This country is currently waging a great war against the forces of terrorism with thousands of our sons and daughters deployed across the globe; almost all of them will miss spending Thanksgiving with their families. It was like this during other wartime Thanksgivings as well.

Since we just observed the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I, it might be interesting to start off with 1917. At Thanksgiving 1917, thousands of troops were already pouring across the Atlantic Ocean to fight the “dreaded Hun” in France. The public locally was mobilized to support the war effort, and many local young men were flocking to the colors to join up. There were also Liberty Loan drives being conducted.

Archibald Hoagland was serving as Mayor of Williamsport.

The Gazette and Bulletin published a “Thanksgiving Shopping Guide that advertised such items and businesses such as Ed Horn’s West End City Market House that sold “the finest fruits and vegetables. Electric ranges were offered for sale by the Northcentral Gas Company. A Thanksgiving feast could be had at the Windsor Café for one dollar, and Wakenhut’s was selling quality ice cream.

Thanksgiving food costs were more expensive because of the wartime emergency. A turkey sold for 40 cents a pound, more expensive than turkeys sold in Elmira, N.Y. or Scranton. Butter and egg prices were also higher that year.

Entertainment locally had the Majestic Theater offering “A wide variety of vaudeville. A big holiday show.” The Orpheum had the ‘photoplay,’ “The Man From Montana.” And the Hippodrome had Fannie Ward starring in “On the Level.”

The Williamsport High School gridders beat Bellefonte 27-6, and Penn State beat archrival Pitt 28-6.

The Gazette and Bulletin wrote of the holiday, “Williamsport spent a quiet Thanksgiving despite the fact that these are war times. The day was notable for the number of soldier boys who came home from training camps for the holiday. The theaters were filled afternoon and evening, and the football game in the afternoon drew a good crowd.”

America was at war again 75 years ago at Thanksgiving 1943. American forces were engaged in hard fighting in Africa. The Red Army had started to drive back the German Army from Russian soil, and in the Pacific, the Marines were fighting a bloody battle on Tarawa and had just retaken the island of Makin.

Locally, the people here were doing their utmost to support the war effort purchase of War Bonds, and their gathering of tin, grease, and other recyclable items. Young men and women were responding with great ardor to the call of their country. Leo Williamson was serving as Mayor of Williamsport.

At the theaters in Williamsport that Thanksgiving, Deanna Durbin was starring in “His Butler’s Sister” at the Capitol Theater. The Rialto had “Girl Crazy” starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, and the Keystone had Roy Rogers in “A Man And His Music.”

At Acme markets bread was selling for 17 cents a loaf, turkey was selling for 52 cents a pound, cranberries were selling for 25 cents a pound, you could get three pounds of sweet potatoes for 25 cents.

In Thanksgiving Day grid action Art Pursell’s Williamsport Millionaires lost 3-0 to Steelton, and Jersey Shore and Lock Haven played to a 6-6 tie.

At Thanksgiving 1950 the United States was at war in Korea. General MacArthur had boastfully claimed that the troops would be home by Christmas. They had just launched an attack causing North Korean forces to reel back toward the Manchurian border. About five days after Thanksgiving the Red Chinese made it a whole new war sending thousands of their troops across the Manchurian border into North Korea causing a widespread retreat by American and United Nations forces. It would take more than six months for the front to stabilize and for the war to bog down into a stalemate.

Many local soldiers were called to action in Korea when the Pennsylvania National Guard was called into federal service.

Leo Williamson was in his 10th year as Mayor of Williamsport.

In the local theaters that Thanksgiving, Leo Gorcey and the Bowery Boys were starring in “Blues Busters” at the Karlton Theater. The Ritz in Muncy was playing “Sunset Boulevard,” starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson. “King Solomon’s Mines” starring Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger was at the Rialto, and the Capitol had “The Jackpot” with Jimmy Stewart and Barbara Hale.

Williamsport High School culminated an undefeated football season and won a share of the Central Penn championship by beating Steelton on touchdowns by Earl Yost, Ray Sye, and David Anderson.

Turkey sold for 41 cents a pound; potatoes were 33 cents for a 15-pound bag. You could get four pounds of sweet potatoes for 25 cents.

The Vietnam War was raging at its height at Thanksgiving 1967. The big battle at Dak To had just ended with a cost of 246 American lives and more than 860 wounded. It was the largest sustained battle of the war up to that time. Locally, many draftees and some who enlisted were seeing action in Vietnam, and tragically some of them were losing their lives and sustaining serious wounds.

Raymond Knaur was serving as Mayor of Williamsport. Santa was supposed to arrive in downtown Williamsport on the day after Thanksgiving and would have his headquarters at the plaza at the Lycoming County Courthouse.

On movie screens locally, Frank Sinatra was starring in “Tony Rome” at the Rialto. “Cool Hand Luke,” starring Paul Newman was at the Capitol and at the State was Elvis Presley in “Clambake.”

A Thanksgiving buffet at the Holiday Inn on the Golden Strip cost $3.95. The A&P had turkey at 32 cents a pound for turkeys over 20 pounds, two cans of cranberries cost 39 cents. Jane Parker bread cubes cost 27 cents for a 12-ounce bag and eggnog was 59 cents a quart.