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Gold Star by Jackie Wirtz February 21, 2007 Born in the late 30's, I remember coming home from school in 1944, I had received a Gold Star on my spelling paper. I was so excited to tell my Mama. It was the best thing that could happen to a 7 yr old. I played in the leaf piles as I made my way home, dilly dallying more than I should have. I was surprised to see a little flag hanging in the window across the street, it had a blue star in the middle, I had not seen it there before. Our flag in our window had TWO blue stars, hmmmm, I didn't quite get the significance. As I bounded up the stairs and opened the door to our upstairs flat I could smell the bread and saw it cooling on the window sill. It was a nice fall day, just a little cold, but not to cold to have the window open a crack. The steam from the warm bread rose up off of the plump loaves, and I grabbed an apple off of the kitchen table and shined it on my coat sleeve. Mama was at the sink, and I pulled her into the living room to show her the flag across the street. She told me it was for our neighbor boy, his nickname was Pingo, I never did know his real name. He went into the he Army, he was only 17. Our flag was for my two uncles who lived with us, Bob, in the Navy and Carl, in the Marines. I sure wished they would come home, I really missed them. I wrote to them often, and even received a tiny turtle with the American Flag painted on it's shell! It arrived in a little box, all the way from Hawaii, it was a gift from Uncle Bob, but I would much rather he delivered it in person. I was surprised it survived the trip as we were now approaching winter. I took my little turtle, which I named PeeWee, to school to show my friends. When the final bell rang at 3pm I hurried home. It had started to snow in the morning and the drifts were high. It was a struggle to walk in it, but I had to hurry to get PeeWee back in his bowl. I got another gold star that day for the most unique show and tell presentation. When I came up to my house I saw the flag across the street in the window, but now it had a gold star. Wow, Pingo must have done something great! I ran up the stairs. I went into the house and looked for Mama, she was standing at the window in the living room. I grabbed her hand as I pulled the curtains aside and told her to look at the gold star. I was so excited, I said to her "Pingo must have done something really great Mama, look he has a gold star!" Mama looked at me, I could see she had tears in her eyes. She took me by the hand and sat on the rocker, pulling me on her lap. I told her not to be sad, that Bob and Carl will get a gold star too! She shook her head, saying, "no honey, this is different kind of gold star, Pingo's Mama got the gold star on her flag because Pingo was killed in the war." I couldn't beleive it, he couldn't be dead! He was our paperboy, he was my friend, how could he be dead? Weeks later, everyday as I was coming home from school, I was so afaid to look up at our window. What if I saw a gold star! I was so afraid. It was the saddest time, I just wanted Bob and Carl to come home. Summer came and went, school started again and before I knew it, it was spring. Our little flag still had two blue stars, I was so thankful. The shock of Pingo dying was leaving my thoughts, each day it was a little easier. I came home one afternoon, as I went into the house I was surprised to see Daddy at the kitchen table, he was crying. I never saw him cry before and knew this was bad. I started to shake and then cry too. I looked at Mama, she said with a choked up voice, "honey, we have sad news, President Roosevelt died today, I felt relief, I was so sure she was going to tell me Bob or Carl had died. At the same time I felt ashamed, ashamed that I was relieved it wasn't my uncles who died. But I was scared, now what will we do? Our President was dead, who was going to take care of our country? I went into the kitchen, putting PeeWee back into his bowl, Mama took my gold star for my show and tell award and stuck it on our little flag in the window, she said, "this is for the President". I cried so hard that day, and sobbed to Mama, "please, please, I don't ever want another gold star. About the author: Thank you for allowing me to share my story. WWII was a sad time for all of us. I was young, but can still remember the "black outs", just seeing the radio dial lit up in the living room and hearing the air raid sirens blasting. Seeing the little flags in the windows, some with blue and some with gold stars. It was a frightening time. Bob and Carl did come home from the war, it was the best feeling I ever had. When I saw this little car pull up in front of our house and they both jumped out, I felt like I was dreaming. Now as I approach my 70th birthday this year, it's amazing to me how vivid this memory is. Parts of this story were published in a Dayton, Ohio newspaper in 1974, it was the winner of a third prize non-fiction contest. I took a creative writing course, sponsored by a local community college. Times being waht they are today, I thought it was fitting to remind people of the Gold Star Mothers and the flags given to the families who had sons and relatives in the service. | | | |
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