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Source: October 1995 Volume 33 Number 4, Pages 152–153


Celebrating the End of World War II

from The Berwyn Post September 1945

Page 152

[At seven o'clock in the evening of August 14, 1945 President Harry Truman announced that the Japanese had fully accepted the Allied terms of unconditional surrender and that the war was over. Here is a description of how the news was received in our area, as reported by Ted Lamborn Jr. (a.k.a. Barney) in his "The Barnstormer" column in The Berwyn Post.]

Things has certainly popped since we got together last. History an' events was sure on a rampage. This here atom bomb, I guess, finally convinced the Nips that a lot of you wanted the location changed on where the surrender terms was to be siqned. O' course, them figurin' on the White House an' all -- it's no doubt kinda disappointin'.

Well, when the radio announced that the war with Japan was over, the most of the town was just finishin' up supper around seven o'clock. Flags seemed to come from everywhere -- kids carryin' 'em, and front porches draped with bunting. Whistles blew, an' they must have been taken turns ringin' the Catholic Church bell, 'cause every once in a while it would slow up a little, miss a couple o' beats, and start up fresh agin'. Bill Pyott chased some kids up to the Fire House to send the engines down on the pike in front of Ed Kehoe's office, and in the meantime lined cars up for a parade. They was all decorated with streamers an' tin cans an' just a-loaded with shoutin' youngsters an' grown-ups. That evenin' the Lions Club was in session at the old Windmill Tea Room, which was recently opened up agin by the Espenshades, an' they tore loose, grabbed about six big flags, and started paradin' down the highway with one lone drummer.

Page 153

Cass Tollinger, Doc Hughes, Bob Doyle, Lou Lieberman, Farley Thomas an' a few more headed this outfit up, to meet the other Berwyn gang down around Daylesford, makin' a rite good size parade when they all got together.

They did the streets of Berwyn up pretty good an' then went to Paoli where they wound up in front of the Honor Roll. Al Patton had the Upper Main Line Band in tune by that time to strike up some marches an' add some music for the occasion. With Bill Pyott actin' as M. C, a one hour program of a "come what may" nature delighted a crowd of about six hundred celebraters. The fact that it got dark didn't slow things up a bit 'cause the Paoli Engines were equipped with a lightin' outfit and turned their spot lites up full speed ahead.

From Paoli, they followed the same routine at the Honor Rolls in Berwyn, Devon, Wayne, and Strafford. The whole gang stuck together to the last, which was about one-thirty before they broke up. By that time the most of them was so hoarse an' weak from yell in' an' singin' that they could just about stand up.

For once, Berwyn really cut loose an' showed the Upper Main Line how to celebrate. Service men, both local an' some hitch-hikin' thru at the time, were hauled up an' introduced to the crowd. Traffic had to shift for itself. Three of the four Thomas brothers Bob from the Pacific, Jack and Chet from Europe, all happened home for the occasion to add to the noise by ridin' around in an ol' model A Ford all nite settin' an all-time hi backfirin' record. If they started out with a muffler, I'll wager it was in bad shape by the end of the nite.

This celebratin' was all a lot of fun an' was somethin' we had all been hopin' and prayin' for, but it's like a young lady says to me the other day, an' we all feel pretty much the same way about it -- that the war wouldn't be over for her 'til her husband was home.

-- submitted by Herb Fry

 
 

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