Duncan Family
 Brenda and Wayne with Uncle Albert. |
The more you think about this picture, the more touching it becomes. Albert is just home from World War II. Both Brenda and Wayne tell of being given tin cans and spoons and standing in the front yard of the house on Bankhead and Addy Street, beating on the cans as part of the celebration of the end of the war. The women and children had gathered together there while all the men were gone to the war. Wayne had to become acquainted with his father since he had left for Pearl Harbor on January after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941, so he didn't remember him. But now, Albert could joyfully hold his son and niece and look forward, not backward. Albert is now 29, and Wayne says he was in his 70's before he would talk about the horrors of what they experienced in the Philippines and the other Pacific islands. One of those stories was of landing on one island and finding American soldiers hanging who had been used for bayonet practice after having been killed. As a heavy equipment operator, Albert was one of those charged with digging graves and taking down the American soldiers to bury them. |
Scott shared the story that Albert had shared with him. Albert told of metal fragments that were in his ankle from a grenade that went off under one of the bulldozers as he was clearing an area for a landing field. Scott's understanding was that this was at Guadacanal. Albert talked about having to shoot enemies from the trees as they would take landing areas.
Dressed up for the dance?Brenda at age 4 and Wayne at age 5 at location they remember as 981 Bankhead where the family lived during World War II. They are on the walkway that led up to the house where they lived. This was where Marjorie, Brenda and Bonnie were living with the Iveys and Grannie Dawson. Off to the left of the picture were about 15 steps leading to Bankhead. Then at the house there were wooden steps leading up to the house. Brenda remembers that they would move the furniture back to the walls to clear the floor and dance to the music from a Victrola with the large records. Brenda and Wayne would dance with them. She remembers one occasion that she had on a dress with a sash, and every time she swung by Buddy White, he would pull the sash loose. Brenda remembers that the lady, named Voncil, who lived in the house shown was a friend of her Mother's and they would sit in the windows and talk to each other. |
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Brenda, Marjorie and Wayne in the yard of the house on Addy Street.
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Marjorie in the yard of the Addy Street house. Photo labeled 1945. |
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 | Brenda and Wayne in cold weather. It appears to be on the porch of the Addy Street house. |
| Brenda's family history |
1945