In addition to this handsome vehicle, what strikes me is that back then, fundraisers were held to purchase equipment, and although folks had little money they contributed. I do recall community fund raisers as late as the 1970's in California, but today the attitude is to get money from the government, from a well which is now nearly dry. I wonder if we have lost our ability to pay for what our communities need by fundraisers, bake sales, good old fashioned contributions and the like. It has not happened as recently as last month in our town, where a new community swimming pool was overwhelmingly foisted onto the backs of property owners in the town. People looked at me as if I had lost my mind when I mentioned that perhaps we could hold some fund raisers first to generate a baseline for the swimming pool before going to the taxpayers.
But I will climb down from my soapbox for now and post the back of this card. Ed Saliba would become the fire chief for many years, for the same New Kensington Fire Department #1 where Uncle Carl was a lifelong member, today Ed's son is the fire chief. Here is the back of that postcard. I understand that Uncle Carl sent a dollar of his Army pay toward the ambulance. That sounds insignificant today but if he made only $12 or $15 per month, that was a mighty sum.
This is my contribution for the week. As usual, if you click on the title to this post, you can visit the international Sepia Saturday site and enjoy the multitude of photos and stories shared.
So much to appreciate!
ReplyDeleteOh, I so want one of these ambulances! It will go perfect with my flying boat, though maybe the gas mileage might not be so good.
ReplyDeleteInteresting photo. It gives a good idea how much more advanced the care is by EMT's these days; there isn't any room to work in in that old design.
ReplyDeleteFundraisers were still around for equipment as late as the 1980's in the area (we lag CA a wee bit), but that's all changed now. Everyone looks to the government for money first. It makes me wonder what they are going to do when that dries up very, very soon.
Can we say fundraisers? Or is it too soon?
Ambulances are so expensive now that a fundraiser probably wouldn't help much, but it is still a good idea for the community to be involved.
ReplyDeleteI love the lines of old cars - so beautiful. and yes, $1 would have been VERY generous!
ReplyDeleteMy fire department is all volunteer and each year they hold several fund raising events for the community to get involved. A pancake breakfast in the Spring and I buy my Christmas tree each year from the tree farm. They also saved my father's life several years ago so I will forever be grateful for them.
ReplyDeleteI think people used to be prepared to put more effort into fundraising. Now everyone seems so busy.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very smart ambulance, I wouldn't mind taking a trip in that (though not, of course, as a customer!)
ReplyDeleteYesterday on our way across the river to Uncle's house the traffic seemed stopped and backed up a bit at the crossing intersection. We saw a fire truck and thought there had been an accident. No, it was the Tarentum Firemen collecting donations along the intersection at the stopped traffic; the men were in fire gear, holding big rubber fireboots and nearly every car stopped rolled down their window and dropped a donation into the boots as the firemen approached the car. We dropped in some bills $$ as well,Happy to contribute as that was the theme of my blog. Have seen the firemen do this before in PA.
ReplyDeleteFundraising is neeed by almost everyone today. We now have to be selective when making contributions. Firemen seem to be at the front of fundraising efforts in many countries - but often not for themselves.
ReplyDeleteI dimly recall that Army pay, for a private, was $21.00 a month during WW II. Can't guarantee the accuracy of my memory, nor if the pay was unchanged for the entire four years of our participation in that war. Prices and even civilian pay scales could have been frozen during the war. I do remember that some, if not all manufacturing was supposed to be on a cost plus 10 percent basis. Would discourage profiteering. Income taxes were very high, reaching near confiscation rates in the top bracket though filing wasn't even required for those in the lower pay brackets.
ReplyDeleteTom
nice looking vehicle but such a far cry from modern day ambulances!!
ReplyDelete:D~
here, fundraising works if it involves health and/or kids. aside from those, meh...
and perhaps i could broach the subject of that fundraising for my retirement...
;)~
HUGZ
These are such interesting photos and commentary. Here in the UK the Ambulance, Police and Fire Services are Government (i.e. taxpayer funded) but the Lifeboats - surely another emergency service - are supported by charity donations and manned entirely by volunteers.
ReplyDeleteI loved the stamp stuck on the postcard upside down!
Great Sepia post. Best thanks.
There was something so very intriguing about those old ambulances and such....today I think they are so cool, but as a child I used to be very afraid of them all...especially the hearses! great post...hope you are enjoying yourselves even with the work you must accomplish!
ReplyDeleteIn My local town (Hebden Bridge) we still fund raise for a local Air-Ambulance. I always thought it would look cool to be ferried away in one!
ReplyDeleteAlthough,I have to say, the Ambulance you show looks even classier!
Pat,
ReplyDeleteI actually am working on a history project for the tri-cities fire departments.And actually got to make copies of the programs and photos you donated back. They were amazing and very thoughtful. A lot of the times the photos just get thrown away by the families, so thank you
James, thanks for stopping by. I sent FD#1 many of the photos, etc because I hated to just toss them...and the Western PA convention was held there last year, so I figured someone would get a kick out of them...contact me if there is anything else I can dig out for you. I believe it was Matt Sobecki at FD#1 to whom I sent the stuff. He arranged pallbearers at Uncle Carl"s funeral.
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