NHF_WC_2017_Strauss_Mona
2017 October 21
Mona Strauss begins by sharing that she grew up in Philadelphia until 1958, in a lower middle-class community close to Fairmount Park, which she recalls as beautiful but has since changed. Born in 1931, she recollects her early awareness of the war through family discussions and radio broadcasts, though its full impact was beyond her comprehension as a child. Mona describes how the war affected her community, including rationing, savings bond programs, and the implementation of victory gardens, though her family's absence during the summer months in Ocean City limited their participation. She also reflects on Ocean City's wartime experience, including blackout measures and the presence of German submarines off the coast. Later, Mona shares her memories of meeting her husband in Ocean City in 1945, just after the war's end, highlighting the unexpected nature of their relationship given their different backgrounds. As the conversation progresses, she discusses post-war adjustments, such as the challenges faced by returning servicemen entering colleges, but recalls no specific community celebrations marking victory in Europe or Japan.
Digital
English
33m 40s
Mona Strauss, Interview, National Home Front Project, Washington College, Chestertown Maryland
Interview was recorded by Abigail Burnett and Alex Ramos for the Starr Center of the American Experience National Homefront Project
C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience (Washington College)
Oral histories
oral histories (literary genre)
World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--United States
Oral histories
oral histories (literary genre)
World War, 1939-1945--Social aspects--United States