In the late months of the year 1938, and in 1939 there was an uneasy feeling in the air. My sisters and I knew that something was disturbing our carefree hours. My parents, as well as my relatives, would often speak in hushed voices. We had drills in school, and were made familiar with the sound of the sirens. The Second World War was about the become a reality.

At the age of twelve I understood that Germany was at war, but I still felt the comfort of my parents and was not worried. But that feeling didn't last too long. In the early part of 1940, my hometown was bombed the first time. Only one section of the town Kassel was bombed. Suddenly the population became frightened and a mass evacuation began. Every able-bodied person started running towards the bomb-shelters at the first sound of sirens.

Two years into the war the bombing became an everyday affair. My school was bombed out, and was moved to the country. I wasn't able to go home anymore. I had to live with a young widow in a small town called Korbach. My father was conscripted into the army, and was stationed in Murmansk, Finland. My mom had six children, among them a baby who was born in 1941.

During school vacation any child fourteen years of age or older was required to work, and those who were old enough to enroll into the military. Food distribution became a real problem. There were no supermarkets as we have today. Finding enough food to eat became a game of wit. My mom parked her children with the appropriate foodstamps, one at the butcher, one at the baker, one at the produce store, and one at the dairy. She had a system going so she could take care of the baby.

My heart went out to the old people who were alone. By the time they got to the counter the food had run out. Many died from malnutrition. My mom was a very good cook, and she always had something to... she made for our bread. She took one teaspoon of margarine, sauteed onions, and added cooked cream of wheat. Voila, a tasty spread for our daily bread. She even gave it a name, and called it "Hitler butter."

All during the war people were numb and acted more like zombies than human beings. Yet there was a unity among the people, that was hard to explain. They helped each other out, shared willingly, and opened their homes after bombing attacks, if they still had one.

The hardest for me to live with were the total blackouts, and having to walk home at night with nothing but a...you know that another person was close. Moonlit nights were a blessing.

October 22nd, 1943 my hometown, the city of Kassel which had existed for over one thousand years, became a mountain of rubble. It took only fifty minutes to demolish what took over [a] thousand years to build. Four fifths of all buildings were destroyed. One third of the remaining population took shelter in the bombed buildings.

Windows were covered with cardboard and life had to go on in a city where buildings were stacked like coffins. No one could imagine anymore what the city looked like. Rubble had to be cleared before any streets were identifiable. The infra-structure had to be rebuilt. Volunteers came from everywhere and helped.

The destruction of the city of Kassel wasn't only burdened with the reconstruction but there were also great chances to make life better. It was General Eisenhower who believed that the city was doomed, but the "Marshall Plan" with the infusion of money from the United States, and the hard work of the people gave us all hope for a better life. The United States did not give Germany a handout, but a hand up. The pride and the dignity of the people were preserved.

Personally the war...too another country, where I had the opportunity to learn about a culture other than my own. I worked in Paris after the war, where I met my husband. I came to the United States in 1956, became a citizen in 1958, and have never missed voting once.

Voting is in my opinion the greatest privilege that we the people of the United States have. We do have a voice and can influence the direction in which our country is going and in wars no one really wins. The losses are great on all sides, and the hurt never goes away.

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