My father, Harold, was born in the early '30's. He was a child during the 'Great Depression". My 'daughter'(Music Equals Life) interviewed him for a school project and I am writing some of his memories a bit at a time. I will start with his memories of childhood.
...No one knew they were poor, life was tough for everyone. There were no 'rich' or 'well off' families, everyone struggled. Dad said he was considered one of the lucky children in the neighborhood because he had a 'ray gun' to play with. In truth it was the metal handle off of a car. His main form of entertainment was playing outside with the other children. He played games like 'capture the flag' and later, went camping or swimming in the irrigation canals. Dad and his friends would sometimes take ears of corn from the fields and cook them over a campfire.
Dad told his interviewer that when you are poor and go without often enough, food becomes very important. For breakfast, dad ate biscuits and gravy or cornbread. For lunch it was leftover cornbread, sometimes with milk. And supper was boiled beans. Dad and his father would walk along the railroad tracks to town to get their allotment of 'relief foods'. They would wait under the bridge within sight of the house until dark so none of the neighbors would see them with the 'relief', despite the fact that everyone else also got the food. The food would have to last a month, so treats were rare and dad spoke longingly of 'vinegar pies' his mom would make.
Dad mentioned an uncle who came to visit and gave him packs of Dentine chewing gum. Dad would sell the gum for a nickel apiece. Next entry I will detail some of his money making ventures, both as a boy and later in the Korean War.