Rosie the Riveter Between 1941 and 1945, 6.5 million women entered the work force. They became riveters, welders, mechanics, and machine operators. They worked in defense plants, drove tractors, trucks and buses, and not only flew, but BUILT airplanes!
Dogs There was a dog named Chips. Chips found 10 enemy soldiers sneaking down a beach and caught them. Chips also brought two Italian soldiers out of a hut with their hands up. Chips's only reward was a pat on the head by General Dwight David Eisenhower, and Chips bit Dwight Eisenhower's hand!! To learn more about this, try reading the book, Chips A Hometown Hero.
Also, both sides used messenger dogs, but the U.S. army also trained seven platoons of war dogs. They served in the Pacific as scouts and sentries.
Former T.A.D. Student, Noah Hornstein, read the book, Chips: A Hometown Hero. He typed his review below: Have you ever imagined yourself in a dog's shoes? By reading this book you will be able to feel the emotions of a war dog. There was one particular incident when Chips spotted a group of German U-Boats in the water threatening the ship and Chips warned the soldiers to prepare for battle. In another scene there was a group of men heading toward an enemy tank and Chips howled like a wolf to scare off the enemies. For Chips's bravery he was offered the Purple Heart and Silver Star award.
Chips is a great book for dog lovers and it is a touching dog story. It is also very exciting to learn what he has accomplished and the moments of excitement he has gone through. Chips was always used to most things being handed to him on a silver platter. But in war, it's fair game. If you were in war and you were a dog, how would you feel? To learn more about Chips and his adventures, look up the book Chips A Hometown Hero!
Nursery Rhymes . . . helped a pilot find his way home!
One Flight Leader returning from the target, looked down on the circular formation of ships below and saw that his carrier was not in the position where he had left it. He called his ship, "Rub a dub dub. Where's my tub?"
Back shot the answer - "Hey diddle, diddle, we're in the middle."
Victory Gardens During World War II Americans lived with rations of such necessities as tires, gasoline, sugar, and other foodstuffs. The US government encouraged ordinary people to create Victory Gardens; small plots of fruits and vegetables to stave off food shortages so more mass-produced food could be sent to feed the troops.
The people responded! Two million Americans created Victory Gardens in their backyards or communities, even on rooftops in cities. According to author Michael Pollan, "...during World War II, Victory Gardens supplied as much as 40% of the produce Americans ate." Many children also planted vegetables to do their part for the war effort.
Benjamin O. Davis General Benjamin O. Davis was the first African-American general officer in the U.S. military. His investigation of discrimination and racial disturbances brought to light the problems of a racially closed military. Benjamin O. Davis is best remembered as the commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen, and his rise to become the U.S. Air Force's first black three-star general. Davis also served in the Far East, Europe, and the United States before his retirement Feb. 1, 1970.
An important but often over-looked period of his career was as commander, Air Task Force 13, based in the Nationalist Chinese capital of Taipei, Taiwan. This critical Cold War posting required sophisticated diplomatic skills in addition to military expertise and leadership ability.
Sullivan Family The five Sullivan Brothers, George, Francis, Joseph, Madison, & Albert all enlisted in the Navy and served on the USS Juneau during World War Two. The Sullivans were natives of Waterloo, Iowa. The Sullivans enlisted in the Navy on January 3, 1942, with the stipulation that they serve together.
Sadly, all five brothers were killed during the same incident when their ship (the USS Juneau, a CL-52) was sunk by a Japanese sub. Born: George: 14 December 1914 Francis: 18 February 1916 Joseph: 28 August 1918 Madison: 8 November 1919 Albert: 8 July 1922 Died: 14 November 1943
The death of the five Sullivan brothers was impossible to imagine. It was such a horrible trajedy that it forced the U.S. War department to adopt “The Sole Survivor Policy” so it would never happen again. Can anyone even think of the heartache that the Sullivan family suffered? How much sorrow that family endured!
The Navy named two destroyers "The Sullivans" to honor the brothers: The Sullivans (DDG-68) and The Sullivans (DD-537). These were the first American navy ships ever to be named after more than one person. The motto for both ships was the very motto of the Sullivan brothers, "We stick together."
Tokyo Rose Tokyo Rose is something of an urban legend -- a fictional person cobbled together from scraps of real history. There's no proof that such a woman existed, although one woman was convicted of treason as Tokyo Rose. During World War II, American soldiers dubbed the female broadcasters on Japanese radio, "Tokyo Rose." It was a name invented by the soldiers -- U.S. government research never found evidence of a person named Tokyo Rose in radio programs anywhere in the Pacific. The voice of Tokyo Rose was said to have taunted Allied forces during the war, hurting morale.
Click here to learn the whole story behind the legend of Tokyo Rose.
In 1976, the TV news show 60 Minutes told the Tokyo Rose story from Toguri's point of view. This led to a full pardon for Toguri from President Gerald Ford in 1977.