***The Roots Is The Toots- The Music That Got Them Through The Great Depression And World War II…

 

…funny, he had to laugh, laugh to himself since if he had laughed out loud the seven other guys in his tent, his makeshift tent which had served as his “home” for the past few weeks of basic training down here in godforsaken Fort Dix, would have raised holy hell (and worse) for disturbing their “beauty” sleep, about what she had said that first night they met. Or really re-met since they had been in class together senior year over at North Adamsville High School.  They had “met” at a USO dance held in order to boost morale for returning servicemen, those awaiting the troop ships out, and those like him whose number been called  where she had volunteered as a hostess and he had fronted on a few numbers for Lester Mann and the Band before he in turn was to be inducted the next week. He had been the top singer at school, a budding crooner in the Sinatra mold, and was attending music school when his number came up. But naturally he had to do what was right, do what lots of guys had already done.    

He had spied her, a known face among a crowd of strangers, went up and introduced himself, they talked for a while and then he out of nowhere mentioned that he wished that he had talked to her more in school. Wished he had had the courage to talk to her since there was something about her that was appealing in a fresh breeze way (he hadn’t put it that way but she knew what he meant, or at least said she did). Just then Lester called him to the stage and he sang, sang one song, I’ll Never Smile Again aimed directly at her, with feeling.

Later, as he walked her home, she asked him if it was true that he would not smile again if she was not his girl. He had blurted out a quick uncompromising “yes”. They both laughed, laughed at how he just blurted it out. And so they had a whirlwind week before he had to leave, she had seen him off at the train station, and here he was thinking about her while the other guys were snoring away. Yeah, he laughed to himself again, he guessed that he really would never smile again if she was not his girl…