IN SEPTEMBER WHEN GERMANY INVADED POLAND, DOROTHY SAID “WE BETTER GO HOME, ZOE. THERE’S GOING TO BE A WAR.”

THAT WINTER I FOUND MY WAY TO THE ART LECTURES AT CARNEGIE LIBRARY AND SIGNED UP FOR CLASSES AT SCHENLEY HIGH SCHOOL TO MAKE UP CREDITS I NEEDED. I TOOK THE EXCEPTIONALLY ABLE YOUTH EXAM AND PLACED RATHER WELL. I STUDIED FRENCH, SOCIOLOGY AND TOOK PIANO LESSONS UNDER THE PWA AT JOE’S HI SCHOOL. I WENT ON TO SIGN UP FOR DRAWING AT CARNEGIE UNDER ROBERT GWATHMEY. I WAS SENT UPSTAIRS TO DRAW WITH THE UPPER CLASSMEN AND WAS AWARDED A SCHOLARSHIP FOR MY SECOND YEAR. BY THIS TIME THE COUNTRY WAS AT WAR. PEARL HARBOR WAS BOMBED AND EVERY ONE WAS LEAVING SCHOOL. EVENTUALLY 34 MILLION PEOPLE WERE RECRUITED FOR THE WAR.

EVERYONE WHO COULD TOOK WAR JOBS AND I WAS HIRED AT WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC IN EAST PITTSBURGH TO TEST BI-METALS FOR CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR THE NAVY. BEFORE THE WAR DOROTHY AND I WENT TO ALL OF THE SCHOOL DANCES. WE HAD FRIDAY AFTERNOON HOPS FOR AN HOUR. THERE WERE LOTS OF DANCE HALLS AROUND AND WE DANCED TO THE ‘BIG BANDS’ AT KENNYWOOD AND LIGONIER. THE BIG APPLE WAS FROWNED ON IN THE HI SCHOOL. AT MY FIRST PROM I WENT TO McKEESPORT AND BOUGHT AN ORGANDY GOWN IN WHITE AND DOROTHY HAD THE SAME IN PINK. FOR $2.00 WE WERE DRESSED FOR THE PROM. WE DIDN’T HAVE DATES; WE SIMPLY WALKED TO THE GYM.

I KEPT THE STORE FOR MY FATHER UNTIL THE WAR CAME. IT WAS HARD TO DEAL WITH SINCE RATIONING CAME ON. I LEARNED TO TYPE AND TAKE SHORTHAND WITH MISS YOUNG IN HIGH SCHOOL. OFTEN I WOULD TYPE FOR MY FATHER WHEN HE NEEDED SOMETHING DONE.

ONE SUMMER ON SATURDAYS I CLEANED HOUSE FOR JULIA HOHMAN AND EARNED 5O CENTS. I THINK THIS WAS THE MONEY I USED TO BUY TWO WHITE CAMP BLOUSES AND MY SENIOR PICTURE WAS TAKEN WITH ME WEARING ONE OF THEM. WE WERE JUST STARTING TO BREAK FREE FROM THE GREAT DEPRESSION. I HAD TWO WOOL FLANNEL SKIRTS IN BROWN AND GREEN. I WORE ONE IN THE JUNIOR PLAY ON STAGE AT THE SCHOOL.

WE WENT’ TO GIMBEL’S DEPARTMENT STORE IN PITTSBURGH WITH AUNT MILDRED WHERE I CHOSE A PLAID DRESS AND A STYLISH WOOL COAT. YEARS LATER I WENT BACK TO GIMBELS TO BUY MY WEDDING DRESS. YOU CAN SEE IT IN A PHOTO. CLOTHING WAS SCARCE BECAUSE OF THE WAR.

WHEN I WAS 16 I WENT TO DR. MASTER’S OFFICE TO HAVE A 6 YR. MOLAR REMOVED. I CAME AWAY FROM THERE THINKING “HERE IS ANOTHER OLD ROGUE WHO CAN NOT BE TRUSTED.” HIS OFFICE WAS ABOVE SCHWARTZ’ DRUG. IN WILMERDING, MR. SCHWARTZ’ ARMS WERE ALL PUNOTURED WITH NEEDLE MARKS. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I CAME IN CONTACT WITH A DRUG ADDICT.