Index to the Ursula McCall Interview and Veterans History Project Collection,
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.
Initials |
Side |
Counter |
TOPIC OF DISCUSSION |
---|---|---|---|
UM |
1 |
002 |
Introduction |
UM |
1 |
004 |
Birthplace and birthdate: Wutha, Germany 1936 |
UM |
1 |
011 |
Parents: G眉nter Feek and Gertrud Baumbach Feek |
UM |
1 |
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. |
UM |
1 |
094 |
First memories of the war: Many people dying. Starting school in 1942 and forgetting to say HEIL HITLER. |
UM |
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. |
UM |
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鈥檚 own garden and clothes were also home made. |
UM |
1 |
235 |
Summer Vacations: The summers were usually spent catching potato bugs. |
UM |
1 |
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. |
UM |
1 |
296 |
The food supply: Since food was rationed, her mother sold clothes for food. |
UM |
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. |
UM |
1 |
362 |
The end of the war: Mrs. McCall鈥檚 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. |
UM |
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. |
UM |
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. |
UM |
2 |
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. |
UM |
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. |
UM |
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. |
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. |
UM |
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. |
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