I’m no longer a young man, but I was one once. I was thinking about all of this foofaraw about toilet paper and supplies. If you’ll humor me I’ll tell you a little story.

My father was a tail-gunner during WWII. The life expectancy of a tail-gunner on a B-17 bomber was 5 missions. He was 19 years old. He flew 16 missions that he got credit for but he actually flew many more. Back then if your bombs missed the target or your plane got so shot to pieces that it couldn’t make it’s run, you didn’t get credit for that mission, but you flew it just the same. What was even worse, you had to go back the next day and try again. Their squadron lost crew members frequently, mostly other tail-gunners. His older brother was a Marine stationed in the Pacific at the same time.

My mother had 3 brothers, that were all deployed at the same time. She and my aunts all went to work for Badger ammunition making bullets and other explosives. There were multiple fatalities at the plant, due to chemical poisonings and accidental explosions.

All food, supplies and produce was rationed. You couldn’t even buy stockings, because they needed the nylon for airplane tires. They were the greatest generation hands down.

Cut to my own youth. I served in the Army 1971-1973. Each man carried 40-50 pounds counting our packs and ordinance, (bullets). Meal times were a box of C-rations. In a box of rations, there was a box with two chiclets, (chewing gum), a pack of four cigarettes, (usually Lucky Strikes), a can of Spam or tuna casserole, a can of pineapple upside-down-cake all served cold, and two sheets of toilet paper. There was a small can opener, (P-38) and an instruction sheet on how to wipe your butt with only two sheets of toilet paper. That was it.

Now I see all the stories about toilet paper and I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Let’s get serious here people.

ck is everybody doing with 32 rolls of toilet paper? C’mon people we can do this.