A few little miscellaneous kind of things to lighten the mood. Or not. A glimpse of what daily life was like on the home-front while the men were across the world fighting a war that no one really understood.
I was such a hateful little girl, wasn't I? Oh my, I don't remember writing this note, or what the result of it was, but I am mortified to read it now!
Cindy Lou Schnack, a poor old daughter of a tired mother. This poor unfortunate girl will not be able to go out for Halloween night. Her mother puts off the making of her costume. She was to be a little Viet Namese girl. Her mother is too lazy, stupid, tired, and mean bad to make a sweet costume.
This photo was taken at our apartment in Ayer, Massachusetts just outside of Fort Devens. 'Back in the day,' families of soldiers could not stay in government housing and had to find other accommodations. If memory serves, there was another family on the other side and one above us. We are standing in front of the upstairs neighbor's door. Our door is in front of our car. It was a small two-bedroom apartment. My mother and I shared one bedroom and Raymond had the other. The kitchen/dining room was small, as was the living room, and we had a single bathroom. I remember it being very compact but nice.
My mother worked as a nurse's aide when my father first went to Vietnam. She wanted to be one of the first to see him should he arrive home injured. Yes, she wore the little white cap pinned in her hair and white stockings, too. I don't remember her working at the hospital for very long. She next took a job as a seamstress at a dry cleaners. She would sew patches on uniforms and make minor repairs to clothing and uniforms. At times, my brother and I would go to work with her. Our job was to go through pockets and make sure they were empty before they went through the wash. So much for finding lost treasure! I don't remember ever finding anything of interest.
Lee and Raymond are Rats. Big ones. But they don't scare me. John is an Angel. Lee is a devil. Raymond is a medium fatso. Humph!
Cindy Lou
How funny to read this now! No, I don't remember writing this either but the boys must've sure gotten one over on me!
The photo above and below shows our pseudo families while our fathers were fighting the war in Vietnam. Above is Mrs. Allen, Lee Allen, my brother Raymond, and Lee's sister whose name I don't remember. The photo below is the Allens and the Quintellas (maybe?) and all the kids at, what I'm sure must be, a local restaurant. I think my mom must have snapped this picture. Her chair must be the empty one next to Raymond. I'm leaning over what looks like might be soup.
A common practice among military families is to make friends quickly and they are friends that can sometimes last a lifetime. My mother kept in touch with friends that she made in the many places we lived. At times, the men would be gone for long periods of time, and friends were our support system; our pseudo families. We were all far enough away from our own extended families that we became our own. We were sisters and brothers and cousins to each other in lieu of our own.
Near the end of my dad's assignment in Vietnam, he sent native costumes to my mother and I. He also sent an embroidered silk jacket that I still have and several lacquered trinket boxes. Mine contained a brush, comb, and mirror and it has long since been lost to me. He sent us various other keepsakes as well.
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