Financial battle

Dear Editor:There are few people alive today who survived the Great Depression - 1929-1940. For this survivor the daily roiling stock market, housing problems, and high unemployment is disquieting and frightening. There is a feeling of been there, done it before. In 1940, after more than 10 years, we slowly recovered from the worst financial nightmare in history. Many people were still unemployed but they slowly began to find jobs in the defense industry building warplanes, weapons and ships. I believe when we started to rearm for World War II, jobs became plentiful and that was one reason the Depression ended. People were earning large salaries - jobs were plentiful; even women, which was unusual, began working outside the home earning large salaries. At first it was strange to see them working as welders, carpenters, driving rivets, auto and airplane mechanics - all jobs traditionally done by men. On December 7, 1941, Japan staged a surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, sinking and damaging our entire Pacific Fleet, killing 3,000 people, thus beginning four years of World War II. We were victorious. We have always been victorious and we will win this current financial battle but it may likely last much longer than most of us believe. - Byron Dillon, Downey ********** Published: February 27, 2009 - Volume 7 - Issue 45