For those that are following "The War", and after talking with my own kids after the first episode, I am compelled to add some comments, especially for our younger people who may not have had those times embedded in their early family life. I have no delusions of supplementing Ken Burns but I can add recollections that I just have a need to babble out at the moment. Perhaps my mothers waning days has stirred some reminiscence for me.

I had to provide one unexplained point in the series to my kids as to why the movie houses of each town was emphasized and the 'Movie Tone' clips included was the only source for pictures of what was happening in the rest of the world. Other than poor quality news paper pics and few quality stills in magazines, the weekly news reels at the local theater was the equivalent of the nightly TV news. Most all information about your loved ones that you knew was in harms way, came through letters that were weeks in transit. Words came threw the radio and the visuals came with news papers and in 3-5 minutes clips at the movie house. Media and communication was at a very different era.

One of those freeze-flash memories of a very little boy is standing atop the toilet seat and having my hair combed after a scrubbing and being dressed up because my father was going to make a long distance call from Texas before heading for Japan. I have no idea how old I was or of the phone call, but I remember it was important and exciting for the family.

I know that war was not a background thought for anybody on the home front. It was an all day, every day part of life. My mother worked in a defense plant while my dad was gone and I recall old ration stamps being in the corners of many things for years after the war. The uniforms and olive drab gear that floated the attic and closets and basements of my home and my uncles homes, the Lugers and sabers that were locked away and only brought out when the adults talked, was just part of every home, ..............wasn't it?

My entire civilian life has been working in an industrial city that now is taking it's last gasps, but spent my career involved with many small companies and learning under the tutelage of veterans or the people that didn't go but became part of the defense machine, almost without exception. Few companies were not involved with super-human production of war supplies. Only now am I aware of the gradual disappearance of the tangible equipment and verbal environment that just became a subconscious part of me.

I have one of my earliest pics that was taken with rationed film. LOL

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