Small Town America Framingham Thru My Eyes: the War Years and Beyond

Imagine what it was like to be a child during the time of this war, that raged on for over 4 years. Our men, my uncles among them, left to fight in a distant war. We never knew if we would see them again. Songs were tearful, hopeful, and expectant. Sacrifices were made so troops could get what they needed first. The daily life we lived held them in our hearts and in our efforts to conserve and produce so they could come home. What a magnificent spirit seemed to grasp our country, and the souls that walked the town I lived in. At the end of the war we all jumped for joy, and in my home our Italian born Dad played on his accordion, "Torna a Sorrento", Uncle Cam was among the many Italian born soldiers liberating Italy! We were so proud! I know now, that our town, Framingham, Mass., was a microcosm of all the small towns in the United States of America. The war raged on while our silent stranger/neighbors watched over us as children walking to school and at play. We were united and proud to be American. We, as a nation, ?jived? our way into the future at the end of the war, with a burst of music, never seen before, as teenagers exploded on the scene with cars for the first time in history!The surge of teenagers with cars produced the drive- in movie, the drive- in restaurant, and more. It was a wonderful time to be alive, to be a teenager. ?Cruisin?, became a fad, and many nights we cruised through downtown Framingham, just as all the teens across the country cruised through their hometowns. It was a time when we created forever memories, that made great movies and a song book that still lives on, over 60 years later