Not to take anything away from our service guys, but I've been going through the Popular Science war years issues lately. Folks at home were doing their part.

Besides the things that we've all heard before, I was surprised to find some of the following:

Anybody with a decent home shop was urged to contract the government for potential jobs. I have no idea how many home shops signed on, but some percentage of small parts were made by individuals. The mag featured sign up forms.

They also had detailed instructions for fitting your car with blackout gear. I THINK that was confined to the coasts. I've never heard anything about it here in Minny.

There was an article showing details for modifying your Ford/Chev to run on fewer cylinders. The author had numbers to show how much precious rationed gas he saved.

I was also listening to an old Groucho Marx tape from just after the war. It included actual commercials-- one of which stated that they still needed people to bring in fat for making soap.

And, I believe that the national speed limit was 35 mph.

Nothing near actual combat, but they knew that there was a war on.

hj

 

That's a great point HJ! During WWII, there was a great deal of personal sacrifice on the home front to help ensure that our troops had what they needed to carry war to the enemy.

Think people of today's "I have to have it now" would be so willing to sacrifice and to work so hard to keep our war machine running?

I'm not convinced that people of means made those sacrifices but everyday working folks damned sure did.

 

True, Tim! and parents taught kids values morals while everyone did their part and rationed and sacrificed. I would like to think that Americans would rise to the occasion again today, if need be.

 

They did...my mother riveted the skin on the tail of B17's from the fuselage going back for eight feet...I still have some of her tools ..EVERYONE committed to support...a bit different time of he world.

 

I like to think so. You have to look at the times. The Germans had rebuilt a mighty war machine after everybody thought that they were down for the count. Then, despite FDR, the country was not doing well. And to top it off, the Japanese took out a good chunk of the Navy.

Plus, it's got to get your attention when they shut down the auto industry so that they can build tanks and bombers.

I'd say that people were pretty much scared. Hell, the politicians were even cooperating.


hj

 

During WWII, my grandfather worked in the local ship yard and my great uncle was chasing Gen. Patton around the world.

War bond - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Throughout the war, my grandfather bought a slew of war bonds. In the 50's, he had amassed enough to convert them in and pay cash for a brand new Ford pick up truck. That must have been a happy day for him.

 

My mother's dad (in his 40's at the time, and with two children!) somehow got drafted and was posted stateside doing guard duty at a POW camp. Grandma worked at the local hospital in the kitchen, and in her spare time (I really can't picture her having any... she was on the go pretty much all the time, as I remember) she volunteered for Red Cross work.

My dad's father was only in his late 20's, had two kids, but was'nt drafted, and when he tried to volunteer his service, he was told that his experience as a farmer was more valuable to the war effort. He and my great-grandfather, who served on his county draft board, raised cattle and hogs which they sold to the government to feed the troops. Grandad also had a tractor repair shop, where he kept his neighbour's iron in running condition so they could continue farming and feeding the troops. Grandad and great-grandpa used to tell the stories of how they would have to make or adapt parts to keep the tractors and other equipment running, because there were no spares to be had. My grandmother served as a secretary for the draft board, and one of my great-uncles (grandad's younger brother) landed on the beach in Normandy (on grandad's birthday!), went on to fight the Battle of the Bulge, and fought on into Germany where his unit met up with the Russians who had fought their way from the East.

Heroes were'nt only on the front lines. Scratch the surface, and you'll find stories like this in pretty much every family's history.

 

We need more stories ..

 

My Grandma worked in a factory that built aircraft instruments for the cockpit, good eyes and steady hands were essential.
Grand dad was "vacationing" in Italy, just behind (and sometimes ahead of) the German Army.

 

With everyone dispising Hitler now, they don't see what he done.

Germany had the depression like everyone else BUT they also had to pay back the WAR DEBT. Germany really had it rough, people's daughters had to sell their bodies to make money and kids had to look through trash for food.

Hitler came to power and within a few years or so....boom. Germany was an economic powerhouse (with the most technological military ever and also gave the world new technology WHICH also gace us our cellphones since the Germans were looking into the Space deal during the 1930s-1940s OR giving us the first jet fighter and best damn weapons ever EVEN THE NIGHT VISION) while the rest of the world was still in the depression (and they didn't have to pay back debts like Germany did). Only WW2 brought the rest of the countries out of their depression.

If people had the intentions as Hitler did in caring for his people like he did (don't bring up the WW2 crap because the Allies really wanted to start another war and also stop oil production to the Japs which made them attack the US since the US blocked the Jap oil thus hurting the Jap economy and people) or gave speeches like he did then this country would be standing up. I mean, he promoting agriculture and forestry, he promoted motherhood and good wives, he promoted a workforce TO WORK. HE PROMOTED NATIONALIST IDEALS WHICH WOULD MADE THE WORLD KEEP TO THEIR PEOPLE AND LET THEM RULE THEIR PEOPLE AS THEY WANT AND KEEP PRIDE TO THEIR PEOPLE INSTEAD OF TAKING OVER AND DESTROYING OF HOW WE WERE MADE AND HOW THEY WANT TO THINK FOR THEIRSELVES!


I was thinking today though about Vietnam. It's strange. The US and British and French allied with Russian during WW2. Russia, a communist state then. Yet later on during the 60s everyone was being afraid of communism and they looked on how it was taking over Asia and spreading West. Yet during WW2 Hitler and what few allies the Axis had were trying to fight against Communism and its spread. The Allies didn't care for one bit about it....until the 60s and then we lost alot of people and in the end basically lost Vietnam to the Vietcong. YET if only they allied with the Axis and fought against Russia and Communism then the Vietnam war would have never happen. Then maybe all the Russians who raped millions of German women during WW2 would have never happen. Then maybe all of the people the Communist murder over the years until the 90s would never been killed. But no one cared.they thought Hitler was wrong yet the Allies didn't see their wrong doing and their past wrong doings.

But anyways, look at us here today....our politicians are to busy fussing like kids and us getting involved in wars we shouldn't while our country falls apart slowly.



That was my opinion. We may look different at it but that is you. But happy Memorial day.

 

What would this world be like without a "Hogan's Heroes".

 

The only job that my grandmother ever held outside the house was during WWII...she worked second shift in a local factory supporting the war effort. Her full time job was raising her 8 children. Boy...it sure was a different world then.