Waltons 6.9: “The Battle of Drucilla’s Pond”

Airdate: 11/17/77

Soldiers are stationed at tranquil Drucilla’s Pond for training maneuvers, and the war seems to get closer and closer to Walton’s Mountain. Unwilling to face this reality, Olivia turns to painting some of natural, still-unspoiled sights in the area, and even enters a few of her works at a local competition. While not winning, she is surprised to learn they had been purchased… and even more surprised to find that the purchaser is Zeb himself, who wanted her captured images preserved for posterity.

Meanwhile Curtis is among those stationed at Drucilla’s Pond, and visits Mary Ellen. As Aimee Godsey and Elizabeth practice tap-dancing for a patriotic recital, Ike continues to get into his role as a civil defense volunteer, and helps orchestrate a disaster-simulation drill.

Solid war-themed entry is also more episodic, with many references to previous

war-related events (death of G.W., drafting of Curtis, etc). Many soldiers as extras are featured here, also a sign that a greater emphasis on the war is forthcoming. Scene in which a bomb blast knocks Jason’s picture off the wall and breaks it has potential symbolic foreshadowing.

In this episode Chance the cow gives birth to a calf, and it is now June of 1940 as Curtis imparts the bleak news that Paris has fallen to the Nazis.