BECKLEY, WV (WVNS) – World War II is considered by historians to be the largest and deadliest conflict in history. 59News spoke with an individual who experienced wartime England firsthand.
Downtown Beckley is home to a piece of American history
Betty Barfoot was raised in a small town just north of London during WWII. She recalled blitzkriegs from German forces occurring just miles from her home when she was eight years old. She said resources like food were scarce and she describes the conditions of those times in no uncertain terms.
“Hell… we had to queue in line for a little bit of butter like that,” said Barfoot. “We had no eggs, no beef, and my mother grew all the vegetables in the garden and that’s what we lived on was vegetables.”
Betty said she and her family were forced to house multiple children out of the London area due to the circumstances of the war. This further exacerbated the already strenuous conditions in which members of the household were living at the time.
“It was six in a bed! Three at the top and three at the bottom,” she continued. “But we had to do that. We had to do something for the war effort.”
Staff with the Raleigh County Veterans and First Responders Museum have worked to preserve the stories of those like Betty who were involved directly or indirectly with significant historic conflicts. Museum president, Ron Hedrick said it’s important to pass on the stories of our history to avoid the pitfalls of those who came before us.
“It’s the philosophies that you’ll repeat and then go down the same path that got them to the wars in the first place,” he said. “So, if you don’t know the actual backstory of why you went to war, just knowing that there was a war is not good enough.”
Those hoping for more perspective on military history can visit the Raleigh County Veterans and First Responders Museum on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 to 5.
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