On Saturday, February 28, 1942, the heavy cruiser USS Houston (above) and the Australian light cruiser HMAS Perth came under attack by Japanese forces during the Battle of Sunda Strait. The Houston lost 693 men, and the Perth lost 353.
On Friday, February 27, 1942, the Battle of the Java Sea began. Imperial Japanese naval forces scored a decisive victory over the Allies in World War II. The USS Langley, above, was sunk.
On Monday, February 26, 1940, the United States Air Defense Command was created. It was inactivated in 1944, when the threat of air attack seemed negligible. It was reestablished as a major command in 1951, and I did some computer programming work for it in the early 1960s. It was redesignated the Aerospace Defense Command in 1968, and divided into the Tactical Air Command and the Strategic Air Command in 1980.
On Tuesday, February 25, 1958, after attending Pearl Gardner’s funeral (see yesterday’s blog), Dale wrote, “I drove to Minneapolis from Osceola in 6 hours. Had Stan’s car washed at a Richfield car wash. High was 57°. Beautiful day for driving, south wind. Helen and I went to the library after supper. Stan went to class at the U at night.” That was a 300-mile drive.
In Osceola from Minneapolis on Monday, February 24, 1958, on his way to Pearl Gardner’s funeral, Dale wrote, “Lloyd, Marie, and I drove Stan’s Chevy to Milo for Uncle Pearl’s funeral. Nice day, high 52°. Mother and I went to the cemetery at sunset to see the flowers on Uncle Pearl’s grave.” Pearl Gardner was a second cousin of Dale’s. Lloyd and Marie were Dale’s siblings. My Chevy was a 1957 model similar to the above - I wish I had kept it.
Near Santa Barbara, California, on Monday, February 23, 1942, a Japanese submarine fired 17 shells at an oil refinery, sparking fears of an invasion. See the headline in the San Luis Obispo newspaper above.
In Minneapolis on Friday, February 22, 1957, Dale wrote, “Double time today. Cold. Low 5° below, high 7° above. Took Dalene to work with me in the afternoon, took her to a show at night.” This was Washington’s Birthday, a federal holiday, which is why he got double time and she had no school.
In Minneapolis on Thursday, February 21, 1957, Dale wrote, “5 inches of new snow and colder. Put tire chains on after work. Took Dalene to a basketball game. Talked to Stan in Muscatine, on the phone, regarding income tax and tuition.” Some of you will remember snow chains, like those above.
In Osceola on Tuesday, February 20, 1934, Dale helped Leona (Dale’s cousin) and Bill Van Sant move with a team and wagon, much like the one above.
In Minneapolis on Sunday, February 19, 1967, Dale wrote, "Light snow again. I shoveled five inches of new snow off the driveway and sidewalks. Watched basketball in the afternoon. To Stan and Judy’s for dinner, delicious.” My first wife Judy was a good cook. In this photo at my house, Judy and I (holding daughter Virginia) and my sister Dalene are in the back row, Helen and Dale are in the middle row, and my sons Christopher, David, and Jeffrey are in the front row.
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