Victory Gardens Under Water; Byrnes Stops Racing, Vol. 1, No. 7, Tuesday, March 27, 1945

I would like to have been standing right at your side when you tore open the envelope and saw you unfold this sheet and hear you say "It's been a hell of a long time between Belches."

Well, it has. But why it hasn't reached you sooner is all my fault. Benton and Kroner can't get this under way till I get my noggin to work and think up enough nonsense to fill this sheet. So hand the blame on the old Neighbor.

There is no need of me telling you that there won't be such a long delay between this and the next issue for I don't know. Anytime the notion strikes me and I have the time and material to make a new edition, I will.

Today is a holiday as far as the Water Works is concerned. Washington's Birthday and a brutal day it is. The weather is turning much colder, and it is quite windy, so the best place for me is home and the next best thing is this to you.

Photo Credit: River Downs.com

There is no sense in me going out on a day like this when there is no bang tails to make a wager on. Who knows but that Mr. Byrnes had me in mind when he called a national holiday on all horse racing. Any of you birds who ever made a trip to River Downs or old Latonia with me know that I couldn't pick out Man 'O War out of a bunch of selling platers. Well, I'm still just as good. How some people like Simon and Andy McGimsey could go to the track and come home with the sheckles is beyond me. I remember well one trip I made to Latonia with Andy. When the day was over they didn't have enough money to pay him off so they gave him a few pailings off the fence and a couple of flower pots. You just can't beat some people.

I hear over the grapevine that Andy would give his interest in hell for a few good cigars. Well, we can't have everything. After all we gave Andy to the Air Corps, so what more does our nation expect?

Things along the avenue have been so-so. Many plans are being laid for the coming spring and summer and the anticipated activities in the victory gardens. Right now the river is a little past the 55-ft mark and where it will stop is something else. Our local papers tell us there is considerable snow and ice upstream that still has to pass us. Our garden plots are now situated under quite a bit of water at the present time.

The East End has garden plots honoring all veterans from the East End (2012)
Photo Credit: Bryan Phillips

Say, by the way, we sent all you fellows an invitation to join us in an old-fashioned mulligan served at our gardens with the ingredients taken from our Victory Gardens. Well, where the hell were you? Now as Jimmy Durante would say, "I'll tell you what I'm going to do." Right here and now, I'm going to extend to you that same invitation for this fall. How about it, can we count on you? Can't you birds get together and end this whole mess before winter rolls around? There should be some  of you guys who rate a trip home due to 24 months away, even if you can't end it. But get on the ball. Lets wipe the whole damn bunch of rats off the face of the earth and get back where you belong. If this keeps up, Benton and I are going to enlist and then watch what takes place.

But all joking aside, keep punching gang, and God grant that you all get back safe and sound. We miss every one of you.

Visitors - Vol. 1, No. 5, Tuesday, September 19, 1944

This is one item that your editor gets a hell of a big kick out of writing. Every time one of the gang hits the Blue Room, you can see all of us brighten up. It's hard to say which is the happier, we at home or the one who returns. So give us a real thrill -- all of you hurry home.

Well, we have lots to be happy about this time, so we will give you the rundown and hope we don't miss anyone. Lt. Frank Dorr, Frank Feldhues, Harry Geiger, Tom Higgins, Al Kroner, Tony Grassel, Eddie Ford, Joe Murphy, Walter Cooper, Joe Fischer, Loretta Miller, Lt. James Hoctor, and Tommy Trummel.

Joe Pharo and Bud Kessen from the South Pacific. Maybe you think that they weren't happy to be here. Joe came in from New Caledonia to San Francisco by plane, a distance of some 6000 miles, and believe it or not, he met Staff Sgt. Andy McGimsey in the Fiji Islands en route. He stopped in Hawaii and tried to get J. Prinzbach on the phone, but he was told that Doc had made a small move. Hobart Mastin is home to stay. He was shipped out of Arizona to Cincy due to the 38-year age limit. There was one visitor home who did not visit the Blue Room, and that was Cpl. Laverne Leverenz of the Marines. Why, we don't know. Maybe it was Geiger's fault. But the next time, either you call or else.

Ray Kroner is home for 22 days after being wounded in action in the Pacific. Bill Connors also was reported seriously wounded in the European theater.

Purely Personal, Vol. 1, No. 3, Sunday, April 23, 1944

Ding Ding Fennessy still roves the streets of our fair city at the controls of the rambling wrecks called street cars. He is now on the prowl for a milk wagon, and when he hits it, I will let you know.

We had an old-fashioned poker game a few Sundays ago and Homer Marksberry slipped in a pinochle deck for the first hand. You can imagine what happened. Bill Pruhs could have won it with an ace full only he had three red aces in his hand. I never saw so much raising in one pot in all my life.The lowest hand was an ace high straight. Andy McGimsey should have been here.

Father Dillon did a swell job of a half hour broadcast over WKRC on Sunday, March 19th.

Doggie Benton moved from 3A to 3AH on Sunday, March 26th. Yeah, the Dog is now 38 (so he says). Ramrod Herking was right, the Dog will be standing in back of that same bar when the music stops and the smoke of battle has cleared away.

The Saturday nights at the Blue Room are not much to write about.They're a lot tamer and less action than of old. We need you birds to inject that old Blue Room spirit into the old place again. All I hope is that I'm in the clear when you "take off" so I don't get trampled in the rich.

Inside Pharo's Cafe
Photo Credit: Mark Pharo via Bryan Phillips

Visitors, Vol.1, No. 1, Monday, January 24, 1944

We were happy to have home some of our friends and neighbors during the holiday season. Helen Schaefer, a member of the WACs, was home in early December and looked like a million, said it was the only life. Loretta Miller, our other member of the WAC's couldn't make it home, so Herb went to her camp to spend a few days with her.

Old "Rose Petal" Andy McGimsey hit town about Dec. 22nd and 23rd, and believe me gang, Sgt. McGimsey let no grass grow under his feet. Then to top it all off, the "Action Man" Harry Geiger showed up. Andy had to leave on the 27th, but Geiger carried on till Jan. 3rd. Marine Private Jimmy "Red" Kroner got in Thursday, Dec.30th. Jim just finished his boot training and was home for ten days. The old red head looks fit as a fiddle. Ray "Inky" Kroner was home from Great Lakes over the holidays. When he returned, he was sent to Shoemaker, California. Bill Conners was supposed to be in but hasn't showed as yet.

Mary Pharo Meldon dressed in uniform belonging to Helen Schaefer (along with Helen Schaefer)

Anthony Grassel was home for a 10 day leave. Mike Sheehy and Bob Hostor were in the Blue Room Sat., January 8th. Mike is in the Army and Bob in the Navy. Al Kroner was inducted in the Navy Jan. 22nd. He spent a week at home here in Cincy from Indianapolis.

Photo Credit: The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project

Marie Pharo, Todee, Mary Pharo Meldon
From the Collection of Mary Pharo Meldon