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From Munitions to Mass Consumption: America After WWII
In late 1940 for the United States to serve as the “arsenal of democracy,” American industry had stepped up to meet the challenge. U.S. factories built to mass-produce automobiles had retooled to churn out airplanes, engines, guns and other supplies at unprecedented rates. At the peak of its war effort, in late 1943 and early 1944, the United States was manufacturing almost as many munitions as all of its allies and enemies combined.
On the home front, the massive mobilization effort during World War II had put Americans back to work. Unemployment, which had reached 25 percent during the Great Depression and hovered at 14.6 percent in 1939, had dropped to 1.2 % by 1944 — still a record low in the nation’s history.
Bendix ad, 1947
With the war wrapping up, and millions of men and women in uniform scheduled to return home, the nation’s military-focused economy wasn’t necessarily prepared to welcome them back. As Arthur Herman wrote in his book, Freedom’s Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II, U.S. businesses at the time were still “geared around producing tanks and planes, not clapboard houses and refrigerators.”
Veterans had no trouble finding jobs, according to Herman. U.S. factories that had proven so essential to the war effort quickly mobilized for peacetime, rising to meet the needs of consumers who had been encouraged to save up their money in preparation for just such a post-war boom.
With the war finally over, American consumers were eager to spend their money, on everything from big-ticket items like homes, cars and furniture to appliances, clothing, shoes and everything else in between. U.S. factories answered their call, beginning with the automobile industry. New car sales quadrupled between 1945 and 1955, and by the end of the 1950s some 75 % of American households owned at least one car. In 1965, the nation’s automobile industry reached its peak, producing 11.1 million new cars, trucks and buses and accounting for one out of every six American jobs.
Levittown, NY, 1947
Residential construction companies also mobilized to capitalize on a similar surge in housing demand, as Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans and the GI Bill gave many (but not all) returning veterans the ability to buy a home. Companies like Levitt & Son, based in New York, found success applying the mass-production techniques of the auto industry to home building. Between 1946 and the early 1960s, Levitt & Son built three residential communities (including more than 17,000 homes), finishing as many as 30 houses per day.
Studebaker, 1946
New home buyers needed appliances to fill those homes, and companies like Frigidaire (a division of General Motors) responded to that need. During the war, Frigidaire’s assembly lines had transitioned to building machine guns and B-29 propeller assemblies. After the war, the brand expanded its home appliance business, introducing revolutionary products like clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers and garbage disposals.
Frigidaire, 1946
Driven by growing consumer demand, as well as the continuing expansion of the military-industrial complex as the Cold War ramped up, the United States reached new heights of prosperity in the years after World War II.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
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Military Humor – Home Front style
“I understand you’ve been riveting in you name and address.”
“Housing shortage or no housing shortage – that’s going too far!”
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Farewell Salutes –
Land of the Free, because of people like these
Elery W. Albertson – San Bernardino, CA; US Army, Cpl.
Charles D. Barbour – New Haven, CT; US Army
Gary D. Belcher – Bald Knob, WV; US Air Force, Vietnam, DFC, Bronze Star, Signal Corps / Air Intel Security, Russian linguist, cryptanalyst
Marthe Cohn (105) – Metz, FRA; French Resistance, WWII, ETO, nurse, spy
Vaughn Drake (106) – Lexington, KY; US Army, WWII, PTO, engineer, Pearl Harbor survivor & Saipan
Douglas W. Dyke – Brooklyn, NY; US Navy, Vietnam, USS Midway & Enterprise, machinist mate
Howard L. Hasselkaus – Elmore, OH; US Army, WWII, PTO, Sgt., POW, DWC (Cabanatuan Camp, Luzon, Grave 807)
Jerry A. Morgan – Independence, MO; US Navy, Vietnam, USS Midway
Jay W. North Jr. – Los Angeles, CA; US Navy, USS Iwo Jima & Dixie / Actor
William C. Sharp – Monroe, NJ; US Navy, USS Midway & Leyte, landing signal officer
Ken Stevens (102) – Powers, OR; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS Whitney
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BEER and the MILITARY WWII
During WWI, the U.S. struggled to supply “the comforts of home” to the Doughboys. The Red Cross and various other groups helped, but it wasn’t enough. During WWII, the U.S. government was determined to do a better job and reserved a certain percentage of comfort items, such as beer and cigarettes, for the servicemen.
Service members could buy such items, along with gum, pop, candy, books, etc. at a PX. When feasible, small mobile PXs were set up, sometimes in the back of jeeps, to supply such items to those on or near the front.
Breweries were required to set aside a 15% of their production for military use. The prohibitionists were still around and active and tried to convince the military to ban alcoholic beverages totally. Instead the military supplied only 3.2% beer to servicemen instead of the 4-7% alcohol content. Theoretically, servicemen could not get drunk on 3.2 beer, but obviously the person who said that never saw the PX after a long desert march. Not every brewer made the 3.2 being as it had to made separately.
During the war, the military used both bottles and cans to send beer overseas. Cans were lighter, more compact and didn’t break as easily as the bottles, but while both glass and metal were rationed, bottles were somewhat easier to replace than cans, so both were used.
At first, the breweries used cans with the same labels as the pre-war cans. All they did was change the tax statement on the label to indicate that the relevant taxes were not applicable. The new statement read, “Withdrawn Free of Internal Revenue Tax for Exportation.” In 1944, the military switched to olive drab cans, apparently in an effort to make the cans more uniform in appearance.
The U.S. began to ease rationing restrictions in late 1945, although it took several years to eliminate all rationing and price controls. Beer cans became available for civilian use again in early 1947, Cab companies began advertising that “the cans are back!”
Beer had long been more popular in the U.S. than ale. Schaefer had been the first brewery to introduce lager beer to the U.S. in the mid 19th Century. By the early 20th Century, only New England drinkers still preferred ale to beer. After WWII, New England tastes switched to match the rest of the country. It is supposed that the returning servicemen developed a taste for beer during the war. The government did not supply much ale as the alcohol content is usually higher in ale than in beer.
Article first appeared in “The Voice of the Angels”, the 11th A/B Division Association newspaper.
Click on images to enlarge.
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SHOUT OUT !!!
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes – 
David R. Annan – Henderson, NZ; RNZ Navy, Chief Petty Officer (Ret.) # NZ708745
Rodney J. Baker – Russellville, AR; USMC, Vietnam
William T. Brothers – Columbia, MO; US Navy, Vietnam, Chief Petty Officer (Ret. 20 y.), USS Midway
Clarence Chastain – Morton’s Gap, KY; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
William L. Coleman (100) – Jaffrey, NH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, Lt., P-47 pilot
James E. Davis – Bloomfield, IA; US Navy, USS Midway
Clarence E. Gibbs – Charlotte, NC; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, Sgt. # 34607086, B-17G top turret gunner, 368BS/306BG/1st Bombardment Division/8th Air Force, POW, KWC (Bingen, GER)
Lawrence E. Himburg – Cincinnati, OH; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
Mel Losoya – Woodland, CA; US Navy, USS Midway
Steven Ludi – Las Vegas, NV; US Navy, USS Ranger, Midway, Jouett & Constellation
Gerald E. Thomas – Shawnee, KS; US Navy, USS Midway, Personnelman
Edward C. Zuke – Blossburg, PA; US Navy, USS Midway
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JUST WHAT THE HECK DAY IS IT?
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SEND IN THE OLD GUYS !
Please remember throughout this post, it is meant to be humorous – don’t anyone be offended – have fun with it!
I am over 60 and the Armed Forces thinks I’m too old to track down terrorists. You can’t be older than 42 to join the military – but they’ve got the whole thing backwards.
Instead of sending 18-year olds off to fight, They ought to take us old guys. You shouldn’t be able to join the military until you’re at least 35. For starters, researchers say 18-year olds think about sex every ten seconds. Old guys only think about sex a couple of times a month, leaving us more than 280,000 additional seconds per day to concentrate on the enemy.
Young guys haven’t lived long enough to be cranky, and a cranky soldier is a dangerous soldier. “My back hurts! I can’t sleep! I’m tired and hungry!” We’re bad-tempered and impatient, and maybe letting us kill some terrorist a**hole that desperately wants to go to ‘Paradise’ anyway will make us feel better and shut us up for a while.
An 18-year old doesn’t even like to get up before 10 a.m. Old guys always get up early to pee, so what the hell. Beside, like I said, I’m tired and can’t sleep and since I’m up already, I may as well be up killing some fanatical SOB.
If captured, we couldn’t spill the beans because we’d forget where we put them. In fact, name, rank and serial number would a real brain-teaser!
Boot camp would be easier for old guys… We’re used to getting screamed and yelled at and we’re used to soft food. We’ve also developed an appreciation for guns. We’ve been using them for years as an excuse to get out of the house and away from all the screaming and yelling!
They could lighten up the obstacle course however…. I’ve been in combat and never saw a single 20-foot wall with a rope hanging over the side, nor did I ever do push-ups after completing basic training.
Actually – The running part is kind of a waste of energy too…. I’ve never seen anyone outrun a bullet!
An 18-year old has the whole world ahead of him. He’s still learning to shave or start a conversation with a pretty girl. He still hasn’t figured out that a baseball cap has a brim to shade his eyes, not the back of his head.
These are all great reasons to keep our kids at home to learn a little more about life before sending them off into harm’s way.
Let us old guys track down those terrorists…. The last thing an enemy would want to see is a couple million hacked-off old farts with bad attitudes and automatic weapons, who know that their best years are already behind them!
Old sailor on the hunt.
HEY!!! How about recruiting women over 50 …. in menopause?! You think men have attitudes? If nothing else, put them on Border Patrol. They’ll have it secured the first night!!
Send this to all your senior friends – make sure it’s in big enough type so they can read it!
Contributed by Trooper Gilbert Wells and published in “The Voice of the Angels” newspaper of the 11th Airborne Division Assoc.
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE.
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
David F. Allen – Auburn, ME; USMC, Korea, Pfc. # 1072362, Co H/3/5/1st Marine Division, KIA (Seoul, SK)
Perry E. Abbott – Mesquite, NV; US Army, Vietnam, radioman
Charles W. Bryant – Cannelton, IN; US Army
Joe E. Davis – Miami, FL; US Air Force
Robert S. Garcia – Conception, TX; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Storekeeper 3rd Class # 3602144, USS California, KIA (Pearl Harbor, HI)
James E. Krapf – Jersey City, NJ; US Navy, Vietnam, USS Midway, Petty Officer
Charles N. Milan – Washington County, MS; US Army, WWII, ETO, Pfc. # 34624764, Co F/2/7/3rd Infantry Division, Bronze Star, KIA (GER)
Olaf J. Olsen – Vincent, IA; US Army, Lebanon (Operation Blue Bat), Pfc., 187/11th Airborne Division
Harvey D. Pace – Provo, UT; US Navy, USS Midway
Lee A. Vivlamore – Chateaugay, NY; US Army, Cpl., 82nd Airborne Division
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Strategy Page’s Military Humor and more….
Military Common Sense Rules
A lot of life’s problems can be explained by the U.S. Military and its applications of common sense …
- “Sometimes I think war is God’s way of teaching us geography.”
(Paul Rodriguez) - “A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher fire when you least expect it. That would make you quite unpopular in what’s left of your unit.”
(Army’s magazine of preventive maintenance ). - “Aim towards the Enemy.”
(Instruction printed on US M79 Rocket Launcher) - When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend.
(U.S. Marine Corps) - Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate. The bombs always hit the ground.
(U.S. Air Force) - If the enemy is in range, so are you.
(Infantry Journal) - It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.
(US Air Force Manual) - Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons.
(Gen. MacArthur) - Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo.
(Infantry Journal) - You, you, and you . . . Panic. The rest of you, come with me.
(Marine Gunnery Sergeant) - Tracers work both ways.
(US Army Ordnance) - Five second fuses only last three seconds.
(Infantry Journal) - Don’t ever be the first, don’t ever be the last, and don’t ever volunteer to do anything.
(US Navy Seaman) - Bravery is being the only one who knows you’re afraid.
(David Hackworth) - If your attack is going too well, you have walked into an ambush.
(Infantry Journal) - No combat ready unit has ever passed inspection.
(Joe Gay) - Any ship can be a minesweeper… once.
(Admiral Hornblower) - Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.
(Unknown Marine Recruit) - Don’t draw fire; it irritates the people around you.
(Your Buddies) - Mines are equal opportunity weapons.
(Army Platoon Sergeant) - If you find yourself in a fair fight, you didn’t plan your mission properly.
(David Hackworth) - Your job is to kill the other person before they kill you so that your national leaders can negotiate a peace that will last as long as it takes the ink to dry.
(Drill Instructor)
23. In the Navy, the Chief is always right.
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More Military Humor –
COMMON SENSE??
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Farewell Salutes –
John J. Baker III – E. Orange, NJ; US Air Force, Vietnam, Colonel (Ret.), 535th Troop Carrier Squadron, Maintenance Officer for Air Force One
Last Flight
William I. Berrier – Ellis County, TX; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, Cpl. # 18007819, 21st Pursuit Sq./24th PG, POW, DWC (Cabanatuan Camp # !, Luzon)
Ernest R. Carkin – Barnstead, NH; US Army, Sgt. (Ret.22 y.),10th Special Forces, Green Beret
Alfred S. Fontes Jr. – Oakland, CA; US Navy, Petty Officer 3rd Class, USS Kitty Hawk, Midway & Bon Homme Richard
George A. Hughes – Meadville, PA; US Navy, USS Midway & Coral Sea
Charles H. Jacoby Jr. – Detroit, MI; US Army, General (Ret. 37 y.), 82nd Airborne Division, West Point Class of ’78
Craig H. Mandeville – Chickasha, OK; US Army, Vietnam, 101st Airborne Division, 2-Silver Stars, 4-Purple Hearts, Lt. Col. (Ret.) / Civilian, Douglas Aircraft
Howard E. O’Dell – Poughkeepsie, NY; US Air Force, Korea, Captain # 800582, F-80 pilot, 36th Fighter Squadron/8th FG/5th Air Force, KIA (Taejon, SK)
Edgardo C. Pantaloni – Camden, NJ; US Navy, USS Midway, radarman
Klaus D. Petzold – Coronado, CA; Civilian, USS Midway Museum volunteer
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Letter XIV “On The Move (again)”
Letter XIV “On the Move” (again)
Dear Mom, We have been at sea now for three days heading toward someplace the Land and the great white father in Washington only knows.
As I sit here writing this, I just can’t help but feel like a very small insignificant part of something so vast that the mind can’t in any way begin to comprehend what it is all about. Here I am on a ship heading out to something, someplace, and it was all planned probably months ago, miles and miles away from anywheres near here. Suddenly it all takes form. Transports and other ships stream into the harbor and just as quickly and quietly we are made loose and moving out. It all happens so fast and so smoothly that you can’t help but admire it all.
Of course, as serious as it all is, the army just can’t help but be the cause of many amusing incidents. When we first landed in New Guinea we got lost looking for our camp and coming down to the boats, the trucks again got lost and so we had to travel up and down the beach until finally, instead of us finding the boats — the boats found us. Climbing up the gangplank with our packs and duffel bags always provide an amusing incident or two, but at the time seem pretty damn dangerous.
On board ship, we are once again packed in like sardines down in the hold. Once shown our bunk, we proceed at once to get rid of our equipment and dash up on deck to pick out some spot where we can spend the night, It isn’t long after this that the details are handed out — and so — what could have been a very pleasant voyage soon turns out to be anything else but. I was lucky in that I was handed a detail that only worked for an hour each day, but the poor guys that hit the broom detail were at it all day long. All we could hear, all day long, over the speaker system was: “Army broom detail, moping and brooms, clean sweep down forward aft, all decks.” They kept it up all the time until soon one of the fellas made up a little ditty about it and sang it every time we saw a broom coming down the deck.
LSTs unload at Leyte
The food was excellent and really worth talking about. On the first trip coming over from the states, we dreaded the thought of eating, but on this ship, it was more than a welcome thought. Generally, when you go to a movie there are news reel pictures of convoys of ships and the men aboard. They always try to show you a few playing cards or joking and say that this is how the boys relieve the tension they are under. Well, I don’t know about the seriousness of the situation was anything like what the news reels portray.
Of course, it was a strange sight to see the boys at night line up at the side scanning the sky and distant horizon. This was generally though at night and early dawn. What we expected to see, I don’t know and what our reaction would be, if we did see something — I hesitate to predict. It won’t be long after this letter is written that we will land or at least sight our destination, so wishing to be wide-awake when we do, I’ll close this letter now and hit the hay hoping I sleep an uninterrupted sleep.
Till next time, “Good night and pleasant dreams.”
Love, Everett
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When the 11th airborne landed at Bito Beach, Leyte, they immediately began to unload the ships. The troopers worked around the clock, even as the tail end of the convoy was being attacked by Zeros. (The Japanese did have other planes, but the G.I.s tended to call them all Zeros.) The beach gradually became an ammo dump as Bito Beach was surrounded by water on three sides and a swamp covered the fourth, it was technically an island and therefore they were unable to move the crates out until the engineers built them some bridges. Throughout all this, air raids were being called which impeded progress all the more.
19 November 1944 – a kamikaze sank one of the transport ships only 1,500 yards offshore. It was left where it sank, sticking partway out of the water. The men used it as a sight to adjust the artillery aimed at the sea.
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Military Humor – 
Scrubbing the decks
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Farewell Salutes –
Wayne K. Barton – Saratoga Springs, NY; USMC / US Army National Guard
WWII Soldier Playing Taps With Flag Horizon. Two other soldiers are saluting.
Thomas F. Durkin (101) – Staten Island, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, B-24 pilot / Korea & Vietnam, (Ret. 20 y.)
John R. Fells (102) – Norwich, CT; US Army Air Corps, WWII / US Merchant Marines / US Army, Korea
John B. Giron – Trinidad, CO; US Navy, USS Kearsarge & Midway
Lloyd Johnson III – Washington, GA; USMC, Captain
John Keener – Boulder City, NV; US Navy, WWII, Korea & Vietnam, Commander (Ret. 29 y.)
Robert B. Ponsford – Torrance, CA; US Army, Afghanistan, Sgt.
Steven D. Sigala – Salinas, CA; US Navy, Vietnam, USS Midway
Thomas J. Slane – Phoenix Park, PA; USMC, Korea & Vietnam / USS Midway, 1st LT (Ret. 21 y.)
Samuel G. Tiller Jr. – NJ; US Army, Korea & Vietnam, Sgt. (Ret 21 y.)
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Naval Tradition @ 1946
With sincere thanks to Jeanne, this post shows what “OUR NAVY’ magazine included as U.S. Naval tradition and humor in their September and December 1946 issues.
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Military Humor –
“When they were building her, there was an argument whether to make her a sub or a carrier, so they compromised.”
“Three battleships on my chest, please.”
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Farewell Salutes –
Nancy Cox Allen (100) – Mansfield, OH; US Navy WAVES, WWII, Yeoman 2nd Class
US Flag at Half-staff, courtesy of Dan Antion
Colin Arslanbas – MO; USMC, SGT., Maritime Special Purpose Force/24th Expeditionary Unit, KWS (Camp Lejeune)
Raymond Casatelli (100) – Utica, NY; US Army, WWII, ETO
Austin Dishmon – Lancaster, CA; US Army, Lithuania, 3rd Infantry Division, KWS
David H. Frank – Colorado Springs, CO; US Air Force, 694 Security Squadron, recon C-130 pilot / Norad, Space Commander, Lt. Colonel (Ret.)
Marcus Jordan – Jacksonville, FL; US Air Force, Senior Airman, 38th Rescue Squadron, KWS (Guam)
Gerald L. Lester – Port Angeles, WA; USMC, Vietnam, Sgt. Major, Purple Heart
Miguel Maya – TX; USMC, Cpl., Avionics technicin, Marine Helicopter Light Attack Training Sq. 303, KWS (Camp Pendleton)
Carl E. Patterson – Falls Church, VA; US Aarmy Air Corps, WWII, B-24 & B-26 pilot / Korea, Air Force Audit Agency / Vietnam, Colonel (Ret. 30 y.)
James L. Shaw – Maplewood, MN; US Army, Sgt. Major
Gary W. Trople – Bozeman, MT; USMC, Vietnam
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Quotes that came out of WWII
New Guinea
True combat power is arms multiplied by fighting spirit
___ Asahi Shimbun
We were all teenagers or barely in our twenties, totally naive to the ways of the world. Our patriotic goal was to get even for Pearl Harbor. All forty-eight states were united. Aviators would be needed to defeat Japan. We were the Flyboys…
___ Pilot Lou Grab, quoted in ‘George Bush: His World War II Years’
Japanese, had failed fully to appreciate the strategic revolution brought about by the increased capabilities of air power.
___ “U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey Report” 1946
We hold his examples of atrocity screaming to the heavens while we cover up own and condone them as just retribution for his acts. We claim to be fighting for civilization, but the more I see of this war in the Pacific, the less right I think we have to claim to be civilized. In fact, I am not sure that our record in this respect stands so very much higher than the Japanese.
____ Charles Lindbergh, ‘The Wartime Journals of Charles Lindbergh’
Meet the expectations of your family and home community by making effort upon effort, always mindful of the honor of your name. If alive, do not suffer the disgrace of becoming a prisoner; in death, do not leave behind a name soiled by misdeeds.
____ “Imperial Japanese Army Field Service Code”
Pacific War; downed aircraft
Please try to understand this. It’s not an easy thing to hear, but please listen. There is no morality in warfare. You kill children. You kill women. You kill old men. You don’t seek them out, but they die. That’s what happens in war.
____ Paul Tibbets, quoted in “Duty: A Father, His Son, and the Man Who Won the War”
If we are prepared to sacrifice 20 million Japanese live in kamikaze effort, victory will be ours.
____ Admiral Taijiro Onishi, quoted in “Hell in the Pacific”
If I had lost the war, I would have been tried as a war criminal.
____ General Curtis LeMay, quoted in “Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb”
As long as there sovereign nations possessing great power, there will be war.
____ Albert Einstein
Among the men that fought on Iwo Jima, uncommon valor was a common virtue.
____ Admiral Chester Nimitz, 16 March 1945
The Limeys want us in even with our hastily made plans and our half-trained and half-equipped troops.”
____ General Joseph Stillwell speaking about joining the war alongside Britain
Eastern Front
Nice chap, no general.
____ General Bernard Montgomery, speaking his first impression of General Eisenhower
Anyone who says they weren’t scared in combat, was either crazy or stupid.
____ Everett “Smitty” Smith, 11th Arborne Division
Old soldiers never die, they just fade away. And like the old soldier in that ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the sight to see that duty.
____ General Douglas Mac Arthur
With the development of weapons of indiscriminate mass murder and the real possibility of a nuclear holocaust, Japan’s experience of the “horrors of war” may prove a valuable lesson for other countries as well…
____ Saburo Ienaga
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
Frank V. Benak – Scottsville, MI; US Army, WWII, PTO, Cpl., Co C/128/32 Infantry Division, KIA (Papua, NG)
William L. Carroll – Riverside, RI; US Navy, WWII, PTO, USS St. Mary’s
Leroy C. Cloud – Taylor, TX; US Army, WWII, ETO, 744th Tanker Battalion, KIA (at sea)
Lou Conter (102) – Ojibwa, WI, US Navy, WWII, PTO, pilot “Black Cats”, USS Arizona (Last Survivor), Lt. Comdr. (Ret. 28 y.)
John O. Herrick – Emporia, KS; US Army, WWII, ETO, Sgt., Co B/149th Engineer Battalion, KIA )FRA)
Conrad J. Rioux – Hartford, CT; US Army, Korea, Capt., Medical Unit, 3rd Infantry Division, Bronze Star
Raymond U. Schlamp – Dubuque, IA; US Army, WWII, Pfc., 11/5th Infantry Division, KIA (FRA)
David Walker – Norfolk, VA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, mess attendant, USS California, KIA (Pearl Harbor, HI)
Julius G. Wolfe – Liberal, MO; US Army, WWII, ETO, Cpl., Co B/149th Engineer Combat Battalion, KIA (FRA)
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Did somebody say that it’s Monday?
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THE STRANGE NAVY THAT SHIPPED MILLIONS OF JAPANESE HOME
Japanese surrender in Malaya, 1945
When Japan formally surrendered on board the USS Missouri (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945, there still were seven million Japanese soldiers and civilians scattered throughout the Pacific and Asia with no way of returning home. The Allies had so devastated Japanese shipping during the war that few transports remained. There were some grumblings among U.S. officials who thought that it was Japan’s problem to rectify, but it was quickly recognized that after suffering under Japanese occupation for years, countries such as China and the Philippines should be relieved of the burden of stranded Japanese troops. There was also a need to return the million Chinese and Koreans who had been taken by the Japanese for slave labor.
By mid-September, a plan to repatriate Japanese personnel and revive the Japanese economy began to take shape. The U.S. Navy established the Shipping Control Authority, Japanese Merchant Marine and the Japanese Repatriation Group, known collectively as SCAJAP, under the Commander, Naval Forces, Far East (COMNAVFE). RADM D. B. Beary commanded SCAJAP with RADM Charles “Swede” Momsen serving as his chief of staff. SCAJAP developed regulations for Japanese shipping rights, laws of the sea, and safety rules. SCAJAP then assembled a fleet to transport cargo and another fleet to be used for the repatriation operation.
IJN Hosho
To hasten repatriation, SCAJAP gave Japan 85 LSTs and 100 Liberty ships that had been slated for decommissioning. Because the plan called for the ships to be operated by Japanese crews, all the instruments and hatches had to be remarked with Kanji. SCAJAP also repurposed any seaworthy vessel it could, including warships, for the mass repatriation effort. The Hōshō and Katsuragi, among the few Japanese carriers to survive the war, were given new roles as passenger transports, as were destroyers such as the Yoizuki. The ocean liner Hikawa Maru, which had been converted into a hospital ship, was used to gather thousands of men at a time. The fleet of castoffs eventually grew to about 400 vessels. The Japanese government was responsible for providing the crew with all food and supplies. Fuel had to be bought through U.S. authorities.
Because the rising sun flag was abolished following the surrender, the ships of SCAJAP were given their own flags. Japanese-owned ships with Japanese crews flew a blue and red pennant modified from international flag signal code for “Echo.” American-owned ships with Japanese crews flew a flag of red and green triangles based on the signal code for “Oscar.”
IJN Katsuragi embarking Japanese prisoners, New Britain 2/28/1946
Unsurprisingly, many American servicemen who were waiting to be shipped back to the United States were not happy with the effort. They complained that their return was being delayed because resources were being used to accommodate the same Japanese whom they’d been fighting only weeks earlier. Officials explained that Asia would not recover without immediate repatriation, resulting in more Americans having to stay longer to stabilize the region.
The operation was conducted quickly and efficiently with only a few incidents. One fully laden ship sank after hitting a mine near China but only 20 of the 4,300 passengers were lost. In another incident, there was outrage when the public learned of the appalling conditions of a ship that was overcrowded with women and children being returned to Taiwan. Korean refugees on another ship almost mutinied against the Japanese crew because of what they believed was inhumane treatment.
The removal of hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians on Taiwan also was problematic because many had lived on the island their entire lives and considered it their true home. Most wanted to remain, but the Chinese announced that they intended to use any Japanese on the island as slave labor. Against U.S. objections, the Chinese also created ways to extort the Japanese being repatriated by charging them for the transportation and inoculations that the United States was providing for free.
SCAJAP ships also encountered bitter feelings that remained from the war. When a couple of Japanese-operated ships pulled into Hawaii for repairs, the crew was not permitted to go ashore.
The repatriation effort was conducted at a remarkable speed. It was initially estimated that the operation would take until July 1947 to complete, but In March 1946 Momsen projected that the repatriation effort would be complete by that May, with the exception of the 1,700,000 Japanese who were being held by the Soviets. SCAJAP earned additional praise from the Japanese government for returning the exhumed remains of thousands of Japanese war dead from far-flung places.
A SCAJAP LST at Inchon, Korea, 1950
SCAJAP’s repatriation operation was an extraordinary logistical achievement that played a significant role in the postwar recovery of Asia. After completion of the operation, SCAJAP ships would soon be called upon to transport men and equipment to Korea, providing crucial support in the amphibious operations at Inchon and Wonsan.
The signing of the Treaty of San Francisco on 8 September 1951 meant that Japanese ships could again fly the rising sun and operate under policies developed by the Japanese government. On 1 April 1952, SCAJAP was dissolved. Many Japanese-crewed ships remained in the service of Military Sea Transportation Services, drawing the ire of U.S. maritime unions, which charged that the practice was depriving Americans of jobs.
Info from: U.S. Naval Institute
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Military Humor –
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Farewell Salutes –
John Burson – Atlanta, GA; US Army, WWII, ETO, Bronze Star
Old Glory, courtesy of Dan Antion
Dan Corson – Middletown, OH; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, Lt., 401 BS/91BG/ *th Air Force, B-17 co-pilot, KIA (FRA)
Robert Cross (100) – Yorkton, CAN; RC Air Force, WWII, ETO, mechanic
Charles Crumlett – Streamwood, IL; US Air Force, SSgt., weapons load chief, 90th Fighter Generation Squadron, KWS (Alaska)
Roland A. Hall – Hurricane, UT; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, 188/11th Airborne Division, Bronze Star
Richard J. Kasten – Kalamazoo, MI; US Army Air Corps, WWII, ETO, 1stLt., B-24 navigator, 68BS/44BG, KIA (FRA)
Matthew Langianese (103) – Moab, UT; US Army, WWII, ETO / Korea
Gerald W. Miller Vienna, VA; US Army, WWII, cartographer / US Navy, Korea
Ira “Frank” Moseley (101) – Conyers, GA; US Army, WWII, ETO / US Air Force
William L. Reichow – Decorah, IA; US Army, Sgt., 11th Airborne Division
Leroy J. Schoenemann (101) – Lyons, TX; US Army Air Corps, WWII, PTO, pilot, 64th Troop Carrier Wing
Brooks Winfield – San Rafael, CA; US Navy, WWII, PTO, Radioman, USS Oklahoma, KIA (Pearl Harbor, HI)
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The World of Sci-Fi
Alex Schomburg artwork
The first Golden Age of Science Fiction—often recognized in the United States as the period from 1938 to 1946—was an era during which the science fiction genre gained wide public attention and many classic science fiction stories were published. In the history of science fiction, the Golden Age follows the “pulp era” of the 1920s and 1930s, and precedes New Wave science fiction of the 1960s and 1970s. The 1950s are a transitional period in this scheme.
One leading influence on the creation of the Golden age was John W. Campbell, who became legendary in the genre as an editor and publisher of science fiction magazines, including Astounding Science Fiction, to the point where Isaac Asimov stated that “…in the 1940s, (Campbell) dominated the field to the point where to many seemed all of science fiction.” Under Campbell’s editorship, science fiction developed more realism and psychological depth to characterization. The focus shifted from the gizmo itself to the characters using the gizmo.
Captain Midnight
Most fans agree that the Golden Age began around 1938-39. The July 1939 issue of Astounding Science Fiction is frequently cited as the precise start of the Golden Age. It contains the first published story by A. E. van Vogt (the first part of The Voyage of the Space Beagle) and first appearance of Isaac Asimov (“Trends”) in “Astounding”. (Isaac Asimov was first published a few months earlier in the March edition of Amazing Stories.) Science fiction writer John C. Wright said of Van Vogt’s story, “This one started it all.” The August issue of the same magazine contained the first published story by Robert A. Heinlein (“Life-Line”).
‘Amazing Stories’, April 1926, vol. 1, number 1.
There are other views on when the Golden Age occurred. Robert Silverberg in a 2010 essay argues that the true Golden Age was the 1950s, saying that “Golden Age” of the 1940s was a kind of “false dawn.” “Until the decade of the fifties,” Silverberg writes, “there was essentially no market for science fiction books at all”; the audience supported only a few special interest small presses. The 1950s saw “a spectacular outpouring of stories and novels that quickly surpassed both in quantity and quality the considerable achievement of the Campbellian golden age.”
Schomburg, “Mission to the Moon”
Many of the most enduring science fiction tropes were established in Golden Age literature. Space opera came to prominence with the works of E. E. “Doc” Smith; Isaac Asimov established the canonical Three Laws of Robotics beginning with the 1941 short story “Runaround”; the same period saw the writing of genre classics such as the Asimov’s Foundation and Smith’s Lensman series. Another frequent characteristic of Golden Age science fiction is the celebration of scientific achievement and the sense of wonder; Asimov’s short story “Nightfall” exemplifies this, as in a single night a planet’s civilization is overwhelmed by the revelation of the vastness of the universe. Robert A. Heinlein’s 1950s novels, such as The Puppet Masters, Double Star, and Starship Troopers, express the libertarian ideology that runs through much of Golden Age science fiction.
1942 poster
The Golden Age also saw the re-emergence of the religious or spiritual themes—central to so much proto-science fiction before the pulp era—that Hugo Gernsback had tried to eliminate in his vision of “scientifiction”. Among the most significant such Golden Age narratives are Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles, Clarke’s Childhood’s End, Blish’s A Case of Conscience, and Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz.
As a phenomenon that affected the psyches of a great many adolescents during World War II and the ensuing Cold War, science fiction’s Golden Age has left a lasting impression upon society. The beginning of the Golden Age coincided with the first Worldcon in 1939 and, especially for its most involved fans, science fiction was becoming a powerful social force. The genre, particularly during its Golden Age, had significant, if somewhat indirect, effects upon leaders in the military, information technology, Hollywood and science itself, especially biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry.
1950’s “The Day the Earth Stood Still”
Information sources: Sci-fi Outpost; Futurism.media; Wikipedia; Null Entrohy.
The idea for this post was contributed by Lavinia Ross of Salmon Brook Farms. Please visit with her and Rick down on the farm…
Click on images to enlarge.
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Military Humor –
Our own Super-men
Start young and learn from their mistakes!
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Farewell Salutes –
Troy E. Bartley – Alton, IL; US Army, Kuwait, Lt. Colonel, 3rd Medical Command/1st Theater Sustainment Command, Dietitian
Joseph Bear – Hedding, NJ; US Army Air Corps, WWII, B-25 mechanic
Final Mission
Sterling Cale (102) – Honolulu, HI; US Navy, WWII, Pearl Harbor survivor, Purple Heart
Edward Carroll – Orderville, UT; US Navy, WWII, aircraft mechanic, Pearl Harbor survivor
John Dixon – Charlotte, NC; USMC, WWII
Richard R. Hinshaw – Boulder, CO; US Army, 11th Airborne Division
Warren E. Kraft Jr. – Racine, WI; US Army, Korea, Sgt., 187th RCT
Edward Pascale – Monson, NH; US Army, 188th Infantry Regiment
Charles W. Stendig – Brooklyn, NY; US Army Air Corps, WWII, paratrooper
Manuel C. Zenick – Hudson, NY, US Navy
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WAIT…ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT IT’S MONDAY???
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Home Front – HARD TO KEEP THE GOOD TIMES ROLLIN’
[ This post was originally a guest post I wrote for Judy Guion @ Greatest Generation Lessons. Being as times are rough these days, I thought a bit of comparison with what our parents and grandparents went through was in order. ]
Columnist Marquis Childs said after Pearl Harbor: “Nothing will ever be the same.” Thirty-five years later he added: “It never has and never will be.”
We need to remember that in 1941 as much as 40% of U.S. families lived below the poverty level, approximately 8 million worked for less than minimum wage and another 8 million were unemployed. The median income was about $2,000 per year. The government, in virtually fighting two separate wars, entered into civilian lives by raising taxes, rationing, controlling prices and allotting jobs.
Once the war began, truck convoys became commonplace and train depots burst into arenas of activity. The movement was not entirely servicemen as women began to migrate into towns and communities near the military bases and jobs when they entered the workforce. Judy Guion’s Aunt Jean did just that by going to Florida to be near her husband Dick. Minorities headed for higher paying positions in defense plants and shipyards. I still saw convoys such as this on Military Trail, FL in the 50’s and 60’s.
The greatest annoyance to civilians was the fact that new automobiles were no longer being produced. The public’s status symbol and route to financial and social activities had been curtailed and this caused boot-leg markets to spring up selling tires and taking their chances with the law. The La Salle Motor Company in Indiana was the first firm to be cited by the government. The Office of Price Administration would regulate everything from soup and shoes to nuts and bolts and was responsible for all domestic rationing. J. Edgar Hoover issued warnings about car thefts; alerting owners to be wary of where they parked their cars, especially during evening hours. In Southwest Harbor, Maine, reports of gasoline siphoning were a constant problem.
The use of taxicabs grew throughout the world in the early part of the 20th century. In the 1940’s, the taximeter was developed and the new two-way radio was a great improvement over the old callboxes. DeSotos, Packards and the GM “General” were the common vehicles utilized for this purpose.
Streetcars were heavily used in the 1930’s, but companies began to fail as gasoline buses (”trackless trolleys”) took their place. The most prominent name was the Greyhound. In 1936, they introduced their “Super Coach” for family travel and it was so well received that within four years, they opened a chain of restaurants called “Post House.” When war began, they became a major carrier of the troops heading to the east and west coasts. Since nearly 40% of their workforce was eventually drafted, women were offered training as bus drivers. Local buses where often late and overcrowded, having standing room only. A person was often unable to keep a reliable daily schedule due to the situation.
Delta Airlines ad
Air travel was certainly difficult with a war in progress and the airlines did not have the systems they have now. Case in point: the Hoover Airport (where the Pentagon building is now), had a major highway running smack through it. When a plane took off or landed, the red traffic light was switched on to halt car and truck movement.
Trains were the dominate mode of transportation since the transcontinental was completed in 1869 and up until just before the war era when cars and trucks became predominate. The massive movement around the country pressed heavily on the antiquated railroad network. Most of the system had been built in the decades following the Civil War. The Office of Defense Transportation urged people to only travel on “slack days” and take one-day vacations. The Director stated, “Needless passenger movement is getting to the point where it is embarrassing the war effort.” One rail line that came out of Saint Louis, called the “Jeffersonian,” had only reserved seating, but people continued to line up in the aisles.
In congested areas, such as N.Y.C., vendors began to spring up to rent out bicycles. In fact, the summer of 1942, when the gas pumps went dry, drivers followed a gas truck to its delivery point, (as many as 350 would line up) so the bicycle business erupted. When walking became more important, leather for shoes became scarce and shoe rationing went into effect February 1943. In the U.S., three pairs per year was the quota and in England it was only one. By 1944, the U.S. civilian ration was dropped to two pair.
Greyhound, 1940’s
The old saying, “Let the good times roll” proved difficult and often the stories seem to be from another world rather than another decade. Do any of our readers have stories they remember or were told? How would any of you deal with this lifestyle?
CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE.
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Home Front Humor –
Chattanooga Times, the overburdened railroads
“When you boys finish with your Civil Air Patrolling stuff, I’ll have some iced tea ready for you.”
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Farewell Salutes –
John P. Askey – Gulfport, MS; US Navy, WWII & Korea, (Ret. 23 y.)
Fred J. Bacon Jr. (100) – Salt Lake City, UT; US Army Air Corps, WWII, aircraft mechanic
Leslie A. Chapman – Torrance, CA; US Army, Korea, 187th RCT
Roy W. Easely Jr. – Washington D.C.; US Army Air Corps, Japanese Occupation, 11th Airborne Division
David L. Hunter – PA; US Army, 11th Airborne & 24th Infantry Division
Breonna A. Moffett – Savannah, GA; US Army Reserves, Jordon, Sgt., 718th Engineers Co., KIA (Tower 22)
William J. Rivers – Carrollton, GA; US Army Reserves, Jordon, SSgt., 718th Engineers Co., KIA (Tower 22)
Kennedy L. Sanders – Waycross, GA; US Army Reserves, Jordon, Sgt., 718th Engineers Co., KIA (Tower 22)
Arthur P. Wright Jr. – Palmyra, NJ; US Army, 11th Airborne Division, motor pool
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Pacific Paratrooper 
