Dwayne Sprague:
On The Homefront During World War II
Written by: Andrea P., George G., Eric T., and Veronica G.
Dwayne Sprague was an eighth grade student during World War Two. He was born on August 26, 1929. Therefore, Dwayne is seventy-one years
old today. Sprague was raised in Elmira, until he was eighteen years old. Sprague stated that “my life wasn’t really affected by the war."
Before the war, Dwayne lived in Elmira. Sprague has four siblings, although, two of them passed away. Sprague was born in the Great
Depression. There wasn’t much money to go around, so therefore, his family was on the poor side. Sprague was eleven years old at the time the
U.S. had gone into war. He remembers driving home from his grandparents, from a Sunday dinner. When his dad turned on the radio, his whole
family heard the news that Pearl Harbor had been bombed by the Japanese.
Like other American families, Sprague had to ration on their gas and food. They would eat meat until it is entirely gone. They would never
waste anything. “A sticker on a windshield would provide the average American family with three gallons of gas a week,” told Sprague.
Carpooling became very popular. “Use it, wear it out, make it do, or live without.” That was an old saying that Dwayne used to recite. “Scrap
drives took place, everyday,” said Mr. Sprague. He also told us, “I had to do all of the cooking, around house, since I was the oldest. Besides
that, the war didn’t have a big affect on my life.”
Mr. Dwayne Sprague was working for a Stable, in West Elmira, when he heard the news that the war had ended. “I was really excited.
Everyone was just filled with joy and they were really happy. People were celebrating in the streets,” stated Sprague. “I also think it was nice
how the women got a chance to do mens’ jobs,” told Dwayne. He said that he doesn’t think he could have handled the war better than the
U.S. government did. “If I look back on the experience now,” said Sprague, “I don’t think that I would
have changed anything.” Dwayne Sprague currently lives in Southport.
Mr. Dwayne Sprague has learned much about his life experience. “Although the war didn’t really affect my home life,” says Sprague, “I felt
how hard the men were fighting for our country.” Dwayne did join the armed forces later on, when he was in his late teens. Dwayne Sprague
was an extremely nice person. He likes the new changes in life. He puts it that “we are moving faster than ever.” Mr. Sprague wants us to
remember that “the war was a terrible thing and we shouldn’t have to go through another one. There is just no reason to be willing to put others’
lives at risk.”