History Spotlight
1945: The Merriest Christmas in History by Doug Humes World War II, the bloodiest and cruelest war in history, ended in August 1945, when Japan surrendered in the face of nuclear annihilation. President Harry Truman encouraged “Operation Magic Carpet,” to bring home as many of our military servicemen and women as possible from Asia and Europe in time for Christmas, causing massive traffic jams and delays in all forms of transportation. To help all those travelers contact home, “Bell Telephone Company and Western Union had reserve and part-time operators standing by to handle probably the heaviest… Christmas Day business in their history.” The weather did not cooperate: By December 20th, the heaviest snowfall in 10 years covered the county, the first white Christmas since 1930, and the deepest snow since 1900.
Christmas Eve 1945 headlines Photo courtesy of Chester Times
The 1945 White House card Photo courtesy of The White House
Celebrate the Holiday Season with La Locanda!
Open For The Holidays Private Dining rooms available for last minute holiday gatherings. Give the gift of La Locanda Ristorante! Each $100 in gift cards comes with a free $20 voucher for 2020.
Reservations: www.LaLocandaPA.com • 610-353-7033 4989 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square 28
Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors
December 2019
