of bringing all of the boxes down from the attic, assembling the parts, stringing the lights, putting on the ornaments and cleaning up the fake needles from the floor. In addition to all of this, it's the memories that put me in a melancholy mood . . .

Memory #1:

When I recall the Christmas trees of my youth, I can't help but recall how excited we all were to decorate the tree. The rule in our house, however, was that we could not do anything until Dad strung the lights. He was an electrician, after all, and the lights weren't LED lights as they are now. It was probably best that he string the lights. I remember anxiously waiting for him to get finished -- then we could have at it. The style back then was to hang "icicles" from all of the branches. As kids, we didn't have the patience to place them one at a time on the branches, and I'm sure Mom followed behind us "fixing" everything we did. The trees were always "live." I searched through photo albums and found this picture of my brother, Ted, and sister, Karen, in front of a tree when we lived in Golf Manor. It was our "cowboy" phase. I bet there are a lot of you who grew up in the 50's who remember that time well.

Ted and Karen in front of our tree ca. 1958

Memory #2:

In 1959, we moved to Pleasant Ridge. This was truly the home of our youth. The arrival of Dan in April of 1959 made it nearly impossible for us to continue living in the small three-bedroom Golf Manor home now that we were a family of eight. It was sometime during that period that I'm sure Dad became perfectly happy with relinquishing some of his "tree" duties. It was also during this era that Scotch Pines became the preferred tree in our family. I have numerous pictures of me, my siblings and my cousins, all lined up in birth order, in front of those trees. I was even able to find one of Dad showing off his new robe. (Note Tom in the lower right-hand corner).

Memory #3:

I'm sure that tucked away in my memory are several examples of Christmas trees that I put up with my husband at the time, Bob. I'm sure we enjoyed putting up a tree for Elizabeth's first Christmas. But what I REALLY remember is the Christmas of 1979. I was newly-divorced with a one-year old baby. I was in no mood to celebrate Christmas, but felt I HAD to get it together for Elizabeth. So I took my newly-single self over to the Blue Ash YMCA, bought a live tree, and brought the thing home. (To say I didn't care about it is an understatement). I lived in a second-floor apartment. I tied a rope to the tree, hoisted it up and over the balcony railing and decorated it. I'll never forget the feeling. Having accomplished that, I felt for the first time since my divorce that I would "make it" as a single parent.

Memory #4:

Fast forward about ten years, and I'm now married to Bill. Bill has never had a love of putting up Christmas trees, partly because he could never buy a tree that was the "right one" for his ex-wife. Once he literally brought home three different trees before she was satisfied. Besides, he's Jewish, so he could cop out on this Christmas tradition. Add to that the fact that I am allergic, and I do mean ALLERGIC, to Christmas trees. Decorating the tree always meant long sleeves, gloves and a great deal of itching. I turned into a "witch" -- or you can substitute your own word. About 20 years ago in frustration, I left Liz with Bill and went down to the local "Big Box" store and bought an artificial tree. If you can believe it, I put up the SAME tree today.

Memory #5:

Christmas 2010
Ian was 2 1/2 years old

Christmas 2010, we moved into a new chapter. Liz and her husband, Roland, blessed us with our first grandson. Bill and I pulled out all of the stops. The tree went up and so did the train we bought for Liz 23 years earlier. Anything to make Ian's Christmas special.

Which brings us to Christmas 2012. Oh, how I dreaded putting up the tree. Fake knees and hips don't lend themselves to this kind of activity. I wanted my Dad to "string the lights" one more time.

I've got a new grandson, Andrew, and I want his first Christmas to be special. So I got myself together and put up the tree -- one more time. I'm thinking this year will be the perfect year for Roland and Ian to help Grandpa put the train up -- I'm sure you would agree.

Merry Christmas 2012 to all of my family and friends. 

                                                    Kath

The 64th Anniversary of Mom and Dad's Wedding

My mother and father were married 64 years ago today.  On a post I wrote a year ago, I talked about a movie called The Bride Wore Boots.  My mother always said she had to wear boots to her wedding.  Although I always felt like I had seen a picture of this, it wasn't until my brother, Tom, dug up a photo album containing Mom and Dad's wedding pictures that I was able to see that the picture was more than something in my mind's eye.

Hiding behind one of the pictures was a newspaper article from the January 24, 1948 Cincinnati Enquirer. In the clipping it says that "the mercury is sliding toward zero, perhaps five below. The wind not only chills bones, it freezes type."  The picture on the left shows ice choking the Ohio River.

The weather didn't seem to be negatively affecting the bride.  Her smile is so warm as she climbs the steps to begin a new life.

Since last year's post, four more great-grandchildren have been added to the Jones family -- two boys and twin girls.  The newest addition is my grandson, Andrew, born 8 weeks early on December 29th.

I miss them both so much.  Wish they were here to see this.

Virginia and Johnny Jones

The Flying 8 Balls - 44th Bomb Group

On Veterans' Day, I posted about the World War II service of my Dad and his two brothers.  It made me wonder what I really knew about his service.  I have the following items in my possession:

• His Notice of Induction dated October 5, 1942.
• His Diploma from the Air Forces Technical School dated January 23, 1943.  He completed training as an "Aircraft Armorer."
• A copy of a Christmas Card from the 44th Bombardment Group cryptically sent from "Somewhere in England."
• A few photos of him on the base, including one with his brother, Bob.

If you asked my Dad what he did during the war, he would say that he "loaded bombs on planes."  I called my brother Tim, our family's oral historian, to see what he recalled.  Tim said that Dad would always used to say that a lot of guys who belonged to organizations such as the V.F.W. wanted to "relive" the war.  He just wanted to move on from it. So we didn't know much.

With the few clues I had, I found out that the internet has far more information than what I was able to find a few years ago.  For one thing, there is a website devoted to the 44th Bomb Group.  It has a wealth of information including video clips, newsletters, photos and biographies.  The site includes a history of the unit with this important information:

On July 25,1942 the 44th was assigned to Will Rogers Field, OK in preparation for deployment to an overseas theatre of operations. At this time the 44th was manned by 77 officers and 900 enlisted men. The group consisted of four squadrons, Headquarters and headquarters squadron (506th), the 66th squadron, the 67th squadron and the 68th squadron. The stay at Will Rogers field was brief.

On August 25, 1942 the ground echelon left Will Rogers Field, by troop train, for Ft. Dix, NJ to prepare for overseas shipment. On September 4, 1942 the 44th ground echelon, consisting of 62 officers and 819 enlisted men boarded HMS Queen Mary for transport to Greenock, Scotland and duty in the United Kingdom for "the duration" of World War II. They disembarked on September 11. 1942.

Initially the ground echelon was housed at the British air base of Cheddington, Bucks.  On October 10 they moved to Shipdham, Norfolk.  This new "lend-lease" base, Officially AAF Station 115, was to be the home of the 44th until the end of the war in Europe.

You can even view a video clip which includes a segment with the ground support team attaching bombs to one of the B-24s, an interesting bomber that was able to carry heavier bombs than the more popular B-17. (Click on the clip labeled "Original Footage" and watch the first few minutes).

I was able to find a job description for an "Aircraft Armorer."

Source: http://forum.armyairforces.com/Description-and-Responsibilities-of-Various-Armorer-Rating-during-WWII-m197640.aspx

The more I read the more I realized what a critical role this group played in the war in Europe. You can read a summary of their major accomplishments here.  The link contains exerpts from a book that was written about the 44th Bomb Group.

I've already made contact with a woman whose father was a pilot with this group who was killed nine days before her birth.  The successes this group experienced did not come without cost.  Many planes, pilots and crew were lost following their many missions.  My new contact told me that I may be able to get specific information about Dad's service through the National Archives and/or members of this group.  I'm hooked -- so stay tuned.

Photo Credit:  nationalmuseum.af.mil

Sources:  http://www.8thafhs.org/bomber/44bg.htm

A Father's Day Diversion

Thinking of the men who contribute so much to our lives!