Readers Remember

Whenever I sit in a state-of-the-art hair salon, I think back to my 13th year in the summer of 1935--the year of my first permanent wave.

A neighbor in the next block had an electric permanent waving machine set up in her living room.

The machine was a tall stand with electrical cords dangling. Each cord had a clamp in which parts of your hair were enclosed. After all the clamping, the “stylist” stood by with a bellows that she continuously opened and closed to cool the clamps and to avoid any singeing. And voila! A head full of tight, frizzy curls! All this for only $3.98!

HELEN KLEIN

Santa Monica

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My vivid memories of the Japanese occupation of the Philippines have shaped my life. I spent my early childhood running from one hiding place to another. Our evacuation place was bombed on Nov. 11, 1944.

As a 7-year-old, I remember my Mama lay dead a few meters away from where my older siblings and I sought shelter. A younger brother lay badly wounded in my mother’s arms. He later died of his wounds.

The bomb seemed to have been directly aimed at our evacuation shelter. Since Papa was part of the underground guerrillas who fought the Japanese, it seemed like our family was a target! My father later became a member of the First Congress of the Philippines. To this day, I still shed tears when I see war movies.

LINDA MARIA NIETES-LITTLE

Rancho Palos Verdes

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In 200 words or less, send us your memories, comments or eyewitness accounts of the 20th century. Write to Century, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, CA 90053, or e-mail century@latimes.com. Letters may be edited for space.