Editor’s Note: The Chestertown Spy has teamed up with the C.V. Starr Center for the American Experience at Washington College to share the stories of local residents who experienced World War II, either on the Home Front or as Veterans. Students and staff have already interviewed over a hundred people about their experiences during World War II. Each installment presented in The Spy includes an audio clip of an interview, along with the corresponding transcript. You can find more audio clips and interview transcripts at storyquestproject.com. If you have a story or artifact to share, please contact Deputy Director of Starr Center, Pat Nugent, at [email protected] or 410-810-7161.
David Shearer: War Bonds
They had what were called War Bonds. Every Monday, I think it was, at school, you would take your dollar or fifty cents, and you would buy, I think four stamps were like a dime a piece. And you had a little book that you’d paste it in, and when you got enough of these little books you’d trade it in for a twenty-five dollar war bond. Well Dad worked, and he bought war bonds himself through work — kind of a requirement in order to help them finance the war. And they accumulated a good bit of these at the end of the war. I can remember my mom and dad talking in their bedroom with these war bonds out on their bed, counting them up. And they had just looked at a house to buy, and they said they had enough money to put on the down payment on this house which, at that time, I think was about a third. It’s a lot different than it is now. But the houses were only about five thousand dollars, if that much. So he bought his first house because of the money he saved from the war bonds during the war. It was very common, very common. But us kids, we would help out. Just like I said, a dime sort of thing, saving stamps. And then that would accumulate eventually. My sister and I during the war, we ended up with at least one twenty five dollar bond. Money was a little tight. Money was worth a lot more too in those days.
Allen Capel says
I too, remember buying ‘war ‘ stamps in school. I don’t remember that we ever got enough stamps for a bond or not, as all stamp books were turned over to my mother ( after all, who do you think gave me the money to buy stamps? ). The war bond drives were sometimes on the spectacular side. Once a German fighter plane that had been shot down was brought to town on large truck. It was pretty beat up and you could see bullet holes all over it. People were lined up to purchase war bonds that day. I am certain that bond and stamp sales continued after VE-Day, but not as much. However, I can say for certain that VJ-Day was the biggest celebration I ever saw or took part in., even if I was only about seven years old.