Happy April 1st! On this day in 1942 my Dad reported to the Army which must have felt like the worst April Fool’s Day joke ever! I believe he left from the Natick train station along with probably dozens of other young men who had been summoned thanks to the draft. I can imagine the tears as Audrey and the family said good bye. They have no idea at this time where he’ll be sent after Fort Devens for intake. As described, kind of an organized madhouse. Leonard talks about what he goes through but one of my favorite parts is where he describes the early morning wake-up call. “Can you imagine???” Read it for yourself. April 1942 is posted here.
As a point of reference, here’s the Boston Globe front page for the first of April. Everyone has to be a little unnerved as the blackouts have started. They’re testing the ability to black-out the lights. And well they should. German submarines have been detected off the coast.
More to come. Suggestions and feedback welcome!
