Civil defense

For 3 years the U.S. was able to stay separated from the war that swept Europe but after December 7, 1941 the nation's mind set changed. Wide spread atriotism made citizens eager to help with the war over seas as well as at home. Numerous civil defenses emerged. Groups such as the Ground Observer Corps (GOC) attracted 600,000 civilians to be place spotters. every day they would man posts located three hundred miles inland and report every aircraft spotted. These sotters included men, women, and children (Wensyle). another more memorable form of civil defense was the air-raid drills. Families across the country stored helmets, flashlights, food, and other supplies in the event of an attack (Netscher). when practice sirens would sounds families would hand blackout curtains in their windows and turn out the lights and wait by candle of flashlight for the "all clear". In schools children would practice air-raid drills by crouching under their desks, ducking and covering (Netscher).

One of the most significant ways that americans contributed on the home front was by factories producing war materials for the Allied forces. Many factories completely changed their usual production to help the war effort. Canneries made parts for merchant ships, bedspread manufacturers made mosquito netting, and a soft drink company loaded shells ith explosives (Wensyle). henry ford, a car manufacturer build one of the larger defense lants in the country that produced B-24 bombers. By the end of the war approximately 300,000 planes, 87,000 ships and landing crafts, 100,000 tanks, 47 million tons of artillery shells, and 44 billion rounds of small-arms ammunition was produced on american soil (Wensyel). Throughout world War II U.S. citizens were anxious and eager to do whatever they could to protect their country at home and abroad.

Netscher, C. (2009). Home Front: Second World War. Journal of the Lancaster County Historial society, 111(2), 56-84

Wensyel, J. (1995). Home Front. (cover story). American History, 30(2), 44.