Chapter 27, Section 3: Americans in Wartime (The Home Front) Main Idea: Despite economic sacrifices, as well as discrimination faced by certain groups, Americans pulled together as never before to help defeat the enemy.

A. Mobilizing the Home Front Combat Training §10 million soldiers were drafted & another 6 million enlisted. §Army, navy & air bases are built all over the country, where recruits were trained to fight in various climates: jungle, desert, farmland. §Women served in all military branches, but in non-combat roles. l WAACs = Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps, WAVEs = Navy version l Female pilots trained other pilots & transported bombers to different bases. A Miracle of Production §The government controlled the economy during WWII, setting prices, negotiating with labor unions, and organizing production. §The War Production Board helped factories shift from consumer to war production (cars to tanks & trucks, etc.) EJ Shoes = combat boots. §Rationing put limits on how much people could buy of certain goods., such as coffee, sugar, meat, & gas. This would ensure that there would be enough for everyone (coupon books were used to keep track). §Victory gardens were planted by many to combat food shortages. §The government raised taxes & sold war bonds to raise $ for the war. l Movie stars participated in bond drives & boosted patriotic spirit. §The demand for war goods ended the Great Depression & put people back to work, making planes, ships, tanks, weapons, etc. in factories.

Paying for the War

B. Women in the Wartime Economy §Women responded to the urgent demand for labor by replacing men who joined the armed services. l Almost 5 million women enter the workforce during WWII, working in offices & factories as welders & heavy equipment operators. §“Rosie the Riveter,” a fictional character, was the symbol for women who worked in factories during WWII. §The need for female workers during the war helped them earn better pay, as well. l The government supported equal pay for men & women doing the same job, but employers often found ways to get around this. §Working in factories gave many women a new sense of confidence & changed peoples’ perceptions of what women could or could not do. l “I will never regret my two years in the shipping yards. It gave me a good start in life. I decided I could do anything…”

C. African Americans at War §The “Double V” Campaign pursued victory over the enemies overseas (war) & victory over discrimination at home (racism). Fighting Discrimination at Home §Many factory signs went from “No Help Wanted” to “Help Wanted, Whites Only” during the war. §A. Philip Randolph threatened to lead a march on Washington if something wasn’t done about the job discrimination that African-Americans faced. l Fearful that such a demonstration might be used by Hitler, the gov’t ordered all businesses w/ gov’t contracts to end it. §Increased job & housing competition from black workers often led to racial tension in cities, which sometimes resulted in race riots (Detroit, NYC). Courage Under Fire §While FDR helped lessen discrimination in hiring, he refused to end segregation in the military. l Black troops served in all-black units led by white officers. §Dorie Miller earned the Navy Cross for PH. §The Tuskegee Airmen were African-American fighter pilots who destroyed or damaged over 400 enemy aircraft.

D. A Calamity for Japanese Americans Forced Relocation §After Pearl Harbor, Japanese Americans living on the West Coast (over 110,000) were forced to sell their homes & businesses, and go to camps in desolate areas of the interior because of suspicion by other Americans l No evidence of disloyalty has ever been found. §In the camps, they lived in crowded barracks behind barbed wire. Many were US citizens. §Why singled out? … Racism? Jealousy? In the Service §Despite the unfair treatment of their families, many young Japanese American men served in the armed forces when given the chance. l The 442nd Nisei regiment became the most decorated military unit in US history. §In 1988 (45 years later), the US government finally apologized for the WWII internment camps & paid each survivor $20,000. l Unfortunately, the damage done was far worse.