History Spotlight: Columbus and the Home Front (World War II) Part 3

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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Jean Harron – interviewed by Chandler Anderson, Jamie Bankston, and Durrell Waldon

Jean Harron (Overby) was born on November 19, 1939, in Columbus, Georgia. While she was growing up, she lived in a farmhouse on Weems Road in what is now North Columbus. At that time, this area was "in the country". In fact, Weems Road was considered very far out in the country, skirting the acreage of the Adams Farm (now the Columbus Botanical Garden). In those days Weems Road was a dirt road and the driveway to the Overby home was later named Griffin Drive in honor of Jean's grandfather, Thomas G. Griffin, who had purchased the property. Jean had many happy memories of growing up in the farmhouse down the country road. Jean and the youngest of the Adams’ children, "Buster," were playmates, and she recalls going to the Adams' house to see Charlotte Adams and the beautiful dress that she would wear as a debutante at the Cotillion.

As a young girl, Jean loved to ride animals, anything with four legs! She and her friends loved to ride horses, and eventually her father purchased a pony for her. She named it Macaroni for the line in the Yankee Doodle Dandy. These were happy days, and she remembers the pleasures of playing with friends and listening to music on the radio. Frank Sinatra was a favorite of her parents and Jean enjoyed his music, too. Sometimes her family went to dinner at a café or restaurant. One such local establishment was Shorty McHaffie's. Besides the wonderful, scrambled-style hotdogs, McHaffie's had a jukebox. Jean's favorite tune from the selection menu was "San Antonio Rose" and she often asked her dad if he would play that song when the family went there. Their favorite time to go to Shorty McHaffie's was on Saturday evenings. It was a real treat, as families did not eat out as much as they do now, and fast food eateries as we know them did not exist.

While Jean loved horses, her chief means of transportation when she was a child was her bicycle. She delighted in riding it. Her father, being a mechanic, always had a car. This was necessary, as there was no public transportation that ran to Weems Road. Having a car also meant being able to go out of town, and there were times when Jean's family drove to Atlanta. These were special opportunities for shopping at stores like Rich's, which was located in the general area of where the Georgia Dome is now. Jean's father was able to build a successful auto parts business and eventually owned the first Jeep dealership in Columbus.

Like many other Columbusites, Jean and her family were aware of Phenix City, then known for its nightlife, gambling, and other activities that many folks avoided. Jean's mother, the former Kathryn Griffin, was born in the area of Phenix City. Jean's father enjoyed teasing her about this aspect of her personal history. Of course, Jean was much too young to understand why Phenix City was referred to as "Sin City." As a young child, she did not venture there. Jean's life was filled with family, school, and friends. A portion of her elementary years were spent at the Nankipooh School (pictured below). Later she attended and graduated from Baker High School, which at the time was one of the largest schools in the state.

The war in Europe began just two months before Jean's birth, and it was a constant fact of her young life. Like many other families in Columbus and throughout the country, Jean's family supported the efforts to help the Allies win the war. They participated in scrap metal drives and purchased war bonds. For a brief time during the war, Jean's father worked in the shipyards in Charleston, S.C., and Jean and her mother joined him there. However, they were glad to return to Columbus as soon as the opportunity arose.

While the war must have seemed far away to young Jean, she personally knew soldiers who were fighting abroad. Her Uncle Billy fought in the Battle of the Bulge, and her Uncle Tommy also served in the Army. In fact, Billy felt the effects of the war years afterward. Of course, there were many soldiers at Fort Benning during World War Il, and they found their way to Columbus. Some of them lived here, others came into town on leave. Still others brought their wives with them.

One of Jean's favorite stories involved meeting the famous movie star, Jane Russell, who lived in Columbus with her soldier husband. When Jean was only four years old, she had a conversation with Miss Russell who was impressed with the bright little girl. Although Jean thought that she was a pretty lady, she was not impressed that she was a glamorous film star from Hollywood. She was more interested in the trapeze artist from the circus who lived in the same neighborhood!

Jean recalls that young women were cautioned not to get too involved with soldiers, who had a reputation of "kiss ya and leave ya!" There were stories of soldiers getting into trouble and Jean recalls that her father's garage was located near a bar that was frequented by soldiers. There were times when the soldiers became rowdy and once the crowd spilled out and over into the area of Jean's father's business.

War, of course, brought death and Jean still remembers that there seemed to be many funerals. Today Jean remembers that many of these men were very young, teenagers or in their early twenties, scarcely more than boys.

On April 12, 1945, Jean and her mother were visiting one of her mom's friends, a young Navy wife named Martha Halstead. Throughout the war, Jean's family had supported President Franklin Roosevelt, and like many Americans, they could hardly think of anyone else being President. While the adults visited, Jean played in her mother's car. She had turned on the radio, and the sounds of the broadcast programs drifted into the yard within earshot of the two women.

Suddenly the broadcast was interrupted, and the newscaster announced the death of President Roosevelt at the Little White House at nearby Warm Springs, Georgia. At the news, both of the women began to cry. This man, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, had been the leader of the United States from the days of the Great Depression until the final months of World War II. His death devastated many Americans.

With the death of President Roosevelt, the Vice President Harry S. Truman took the oath of President of the United States. To him would fall the decision to give the order to drop the Atomic Bomb on Japan. This decision was widely accepted as the most expedient way to end the war, but there were many emotions attached to it. Jean's parents tried to explain the bomb and the dropping of it, but it was too complex a subject for a little girl to understand. Jean did understand when the war ended, however. First the war was over in Europe and then in the Pacific. Americans everywhere celebrated the end of the war. Like other cities across the country, the town by the Chattahoochee River joined in the celebration. Downtown Columbus was like a big party! Soldiers and civilians alike rejoiced that this great conflict had come to an end!

Jean grew up to marry Jack Harron, an Army pilot who flew a large plane, the Caribou. In October of 1964, Jack Harron left Lawson Air Field at Fort Benning and, with others in his unit, flew to New York and then across the Atlantic Ocean. After stops from the Azores to Calcutta, India, the aviators landed their planes in the Republic of South Vietnam. Thankfully, Jean's husband returned from the Vietnam conflict and he and Jean enjoyed Army life for a number of years. They then settled in Jean's hometown of Columbus. In addition to a successful marriage, Jean has had an outstanding career in real estate. Her contributions to the Columbus community abound, and she works closely with Fort Benning agencies to assist military families. (2007)

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Eddie Lindsay - interviewed by Chandler Anderson, Jamie Bankston, and Durrell Waldon

Dr. Lindsey was born in Phenix City on January 24, 1932, and moved to Columbus during the 4th Grade. During the war years, his family resided first at B-24 8th Avenue and later moved to a shotgun house at 1205 East 7th Street. He was a student during this time, first at 5th Avenue Elementary (pictured above), and later at Spencer High School (then located on 10th Avenue, adjacent to Lummus Cotton Gin and across from Tom's Foods). His father worked in a local laundry, pressing clothes, while his mother worked as a secretary. Although she had only an 8th grade education, she inspired and pushed her children (three boys, two girls), stressing the value of education. She was active in school activities, becoming the president of the Spencer High School PTA and eventually President of the State PTA.

During World War II, Dr. Lindsey recalls that he was too small to participate in varsity athletics, but he was a "sandlot and playground star" in baseball and basketball. 5th Avenue Elementary School was the "best Black school in the world" because it was continually winning city-wide contests in all sorts of areas, including scrap paper and tin can collections. A favorite hangout for Black children during this time was at the "Leisurette", in the basement of the 9th Street YMCA, where teens could play pool, ping pong, and other activities, and where dances were held as well. Upstairs, the YMCA had a pool and a gymnasium. When Booker T. Washington Apartments were built, there was a teen center there which was a popular hangout, especially on Friday nights, and the same for Warren Williams Apartments later. Dr. Lindsey pointed out that at that time, the public housing areas did not have the reputation that many have today, and that many of Columbus' current black leaders, including Judge John Allen and others, grew up in Columbus public housing areas. Occasionally, Dr. Lindsey caddied at the old Municipal Golf Course located at the South Commons; it was here he picked up the game which he enjoys playing to this day. The Liberty Theatre usually showed movies, but on Thursday evenings held live vaudeville performances with stars such as Cab Callaway and Louis Jourdan. Of course, his mother did not allow him to attend these. He remembers, however, that the price of a movie for kids under twelve was 12 cents; twelve and older, it was 17 cents. Bus transportation cost 5 cents a ride.

War rationing, from a child's perspective, had an impact on the Lindsey family. Shoes were rationed, and Dr. Lindsey remembers going to school with holes in the soles of his shoes. His mother would stuff cardboard inside the shoes, but on wet days, it didn't take long for his feet to become soaked. Sugar was rationed, and for some reason, the grits back then were yellow. Dr. Lindsey does not know if this was connected to rationing or not. Lucky Strike cigarettes used to come in a green and red package, but during the war, the company changed the green to white, with a slogan on the package saying that "green has gone to war."

There was no room for a Victory Garden in the house on 8th Avenue, but he remembers that at 1205 7th Street, the family raised collard greens and other vegetables. There was not a lot of meat on the table, due as much to the circumstances of the family as to rationing. Dr. Lindsey remembers, however, his father bringing home rabbits and kidneys, to the extent that he will not eat them today.

Phenix City was "Sin City – you could do anything you wanted anything— in Phenix City." Although he was too young to go (and the fact that his mother would not have allowed it) the reputation of the city was well known. There were numerous black establishments there, and many of these, especially those on both sides of Highway 280, were owned by a prominent black entrepreneur by the name of Ingersoll. One such establishment was the Plantation-which had a swimming pool, and many black teens would swim there in the summer. Another popular summer swimming pool was in Woodland Park off Cusseta Road.

Radio was popular entertainment during the war. Dr. Lindsey's favorite entertainer was Nat King Cole. He recalls that Saturdays were especially popular with the kids listening to such programs as "Inner Sanctum" and "Gangbusters." Fireside chats from President Roosevelt were also popular, but most popular of all were broadcasts of boxing matches of Joe Louis.

Asked about all the soldiers in town, the teen-age male perspective emerges. He "didn't think much of the soldiers", Dr. Lindsey said. The soldiers had money, and because of this, the girls preferred to go out with them rather than the local boys. This sometimes led to incidents between the locals and the soldiers. He remembers that black soldiers had their own USO Club at 9th Street and 5th Avenue (pictured below).

During the war, trips to Atlanta and vacations were unaffordable in his family, but Dr. Lindsey remembers that on one special occasion, his mother sent him by bus to visit an aunt in Augusta. This was a big adventure, but also a reminder of the region's segregated past. Seating on buses was strictly segregated. At a rest stop in Macon, black passengers were ushered to a bathroom facility in the rear of the station.

After the war, Dr. Lindsey graduated from Spencer shortly before his 16th birthday. Spencer had two graduating classes in those days, one in winter, and one in late spring. He also pointed out that blacks attended school to the eleventh grade at that time. He graduated in the winter class. Trained in brick masonry, he tried it briefly before deciding that education was the path for him. He received a scholarship to Savannah State College, where he was an English major. Returning to Columbus, he first taught at Carver Elementary School, then taught English at Spencer, before being drafted into the Army for two years. He eventually became principal at Spencer High School (pictured below), the first graduate of Spencer to do so. He guided the high school through the first years of integration in the early 70's, before finishing his education career as an assistant superintendent in the Muscogee County School District. (2007)

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Bettie Golden Tyler – interviewed by Beth Helmer, Jamaica Turner, and Aaron King

Bettie Golden Tyler was born on November 29, 1925, in Columbus, Georgia. She and her parents lived in a house off Jeanette Avenue in the shadow of the current AFLAC building. During World War Il, she attended Columbus High School.

She heard about the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor through the grapevine when walking "on a bright sunny day" with friends in front of her house, and then she told her family to listen to the radio to see if it was true. Because of her age, she did not think too much of it because she did not realize the significance of its happening nor did she think how long it would last--just that "we'd win."

She had a lot of friends who were serving in the armed services: two friends who were POWs, a former boyfriend who was a pilot in the Air Force, and her husband and brother-in-law who were in the Army. At this time everybody was helpful to each other and would do what they could to help with the war. When the soldiers at Ft. Benning got free time, they would come into Columbus. People would take them home with them and feed them hoping that they would feel like they had a family here instead of their families being miles and miles away. When Bettie wanted to help out with the USO, her mother was very strict with her; she was only allowed to serve out the drinks.

Her favorite singer at that time was Glenn Miller, and her favorite song was "Sentimental Journey." Her family's favorite restaurant was Spano's. For fun, she would go to the movies, have gatherings of friends at her house, go to Sunday dances, or just hang out with friends. She said that sometimes she and her friends, as a treat, would go to Atlanta on the train all dressed up with hats, gloves, and stockings. She recalled that they might have been neatly groomed when they left Columbus, but they were all frazzled when they got there, either from riding in the open air between the cars or from the open windows on the train, since there was no air conditioning.

She stated that rationing did not affect her family very much because they lived quite simply; however, she recalled her grandfather giving her a shoe coupon so she could have an extra pair of shoes. Her family only had one car but could not use it too often because of the rationing. She remembered walking a lot and stated that most of her friends lived close by.

During the war, people would do what they could do to support the war. She mentioned that her grandfather, who was a banker and was instrumental in getting Ft. Benning in Columbus, was in charge of war bonds and bought war bonds for her and her other siblings to help the war effort. Her father, whose company Goldens’ Foundry made steering mechanisms for troop ships during the war, received an award from the President of the United States for his company's service to the country at a big ceremony held for it in Columbus.

She said that Phenix City during World War II was considered a bad, filthy place to go and was the dregs, but to the teens and young adults, it was a place of fun and as much an unregulated a place as they could go. Bettie went over to Phenix City a couple of times and even had a date over there. She mentioned one night she and a date went to a dance club and were having a lot of fun, but two MPs came in and tapped her date on the shoulder and he was taken off the dance floor.

She recalled hearing of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's death that occurred a month before she got married. She expressed that though her family did not vote for him, she thought that his voice gave people confidence.

In 1945, at the age of nineteen, she married her sweetheart who was in the Army and in OCS. They had met at an OCS dance, although her mother did not let her go to dances unless her mother knew the soldiers she was with. Mrs. Tyler was at Ft. McClellan with her husband when the atomic bombs were dropped and felt that the war would end soon because of their being dropped. When the war ended with Japan surrendering, she remembered church bells ringing at Ft. McClellan. (2006)