Soren The 1940's

I promised my granddaughter and her husband Robert to leave my great grandson Soren a story of my times. Here’s Chapter 3.

Soren, how’s this for an opener?
“The German Army Marches Into Paris."
World War two is in full swing.

The US is the arsenal of Democracy.
Driving a 1930 Ford Rumble seat Roadster.
Working in machine shop turning out propeller shafts for,
Liberty ships to run the German U boat blockade.

Great Grandpa GG, elected NY State President Machinists Union.
Keep union members turning out tanks,
Ships, planes, guns,engines, tanks, ships guns.
Country wide collection, tin foil, old cans junk,
For guns, tanks planes to win the war.!

The average pay $!,299 dollars a year.
Lots of soldier going away parties.
Still Soapboxing on Tremont & Prospect.
How we gotta defeat Hitler, Mussolini,
Or our own future will be lost.
Concentration camps for all lefties.

Grandma Edith and I marry at City Hall
Listened to Benny Goodman “Take the A Train”
Duke Ellington "Clarinet Concerto." Mozart.
Grandma Elizabeth is born.
Everybody called her cute as they did you.
We were a family Betsy the dog and all.

Read Hemingway, “For Whom The Bells Toll”
Ben Gold, “Jews Without Money,”
Watched Bogart, Bergman in Casablanca
Listened to Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
And Penicillin was invented.
And we lived in the North Bronx near the Zoo.

Like Napoleon the Nazis march into Russia.
The freezing cold---- Russians patriots soldiers,
The beginning of the end. Russia US allies.
Stalin the dictator cover of Life Magazine.
A little time we were palsy walsy with Russia
Our bombers work, well done.
And most of Europe lay in ruins. Millions of dead.

Dancing to the new Big Band Swing
Wild freestyle, surely no minuet.
President FDR major cheerleader for
Winning the war dies in Georgia 1945.
The hearse train makes its way slowly
Millions old, young, Blacks in tears.
With our Allies, Britain, France Poland
Victory bells ring for celebrations.
Kissing strangers in Times Square
A heartfelt joy engulfs the world.
G.I. Bill soldiers off to college, government pays.
Seems like a new day dawning.
Here in the North Bronx near the Zoo.

Not so fast, Yesterdays ally Russia now a threat.
Truman unleashed the fear with a loyalty oath.
Got elected by the way of fear.
Fear, the Genie in the bottle.
Let out, never to get it back in again.

Atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima Nagasaki
Now the whole world trembled at the horror.
Ends the old war. Superpowers US, Russia in a new cold war.
So, the 40s ended with the Big Bands swingin
Frank Sinatra singin cars with fish like fins.
Not for long did we wonder in the flush of victory.

The biggest strike wave ever swept the country.
Workers determined for their share of the war profits.
GG lead a General Strike in Stanford Connecticut.
Bosses, Union bureaucrats never forgave that.

Over the land came dark clouds of little fascists.
Launched a full-blown red scare.
Two Super Powers in a Cold War.
Both sides with bombs from atoms.
Talk about scared, the whole world trembled.

Yes, GG would become a major target.
Years in the unions would come to an abrupt end.
Blacklisted, with a family to support ,
GG had to change his life and become a manager.
Soren it wasn’t the end.
Just a place to keep doing the right thing.
Through it all we sang and danced
To keep the spirit of living life alive and well.
And we lived in the North Bronx near the Zoo.