PEARL HARBOR RECOLLECTION

Well the day of Pearl Harbor, I was a sorority member at the University of Kansas, senior year. We were having dinner, when we heard the news. Of course, everybody got up and ran to the telephone to find out what was going on, and whether or not they were going to hear from the boyfriends. The man I was going with, who later turned out to be my husband, said he immediately was going to enlist. I think generally most all of the young men that I knew were doing this. It, it’s hard, I think, for this generation to realize because that generation was not materialistic, very down-to-earth, and the patriotism was at an instant thing for everyone. Everyone wanted to do something immediately. Men and women. A lot of the women got into the programs, too. Many of the fraternity brothers of my husband left right away. Some went to the Marines within a week. Of course all the recruiting services were on campus right away. Everyone really wanted to do what they could to help. Because people were so upset that this would happen to America.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED?

We did things that last year at KU. I rolled bandages day after day, and we sold war bonds. We had a wonderful time doing that because you worked with a lot of people that maybe you hadn’t known before. And there were people working there of all different ages. It was a great experience.

I think so, because everyone had to give up something. Many of them lost their husbands. And also there was gas rationing, sugar rationing, car rationing. Basically I call it car rationing because you couldn’t dri

ve the car without the gasoline. Everyone worked together.

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DARBY STEEL

We made boilers and bomb casings used for the submarines. And I think that’s what that’s related to, I believe. People today will say, "Oh you didn’t do that for the Russians." I say, "Well, you know they were our allies." (People do forget that.) Many people probably didn’t realize it. Also, I think we did over 2000. (landing craft) I know the record was one a day launching.

HOW WERE LANDING CRAFT LAUNCHED?

Well normally they were put on the barges and floated down to New Orleans and then picked up by the aircraft carriers. And also the big ships that, that renew the other ships. We had a great problem , the one time the river was low. And it was going to be a real crisis. The government was going to tear down a bridge, because they had to have the boats. But we were very fortunate, because the night before they were to destroy this bridge work, we had a heavenly rain, and they had enough water that they were able to launch them and to get them down.

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Darby Corporation - Father

My father was Harry Darby and he had the Darby Corporation as well as the Darby Shipyards. And during WWII, he was fortunate in that he had gov’t contracts to build the LCTs and the LCMs. We built them right here at Kaw point, where the Kansas and the Missouri river come together. He loved doing what he could for America.. We always have a flag in our house. As well as in the house as outdoors. In fact, I have one in my house that I believe came off the first ship, the first LCT that went down the roll.