June Harman Betts
Have you ever wondered what it was like to experience life as a civilian in the United States during the early 1940s while the world was engulfed in World War II? Or what it was like when the streets of American cities were almost devoid of young men? Or imagine a time when the entire country was geared to support the war effort? Or when everyday items were in short supply and government-issued ration stamps determined how many tires, pairs of shoes, gallons of gasoline, or pounds of meat and sugar you could buy?
We Were Vagabonds stands alone as a story or it can be read as a sequel to Father Was A Caveman, as it continues the saga of Burrel Harman and his children when they are reunited after being scattered apart for a year.
Burrel vows never to be separated from his children again so he comes up with a creative way to keep them together. His solution leads to some exciting, joyful, and even frightening experiences, as with his bride and children in tow, he follows the large defense construction jobs. This book is filled with humor and adventure as the family adjusts to their life on the road as vagabonds.
In Washington, D.C. Burrel works on the construction of the Pentagon. Then near the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland he helps build a seaplane base. There they find themselves living in the middle of a junkyard where June and Polly are exposed to one of the most terrifying experiences of their lives. Then in Jackson, Mississippi they discover what it is like to be Damn Yankees in the deep South.
Their journey begins in Ohio, takes them through many states, and ends just twenty-five miles from where they started. Here Cecil discovers that pretty blondes and unreliable cars make a volatile combination. Then with help from an unexpected source, June begins her quest to become reunited with her long-lost mother and little brother, Dickie.
A talented writer, June Harman Betts is the author of The Echoes In My Mind series which includes Father Was A Caveman, We Were Vagabonds, and the upcoming, Along Came A Soldier. June is a former reader’s columnist for the Newark Advocate, Girl Scout executive, honored volunteer, businesswoman, wife, mother, and grandmother.
Born near Seneca Caverns in the beautiful Germany Valley in West Virginia, she currently lives with her husband Richard in Newark, Ohio.
LIFE IN A JUNKYARD
As they traveled from Perrysville to Great Mills, they left the sights and sounds of the city to find themselves surrounded by woods and gently rolling hills. The pine trees lining the highway reminded Polly of her home in Mississippi, while the deep woods and occasional field made June think of her home by the cavern. Relaxed and happy, they weren't prepared for the sight that greeted them when Burrel pulled the trailer alongside a long narrow building that housed a hodgepodge of businesses.
The barbershop, sporting goods store, small grocery, and combination real estate office and used car dealership were overshadowed by the sights and sounds coming from the tavern. Men in work clothes were coming and going, shouting colorful greetings to each other. They could hear loud strains of "Chattanooga Choo Choo" coming from the jukebox each time the door was opened.
"Well, here we are," Burrel said. "We're home!" Three faces stared incredulously at him. He must be joking! Then spotting the other trailers parked behind the building and the regulation washhouse, they knew he was serious. This was going to be their new residence. It didn't bother Cecil, but June and Polly both felt their hearts sink.
"I'm sorry. I know this isn't much, but it was the best I could do," Burrel explained. If he’d known, though, what his wife and daughter would soon encounter here, he wouldn’t have stayed one minute longer.
Unaware of the danger he was exposing them to, he continued, "This place has become a boomtown. Before they started building the base, it was just a farming community. Hundreds of families have moved in to work on the base, and there's just no place to put them. One guy owns all these businesses and he is getting rich. He's gouging everyone with his prices, but there aren't very many other places to go."
Polly felt her temper rise at the thought of someone taking advantage of the defense construction workers, but before she could voice her anger, Burrel silenced her with his slow smile and a gentle pat on the hand. "I'm afraid this goes with the territory. If we're all going to be together, we'll have to put up with it for a while. Once we have a chance to look around, I'm sure I'll be able to find something better."
"I don't think anything could be worse," Polly muttered, only to realize when Burrel drove into their designated spot, it not only could be, but was. "Good Lord!" she exclaimed. "It's a junkyard!"
She looked in horror at the dozen or more cars in all stages of disrepair parked haphazardly around the grounds. Situated among them were an equal number of trailers. All around was evidence that the residents had tried to make a home in the midst of this metal jungle. Patches of grass could be seen peeking through the clumps of dirt in the minuscule yards. Flowers were growing along the concrete patios and spilling out of brightly colored pots and makeshift window boxes. In the only space devoid of trailers or junk cars someone had erected a swing set and improvised a sandbox from a truck tire.
A couple of the men ambled over to help Burrel set up the trailer. The work was quickly completed and they were home agai
