The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-01-01
Occasions
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#WAA4a4T A3g VI AA1e yNAk ASNAAA& tAAG spirits of the people of Waterbury lover than ct any time during the three years since the Hateful Sum day the Japs had performed their treacherous attack on Pearl Har- Dor.
 America had just experienced her most serious reverses of the var h the Battle of the Belgian bulge, in which Eneny local men, it was known, had participated. Casualties ok the terrific fight for EAstogne began to pour into the Waterbury telegraph office during the holidays, and as the second week in January approached up to % teIegragns day were delivered to local families, announcing that their loved one had been killed, re- ported killed, wounded, or missing, Eighteen days during January of 1885 the Waterbury Democrat car- ried the story of boy who had made the supreme sacrifice. Twenty-four were reported prisoner or missing, while the list of wound- ed ran between four and seven daily.
 People everywhere felt the ter- rifle opposition displayed by the German in the battle of the bulge was an indication of the bloody lighting the Allies would encounter as they reached the borders of Germany proper.
 Costly Fight
 Announcements from the capital also indicated that Washington was anticipating a costly fight in the Pacific as American troops reached the Marianas as well as in Europe.
 For months it seemed Waterbury Btreets had been devoid of men of draft age. yet the government re- ported 1t needed 10000 more men monthly. Between 40 and 50 local men, mostly married with large families or teen-agers, were an- sWering the cal to arms.
 n'sA survey made by a factory Newspaper indicated that those in- terviewed did not expect conquest of Germany before Christmas of 1ez5 while most predicted the Japa- nese war would stretch until 1947 or 1048.
 Tn the city's many factories, where thirty thousand people had worked at top speed for more than three years turning out munitions of war, the cry, spurred on by Washington, was more, more production"
 Workers were haggard and worn. Nervous breakdowns became fre- quent. Men on all shifts some time worked up to 30 hours week. Thousands of Waterbury women, hoping 0o help the country's cause, put in eight hours at a machine or bench, and then rushed home to their housekeeping, laundry, and marketing.
 Night shift workers related they hadn't attended dance TO movie or an evening social even since the war began.
 Added to the travial of those early days of last year were the shortages of foods, gasoline. of fuel and cigarettes.
 Long queues of weary, impatient people outside of shops were a com mon sight. Meat-hungry people showed and pushed and fought their way to counters, only to find hugh, unappetizing piles of pigs ears and tails or bald soup bones Butter, Cheese, fats and oils were practically unobtainable for months.
 Gasoline Restrictions
 There was no gasoline for pleas ure driving and even vitally es- sential factory workers measured every gallon as they drove their dilapidated, noisy care to the plant. Worn tires produced another head ache,
 Unheard of brands of cigaretts, tasting like pot pourri of trop- ical weeds, provided nicotine ad- diets with smoke. Others satisfied their craving by rolling their own with little success.
 Yet despite the dreary outlook of that month of January l045, the people of Waterbury were deter mined to fight through to victory. And strangely their faith of ul- timate victory in both theatres never wavered.
 Casualties remained at a high level during February and March as American forces gave their all in the push into Germany. People with blood-shot eyes and tear stained faces appeared at the Democrat three or four time a week with crumbled telegrams from the War or Navy Departments, begin ming We regret to inform you.
 With the event of spring. the AL ls were within 100 miles of Ber- In and fighting was beginning on the volcanic island of Two Jima. An unseasonal warm spell broke upon the city. in late March. and people appeared on the streets without coats
 Early in April magnolias, forsy- thia, and tulips burst into bloom due to the unseasonably warm weather, and the United Nations Conference.-The first step toward the establishment of world peace was about to open in San Francisco Allied forces were moving forward At amazing speed in both the Paci- nc and European theatres. The spirits og the war-weary and the winter-weaTy began to lift-if ever SO slightly.
 Death Of ?. D. R.
 But on the evening Of April i2 as the warm spring sun was setting the shocking News burst upon ths city that the man who had served as leader of the nation during ths most tilmnitous times the country had ever known had died suddenly ~ Warm 6prIngs, ca. So enormouI