History Spotlight
1945: The Merriest Christmas in History
Christmas Eve 1945 headlines
Written by Doug Humes
Photo courtesy of Chester Times
W
orld War II, the bloodiest and cruelest war in history, ended in August 1945, when Japan surrendered in the face of nuclear annihilation. President Harry Truman encouraged “Operation Magic Carpet,” to bring home as many of our military servicemen and women as possible from Asia and Europe in time for Christmas, causing massive traffic jams and delays in all forms of transportation. To help all those travelers contact home, “Bell Telephone Company and Western Union had reserve and part-time operators standing by to handle probably the heaviest… Christmas Day business in their history.” The weather did not cooperate: By December 20th, the heaviest snowfall in 10 years covered the county, the first white Christmas since 1930, and the deepest snow since 1900.
For futher reading... Photo courtesy of Matthew Litt The 1945 White House card Photo courtesy of The White House A war-ravaged earth, wreathed in “Peace” Photo courtesy of Chester Times
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The country had not yet returned to pre-war normal. It takes time to re-tool factories from wartime to peacetime products, so there was still a scarcity of toys and the much-sought-after nylon stockings. Newspapers apologized for the lack of Christmas greetings from advertisers, but there was a shortage of newsprint. People were allowed to light up their homes with Christmas lights, as wartime blackouts ended. And that year, there were enough turkeys available, and gas was no longer rationed, so you could visit your family and friends. The Chester Times reported: “Delaware County’s first peacetime Christmas in four years promises to be one of the most joyous and meaningful celebrations of the birth of the Prince of Peace. With hundreds of servicemen and women home for the holiday, a picturesque blanket of snow covering the area, and plenty of turkey and gifts for all, Christmas 1945 will be one long to be remembered. …Churches were filled on Sunday …as thankful Delaware Countians turned to prayer – for continued peace throughout the world, for those hospitalized …and for the families of those who gave their lives to bring about once again peacetime Christmases.” There was finally Peace on Earth, for the first time in years. As President Truman noted at the tree-lighting ceremony, “This is the Christmas that a war-weary world has prayed for.”
Don’t be shocked when we show up on time! 484 - 997- 3097 • www.MartellaElectric.com
For more on the history of Marple, visit the Marple Historical Society website and Facebook page, and join the Society to keep up-to-date on future events: www.MarpleHistoricalSociety.org M December 2019
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