Matthew

Very good! 150/150

Culture of America in WWII

Family Structure The typical American household of the early to mid 1940's consisted of a mother, father and a varying number of children. However, as the US entered WWII after the attack on Pearl Harbor, many husbands and sons left their families to join the Army. Further strain was put on the American family as women left their preoccupations as housewives to work in the factories making war materials. A New York times article from 1944 implored men to get involved in the lives of young children whose fathers had gone off to fight in the War. "In homes where the father is away . . some father substitute must be found if it is at all possible. Men who are relatives or close friends should spend as much time as possible with these temporarily father-less children and make every effort to get close to them." It is also thought that the war put severe strain on the traditional family as many broke apart, as 5 million "war widows" now had to cook, clean, and care for the children alone. The result was an increase in juvenile delinquency, venereal disease, and truancy.

[] [] Gender roles WWII changed the gender roles of the American family for years to come. Before the war, a family was a working father and a stay at home mom. As America entered the war, millions of men went off to serve their country in the armed forces. Meanwhile at home, women took on the roles of factory workers, pilots, and nurses. This also changed American industry automobile factories started rolling tanks and jeeps off the assembly line instead of cars, munitions instead of refrigerators, and parachutes instead of stockings. A popular icon of Women on the Home front was "Rosie the Riveter", a muscular women who became a symbol of the women who worked in the factories producing materials for war. This dramatically changed the dynamic of the American workplace as it was realized that women were more than capable of having a job and doing demanding work. However, when WWII ended, women found they could no longer find well paying work, or any work at all. It would still be several decades after the war that women would start to become a component of the work force. Men in WWII were still in their traditional roles as Politicians, Business owners, and predominantly soldiers. 12 million men joined the Armed Forces during WWII with about 70% being in the army, with another 4.2 million in the Navy and 660,000 in the Marine Corps (the air force does not exist until 1947). [] []

Art during the war

Art during WWII continued to revolve around combat. For example, in 1941 the navy began the combat artist program. The purpose of which was to record the war in ways photographs could not. Over the course of the war, the navy sent 8 artists into combat into battles like the invasion of Normandy, North Africa, and the invasion of Okinawa. These combat artists produced over 1,300 different watercolors, paintings, and sketches of WWII battles. [] [] [] [] One of the main forms of art during WWII was in the form of propaganda posters. Propaganda posters were used in both Allied and Axis countries, and took all forms. The goal of propaganda posters was to motivate citizens to fight in the war as soldiers, work in the factories building war materials, or buy war bonds to help the Government finance the war. To carry out this task, the Office of War Information was created in 1942 to help craft a message for propaganda posters. The government recruited artists and intellectuals from across the country to help make propaganda in all forms including, posters and movies. The posters often dealt with several different themes including shifting public opinion to support the war, conserving resources, and anti German and Japanese themes. One reoccurring theme was "loose lips sink ships" urging people to be very careful to discuss where their husbands or sons are as anyone could be a spy. [] [|utmccn=(organic)|utmcmd=organic|utmctr=wwii%20propaganda%20posters&__utmv=-&__utmk=229638940] [] []

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Sexual Permissiveness/ Restrictiveness during WWII One common image of the WWII GI is one of a moral, gentlemanly warrior. This however would be a work of propaganda as history shows the American Army was sexually permissive during WWII. Research done by Professor Mary Roberts of the University of Wisconsin shows that after American GI's landed in France, reports of rape, crime, and disorderly conduct skyrocketed. The reports of rape flooded in from the major cities of Cherbourg and Le Havre. The mayor of Le Havre, Pierre Voisin, eventually was forced to complain to Colonel Thomas Weed."Scenes contrary to decency are unfolding in this city day and night,’ Voisin wrote, adding it was ‘not only scandalous but intolerable’ that ‘youthful eyes are exposed to such public spectacles’." However, the Army did very little to combat rape among soldiers and also exposed major racism in the military's criminal justice system as of the 152 men punished, 134 were African American soldiers. The army newspaper also, to a degree encouraged men to fornicate as it often printed French pick-up lines such as "you have pretty eyes". The permissiveness of the American soldier was most on display in England in the months leading up to D-Day. British citizens often described American soldiers and "overpaid, oversexed, and over here". However many British women were welcome to Americans as they often brought with them candy, cigarettes, and other rationed items which were hard for civilians to obtain. [] [] []

Religion in WWII American GI's in WWII were overwhelmingly Christian as 72% of soldiers reported praying as a primary source of motivation to survive combat. Further studies conducted after the war found that there was a connection between soldiers in combat and prayer as only 42% of soldiers who were not regularly in "frightening battles" prayed regularly. Also many troops who experienced combat in WWII reported staying religious even after the war was over. In fact all members of the military were given a bible with a forward from President Franklin D. Roosevelt which read, " //As Commander-in-Chief I take pleasure in commending the reading of the Bible to all who serve in the armed forces of the United States. Throughout the centuries men of many faiths and diverse origin have found in the Sacred Book words of wisdom, counsel and inspiration. It is a fountain of strength and now, as always, an aid in attaining the highest aspirations of the human soul.//" The soldiers of WWII were not all Christian though as there were 550,000 Jews that served in the US military in WWII, among which 7,000 were killed in combat. []

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Language In WWII, the average American GI came from a farm or small town and probably had only heard and spoke English. However because of the influx of immigrants in WWII. America had soldiers and sailors that spoke all the languages of the enemy including German, Italian, and Japanese. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, America was desperate to find soldiers who could speak and interpret Japanese. To solve this problem, the Army and Marines began enlisting second generation Japanese Americans or Nisei. On February 6, 1942, President Roosevelt signed executive order 9066, giving civil authorities the power to remove people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast and forced into internment camps. Over 120,000 people were detained at these internment camps. Draft age men were offered a way out in 1943 as the army came to enlist men to serve. Over 33,000 Nisei soldiers served in WWII as interpreters and in combat roles in the famous 100th infantry battalion, and the 442nd regimental combat team, which was awarded 52 distinguished service crosses, 560 silver stars, and one medal of honor. [] []

Sport and Entertainment During WWII During WWII, Americans did their best to keep pride in their nation as they believed in all things American and the superiority of America over fascism and Nazism. For this reason baseball continued to be the main sport in WWII America. Baseball transformed for though, for the simple reason that baseball players were being drafted to fight in the war. As Hugh Mulcahy of the Philadelphia Phillies was the first major league player to be inducted to serve in the war. The War even impacted the sporting goods industry as the company Hillerich & Bradsby, the famous makers of the Louisville Slugger bat, turned their production abilities to making wooden stocks for M1 Garand and M1 Carbine rifles. Many feared that with so many fighting men gone, the game of baseball would disappear forever. In a letter to Kenesaw Landis, President Roosevelt asked for more night games that working people could attend and that the great American game would continue. Also entertainment revolved largely around the troops during WWII as performers were brought to troops around the world by the United Service Organization. As legendary performer Bob Hope later remarked, “The reason for our overwhelming welcome from troops all over the world...was that we spelled, more than anything else, ‘home’”. Jazz music was the popular style among Americans overseas and at home and popular singers included Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald. [] [] []

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