History Spotlight: Columbus and the Home Front (World War II) Part 2

SOURCES: Columbus and the Home Front: Memories of Columbus, Georgia During World War II. Shaw High School Young Historians, 2007. Images are from the project book and the Library of Congress (1940 and 1941).

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Gertrude and Jack Hewitt (pictured above, interviewer - Phillip Linn, 2004 & 2006)

Gertrude Linn was born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 6, 1917; John Hewitt was born on February 7, 1919, in Rochester, New York. They met each other in Columbus, Georgia, in 1943. After a whirlwind courtship of six weeks, they were married at the First Baptist Church in downtown Columbus on April 12, 1943. This is the story of their experiences in Columbus, Georgia, during World War II.

Gertrude Linn came to Columbus, Georgia, in January 1941. Her older brother, Phillip, was an armor officer training at Fort Benning prior to deploying to Texas, California, and then overseas. Gertrude had been working in a dry goods store in Cleveland for five years and was looking for a major change in her life. With her brother's help, she came to Columbus to build a new life for herself.

She initially was able to rent a room in a boarding house owned by the Boyette family, on 28th Street in Rose Hill. She found a job as a clerk at the Sears, Roebuck store on Broadway, where she worked for the next two years. She earned $13.00 per week in wages and paid the Boyette's $5.00 for room and board. Commenting on her escape from Cleveland, she wrote: "Coming from a large city to a small town was a comfort—a fresh start...I have always loved Georgia. It gave me so much strength...I liked the place and the people; I earned their respect and trust and made many friends..."

John (Jack) Henry Hewitt enlisted in the Army in May 1941, and attended basic training at Fort Benning's Lawson Field. Assigned to the Signal Corps, he received on-the-job training at the Signal Property Office on Main Post. He was promoted steadily through the ranks, achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant before being reassigned in spring of 1945. His first memories of prewar Columbus were not always pleasant ones. "The bus station on the main post was near the field where retreat and reveille were held. The buses were awful... they seldom ran on all cylinders hence vibrated badly. In fact, one time my seatmate sitting next to me received a slight cut on his arm when the window shattered due to excessive vibration." The bus terminal downtown was located in the median on Broad Street a couple blocks from the Grand Theater. It housed a couple of benches and had a small restroom "that could not possibly handle all the traffic." A new bus depot was built on the south end of Broad Street, and the old buses were replaced not long after his arrival. "The theater, Sears, and maybe the Greyhound Bus Station seemed to be the newest buildings around... the rest of the part of Broad Street that I saw mostly (were) storefronts selling clothes, shoes, and some military stuff. I did indeed see at least one storefront with a sign in the window saying 'soldiers and dogs keep out'...

After December 7th, a vast change in "attitude" took place. Soldiers were required now to wear their uniforms at all times, resulting in "throngs of military walking up and down Broad Street." Gertrude and John met on a blind date in early 1943. By this time, John had been able to return home to pick up his car, a '39 Mercury convertible. In order to be able to drive to distant locations without having to refuel, he installed a 35-gallon truck gas tank in his trunk, along with a beefed-up Lincoln-Zephyr rear spring in the rear end, enabling trips to Tallahassee, Montgomery, and Atlanta.

Gas, although rationed in Columbus, was evidently not rationed in Alabama, at least not right away. On dates, although always short on cash, Gertrude and John mentioned several favorite eating places. Firm Roberts on Cusseta Road had "the best onion rings ever." Pat Patterson's near Bibb City advertised the "fish you are eating slept in the river last night." Goo Goo's Drive-In across from Linwood Cemetery had a "juke box inside and good hamburgers and fries." Frank Sinatra and the Dorsey Brothers Band were favorites.

After getting married at the First Baptist Church on April 12, 1943, in a ceremony presided over by the Reverend John L. Waldrop, the couple took a short honeymoon to Atlanta, where they stayed at the Ansley Hotel. They were able to rent a cottage in Bibb City at #3 Woodland Circle. After another six months, John was able to get quarters in Baker Village, and the two spent the rest of their time in Columbus at 137-C in Baker Village.

Life was good, even with a war going on. There were no laundry facilities at the time, but Gertrude was able to find a woman, Eva, who did their laundry for $3.00 a week. Eva furnished the soap but had them provide the starch for John's uniforms. "Jack's uniform was so stiff he could hardly get his legs through them...he had the best-looking uniform in the Village."

1941 Images of Baker Village under construction.

Phenix City evoked some clear memories. Gertrude went occasionally as a single girl, but only if escorted. Jack recalls: "For a soldier, Phenix City started at the west end of the 10th Street Bridge (Dillingham). There were several honky tonks nearby (he defined a "honky tonk" as a juke joint where 'shady ladies' hung out). These places consisted of a small bar, a small dance floor with booths and/or tables, and of course, the shady ladies. One good point, 'Beachie' (Ma Beachie, Beachie Howard Parr) insisted they (the 'shady ladies') all carry a card signed by a doctor attesting to the fact that they were free of all social diseases. There was Club Maytag which was a nice place with a nice décor and a band—no shady ladies.

Going west, it became largely residential. One side street led to Beachie's main place, a fairly large barn-like place with one big room with a bar and a few tables, and a smaller room with blackjack and poker games and lots of shady ladies. On and near paydays, the place was really crowded; the girls made their contacts here and took the 'victim' to one of the close-by houses... During busy times, there were guards in civilian clothes carrying guns in open holsters." Jack further remembers that all personnel who were on active duty prior to December 7, 1941, were authorized a service medal/ribbon. "It didn't take long before the boys at Benning started to call it a 'Beachie Bar.’

One weekend, Jack's unit had to work overtime to prepare some communications gear for a unit that was deploying. Everyone had to come in at 7:00 am on Sunday to complete the work. "One of the girls in the office lived in Phenix City and had to catch the bus to Columbus to catch another bus to post. At 5:30 a.m. a police car spotted the lone girl standing there and pulled over to speak with her. They decided she was a suspected 'Lady of the Evening' and took her to the police headquarters. They accused her of being a prostitute. Miss Beachie did not tolerate free-lance girls. In spite of her ID's, they kept her there several hours until Colonel Young, the post Signal Officer, came in person to get them to free her."

In early 1945, Jack was reassigned to San Antonio, Texas, to be trained in preparation for the anticipated invasion of Japan. Thus, the Hewitt's were not in Columbus when the war ended. After the war, they returned to Geneseo, New York, raised two girls, and ultimately retired to a suburb of St. Petersburg, Florida, where they live today (2006).

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Thelma Robinson (interviewed by Crystal Nguyen, 2006)

Thelma Robinson was born on December 27, 1928, in Columbus, Georgia. Her father was originally from Warrenton, and her mother was from Dublin. They had moved to Columbus from Wilmington, N.C., and her father worked at a fertilizer plant on 10th Avenue. Mrs. Robinson's father died when she was eight years old, and her mother was left to raise two sons and four daughters. She was a seamstress who worked at Columbus Cleaners and Tailors, then located on 10th Avenue. She didn't make soldier uniforms but did sew accessories for the soldiers' uniforms, such as the braids on soldiers’ caps and insignias that represented the soldier's rank and unit in the army. She worked there with about ten other women. After several years, she then worked at Fort Benning. At the start of World War II, Mrs. Robinson was twelve years old and attending 5th Avenue Elementary in downtown Columbus. Later, she attended Spencer High School.

During the war, Mrs. Robinson did things that kids do; she jumped rope and played with the neighbors. Her mother was quite a religious woman, so she attended church regularly. She also loved reading and did that in her spare time. Bands that she remembers included Glenn Miller and Duke Ellington.

The family could not afford to eat out; usually it was just at home or at friends' houses. Eating out in segregated Columbus offered limited choices for African Americans. Living at 530 2nd Ave, however, offered many opportunities to interact with White children. On 5th & 6th Streets, Black and White families lived together on both sides of the street. One block over, between 6th & 7th Streets, one side of the street had Black families; the other side had White families. Although the children attended different schools, they often played and talked with one another. Mrs. Robinson noted that the kids got along okay until they "grew up." Neighbors were very close back then. She remembers her neighbor, Mrs. Wright, watched the kids when her mother was working.

One wartime support activity Mrs. Robinson partook in was a stamp (bond) drive held in her elementary school. When she attended Spencer, there were drives to collect scrap metal in the school and throughout the entire community. Rationing in Mrs. Robinson's family included meat, sugar, and shoes. Everyone was encouraged to have a garden; these particular gardens were known as Victory Gardens, where families grew their own vegetables to save money. Mrs. Robinson recalls her mother having one in their backyard. The best way to get around town was by bus or walking. Mrs. Robinson lived downtown in the middle of everything and whenever she needed to get somewhere, most of the time she was able to walk to her destination. While the family did not travel to Atlanta, she noted that most people would take the train. The Man-of-War was the name of the train that made twice daily runs to Atlanta at the time. Phenix City was seen by others as a place of lewd conduct, of gambling, of where all the bad things took place. Civilians went back and forth to Phenix City because they had to work.

Mrs. Robinson's brother was drafted towards the end of the war. They called his draft notice his "greetings" because notices would begin with that word. He was inducted at Fort Benning and then sent off to basic training. Fortunately, the war ended when he was still in basic training at Fort McClellan, Alabama. Even though the war was over he was sent to Japan for the mopping up detail. She also had a brother-in-law in the war. Columbus, as Mrs. Robinson describes it, was a "sea of khaki" during the war years.

Above: Triple Nickles at Fort Benning

Below: Liberty Theatre (L) and Royal Theater (R)

Everything in Columbus was still segregated during wartime, so when she went out to the movies, she went to the Liberty Theater, which also had live entertainment, the Dixie Theater, or to the Royal Theater, where African Americans could sit in the balcony. It cost a dime to watch a film. Newsreels at the beginning of the movie were shown to inform people of the major events of the war. Air raid drills and blackout drills were done routinely. In Mrs. Robinson's household, she was in charge of pulling down the blackout shades. It was somewhat of a game in her mind.

Soldiers that Mrs. Robinson encountered were very nice. Her mother was very protective of her and didn't allow her to interact much with the soldiers, but after her brother was drafted, and her sister married a soldier she had met at their church, her mother's attitude toward soldiers changed. Mrs. Robinson's family took soldiers in for breakfast on Sundays just like many other people in the community did.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Mrs. Robinson recalls being at home. When the Germans and Japanese surrendered, she remembers the huge celebrations in which she could not participate. People shot off guns, crowded the streets, and blew their horns. At the time the atomic bomb was dropped, she believed it was fine because it meant the war would be over and that the men like her brother would be coming home. Today, she still believes that it was the right thing to do, but terrible because so many were lost.

After the war, Mrs. Robinson went to college, married, and began a lifelong career in education. She taught at Carver High School (below), then became a counselor at Columbus College and is now retired (2006).

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Laurette Rosenstrauch (interviewed by Crystal Nguyen and Kelsey Malkin, 2006)

Laurette Rosenstrauch (Rothschild) was born on October 10, 1918, in Columbus, Georgia. She graduated from Columbus High School in 1933 at the age of fifteen, then studied at Newton College for two years before transferring to the University of Wisconsin where she completed her degree. During World War II, she lived in homes in Columbus on 1510 Fourth Avenue, which is part of Veterans Parkway today, as well as 1687 Flournoy Drive.

For recreation, Mrs. Rosenstrauch would ride horses at Boardman's Stables on the corner of Green Island Drive and River Road, as well as canoe. However, the prime dating activity was the movies at the Grand Theatre (located where the Bradley Theatre is today) or the Rialto, both of which were downtown or perhaps dancing at a dry club on Opelika Road in Phenix City. As for dining out, there were very few restaurants in the area, but her favorite places to eat were Spano's and Goo Goo's.

The war affected daily life for Columbus residents. With an estimated population of 35,000, housing in Columbus was limited so many families rented out rooms for those in transition. The local residents welcomed the soldiers and their families. Every church, family, and organization did all they could to help the war efforts. The town was pleasant and sweet to its troops.

Despite their patriotic feelings, people dreaded reading the newspaper and had to sacrifice luxuries in order to support the war. Due to rationing, people had to alter their diets and find substitute items to provide the proper nutrition. For example, red meat was limited so they ate beans, eggs, and chicken for protein. In addition, fat oils, cream, and butter were restricted, so this was the first time that Rosenstrauch used margarine. Rationing books were available for each adult in the household, so her mother picked them up for those eligible on a monthly basis.

Since gas was rationed as well, people would carpool. Mrs. Rosenstrauch was always the driver because she received extra gas rations as a social worker. Being the oldest daughter, she also assumed driving duties for her family since her mother never obtained a driver's license. Aside from chauffeuring her siblings around town, Mrs. Rosenstrauch had to drive to Atlanta for medical treatment from specialists that were not available in Columbus such as dermatologists and oral surgeons.

Mrs. Rosenstrauch's work was a form of therapy for her during the war because she actively supported the war effort as a social worker for the American Red Cross Home Service from 1942 to 1945. It was challenging to adjust to her new schedule since she "lost" an hour: around 1942 Columbus switched from Central to Eastern Standard Time so Fort Benning would be on the same time as the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

As a social worker, she had a variety of duties. She was responsible for the local soldiers who requested to return home for family emergencies. She would verify the need and make the necessary arrangements if possible. Mrs. Rosenstrauch was also entrusted with family readiness for soldiers being dismissed from the hospital. The hospital would notify Red Cross that the soldier was ready to be released. Then, the Red Cross ensured the family was emotionally and physically prepared to deal with the injuries of the returning soldier. In addition, she assisted families file paperwork after the death of a soldier in order to receive benefits. Being from Columbus, Mrs. Rosenstrauch found this task to be particularly difficult because she knew many of the young men who died as well as their families. Therefore, she was grateful that the Red Cross was not responsible for notifying the family about their deceased loved one and only intervened after they had officially been informed by the military. As a result of these multiple responsibilities, she was always on call and often received phone calls at night to make a house visit.

Larry Rosenstrauch, Norman Laurette, David II, Irwin, Alan, and Matile Rothschild at the family home on Flournoy Drive (from Columbus Connections by Lynn Willoughby)

However, Mrs. Rosenstrauch also supported the war outside of her formal duties. Both she and her mother volunteered their time at the Ninth Street U.S.O. Mrs. Rosenstrauch collected tin cans, rolled bandages, made scarves, and knitted bundles for Britain while her mother befriended some of the soldiers. Actually, Mrs. Rosenstrauch met her husband via one of her mother's invitations for Sunday dinner to men at the U.S.O. Her mother was sympathetic to lonesome soldiers, usually in their late teens, because three of her four brothers had been drafted. On one occasion, her mother invited an older boy who had graduated from Harvard Law School. Although Mrs. Rosenstrauch was already dating someone, she said "he came to dinner and never left." They were married three years later. Mrs. Rosenstrauch was pleased that he fought with the pen, working in the Judge Advocate's Office, rather than a gun. After the war, they remained in Columbus during their sixty-year plus marriage, and he practiced law.

Although many families felt isolated from their loved ones at war, Mrs. Rosenstrauch's four brothers and one sister along with their extended family did not. Her mother dealt with that in a unique and efficient manner. In order to maintain communication between the three brothers deployed and the remainder of the family, their mother typed carbon copies of each letter received from the combat zone to distribute to family members. This included mailing the letters to the other brothers fighting on the war fronts. The youngest brother wanted to join his older brothers but was ineligible for military service due to his age and heart condition.

Mrs. Rosenstrauch recalled her location and feelings during key events of the war. She was at home when she heard the horrifying news that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor. She feared many locals who had been drafted or volunteered were killed during the attack. She cried.

Mrs. Rosenstrauch also remembered Roosevelt's visits to Columbus and was quite saddened by his death, at which time she was visiting San Antonio, Texas. Then, Germany's surrender only brought fleeting happiness because she still felt the need to deal with Japan. She had ambivalent feelings about Truman's decision to drop the atomic bomb but felt it was a horrible necessity. Therefore, when the Japanese surrendered and the war was finally over, she, along with all of Columbus celebrated as the church bells rang. It was a relief to think that citizens could return to their normal lives.