Howdy neighbor! 

There are very few of our citizens still living who will recall those eager, expectant days of the early 1940s and all the local happenings which attended our country’s bold entrance into the Second World War. Of those dear, dead days, many exciting tales and humorous anecdotes can be related; of how Bridgton banded together for the war effort; of how “our gallant boys in blue,” now dressed all in olive drab and khaki, marched off to war even as all the women and children left behind fought the good fight here on the home front with victory gardens and canning parties. Local industry, what little of it still remained, turned to war economy production, a Civil Air Defense Force was instituted to keep a weather eye for enemy bombers from atop the old high school cupola amid nightly blackouts, even as rationing and victory bonds swelled the war chest of the nation. A dramatic saga of strength, sacrifice, and resolve, galvanized by the rallying cries of “Keep ’em Firing” and “We Can Do It!” But of all the tales of frenetic, eager patriotism which might be told of this balmy era, I now tell the dramatic tale of the Bridgton Salvage Committee, in an episode of local conflict scarce known since 1942.

Tags

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

Post a comment
Stop watching this discussion.