By D-Day in June of 1944, "There were very fewpeople from my class left at Harvard, and most howwere there were not there by choice," Carens says.

Radcliffe students as well were part of the wareffort, with many enrolled in Women Accepted forVoluntary Emergency Service (WAVES) and working involunteer efforts for the Red Cross and otherorganizations.

"Many of my classmates were recruited into the[United service Organizations] and attended dancesand ate with military men in Boston," Ginny Hayes'44 says.

Eva Marie Bendix Leonard '44 recalls "programsgiven by the Red Cross where we learned aboutdifferent kinds of bombs."

Hard to Focus

In such a military atmosphere, it was hard forstudents to focus on anything other than the war.

"Hearing air force and navy troops marching upand down the streets near our dorms were constantreminders of the war," Edward T. Wentworth Jr.'44-'43 says. "It was a regular topic ofconversation during meals and at the libraries."

Eustis says the Harvard social life changedtoo, as more and more students departed.

"When I first came to Harvard there were a lotof social events taking place. There were dances,athletic events and other forms of entertainment,"he says. "But when we went to war, changesoccurred, mainly because so many of us wereleaving for war."

The social atmosphere at Radcliffe was alsoaffected as the war progressed, alumnae say.

"Classes before us had junior and senior proms.All of those were cancelled when we entered thewar," Hayes says. "The attention shifted away fromHarvard and was placed on the war."

Wartime rationing of gas and food added to theomnipresent awareness of the overseas battles.

"You couldn't go anywhere because of gasrationing," Drake says. "We all stayed on campusfor entertainment. Most of us were just waitingfor the call to go to war."

Some students tried to experience collegenormally, despite their looming military service.

"Everyone knew they would eventually dosomething for the war," Lyman G. Bullard '44-'43says, "but while they were here, things werebusiness as usual."