Veltri, Lucy, 1992 April 7, Racine, Wisconsin
Alternate Format: Recorded interview and transcript available online.

Biography/History: Lucy Veltri was born in Racine, Wisconsin, on December 13, 1927. Her parents were both born in Italy, as was her older sister. Her father came to this country in about 1920. Ms. Veltri's mother and her then 11-month-old daughter followed about one year later. Ms. Veltri attended Washington Elementary School and was graduated from Horlick High School. During the war she worked summers as a telephone salesperson with her sister. She was active in the Teenage Catholic Club and the Catholic USO Club in Racine. Her sister's husband served in the military during World War II. Ms. Veltri was married in 1949 and had two children, a son and a daughter. Years later, after her children were raised, she attended Racine-Kenosha Teachers' College and received an associate's degree. She also attended Carthage College and received her bachelor's degree in education from Dominican College in Racine. She is a member of the Catholic church and is currently president of the Racine Area Retired Educators.
Scope and Content Note

Ms. Veltri begins the interview with a description of the announcement of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Ms. Veltri was a high school student during World War II and notes that the shortage of boys was one of the first changes that she noticed at the beginning of the war. She talks about war bonds and war stamps that were sold at school and how her mother dealt with the problems of shortages, particularly food and nylons. She continues with a discussion of her parents' attitudes about dating. She was also active in the Catholic USO and recounts her experiences with the servicemen who came into town from the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. She also recalls her summer employment in telephone sales, selling everything from “vanilla to venetian blind cleaner.”

Ms. Veltri discusses the family's financial situation and her parents' attitudes and beliefs regarding education. She talks about typical meals, the family's garden, and problems with the shortage of sugar. Ms. Veltri describes the ethnic composition of her neighborhood and the interaction among ethnic groups, in particular her parents' interactions with others in the neighborhood. She also describes how her parents arrived in this country and the circumstances surrounding their move from Italy. Finally, she talks about the amount of patriotism people felt during this period and people's support for one another.