Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for December 07, 2016

We’re mystified – looks like Gasoline Alley has skipped the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day. We checked and, five years ago, G.A. skipped the 70th Anniversary as well. It seemed to us that Gasoline Alley – of all the strips – would surely remember the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. And, it also looks like Walt and Skeezix skipped their traditional observation of checking out autumn colors in the woods. We would have been happy if Walt and Skeezix could have just watched out the picture window of Walt’s house and had a conversation about the falling leaves! In case anyone can get a good look at the picture on the left of my comment – the picture was taken in 1943, when one of my uncles had some rare leave from the service. In the picture, from left to right are – my uncle Butch, my grandmother, my uncle Gabe (who was home from the service), my mother holding me, my Dad and, down in front, the daughter of one of our neighbors. My uncle Gabe actually entered the service BEFORE the bombing of Pearl Harbor, because he wanted to be able to choose the type of training he would receive. He was among the earliest servicemen who were trained in the use of RADAR. He wasn’t allowed to talk about what he did when he was home on leave. My uncle Butch and Dad were both considered to be too old for military service. Plus, of course, as farmers and ranchers, they were regarded as being involved in an occupation which was valuable to the war effort. My Dad and Uncle received letters from the President, praising them for the contributions farmers and ranchers made to the war effort. We raised Brahma cattle – and trail-herded them to the Army Depot. Even though many people had automobiles – gasoline was rationed. During the Depression, most people couldn’t afford gasoline. So horses were still a big part of farming and ranching.