Record Group 024
Date processed: 5-2005
Processed By: M. Olliff
NARRATOR: Ursula McCall BIOGRAPHY: Mrs. McCall was born on September 15, 1936, in Wutha, Germany. Her father was a pilot in the Luftwaffe during World War 2 while her mother was secretary for the German military. She married an American soldier in 1976 and immigrated with him to the United States.
Birthdate: September 15, 1936
SPOUSE: Jesse E. McCall, Jr (deceased)
Occupation: Retired
INTERVIEWER: Barbara Whorley DATE: July 22, 2003
PLACE: Enterprise, Alabama
GENERAL TOPIC OF INTERVIEW: Childhood experiences in Germany during World War 2. Education during World War
2. Family life during World War 2. General knowledge of political situation.
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Initials |
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TOPIC OF DISCUSSION |
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002 |
Introduction |
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004 |
Birthplace and birthdate: Wutha, Germany 1936 |
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011 |
Parents: Günter Feek and Gertrud Baumbach Feek |
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051 |
Family history: Mrs. McCall had a sister which was born in 1938 but died in 1939. Her Father served as a pilot in the German Luftwaffe in Africa while her mother was forced to work for the military on the home front. |
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1 |
094 |
First memories of the war: Many people dying. Starting school in 1942 and forgetting to say HEIL HITLER. |
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1 |
169 |
Childhood memories: All the children went to school. School was not very regular. A few hours in the morning and then perhaps a few in the afternoon. |
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1 |
196 |
Responsibilities of a Mother: Most children ate at school during the day. In the evening the mother made dinner. Food was mostly supplied through one’s own garden and clothes were also home made. |
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1 |
235 |
Summer Vacations: The summers were usually spent catching potato bugs. |
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270 |
Hitler Youth: Mrs. McCall never belonged to the Hitler Youth. She was too young, but her family did have a Youth live with them. |
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1 |
296 |
The food supply: Since food was rationed, her mother sold clothes for food. |
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1 |
316 |
Black market: Mrs. McCall feels that this was the worst thing, but everyone ate. The hardest thing about it was the inflation and change in currency. |
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362 |
The end of the war: Mrs. McCall’s family moved into what would become the Russian sector after British soldiers took over her families home. Eventually, the family fled again into what became known as the American sector. |
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2 |
425 |
The differences between the sectors: The individuals that lived in the Russian sector suffered more than anyone else until the fall of the wall in 1989. |
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2 |
478 |
The Berlin Wall: The wall was put up to keep individuals from leaving the Russian sector. Mrs. McCall recalls several incidence of individuals losing their lives in an attempt to escape. |
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503 |
The difficulty of legally traveling out of the Russian sector: Only individuals over the age of 60 were allowed to leave. The residence below the age were considered part of the work force and therefore vital to the economy. |
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2 |
560 |
The importance of the American military in the rebuilding of Germany: Mrs. McCall feels that the most important thing accomplished were protection from communism and economic boost. |
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2 |
581 |
Combining the American and German culture: Most Americans tried to socialize especially with children. Many soldiers offered special treats that were only available to Americans. |
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UM |
2 |
640 |
Things worth remembering by future generations: The punishments that children had to endure. The things that really happened to their grandmothers and great-grandmothers. |
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2 |
679 |
The feeling of the past: Mrs. McCall feels that the World War II time period was a hard one, but it was the only childhood she had and therefore chooses to remember the good. |