The term “Blitzkrieg” means “lightning war” and was used to describe the German military advances during the first half of World War II. It was devastating to all who stood in its way. By the late 1950s, the term was commonly used to describe what was happening to the Valley of Hearts Delight.
In the 1930s, due to the Great Depression, very few homes were built in the Santa Clara Valley. During the war, almost no homes were built due to government restrictions on materials. The net result was a fifteen year housing back-long, without taking into account the needs of the thousands of GIs and other newcomers from other parts of the country who moved into the Valley shortly after the war.
Add to this scene two additional matters: First, banks were very hesitant to loan money. Second, the state in general, and the Valley in particular, did not have the infrastructure in place to allow for much in the way of new building to accommodate the people who were streaming in.
The uncertainty of the times after the end of the war could hardly be exaggerated. No one knew what was going to happen. Would there be more depression? Would the GIs who were new to the…show more content… Scuffy was a little toy tugboat that the man with the polka dot tie brought home for his little boy to play with in the bathtub. Scuffy felt being in the tub was beneath him and complained, “I was meant for bigger things!” Even after the man with the polka dot tie and his little boy took Scuffy out to float in the little brook near their house, Scuffy was cross and said, “I was meant for bigger things!” So Scuffy ran away down the brook, which flowed into a larger stream, and then into a river, which became a bigger river, which flowed into the mighty ocean. Poor Scuffy got in way over his head! The story has a happy ending because Scuffy was eventually rescued by the man with the polka dot
