2022-H
Underwood Production Halted for Huge Feast Thanksgiving 1943
Soldiers and defense workers sat together to share a
Thanksgiving dinner, just as they share the burden of furthering the Allied
cause at a huge feast spread for them in the plant cafeteria of the Underwood
Elliot Fisher Company.
Workers, busy turning out M1 carbines, machetes, and other
war materiel, took a break long enough to enjoy a feast. Joining them was
soldiers of the local anti-aircraft unit who also helped ushering in and
serving workers. Music was provided by the Anti-Aircraft band.
Preceding the dinner for the first shift of workers Colonel
Frederick U. Conard, vice-president and works manager of UEF, introduced
Governor Baldwin, who stated “The Company is to be complemented for its insight
and foresightedness in helping employees to forego the usual feast at home by
preparing Thanksgiving dinners for them here in the plant,” said Gov. Baldwin,
as well as pointing out just how
important and essential the war workers were on the home front and
praised UEF workers for their records in producing carbines.
Louis G. Julian, a director of UEF, said he appreciated the spirit in which workers had given up the holiday to stick to their jobs. “If the
boys at the battlefronts can be thankful for nothing else, they can be thankful
for the first-class fighting weapons which have been made here.” he declared.
Also, in attendance were Brigadier General Reginald B.
DeLacour, adjutant-general and commander if the Connecticut State Guard: Staff
Sergeant Lester Miller, recently repatriated from a German prison camp: Captain
H. P. Smith, in charge of army inspection at the UEF plant.
The third shift workers also took pause from their duties at
3 a.m. to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast.
(Hartford Courant Photo)
Shown above are cafeteria helpers serving plates of food for the long line of 2900 workers on the day shift. Workers enjoyed more than 3000 pounds of turkey, hundreds of bushels of potatoes, coffee, cider, pie, and all the other fixings.
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