Barbara Finneson Oral History Interview

IdentifierNHF_WC_2016_Finneson_Barbara

DateJune 13 2016

Description Barbara Finneson gave her personal account of life on the West Coast, in California, during the Second World War. She was ten years old when America became involved in the war in 1941. The threat of air raids from the Japanese were a constant worry, including one night when they had an air raid. However, she describes her life during the war as an overall happy time to grow up. She remembers having many Japanese Americans in her class and being confused, when the war started, if they were now friend or foe. She also talks about her father’s civilian job and the one time he almost accidently went to war on a submarine. She has the most memories about rationing certain materials/foods, the different efforts done to aid the war on the Homefront, and the movies, the stars, and the newsreels that she would see often on the weekends.

Material TypeDigital

LanguageEnglish

Duration1h 52s

Preferred CitationBarbara Finneson, Interview, National Home Front Project, Washington College, Chestertown Maryland.

ProvenanceInterview was recorded by Teddy Connell, Andrew Darlington, Michelle Ramstack, and Rachel Treglia through Washington College for the Starr Center of the American Experience National Homefront Project.

GeonamesChestertown, Kent, Maryland, United States, NA [39.209,-76.06661] [id:4351264]Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States, NA [34.05223,-118.24368] [id:5368361]