By the time you kind readers are seeing this, Opening Day of the 2022- 2023 Whitetail Rifle Season will have come and gone. Over the last 60+ years I have only missed a handful of those magical times. This one due to a Big Toe blister which turned into a bone infection. Besides losing half an appendage, the disappointment of being sidelined for a few days at this time of the year is acute. Let me quickly say there are folks far more inconvenienced and in worse shape than this Old Aggie. But still the “pain” of not being out in La Brasada will be felt. Due to a variety of factors, none of my family or “regular guests” will be out either. I doubt the Venados living out on our little piece of heaven will be watching, nor notice our absence. Although, there have been times during my long hunting career that I have thought those animals have a Bank or Oil Company calendar nailed somewhere on a mesquite tree with that day circled in red! Never have found one but do admit to having my suspicions. In my efforts to find a bright light in this sudden and unexpected development 48 hours before November 5, I can find one consolation. Maybe the increased activity on surrounding ranches and the potential of a gunshot or two there will “alert” the Big Ones to head over our way for a sanctuary spot along the creek bottom that runs all the way through our place. Whether that is a delirious pipedream found only in my old brain or a real possibility will likely never be known. But one thing I know FOR SURE. Once that Foot Doc gives me the green light, I won’t waste much time before heading south!
Here is your weekly update from the Lytle Police Dept. We include not only our activity but important city information as well! Officers managed 43 calls for service last week, which is a slow week for the “number of calls”. Your officers conducted 65 traffic stops; those stops resulted in 56 citations and 9 warnings. We had a huge turnout on Halloween night, the weather was perfect, and the candy was plentiful. We had 8 officers and 7 vehicles out in the field, so about all the officers and all the patrol vehicles. We didn’t have any reported issues involving safety or crime, we will call that a win. I’m still finding empty candy wrappers in my patrol truck; I can only assume that unknown persons were putting the wrappers in there. There is no way I ate all those mini-Snickers and Smarties. Looks like we only had one property crime reported last week. The locks of 5 mini-storage units on Somerset St. were cut off. One unit reported three folding tables missing. Our crook might have family coming over for Thanksgiving; you can never have too many folding tables. We also took two financial crime reports, a “hot” check was issued to Napa Auto Parts and a complainant reported that an unknown person cashed a fraudulent check on his account at TXN Bank. Arrests: Officers made 5 arrests last week: The biggest arrest of the week was on Tuesday. Cpl. Robison and I responded to a disturbance on S. Somerset St. We arrested a 37-year-old female for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon (a knife), and she was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. On Wednesday at 8:00 AM a 38-year-old female turned herself in at the P.D. She had an active theft warrant on a case we worked on at NAPA Auto Parts. She was transported to the Atascosa Co. Jail. Had she turned herself in a little later I would have dropped her off at the jail and then hit one of the good places to eat over in the Pleasanton/Jourdanton area. Officers also cited and released three others for possession of drug paraphernalia; those were from three separate incidents. Emergency Alerts: It’s that time of year; we may be facing weather-related emergencies and issues. If you aren’t signed up to get alerts from the city, please do so. You go to this link and sign up; https://public.alertsense.com/signup/?regioniD=1618 I would suggest just checking off everything. We don’t sell your email or phone number, mostly because nobody has ever offered to buy them. REMINDER: Starting on Monday, Nov. 7th the Northbound entrance ramp to IH-35 (in front of Lytle State Bank) will be closed for 2 weeks. Use Main St. North to get onto the IH-35 ramp (overpass just North of the City Limits) during that time. Lytle State Bank will be accessible but give yourself a little extra time to get to it. NEW NEWS (Traffic Related): I hope you are ready for some more traffic stuff – The Northbound I-35 off-ramp into Lytle (FM 3175) will be closed for a week starting around the 29th of November. Use Exit 127 at Natalia. (Either take the frontage road into Lytle or drive into Natalia and take 132 to Lytle) If you miss the Natalia exit, then take the Luckey Road exit and turn around back to Lytle. This is the only Northbound Exit off IH-35 to Lytle, so this will be challenging. We are putting the school rivalry aside and suggesting you exit in Natalia, please wave at everybody as you pass through. If you miss the Natalia exit then use Luckey Rd, take the overpass and come back and visit us. Like all good things, it is worth the extra effort.
Very dry couple weeks…Francisco Creek managed to run for a little while when we got that rain on October 28th, but not for long. Pct 1 is paving some roads up by one of the Capital Aggregates quarries and has had base material donated for their project. That sure cuts down on the cost of paving. Did a lot of vacating and re-platting for subdivisions in other Precincts and gave final approval for Redbird Ranch Phase 2 in Pct 2 off of CR 381. Early Voting was in full swing during the last two weeks. Over 11,500 people voted early…nearly 32% of the registered voters in the County. Now, we need to make a good showing on Election Day.
We are well into the month of November, and it seems that the countdown to the holiday season is here. I’ve been to Victoria lately and a couple of small, nearby towns and already the Christmas décor is either already on display or it’s being put on display. This is way too early for me, as my shopping involved the need of items to finish out Halloween! Luckily, I was able to find what I wanted/needed and there wasn’t a problem. Now, for our next holiday…Friday, November 11, is Veteran’s Day. This is the day we honor the veterans of all the wars. It is a day not only honoring those who lost their lives, but also honoring the living veterans. When I went online to find out information about Veteran’s Day, there were over 52,000,000 sites to choose from and I just chose a couple of them. Veteran’s Day had its beginnings at the end of World War I, which was known as the war to end all wars. It officially ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 when the German officials signed the Armistice, which was a temporary suspension of hostilities by the agreement of Germany and the Allies. In actual fact, the war officially ended on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. It has been known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day in other parts of the world. According to Wikipedia the commemoration of Armistice Day was recognized in the United States by a proclamation from President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, with the words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…” An Act approved May 13, 1938, made November 11th of each year a legal holiday. This was a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be celebrated and known as “Armistice Day”. It was primarily set aside to honor veterans of World War I, however, in 1954, after World War II, and after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans”, in its place. Veteran’s Day almost fell prey to a change of date, being moved to the fourth Monday of October by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968. This is the law that moved Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day and Columbus Day. Due to protests by veteran’s groups, it was moved back to November 11th in 1978. It is a federal and state holiday in most states. Don’t forget to fly your flag proudly on November 11th! It’s time to start thinking about Thanksgiving! As you know, we only have two more weeks before it is upon us, and I know you don’t really want to hear this, but it’s barely six weeks until Christmas. Since dessert is always an important part of any Thanksgiving celebration, we are going to start early with recipes for desserts! These recipes all use pumpkin and may give you a little different take on what to have instead of (or as well as) pumpkin pie. Pumpkin Bars 4 eggs 1 cup oil 2 cups sugar 2 cups pumpkin (1 can, 10-oz size) Mix above together and set aside. In separate bowl, combine the following: 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons cinnamon ½ teaspoon EACH cloves, nutmeg and ginger Sift together and add to first mixture, mixing well. Pour into 9×12 pan and bake at 350ºF until done. These bars are delicious just as they are, but for a real treat, frost them with a cream cheese frosting when cool. Praline Pumpkin Cake 1 package yellow cake mix (without added pudding) ½ cup oil ¾ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 1 cup canned pumpkin ¼ cup water 3 eggs Praline Mixture (recipe follows) Frosting Chopped pecans Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine cake mix, oil, sugar, spices, pumpkin and water. Beat well to blend. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Pour half of mixture into greased and floured Bundt pan. Top with following Praline Mixture, then fill pan with remaining batter. Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until cake tests done with toothpick. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes; remove to plate to finish cooling. When cool, frost and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Praline Mixture ½ cup chopped pecans 1/3 cup brown sugar ½ cup softened butter or margarine 1/3 cup flour Blend ingredients together until crumbly and use as directed.
We got bored one day last week, and the fish weren’t biting, so I said “hey how about I give you a horse ride.” He loved it even more than I thought. He’s transformed from plain old country boy to a rodeo cowboy in one week. All it took was a couple of fun horse rides around the ranch last week and he’s hooked! I’ve always thought it’s amazing how it feels to sit in the saddle and hold the reins in your hand as a kid. Always made me feel like I was sitting on top of the world, and I saw that in Tucky’s eyes and giant smile too. Saturday morning when he woke up for the parade, he said “I know what I’m wearing! My cowboy jeans!” again with his gruff and tough cowboy voice. We added a cowboy belt to that, and I’m sure it won’t be long before his PF Flyers turn into boots now. The Fall Festival this Saturday was a blast as always, except I stood on my feet waaaaay too long. We went from one ride to the next for hours and never ended up leaving until ten o clock or so. Tucker kept begging for “one more ride”. He had a blast following his cousins around for the last three hours, riding ride after ride. Cousins are so fun, and he looks up to them so much. His favorite ride was the giant bungee jumping on trampolines though. By the end of the night, the carnival ride lady in that booth was his best friend. I was surprised he wasn’t scared to get hitched up to that ride, but before he took off for the first time he told me “I ain’t scared of nothin’!” with a real gruff cowboy voice. I should have known that I guess, after all, he is a cowboy now!
This past week was an awesome one, not only did I get to see the Grandchildren and great-grandchildren in the Devine, Castroville area, on the way to Devine I had a phone call from my grandson who is in the process of moving from Hawaii to Florida, which is his next station. He and his family came in on Friday evening and we had a wonderful time together. The kids wanted to go fishing, so we went to my sister’s stock tank and drowned a few worms. Two of the little ones caught very small catfish and were as happy as they could be. The main thing was, they got to go fishing! Yes, I did spend a lot of time untangling the little boy’s line, he could get it tangled easier than anyone would have thought possible. I asked him how he did that, and he just looked at me with a big smile, of course, he always gave me a hug when I fixed it for him, fixing it was worth the hug! This coming week is going to be a busy one with a couple of meetings and being hostess for my Pokeno group. I am going to make old-fashioned gingerbread from my grandmother’s recipe. It is always a treat, especially to people who remember it from their younger days and just don’t have the time to make it anymore. Have you ever given a thought to the numerous times we use mustard? Hamburgers and hot dogs immediately come to mind for most people. It is a condiment that many people do not care for because of the pungent, spicy taste, however, many recipes are made just a little bit better for the addition of a couple of teaspoons or tablespoons of this bright yellow condiment. Most recipes specify whether to use dry mustard or prepared mustard, others don’t, in that case, they usually mean to use the prepared. More and more recipes are beginning to ask for a specific type of prepared mustard, i.e., Dijon, spicy brown, etc. This is the information I have in my files from a previous column, so it is what I used. Mustard is a plant of the genus Brassica, a genus in which several other food plants are also found, including turnips, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards and broccoli. The principal source of commercial mustard is B. nigra. It is an annual that is two to three feet high, has stiff stems, bright yellow flowers and smooth narrow pods. Dry mustard is a yellow powder and is made from the ground seeds. The seeds of white mustard and the Indian or Chinese mustard are also used. These are B hirta and B. juncea respectively. Neither is indigenous to the United States. Chinese mustard and Japanese (B. japonica) mustard plants are eaten as a salad plant, using the first large lower leaves. For many years ground mustard seed has been used as a condiment. It can be used alone or combined with other ingredients, as in prepared mustard. In ancient times, it was used a medicine by Hippocrates. It is used as an emetic and in times past, as a mustard plaster on your chest for a bad cold and cough. Would deviled eggs taste as good without a dollop of prepared mustard? In fact, some recipes for deviled eggs call for a small amount of dry mustard rather than the prepared mustard. Many recipes for potato salad or pasta salad also call for mustard to be added. A hot dog or hamburger, to many, without mustard is not really fit to eat. Mustard seeds are used frequently in pickle or slaw recipes, as well as in some salad dressings. Homemade mayonnaise has dry mustard as an ingredient. If you check in your cookbooks, you will be really surprised at the number of recipes that call for one or the other. Dry mustard can be really pungent and spicy if you use the least bit too much in a recipe. As with any spice or condiment, use it sparingly until you get the taste you want. (This is why recipes sometimes say add…”to your taste”). It is much easier to add more than it is to try to remove some when you have added too much. Any of these recipes or any others calling mayonnaise really taste great with the following homemade mayonnaise. It is not difficult to make using your blender. My mother used to have a glass jar with a perforated plunger that you dashed up and down, (just as you would a butter churn to make butter), to make mayonnaise. It was a little more complicated and time consuming than this recipe is. Mayonnaise 1 egg 1 teaspoon dry or ¾ teaspoon prepared mustard ½ teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar 1 cup cooking oil, (divided use) Break egg into blender container, add mustard, salt, paprika, lemon juice or vinegar and ¼ cup oil. Place cover on container, turn on blender to low speed, remove center cup from lid and in a very slow stream, pour in the remaining oil while it is still on low speed. Continue blending until thick. It makes one cup and is ready to use. Do not double the recipe. If you need more than one cup, make the recipe a second time. Deviled Eggs 8 to 12 eggs 1 small rib celery, diced very finely 2 to 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish (or the sweet/dill relish that is now available) 1 tablespoon prepared mustard (about) Mayonnaise Salt and pepper to taste Hard cook eggs, remove from heat and drain well. Shake around in pan to crack them, cover with cool water and allow to set for a few minutes. Drain the eggs, peel, and cut in half lengthwise, placing the yolks in a bowl. Thoroughly mash the egg yolks, stir in celery and pickle relish, and then add the mustard and enough mayonnaise, mixing to desired consistency. Use a spoon and place mixture into egg halves. Sprinkle with paprika or chili powdered if desired. If you want this to look a little fancier, place yolk mixture into a cake decorating bag, using a large star tip and fill the halves using that. Spam Salad 1 can Spam ½ cup finely chopped celery ½ cup pickle relish or chopped dill pickles 1 to 2 tablespoons diced pimentos 1 tablespoon prepared mustard Mayonnaise or salad dressing Use a coarse grater and shred the Spam, or coarsely chop in a food processor. (Be careful with a food processor, as it will make the Spam into a paste, if you process it too long)! Put Spam into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients, using enough mayonnaise or salad dressing to make the mixture into a spreading consistency. This makes great sandwiches or tastes equally good with crackers. Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Gingerbread ½ cup shortening 2 eggs ½ cup granulated sugar 2½ cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon nutmeg or cloves 1 cup boiling water 1 cup molasses Sift together: flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices; set aside. Cream together shortening, sugar and eggs until fluffy; and add sifted ingredients with the molasses. Add boiling water last and stir in gently, just until mixed. Pour into 9×13 pan and bake for 45 minutes or until done. If you like, sprinkle the top of the dough with a tablespoon or two of sugar before baking, or when cake is done, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Officers handled 51 calls for service last week and conducted 110 traffic stops. Those stops resulted in 102 citations and 8 warnings. We started the week with a lot of arrests and then it fizzled out towards the weekend. In all, we had 8 arrests. #1 – Ofc. Pena stopped a vehicle on Wisdom Rd. and determined the driver had 2 felony warrants out of Bexar Co. for Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (Plain English: He steals cars). He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #2 – Sgt. Hanson conducted a traffic stop and the driver came to a stop at his residence on Lytle-Somerset St. He had two active warrants out of Atascosa Co. (one felony and one misdemeanor). His girlfriend came out of the house and started yelling at him “that’s Karma,” I guess she was happy he was going to jail. That’s about the time I pulled up. The boyfriend then tells Sgt. Hanson that she has a warrant as well (original charge of a DWI), he confirms it and then I see him walk over to her and tell her she is under arrest too (that’s #3) and it “must be that Karma she is talking about”. They were both booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #4 – Sgt. Hanson stopped a speeder in the school zone and determined he had an active felony warrant out of Bexar Co. for Family Violence. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. That was all on Monday! #5 – Ofc. Diaz stopped a vehicle for running a red light on Main St. The vehicle, a 2002 Buick, was reported stolen out of San Antonio P.D. The female driver was arrested for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and the Buick was recovered. She was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #6 & #7 – Ofc. A. Lopez stopped a vehicle on Main St. for running a stop sign, the stop resulted in two adult males being cited for possession of drug paraphernalia. They were both released at the scene. #8 – Ofc. Diaz arrested a male, who was riding a bicycle, for public intoxication. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. Officers took 2 reports of property crimes last week. #1 – The owner of a 2000 Chevy P/U reported her vehicle was broken into while she was at work at the H.E.B. C-Store. A .22 revolver, misc. hand tools and a bag with change was taken. There were no signs of forced entry. #2 – A complainant reported that their mini-storage unit N. Somerset St. was burglarized, and the contents were removed. The contents included pictures, clothing, and sewing material. Now, I have important news: Starting on Monday, Nov. 7th the northbound entrance ramp to IH-35 (in front of Lytle State Bank) will be closed for 2 weeks. Use Main St. North to get onto the IH-35 ramp (overpass just north of the City Limits) during that time. Lytle State Bank will be accessible but give yourself a little extra time to get to it. We might have another important road update next week, stay tuned! We are a “City on the Grow” ……. this is just part of that. For up-to-date info. you Facebookers should keep up with: Ruben Gonzalez Mayor City of Lytle TX. You can follow me on Twitter @lytlepdchief, but I am not as fun (I’m an all-work and no-play kind of guy). Once all this TXDOT stuff is done we will be in decent shape for sure! How long will all this planned work take? I’m not sure but IH-35 from Lytle to Dallas has been under construction since I started driving there to visit my grandparents in the late 80s. Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before you know it. With that comes our annual Christmas Hayride! The big night is Saturday, December 10th. I would rate this the #2 city event, right behind the 4th of July Fireworks Show.
Sister’s volleyball game lasted til nearly 7 on Halloween night, so we got off to a late start on our trick or treating. Brother was “Batman” for the day, and he was loving it. As soon as I slipped the Batman costume onto him, he began his karate and ninja moves. It took about five minutes of those super cool moves before he would pause to let me buckle the back of the costume up. And then came the cape, as soon as it was installed, he climbed to the highest part of the couch, and stood like the super hero he is proudly. Then he leaped down and whooshed down the hallway and back so fast I couldn’t hardly video him. Then he did a few somersaults down the hallway. It was truly adorable. We stopped by the Methodist Church’s Trunk or Treat which was lots of fun, and Tucker even got to sit inside a real submarine. There was only one condition; he had to take his favorite candy with him. He would not relinquish that candy from his hand for nothing. We went to see a few friends for trick or treating, and he showed each of them his “muscles” accentuated by the poofy Batman costume. Aunt Bobbie and Nancy and Grandma West all got a kick out of that. He’s been a real super hero lately. This weekend he put on a ninja moves trick show for us in the front yard. This consisted of him racing across the yard, stopping to do a somersault roll across the little tikes picnic table and trampoline and a few on the ground in between, and leaping off any surface he could find. It was great. He fell asleep in his Batman costume, and what a sweet sight it was. There’s no doubt in his mind that he has the skills to be a super hero. I guess we all have our own super hero skills. If you are not feeling it, do a few somersault rolls and race down the hallway a few times and leap off the couch.
After a career in Higher Education that lasted 44 years, I have spent more than a few hours pounding on a typewriter or computer keyboard. 6 different textbooks with 14 editions as author or co-author, plus many professional articles and reports came from those days. Once finished with that chapter of life, my writing “itch” has been satisfied by doing stories like this one that have accumulated into Volume 1 and 2 of books called Tales From La Brasada with Volume 3 on the horizon. That is not a “sales pitch” as much as an acknowledgment of production. The Cover Logo for the books is a deer that the Boss Lady killed on our Home Place about a dozen years ago. He has a 5 + inch drop tine that is off his right main beam. Middle aged at the time of his demise, it would have been interesting to see what he might have become if he lived for a couple of more years. Given we have NEVER had anything close to a drop tine buck on that ranch since it became ours in 1938, with yours truly managing it from 1976, I am glad she took the deer. I put out my first Fall 2022 trail camera about 10 days ago at one of our all year long corn and protein combo feeder spots. We keep it fenced out when cattle are on the place and then open the wide gates once they are gone every September. Lo and Behold, there appeared several shots of a 10 point that was an almost carbon copy of the previous buck. This one is also middle aged, and I shared his “mug shot” with ALL my regular guests and family members who hunt with me out there. In addition to my antler and age comments, a statement was made that he was 100% Off Limits to anyone that wanted to ever come back through the gate to that property! I can’t control for a moment what happens off our little low fenced place, besides appealing to a couple of neighbors who are also kind of wildlife managers. I know that fellow may end up miles from our spot come rutting season. Rather than fuss and fume on what I cannot do, I have decided to record my amazement and wonder of Mother Nature. For an almost twin in terms of antler design to appear after 12 years with nothing close to that during that period is remarkable to me. One of my passions when raising horses for about 40 years was the study of genetics. Truth be told during the 2 Summers down at College Station as part of the Residency requirements for my Doctorate, I spent WAY TOO much time with the Horse Barn and Wildlife Department folks than I should have been doing. But I did manage to learn a good many things that helped me in my mare and stallion choices when raising some really fine saddle horses. I know there are instances where a genetic trait or characteristic can be latent for years and years. And to reappear all of a sudden for one time, only to then disappear again for a good while. I believe that is what is happening with this Second Drop Tine buck. But someone much smarter than me might have a better and more accurate perspective. The Boss Lady often says that about 99% of the World’s Population is wiser than me on many things, and I am sure she is correct. But in this instance, I just might be on to something. And if not, it is still sure enough fun to speculate. One thing I do not have to wonder about is that I know I am looking forward to laying me eyes on that buck. And I cannot wait for that opportunity to arrive!
~ Recognizing those who served abroad and reflecting on the effects on citizens at home
Eselle Van Treese, mother of Kathleene Van Treese
One might imagine that many of today’s young people, and perhaps not so young, don’t fully understand the effect the wars of the twentieth century had on most of the citizens of the United States, going back as far as the onset of WWI. For example, consider the Selective Service, or, the draft.
On May 18, 1917, (six weeks after the U.S. formally entered the First World War) President Woodrow Wilson signed the Selective Services Act in preparation for U.S. involvement in World War I. At the time, the U.S. had a standing army of just over 100,000. The registration of men between the ages of 21 and 36 began one month later. Interestingly, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson began drawing draft numbers out of a big glass bowl, and as the numbers were handed to the President, they were read aloud for public announcement. Within a few months, 10 million men across the country had registered in response. By the end of WWI, November of 1918, 24 million men had registered; of the those who eventually served in the war, some 2.8 million had been drafted. The draft was then dissolved after WWI. (Historyonthenet.com)
Then, in September, 1940, Congress passed the Burke-Wadsworth Act, which imposed the first peacetime draft in the history of the United States. By October of 1940, all men between the ages of 21 and 35 were required to register with their local draft board. Subsequently, 66% of U. S. Armed forces members were drafted during WWII.
Reflecting next on the ultimate sacrifices of these wars, during WWI, the Allies (The Triple Entente – consisting of France, the United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, and Japan) lost about 6 million military personnel. The Central Powers – Germany, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria, and their colonies, lost 4 million. (WikipediA)
Then came WWII, which has been listed as the bloodiest war in human history, killing over 60 million people – 3% of the entire world population in 1939 died in the war. It is estimated that approximately 407,000 American military died in WWII and 12,000 civilians (due to crimes of war and military activity). The total death count for all Americans: 420,000. (Historyonthenet.com) The wartime draft then expired in 1947 but was reinstated the following year.
And then there’s the Korean War, 1950-53. Because of the need for additional soldiers during this war, the minimum age for the draft was lowered to seventeen, and men were to serve an average of two years, with men who served in WWII being exempt. During this war, the American casualties reached almost 40,000, with more than 100,000 wounded.
The Vietnam War, lasting from 1954 to 1975 between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, claimed 58,220 U.S. soldiers. On the day in 1973 that the Vietnam War drew to a close, the Selective Service came to an end, officially on January 27, 1973.
In addition to the above sited ultimate sacrifices from the wars of the 20th century, folks at home deeply felt the effects from the war. During WWII, not only was the workforce comprised of 36% women, (my mother, Estelle Van Treese, taxied airplanes at Duncan Field, which merged with Kelly Field in 1943) but families had to cope with many shortages of basic materials such as food, shoes, metal, paper, and rubber. While the Army and Navy needed these supplies, civilians at home needed them as well. Thus, the federal government established a rationing system that impacted virtually every family in the United States. Points were issued to each person, even to babies, which had to be turned in along with money to purchase goods made with restricted items.
For example, in 1943, a pound of bacon cost about 30 cents, but a shopper would also have to turn in seven ration points to buy it. These points came in the form of stamps that were distributed to citizens in books throughout the war. Tires, gasoline, sugar, coffee, meats, fats, canned fish, cheese, canned milk, were among the most necessary products rationed. (The National WWII Museum)
I should add that Bill Bain recalled his dad saying that he was afraid his “bald” tires might not make it to the hospital when Bill was about to be born. People had to keep their automobiles and tires indefinitely, and the government even told Americans to keep track of their tires’ serial numbers in case they were stolen.
Some of the shortages continued to be felt even after the war ended and rationing came to a halt, due in part to “years of pent-up demand.” (The National WWII Museum) My cousin, Gayle Van Treese Brice, whose mother was gone and whose dad was serving in the Army in occupied Japan, was being raised by our grandmother. Gayle recalls the two of them going to the grocery store and trading eggs for groceries, being careful not to go too often to save on tires and gas. Also, Grandma made Gayle’s clothes from feed sacks, as she also did for me!
I have another cousin who was born in 1939, and her father, my Uncle Morris, died in a plane crash in Berlin while serving in the Air Force. She never knew him. Then there was a high school friend who was born during WWII and never met her father, who was killed in Europe. How sad for her and her mother. These types of stories describe a tragic number of families; or, in many cases, even nowadays following more recent conflicts in the Middle East, countless soldiers met their babies for the first time following deployment. Imagine how this scenario can create stress and conflict in the family unit, not to mention how mentally and often physically damaged these soldiers were when they returned.
On a lighter note, but also worthy of reflection, here are some anecdotes to which some may find enlightening and to which others may be able to relate.
Because most men entered the service during those eras of the mandatory draft, it could not be assumed that all of these servicemen were of high standing, or good guys. Thus, as a teen, my mother cautioned me, “Do not make eye contact with the ‘fly boys’.” Living in San Antonio at the time, we young girls frequently encountered airmen in downtown San Antonio. In those days, Houston Street was the place to shop. We girls would take the bus downtown, walk down from the Hertzberg Clock on the corner of Houston St. and N. St. Mary’s St. to Joske’s Dept. Store, then walk back along the other side, usually stopping to get a hamburger at the Manhattan Café next to the Majestic Theater. (I hope that paints a vivid picture.) As we walked along, we often, very often ran across a group of airmen on leave from Lackland – the Gateway to the Air Force. So, Mother said it was best not to acknowledge them, even when they gave us the “wolf whistle.” And that they did do!
I well recall riding home with a fellow I had met at church – namely, Franklin Runnels – and, taking a circumvented route, we drove up to the Jet Drive-In on SW Military Dr. He asked me, “Do you like the Jet?” Naively, I said that I did not. You see, my mother had told me not to go there with my friends because that’s where the “fly boys” from Lackland hung out. LOL. So, we went somewhere else.
One time a friend and I were hanging out on the steps of the downtown Herman Sons Bowling Alley, where my mom and dad were bowling, when a couple of airmen came along. They asked us what there was to do in San Antonio, and we said that there wasn’t anything, really. (This was long before 1968 when Hemisfair made the River Walk famous!) Then I felt guilty for exchanging a conversation with these guys.
Aside from these lighthearted snippets, most of us alive today can only read of the effects the wars had on our men and women who served and on the families at home, or we might be able to recall stories told by our parents and grandparents, who undoubtedly held deeply embedded memories. History explains that the American family dynamics were changed forever, with the vast changes in wartime society and domestic adjustments evident today. (Www.u-s-history.com)
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The Wreaths Across America theme for these articles is to “Remember the fallen, Honor those who serve, and Teach generations about the value of freedom.” Devine’s ceremony and placement of wreaths on Veteran graves at St. Joseph Catholic and Devine Evergreen cemeteries takes place on Saturday morning, December 17, at 11:00 o’clock.
