Health & Fitness
Historical Society War Memories Project
Park Ridge Historical Society collaborates with Maine Township High Schools to gather WWII memories from residents
PRESS RELEASE
April 11, 2013
Find out what's happening in Park Ridgefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Historical Society War Memories Project
Find out what's happening in Park Ridgefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Maine Students and WWII Years
High school students in the Maine High School (now Maine East) classes of 1945 - 1948 have stories to tell and the Park Ridge Historical Society, in conjunction with the Maine High Schools (East, West and South) are going to record them.
Not only did the student body join together to support family and friends who enlisted in the war, they accomplished an incredible feat: they sold enough government bonds to finance a Douglas C-54 Skymaster military airplane (motto emblazoned on the plane: "Faster and Higher That's Maine's Flyer") used to transport soldiers and supplies! The "Maine Flyer" is but one of the stories the Society will document for future generations.
Food and gasoline were rationed; women joined the workforce at an unprecedented rate when their husbands enlisted; police, fire and teachers were paid in scrip; school assemblies were called upon news of the fatalities suffered by former students; and students helped support their families by working part-time after school. These and many other memories will be recorded.
To accomplish this goal, the Society and the schools wish to invite all alumni from the Maine classes of 1945, 1946, 1947 and 1948 to a reunion at Maine East on Saturday, May 18, 2013. Contact information and interview appointments will be collected on that date. Please contact the Society at (847) 736-3872 if you would like to attend this event.
