Interview of Billy Winn

Interview Team: Chandler Anderson, Jamie Bankston, and Durell Waldon

Faculty Facilitator: Mrs. Sonya Boyd

Interview Date: March 9, 2005

Billy Winn was born in Columbus, Georgia in 1936. He was not yet three years old when Hitler ordered the invasion of Poland in September, 1939, setting off the greatest conflict in human history, World War II. At first the war seemed far away from the comfortable neighborhood in which Billy grew up in what is today mid-town Columbus. He has well documented those growing up years in his newspaper columns and these musings brought that way of life to a new generation. The Overlook neighborhood in the Wynnton area was a safe area in which to grow up. Billy’s house was a brick salt box style, which still stands at 3 Park Drive.

Billy’s father was a doctor whose successful practice kept him busy during the day. However, the war brought increased responsibilities. Once the conflict began Dr. Winn was often performing surgeries at night at the Army Hospital on Fort Benning. At that time the hospital was located on Main Post, and was not in the building that houses the hospital today. Even though Billy was very young, he recalls that there were days when his father scarcely slept. Between his daily practice in Columbus and his work at Fort Benning, he hardly had time to rest. His family had to adjust to the schedule, knowing that Dr. Winn was contributing to the war effort.

The Winn family, like so many others, contributed to the cause of winning the war. Billy was a student at nearby Wynnton Elementary School, where his good friend Heidt Neal was also a student. Today Heidt Neal is a respected Columbus businessman, but he and Billy shared many adventures while they were in school. Despite the lack of bubble gum, Billy’s father was able to get a box for him. At school Billy was able to negotiate all sorts of exchanges, using Double Bubble Gum as a bartering tool. Although the teachers attempted to shield the children from the horrors of the war, they encouraged their young charges to participate in the drives to collect paper and metals. In fact, the Winn family all participated. Billy’s mother carefully followed the rationing that was an everyday part of life during the war years. Such commodities as sugar and coffee, as well as rubber for tires and nylon stockings for women were all rationed and very difficult to get. Although the family owned a car, it ran on retreads.

Billy still recalls the blackout curtains that were drawn closed during the black out drills. He also remembers that his uncle memorized the silhouette board of all the Japanese airplanes. Fortunately, no one ever saw a Japanese plane near Columbus. This did not diminish the somber nature of the circumstances, however, and Columbus took Civil Defense drills very seriously. When blackouts occurred, the Winn family gathered near the radio and listened to the news broadcasts and other programs. They also read the newspaper and played board games.

Gasoline was difficult to come by and trips to out of town destinations like Atlanta were very limited. The trains were filled with troops and it was hard to travel comfortably because of the crowded conditions on the trains. A trip to Atlanta was an all day drive, as the roads were not good. Of course, destinations like Phenix City were close at hand for those who were old enough to travel there. Billy was too young during the 1940s to venture to the little town across the Chattahoochee River. The Winn family avoided going to the areas where illegal gambling and other vices held sway. To quote many Columbusites of the time, “decent folk don’t go there.”

Music was an important part of life during the war, with the Big Band Sounds of the Dorsey Brothers and Glenn Miller. Billy enjoyed listening to the music, but he really loved the programs that featured comedians Bob Hope and Jack Benny and the Singing Cowboy, Gene Autry. Family time often centered around the radio, as Billy and other family members enjoyed listening. One important member of the household was Betty Crowell Jackson. She was the housekeeper and she was like a second mother to Billy, who regards her still with affection and admiration. Although Billy knows that racism existed in Columbus, his family treated African-Americans with respect.

As Billy grew older, he became aware of the war as it encroached on the community. Soldiers were everywhere, and although none of the Winn family was on active duty in the military, many of their neighborhood friends served and some died. Billy recalls seeing the stars in the windows, signifying the loss of a loved one in the home. While the deaths of local persons impacted on the Winn family, so did the death of famous individuals, the most famous and important being President Franklin Roosevelt. The Little White House was at Warm Springs, Georgia. The local population had become accustomed to the President being in the area, as he had sought treatment for polio in the waters of the warm springs since the 1920’s. His death at The Little White House sent shock waves around the world. No place were they more keenly felt than in the Winn household. When Billy heard the news of President Roosevelt’s death, he ran home and found his mother crying. The family held the President in high regard and they mourned his passing in April, 1945.

When the Germans surrendered a few weeks later, Columbus was jubilant. There was a huge sense of relief that the war in Europe was over. The joy of May was repeated in the late summer when Japan surrendered. When the bombs were dropped on Japan, Billy was old enough to be aware that something horrifying had happened. His family listened faithfully to the radio broadcasts and they had mixed feelings about the bombs. They believed, like many Americans, that it was a necessity to end the war sooner.

The war left an impression on Columbus and on young Billy Winn. It brought the world to his home town. The young boy who had studied maps and followed the news with interest grew up to become a respected newspaperman. Today he is retired from the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, but he still writes and he has a keen interest in the Columbus community. Billy Winn and his wife Elinor live at 542 Front Avenue in the Historic District of Columbus.