Summer School - American History MCCMXLII
Submitted by
Albin Johnson
- July 25, 2005
Summer School - American History MCCMXLII
Discuss the following words with anyone under the age of 60, especially grand children!
The Home Front, FDR, Rosie, Recycling, Rationing, Civil Defense, Blackouts, V Mail, A B C Gas Stamps, Savings Bonds
(Match the words with the pictures)
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Summer School - American History MCCMXLII
Answers
Gas
was rationed because the Japanese had first invaded So East Asia and
controlled the rubber plantations which produced the latex for tires.
So we needed to cut back on unnecessary driving, makes sense? The A B C
windshield stickers identified the driver as needing more or less
gasoline to do his or her job. Farmers and many truckers got A's. They
could usually get all they needed. A side note was that an estimated
32,500 drivers were arrested for trying to use forged stickers and
coupons. Other imported products such as sugar and coffee were
rationed. Butter, don't know why, but fats were collected and also
rationed because they were used in making explosives. This is when Oleo
cam into being. Metals, especially aluminum ware was collected in wire
bins placed on our street corners downtown. I suspect many a sharp
metal dealer got rich as the average home owner didn't get any money
for these donations. Savings bond stamps were easier for young people
to buy rather than spending $25 - $100 to buy bonds. V mail was
invented so families and service people could easily and quickly
correspond with loved ones. A special form was used (it limited the
amount of writing) that then could be photographed and reduced into a
film form to conserve space and weight and able to be flown easier and
faster and then processed into smaller letters..
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The Red Cross was recruited and worked with schools to provide items
for the GI's. I specifically remember, knitted face masks, stocking
caps, scarves and socks for the G I's. Rosie the Riveter was the
by-word for the newly liberated housewife who went to work in defense
plants. Minonk's local chicken hatchery could no longer use Japanese
specialists to identify the sex of new born chicks. (they were the
enemy I guess!!)And Libby's in Eureka used German prisoners of war to
help harvest and can vegetables, another case where someone may have
gotten richer! (I once met an ex Nazi in Germany who had worked there)
Art K's dad was a Civil Defense Officer in Minonk and if directed would
walk the neighborhoods to see if people had been told to hold a
Blackout of visible lights. I'm not sure about all this HOME FRONT
involvement, but when all the young guys were called up and the
seriousness of the two-front war came evident by the military trains
and truck convoys driving through downtown Minonk, folks were just
downright patriotic!! I don't think you can muster that kind of
dedication for our Iraqi involvement today!!! |
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