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ley proved to be a superb assistant. Within a few months, no one ques-
tioned her selection. She held the highest ranked job by a woman in
Ninth Service Command Headquarters. I think it was a recognition of
my Mother’s and sisters’ intelligence and competence that guided me to
accepting women in leadership positions – long before equal opportu-
nity laws.
The war was a constant preoccupation for everyone. In June,
Shirley’s only other sibling, a brother, was killed in Normandy. The day
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day. A lady whose desk was not far from mine received news of her son
being killed and was back at work the next day despite the tragic loss.
People felt the loss of friends and loved ones in the war, but they were
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Life was drab during the war. Food was rationed – especially
meat. No new cars were produced, clothing was available but limited,
no houses or apartments were built, gasoline was rationed, as were tires.
A six-day workweek left people tired on Sunday. Everyone listened to
the radio and read anything in newspapers and magazines about the war.
We felt a gradual sense of victory being paid for in a great price of hu-
man lives. May 1945 brought victory in Europe, but Japan was still a
formidable foe. Losses on our side in the battle of Okinawa had been
high and the Japanese kamikaze pilots had done great damage to Ameri-
can ships. We anticipated terrible battles to come.
In August the Allies dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, which quickly led to the surrender of Japan. When the news
of Japanese surrender came over the radio, Jean and I drove downtown
with Janet and baby Richard. That evening we walked up and down
Main Street with people delighted that the war was over and our ser-
vicemen would be returning home. Despite what we see in some “cel-
ebrations” now, there was no drunkenness, no damaging of property,
and no looting in Salt Lake.
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er Curtis and Enid Ashton Curtis were old friends. Homer had graduated
from medical school and was doing his internship at the time. We drove
up to a cabin at Mirror Lake and thoroughly enjoyed a couple days.

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