May 1942

Jan Palson

01 May 2026 — 2 min read

Happy May Day!

Thank goodness and hooray - passes are now being issued and Dad can get the heck out of the camp at least for a couple of days. For Dad, good days are measured by the time spent with Mom. It’s the g.d. war that is the problem and the Army is like prison. At least it's May and the weather is warming up.

One bright spot is the talk of a military pay raise for the Army, Marines, and Navy and it’s huge. Going from $21/month to $50 means getting bills paid and maybe saving for a future. While that gets worked out, gas rationing continues due to shortages all over. It’s confusing too. There are A cards, B-3 and X cards all for different levels of use. Your rationing coupon depends on how much you claim to need and if caught lying, motorists can face a $10,000 fine and 10 years in prison. And don't even think of speeding - the limit is 40mph.

One way this war is getting paid for is with war bonds. Over in Boston, the first of May is very exciting. It’s the Victory Caravan of Stars and big crowds are expected to not only greet the stars but for the parade and the show at the Garden. Twenty-two stars including James Cagney, Groucho Marx, Claudette Colbert, Bob Hope, Joan Bennett, and more, tour to raise money for the Army-Navy Relief fund. One guy paid $1,000 for autographs!

Boston Globe - May 1, 1942 (Link to Newspapers.com)

Biggest show of it's kind!

Caravan of Stars Parade Route

Next letter Wednesday, May 6, 1942

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