Dennis Yaggi
I interviewed my grandpa, Dennis Yaggi, about his life and life in general during World War Two. He was 5 years old when America entered the war in 1941. We discussed how things changed for life at home, as well as what it was like having a brother in the war.
Me: So, Grandpa, you were pretty young when America entered the war. But could you tell things were changing even through your young age?
Him: Oh, yes, I could tell- everyone could tell. There was just a sense of change and anxiety in the air after Pearl Harbor.
Me: What kind of things did you notice changed?
Him: Oh plenty. The most different to me was not having sugar, but that was probably because I was a child and loved sweets. Still not having it was a big change for everyone, and little things like candy bars that we take for granted were so valuable then.
Me: What other things did you not have then that we take for granted now?
Him: Well, tires were rationed, but it didn’t matter that much in comparison to gas. Gas was rationed, and hardly anyone went on vacation during this time. People were more cautious in where they were going and why. We only went on one trip during that time, and that was because I needed to get shots for my Asthma. So we drove to Cincinnati, and that was hardly a vacation for me. Things were a lot different.
Me: Did you live in Indy then, or in another part of Ohio?
Him: No, we lived in Dayton, Ohio. And what was exciting about that was that the Wright Patterson air force base was in Dayton. My father at the time wanted to join, but my mother harshly rejected this idea. He wasn’t accepted by the government though, because he was 35 and had a child so they wouldn’t take him. But his good friend was stationed at Patterson, and we were all proud to say we knew someone who was helping in the war.
Me: Was there an overall sense of pride in the war, or was it a sense of mixed feeling?
Him: Oh my goodness, everyone was so proud. Plus people were happy to help- the war was supported 100%. We would all do anything we could so that it was easier for our boys out fighting- we ate a lot of canned goods, and also had victory gardens. Almost everyone had them and grew their own veggies.
Me: Did you personally know anyone in the war?
Him: Well my brother Bob joined the Navy when he was seventeen. He actually dropped out of Cathedral to join- so it would have been like your classmates going to fight. He moved around a lot, from Texas, to New Orleans and California. Eventually he went over seas to an A-card unit and helped there.
Me: Wow, that’s interesting. Was it hard on your family?
Him: Definetely, we were all a little frightened because so much could happen while he was away. We were proud that he was over there but still, the thought of losing your brother…But anyways we put up a flag with a star on it in the window to show we had a family member in the navy.
Me: Well that must have been hard. Was the excitement after the war just amazing?
Him: What do you think? Of course! There was laughing but also crying, it was just an amazing sense of relief. People were cheering and dancing, and I remember my father had this car with an amazing, loud horn on it, so I just went out to the car and honked it till nighttime. The day we got the news was my birthday, and it couldn’t have been any better.