Larry Linderman
On November 15, four SaddleBrooke residents who were born in England and Germany related to members of the SaddleBrooke World War II Roundtable their remembrances of the war through their eyes as children.
Fifty people were in the audience as David Gould, Brenda Dawson, Ron Fisher and Jean Castle each spoke at length not only of their memories but how the experience of being bombed affected them the rest of their lives. Brenda and Jean related how even today thunder and lightning strikes the same feeling of fear they had 75 years ago as bombs exploded all around them. (Ironically, Brenda’s husband was a physicist who studied lightning.) Jean to this day sleeps with lights on as a result of the many hours spent in the family’s bomb shelter in total darkness. Ron was born in Kassel, Germany and his father, a highly decorated officer in the German army, was killed at Normandy after being wounded seven times on the Eastern Front. As an adult, Ron had a 30-year career as an officer in the U.S. Army. David revealed a deep knowledge of both world wars perhaps motivated by his experiences as a youth. All the panelists saw their neighborhoods devastated.
After all the panelists spoke, Brenda told the audience how she never even tasted candy during the war. It was unavailable due to the shortage of sugar. But when the war ended, she was given her first taste of candy, or what the British call sweets. It was Jordan Almonds, pastel sugar-coated almonds. She then opened two bags of Jordan Almonds which were shared with the audience.
The SaddleBrooke World War II Roundtable is open to all SaddleBrooke residents and guests. There will not be a program for December. On January 24, Leo Barren, author and instructor of army intelligence at the Ft. Huachuca Army Intelligence and School, will talk to the Roundtable about the Battle of the Bulge, the costliest battle for Americans in WW II.