Sunday, April 3, 2011

Machinists 1942

In the year 1942 may father had a Machine shop in our Basement. There was a war on and we mad aircraft parts for the Glen L Martin corporation which was later Martin Marrietta and still later Gruman Martin Marietta. My Brother was serving his machinist apprentice ship at Bethlehem Steel Company. When he finished his four years he went into the Navy as a Machinist Mate.  All of us kids worked some in the shop and made a little spending money.  My father worked part time at home and full time as a machinist at Bell Telephone. The Government froze him in his job for the duration of the war so he was not able to work full time at home.  It was possible to go to prison for leaving your job.  At the very least if a man were young enough he would be drafted into the service.  No one complained as most thought it was their patriotic duty to work at their defence job as they were called. Everyone was required to work six days a week and got paid time and a half for Saturday. Everyone had a big bank account as there was not much you could buy with the money.  At the end of the war everyone bought a new house and a new car.    
The narration on this video is a bit hokey but it was made for school children. Still for any who are interested in the machinist trade this may be interesting.

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