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I was talking to some people yesterday who were around during WWII and they said they had “chores” or the like to do during the war. They must have been teenagers or so at the time but I think one person said she had to collect metal scraps on the side of roads, and someone else said they had to collect “milkweed” for the war effort. We didn't quite know what the milkweed would have been used for but it was interesting to hear about.Someone also mentioned how they had to ration domestic products during the war such as gas, sugar, etc. If you had a job which required travel you'd apparently get a "C" sticker, if you required less travel you'd get "B", and I think you got an "A" sticker if you had no special needs. It was also mentioned how there were very few cars on the road back then because of the gas rationing. Imagine what it would be like today if we had to ration goods to support the war effort...
I think you may have the gas windshield stickers in reverse order. I think the A sticker was for necessary travel. My father worked for the railroad which was considered a vital industry and had an A sticker. Meat was rationed with little red tokens issued each month. Sugar was rationed with books of stamps used to purchase. Leather goods were also rationed. I was in grade school and we took our wagons around and picked up scrap metal to be turned in. Housewives cut each end out of cans and flattened then then stuck the ends back into the flattened can. They were picked up and recycled. I gave my daughter several old ration books and meat tokens. Also in schools once a week we were asked to buy savings stamps if we could afford them. The stamps were applied to the purchase of “Victory” War Bonds. Tires were almost impossible to obtain. Most toys were made of wood or compressed sawdust
Forgot to address the milkweed question. It was used to manufacture life preservers.(Kapok?)In my area(Macon, Ga) a lot of the women worked, as my mother did, at the Naval Ordinance Plant making fuzes for naval shells. The powder would stain their hands and hair slightly yellow. Many more worked at Warner Robins Air base .I also remember the blackout curtains and air raid drills. While riding downtown with my uncle once there was an air raid siren and all lights went out and cars pulled overHow would our present generation cope with rationed food,gas, rubber,leather and the threat of occupation ? I think just like the WW2 generation did. Remember they were also preceived as being "soft".
