Elvin Telford
Kyle Strait
Mr. Thomas
Period 7, U.S. History
9 May 2006
Personal Interview
I interviewed my grandfather, Grandpa Elvin, from my mothers side of the family. He was born in 1926. He lived through the Great Depression and World War II. For my interview, I asked him questions about life on the home front in the years during World War II. I did my interview over the phone because he lives in Muncie. Because my grandfather is hard of hearing, I asked my grandmother the questions I had written down and she relayed them to Elvin and she told me what he said. During this interview I was able to come up with other questions since the topic was very interesting. I learned very much and found a great appreciation for his work on the home front and eventually his work done in World War II for this country.
Questions and Answers:
What was life like for you and your family during World War II?
15 years of age when the war started. Family had food stamps during the war. Dad worked for the WPA, Works Progress Administration, which helped unemployed works get a job. Life was not so difficult for Elvin because he was at a young age.
Did you have plenty of food during the war?
Yes, family lived in the rural area, away from the city, but had a large garden. They got plenty of food from the garden. They also had food stamps. Also, worked with brothers for families on their farms and received one large meal a day.
What did your siblings do during war time?
He had 8 brothers and sisters counting him. He had 2 older brothers, Lefty and Doc, that worked for other families. Lefty woke up before sunrise to work and came in after the sun set and he lived with that family, instead of home. His mother demanded that the girls, as well, leave the house as soon as possible and go into the city and work for families to help support their family. They would do jobs such as cleaning, other house chores, and worked in factories. For many years Aunt Una was very upset that her mother would make her leave the home to help support the family.
How much money did you make while working for this family?
Elvin made 25-27 cents for a days work, along with the one large meal during the day.
What was life like in the city?
Many people were poor and beggers. Lines around the city built up waited to receive their daily meal and supplies.
What was the schooling like for you?
He graduated from the 12th grade. Not all siblings graduated. The 2 oldest, Lefty and Doc did not.
How was life like for Lefty and Doc?
They both went to fight in WWII, in the Europe and the South Pacific. Often times when they were back home they would drink heavily and get into bar fights.
When did you get into WWII?
Joined the Navy right after graduation in 1946, when he was 17. He was on a submarine in the South Pacific. His platoon received a liberation ribbon for their work in the Philippines. They brought boats onto shore and rescued people and brought supplies.
How was your family during those times?
The family got along very well. They were a “happy family”. The family was well off during those times compared to many other families.
What was life like for other families?
The families were always very large. They did not have any form of birth control. The more helping hands in the family, the easier it was to support the family. It was the way of life to have extra helping hands.
What did Lefty (Elvin’s oldest brother) do before he was shipped off to war?
He worked for the CCC, which was a government organization. This organization helped build bridges, etc.
What was life like for woman during WWII?
Since all the men were at war, the woman took roles working in factories to help support the war. Rosie the Riveter was a figure used for woman during the war.
What was life like for the family as a whole?
Often times the family moved around and rented out large farm houses by the railroads?
Even though this is off topic, what was life like for Elvin during the war? What did he do?
As said before, he was in the Navy. He was on an amphibious craft that took men and supplies to the shore. He trained with a 50 caliber weapon. When he wasn’t working, he was in the engine room. At one point his ship was shot at but not hit. At one point a Japanese submarine followed his submarine for 3 to 4 but they were not able to hit his until he surfaced, which they did not.