Ramsey County History – Spring 2002: “Growing Up In St Paul: The War To End All Wars: A Schoolboy’s Recollections of World War II”

Growing Up In St Paul: The War To End All Wars: A Schoolboy’s Recollections of World War II
Author: Ray Barton

The author looks back at the coming of World War II when he was a young boy. His uncle had been a hero in World War I, and they were living in the Cherokee Park area on St. Paul’s West Side. There was a rush to enlist in 1942, and his brother Wes was among those who did. Ray read the papers and learned about the Bataan Death March and noticed all the blue stars in the windows of families who had men and women serving their country. Everyone on the home front was involved with scrap drives, buying war bonds, planting victory gardens, and living with rationing. To help his family, Ray got a job at Kline’s at the age of thirteen. The schools showed their patriotism by having the Civilian War Patrol and other activities. When the war ended, Ray went downtown to see the celebrations.
PDF of Growing Up in St. Paul