Sepia Saturday 707. Nineteenth in a series about letters from my dad’s brother Frederic Mason Charboneau while he was in the US Army during WWII.
During October 1942, Uncle Fred’s letters were filled with commentary on news from back home — responses to mail he was at last receiving more regularly from his mother, brothers and friends.
Yet in his Oct. 7, 1942, letter — amid his family commentary — he slipped the following announcement about a charitable effort his Army unit was undertaking.
Collecting for war orphans
“Guess what? We have, or I should say we are going to, adopt a baby. We have just formed a Non-Commissioned Officer Club and over here they have a system for war orphan babies where you contribute £20 a year for five years to go to the support and education of these youngsters,” wrote Uncle Fred.
“So, what we are going to do is to take a collection each month and send it in. As soon as we get enough for one [and] we send it in, then we are going to start all over again. We won’t get the baby, all we do is contribute to its support, but we will get a picture of it and also from time to time how she is doing, etc.“
A widespread charitable effort
This was the first I’d heard of this charitable effort among US troops during WWII, but I was unable to find more details about it.
However, the practice was apparently widespread because there are many images online of US soldiers spending time with and entertaining children they sponsored — orphans who had lost both parents during WWII, as shown in the photo shown above.
Uncle Fred was a single guy, but he was clearly moved to contribute to making life easier for children orphaned by the war — and to share the experience with his mother, Mary (Owen) Charboneau.
Dad’s college life
Meanwhile, my father Norm Charboneau [Fred’s youngest brother] put in an appearance in the Oct. 7, 1942, letter.
“I also got a letter from Owen [Fred’s oldest brother] today and one from Jane Oley [a former classmate]. She is at Potsdam also, ” Fred wrote.
My dad graduated high school in 1942 (valedictorian) with Jane’s younger sister, Marian Oley (salutatorian), as detailed in the news story. Then he was off to college at Clarkson University in Potsdam, N.Y.
“Owen said that he was celebrating his 4th wedding anniversary. It certainly doesn’t seem that long since he was married, but it is. He also told me what Norman has to do as a freshman at college. That is almost as bad as being in the Army, but at least all we have to do is salute our Officers.”
My dad was the first of the five Charboneau brothers to go to college, so they were all learning from his experiences. And Uncle Fred couldn’t resist some more brotherly joshing.
“Jane said that she saw Norman and the first thing he asked her was where she lived. And when she told him, he took out a little blue book and put it down,” said Fred. “So you better keep an eye on our son and brother, or he is liable to bring back a wife from college. Jane said there are quite a few good-looking girls up there.”
I had to smile. Dad always had a little notebook with him — a habit that clearly began early — and he actually did bring back a wife from college, because that’s where he met my good-looking mom!
Up next: More from Uncle Fred’s fall 1942 letters. Please stop back! Meanwhile, please visit the other intrepid bloggers over at Sepia Saturday.
© 2024 Molly Charboneau. All rights reserved.
A wonderful remembrance of compassion in action, and so relevant to current events. It seems there is always some war happening somewhere in our world. Opportunity for each of us to exercise compassion just as Uncle Fred and his fellow warfighters did. You have helped us to know that small gestures can make a difference. Thank you, Molly!
Thanks for sharing this! I have never heard of this before and am so glad I learned something new, as well as touching. 🙂
Thanks, Diane!
How wonderful that your kind Uncle Fred and his buddies were willing to sign up to support war orphans! Although I’ve never heard of this kind of program, I’m glad to know about it and your connection with family history.
I also found their gesture heartwarming.
I have never heard about this adoption program. What a wonderful thing for these young people to get that assistance.
I thought so, too!
That’s the first I’ve ever heard of this kind of ‘adoption’. What an amazing thing for them to do. Lovely memories of your Dad.
It was news to me, too. His letters are like a walk through unknown history.
The idea of British orphan children is perhaps not remembered as well as those of in France and Germany. There must have been a charity aid agency near where Fred was stationed. A decade later my dad was in Korea for the next war and joined in similar effort for Korean orphans. I have a few brass bowls, trays, and a very large bell that were gifts he received from the school or orphanage in appreciation for his help. He was also a pocket notebook guy and have several decades worth stored in a shoebox. Can’t yet bring myself to throw them away.
Interesting that support for war orphans spanned several wars. I saw photos online of French war orphans who were supported by U.S. troops, as you mention. And please hang onto those little notebooks. I have one of my dad’s carefully stored in in my genealogy archive — these are the irreplaceable bequests worth keeping.
There’s a really sad juxtaposition between fighting and supposedly killing the parents of an orphaned child, then supporting the child as it grows up. Of course our side wasn’t killing the child’s parents, it would have been the enemy. Orphanages were probably bursting by the end of the war. I’m glad your Uncle Fred wanted to help those unfortunate children. And when you mentioned young people meeting future mates in college, I was just wondering what curve my life might have taken if I’d married my first true love from college!
I was thinking the same about war, where children are so often the innocent victims. Uncle Fred and other service people undoubtedly felt this too, hence the charitable donations.
From the title I thought his unit had actually adopted a baby and wondered how they could raise a child while fighting. Then it all made sense when I read that they were going to sponsor the child. I’d love to learn more about the life of the orphan they sponsored. It would make a good movie.
Thanks for your observations, Susan. I’d be happy just to find a news story about the troops adopting orphans. May have to research this further in future.
What a lovely thing his Army unit did in ‘adopting’ a war orphan child to support and a nice telling on Uncle Fred’s character in his joining them in doing it. I have truly been enjoying learning about Fred and the family through his letters. A neat experience. 🙂
I was also pleased about his unit’s gesture and how excited Uncle Fred was to be participating.