Miracle Cure!

Hank


The thoughts and hopes of all America--indeed of all the civilized world--are centered tonight on the battleship Missouri. There on that small piece of American soil anchored in Tokyo Harbor the Japanese have just officially laid down their arms. They have signed terms of unconditional surrender.

Four years ago, the thoughts and fears of the whole civilized world were centered on another piece of American soil--Pearl Harbor. The mighty threat to civilization which began there is now laid at rest. It was a long road to Tokyo--and a bloody one.

Harry S. Truman, radio address September 1, 1945

MIRACLE CURE!

President Truman announced
terms of unconditional surrender
and suddenly my shortness
of breath and the tightness
in my chest are gone.
It's the first time in a long time
I've been able to breathe.
I never realized until just now
that for the past four years
I'd been holding my breath.





© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Photo courtesy Harry S. Truman Library & Museum

Plus Six

Gary


PLUS SIX

We're all in a dither.
Matt should be home soon!
The war is winding down.

He was drafted in '42.
He's served his time.
--and then some.

But Dad reminds me
of the "plus six" clause.
"For the duration plus six."

Six more months!
It's not fair, but as Dad says,
"Who said life is fair?"


© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Article from Connellsville, Pennsylvania, The Daily Courier, August 14, 1945.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Michael


HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI

Two cities bombed--
obliterated--to end a war
that has gone on for
what seems an eternity.

Is it right to end the killing
of American servicemen
with the killing of Japanese civilians?
I just don’t know...


© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Photo, "Japanese family camps in ruins of Nagasaki, having built temporary shelter from bits of metal and wood debris on the terraced hill that was once row on row of houses," courtesy Harry S. Truman Library & Museum.

My Musical War

Helen


MY MUSICAL WAR

Uncle Mick has come home
--badly scarred, but whole.
He and Mom are downstairs
right now, jitterbugging to
"I’m Beginning to See the Light."

They’ve played it at least
six times and don’t show signs
of stopping. That song will be
the one I’ll remember when I
think about the war ending.

When I look back I hear
"We’ll Meet Again"--a tune
that in my ignorance I thought
more hopeful than sad.

Then there’s "He Wears a Pair
of Silver Wings" to remind me
of neighborhood boys who
ran off to become flyers.

Sinatra singing "Snootie
Little Cutie" brings back
the handsome Marine who
nearly swept me away!

Ooh, listen! They’re playing
"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive"...
excuse me while I go downstairs
to listen to another memory.


© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Sheet music from author's personal collection.

V-E Day

Sarah Jane


V-E DAY

In my religion,
it is a sin to dance,
but I don’t think God
minded that today,
I joined a conga line
that wound its way
around town.
Today, May 8, 1945,
the war with Germany ended
with celebrations,
parades, hugs and kisses,
banging pots and pans,
horns tooting, confetti throwing,
dancing and praying.
All these were ways
of thanking the Lord
that the boys in Europe
are coming home.


© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Photo courtesy Norfolk Public Library.

The Train

Pearl


THE TRAIN

The only other time I saw the president
was when we both had gone to enjoy
the therapeutic waters of Warm Springs.
Mr. Roosevelt took the time
to speak with some of us guests.
He mentioned his new puppy.
I said, "I have a cat named Fluffy."
I was young and didn’t know not to
interrupt such an important man.
He listened to me ramble on
about kitty cats and puppy dogs,
and when I finished, he smiled.

Today, years away from Warm Springs,
I’m in a crowd of soldiers, sailors,
and hundreds of civilians
waiting to pay their respects.
We listen attentively to the whistle
that signals the train’s arrival.
The crowd surges forward without me.
On the grass this wheelchair’s
not worth a tinker’s damn.
So, from behind, I salute, and
whisper a long overdue thank you
to the man with the smile.




© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Top and bottom photos courtesy Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library.

Newsreel

Howie

NEWSREEL

No actor is part
of this movie.
These liberated prisoners
are not horror film extras.
This is not Hollywood illusion.

This is evil and it is real.






© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Newspaper clipping from the Oelwein Daily Register, April 9, 1945.

Janus

Arnold


JANUS

This year we studied mythology
--Greek and Roman gods.
One of them was Janus, god of transition.

Transition means to change.

Poor Janus--looking backward,
looking forward. Always moving--
never in the here and now.

I'm like Janus.

I see my father as he was
before he left to fight the war.
Soon, I'll watch him turn civilian.

How he is today is what is unknown.

When he left I was six inches shorter.
Just a kid. Now I'm practically a man.
He won't know my voice when I speak.

I used to hate girls, but not anymore.

Dad knew me as a child, he'll know
me as an adult. But what about now?
Does Dad feel like Janus, too?

I wonder if he's as scared as I am?

When we meet we'll have to turn
our heads away from the past, turn
from the future, and look at us as we are.

Will we like what we see?


© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.

The Little Drummer

Carol


THE LITTLE DRUMMER

Every Sunday Aunt Katie comes
for dinner with that pesky baby.
Mama always lets him bang
a tin can with a wooden spoon.
Oh, what a noise! Daddy's
complained about it for months!

This week there's been good
news from Europe every day.
Today Mama went to the parlor.
She took her prized pillow from the sofa.
She gave it to my little cousin and said,
"Beat the hell-o out of it, little man."

Yes, MY MOTHER really said that!
"I won't need that old pillow anymore,"
she said. "My boy will be home
soon and I'll squeeze him instead."
Daddy and the baby just laughed
and laughed as the feathers flew.


© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Sweetheart pillow from author's collection.