Women on the US Home Front

Women on the US Home Front — page 3 — Roosevelt has just announced The attack also was made on all military and naval activities on the principle island of Ohau Oahu In homes across the United States men and women fell silent and turned up the volume of their radios At this moment Loa Fergot then a young girl distinctly remembers her mother starting to cry Loa's brother was a college student and she knew her mother must have been thinking of him This terrible news could mean only one thing surely the United States would enter the war in Europe And that meant the government would call on more young men to serve their country in this time of need A NATION CAUGHT OFF GUARD As with many other big events throughout the history of the United States those who lived through it remember exactly where they were and what they were THE DEVASTATION OF OAHU Betty McIntosh who worked as a reporter for on December 6 2012 McIntosh wrote For the Honolulu Star Bulletin in 1941 covered the seven ghastly confused days we have been Pearl Harbor attack She wrote an account of at war To the women of Hawaii it has meant what she had seen in the week following the a total disruption of home life a sudden bombings but the story was never published acclimation to blackout nights terrifying because the newspaper editor thought it rumors fear of the unknown as planes drone would be too upsetting to readers The story overhead and lorries shriek through the was finally published in the Washington Post

Women on the US Home Front — page 4 — doing on December 7 1941 Myrtle Fortun a telephone operator would never forget that afternoon In her diary she wrote Was listening to the radio this PM So peaceful when all of a sudden the music was broken off and an angry excited voice said Japan attacked Pearl Harbor without any warning Wish I was a man and I sho nuff would give em L But guess the women will be able to do their share They always have before and we aren't so soft as not to at least try AT THE MOVIES Thirteen year old Lucy Veltri was watching a movie when the film stopped abruptly and the lights came on The theater manager made his way to the stage and announced the news about Pearl Harbor It frightened me so much I don't remember what else he said Lucy recalled In fact I can't remember what the movie was I ran all the way home In many theaters the lights went dim again and the movie resumed But like Lucy many people found they were no longer in the mood for a movie They stood gathered their coats and hats and slowly made their way out of the theater and into the street clearly in shock from the news In the 1940s in the United States going to the movies was one of the most popular forms of entertainment And from 1911 until 1967 movie theaters served another important purpose they were a place to get the latest news updates In the age before every American household had television the ten minute news clips that played before the feature movie offered viewers a glimpse of what life was like on the front lines These clips with names like News of the Day and Eyes of the World were structured much like a newspaper providing six or seven news stories in each newsreel Big breaking news stories such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor filled the full ten minute

Women on the US Home Front — page 5 — President Roosevelt wearing a black armband in memory of the victims of the Pearl Harbor attack signs the declaration of war on Japan The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor caught the entire nation off guard Although US relations with Japan had been sour for some time no one expected Japan to attack the Hawaiian Islands But on that fateful day in early December Japanese planes dropped bombs on the unprepared American forces for two hours More than 2 000 soldiers died and more than 1 000 sustained

Women on the US Home Front — page 6 — Fortunately the most important ships in the US Navy's fleet the aircraft carriers were spared as they were away from the base during the devastating attack This fact provided the navy and the nation with a glimmer of hope that it would be able to rebound from the attack relatively quickly On the next day December 8 the United States declared war on Japan Once again Americans crowded around their radios to listen as Roosevelt addressed he nation No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory Roosevelt said It was CLASSIFICATION 3A official the United States was now a nation After the United States declared war on Japan at war young American mothers held tightly to one hope that their husbands would be overlooked GEARING UP TO FIGHT for military service under a 3A classification Two years earlier in 1939 the US Congress When the United States got involved in the war had set aside 552 million for national in late 1941 men with young children could be deferred from military service under the terms defense Then in September 1940 of this classification In 1943 however when the Congress instituted the Selective Training government needed more men to fill the ranks and Service Act requiring all men ages armed forces fathers previously deferred 21 to 36 to register for the military draft under 3A were now eligible for the draft All drafted men were to report for duty sithin weeks of receiving notificatio induction With funds already reserved for the war effort and the draft in place the United States was able to respond quickly to the attack on Pearl Harbor War preparations were kicked into high

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