Interview of Laurette Rosenstrauch

Interview Team: Kelsey Malkin, Crystal Nguyen, and Josh Nichols

Faculty Facilitator: Mrs. Angie Jacobson

Date of Interview: 3-10-06

Laurette Rosenstrauch was born on October 10, 1918 in Columbus, Georgia. She graduated from Columbus High School in 1933 at the age of fifteen, then studied at Newton College for two years before transferring to the University of Wisconsin where she completed her degree. During World War II, she lived in homes in Columbus on 1510 Fourth Avenue, which is part of Veterans Parkway today, as well as 1687 Flournoy Drive.

For recreation, Mrs. Rosenstrauch would ride horses at Boardman’s Stables on the corner of Green Island Drive and River Road as well as canoe. However, the prime dating activity was the movies at the Grand Theatre (located where the Bradley Theatre is today) or the Rialto, both of which were downtown, or perhaps dancing at a dry club on Opelika Road in Phenix City. As for dining out, there were very few restaurants in the area, but her favorite places to eat were Spanos and Goo Goos.

The war affected daily life for Columbus residents. With an estimated population of 35,000, housing in Columbus was limited so many families rented out rooms for those in transition. The local residents welcomed the soldiers and their families. Every church, family, and organization did all they could to help the war efforts. The town was pleasant and sweet to its troops.

Despite their patriotic feelings, people dreaded reading the newspaper and had to sacrifice luxuries in order to support the war. Due to rationing, people had to alter their diets and find substitute items to provide the proper nutrition. For example, red meat was limited so they ate beans, eggs, and chicken for protein. In addition, fat oils, cream, and butter were restricted so this was the first time that Rosenstrauch used margarine. Rationing books were available for each adult in the household so her mother picked them up for those eligible on a monthly basis. Since gas was rationed as well, people would car pool. Mrs. Rosenstrauch was always the driver because she received extra gas rations as a social worker. Being the oldest daughter, she also assumed driving duties for her family since her mother never obtained a driver’s license. Aside from chauffeuring her siblings around town, Mrs. Rosenstrauch had to drive to Atlanta for medical treatment from specialists that were not available in Columbus such as dermatologists and oral surgeons.

Mrs. Rosenstrauch’s work was a form of therapy for her during the war because she actively supported the war effort as a social worker for the American Red Cross home service from 1942 to 1945. It was challenging to adjust to her new schedule since she “lost” an hour: around 1942 Columbus switched from Central to Eastern Standard Time so Fort Benning would be on the same time as the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

As a social worker, she had a variety of duties. She was responsible for the local soldiers who requested to return home for family emergencies. She would verify the need and make the necessary arrangements if possible. Mrs. Rosenstrauch was also entrusted with family readiness for soldiers being dismissed from the hospital. The hospital would notify Red Cross that the soldier was ready to be released. Then, the Red Cross ensured the family was emotionally and physically prepared to deal with the injuries of the returning soldier. In addition, she assisted families file paperwork after the death of a soldier in order to receive benefits. Being from Columbus, Mrs. Rosenstrauch found this task to be particularly difficult because she knew many of the young men who died as well as their families. Therefore, she was grateful that the Red Cross was not responsible for notifying the family about their deceased loved one and only intervened after they had officially been informed by the military. As a result of these multiple responsibilities, she was always on call and often received phone calls at night to make a house visit.

However, Mrs. Rosenstrauch also supported the war outside of her formal duties. Both she and her mother volunteered their time at the Ninth Street U.S.O. Mrs. Rosenstrauch collected tin cans, rolled bandages, made scarves, and knitted bundles for Britain while her mother befriended some of the soldiers. Actually, Mrs. Rosenstrauch met her husband via one of her mother’s invitations for Sunday dinner to men at the U.S.O. Her mother was sympathetic to lonesome soldiers, usually in their late teens, because three of her four brothers had been drafted. On one occasion, her mother invited an older boy who had graduated from Harvard Law School. Although Mrs. Rosenstrauch was already dating someone, she said "he came to dinner and never left." They were married three years later. Mrs. Rosenstrauch was pleased that he fought with the pen, working in the Judge Advocate’s Office, rather than a gun. After the war, they remained in Columbus during their sixty-year plus marriage, and he practiced law.

Although many families felt isolated from their loved ones at war, Mrs. Rosenstrauch’s four brothers and one sister along with their extended family did not. Her mother dealt with that in a unique and efficient manner. In order to maintain communication between the three brothers deployed and the remainder of the family, their mother typed carbon copies of each letter received from the combat zone to distribute to family members. This included mailing the letters to the other brothers fighting on the war fronts. The youngest brother wanted to join his older brothers but was ineligible for military service due to his age and heart condition.

Mrs. Rosenstrauch recalled her location and feelings during key events of the war. She was at home when she heard the horrifying news that Japan had bombed Pearl Harbor. She feared many locals who had been drafted or volunteered were killed during the attack. She cried. Mrs. Rosenstrauch also remembered Roosevelt’s visits to Columbus and was quite saddened by his death, at which time she was visiting San Antonio, Texas. Then, Germany’s surrender only brought fleeting happiness because she still felt the need to deal with Japan. She had ambivalent feelings about Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb but felt it was a horrible necessity. Therefore, when the Japanese surrendered and the war was finally over, she, along with all of Columbus celebrated as the church bells rang. It was a relief to think that citizens could return to their normal lives.