Bedford High School - Echo Yearbook (Bedford, PA)

Page 9 text:

HIS FIRST WAR On the opposite page Mary Ellen Ritchey sells War Stamps to Kathryn Blackburn and Kenneth Bollmcmg total sales each week of this year have been highly satisfactory. Above is a scene in one of the many first uid courses and cx group of boys receiving instruction in electric welding. swu-

Page 8 text:

LITTLE So thrs rs warl Lrttle Joe Bedford shook hrs head rn bewrlder ment as he saw group after group of hrs fellow townsmen march away to war He lrstened a but grrmly to the radro set hrs law and stepped out to lorn the Amerrcan natron on the march wrth hrs heart full of a new specral love for hrs country Joe Bedford the average tenth eleventh and twelfth grade student rs a Irttle over srxteen he was born rn Bedford County there are four members rn hrs famrly he and hrs parents are Amerrcan born hrs favorrte color rs blue hrs favorrte radro comedrans are Bob Hope and Red Skelton he lrkes sports and grrls and he goes to the movres at least once a week where he prefers seerng Joan Crawford and Greta Garbo Lrttle Joes lrfe has been affected by the war He seldom gets to drrve the famrly s one car now because of the gasolrne and trre shortage He no longer can enroy club freld or h town bec s ravel except for transportatron to and from school He saves hrs pennres to buy war stamps He con trrbuted to the Junror Red Cross U S O and March of Drme drrves thrs year Besrdes hrs regular chores at home he has taken over most of the work rn the fcrmrly Vrctor aff y garden Yes Joe has been ected by the warl JIJE HHIPIIHII MARC HES H I H 1 I I I I . . . I , , , , I I . ' , ' , at letic trips out of ause of the ban on bu t ' . . I h - -I . . ' I ' I .5 5 I r A' rn- A 5

Page 10 text:

UNTll IIHEII BY THIS W H? - So this is war, muttered Little Joe as he watched his older brother and two cousins march away. In assemblies at school his heart stirred when the band played and the student body sang Keep Em Flying There was a funny lump his throat when he stood with his school mates to pledge allegiance to the flag In his room at home a big picture of General MacArthur replaced one of Gene Autry that he had cut out of his sisters movie magazine lll do what l can now mut tered Little Joe but boy oh boy be glad when lm old enough to be a pilot in one of Uncle Sam s planes' Joes shop math, and social science classes began to take on a new meaning for him In his physical education class he was able to renew the first and training he had once had as a Boy Scout With the passing of each week Joe appeared to take on a new seriousness toward his work and toward life in general He read with interest the opinion of this one and that one as to how long this war would last Would he get to carry a gun? Would he get a chance to show what he could do in action? Would he be a sailor or a soldier? He must register for the draft when he reaches his eighteenth birthday All of has effort must be directed toward the winning of the war