1. The U.S. in World War II Section 1: Mobilizing for Defense
The U.S. in World War II
Section 1: Mobilizing for Defense
Section 2: The War for Europe and North Africa
Section 3: The War in the Pacific
Section 4: The Home Front

2. America Mobilizing for Defense Facts About Service
15 million entered the service after Pearl Harbor
5 million volunteered
10 million drafted
2/3 of the 15 million served in the Army
The average length of active-duty was 33 months. On average 16 months of these was served overseas.
292,000 U.S. servicemen were killed in battle.
114,000 were killed due to other causes.
671,000 were wounded.
The 2000 census counted 5.7 million World War II veterans, of these 210,000 were women.

3. Women in the Military WAAC - Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps
Organized by General George Marshall, Army Chief of Staff
Oveta Culp Hobby, first director of WACC
Allowed women to hold noncombat positions
Gave women a salary, but few benefits at first
Later became WAC – Women Army Corps
Received full benefits
Worked as nurses, ambulance drivers, radio operators, electricians and pilots
More than 13,000 women applied the first day
A total of 350,000 served in WAAC and other branches

4. Women Enter All Branches
WAVES - Women Appointed for Voluntary Emergency Service (Navy)
WAFS - Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron
WASP – Women’s Air Force Service Pilots
SPAR (Coast Guard)

5. Recruiting and Discrimination
Minority groups were in segregated units and usually were not allowed into much combat
Groups
Mexican Americans – 300,000
African Americans – 1,000,000
Asian Americans
Chinese Americans – 13,000
Allowed for a repeal of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1943
Japanese Americans 33,000
Native Americans – 25,000 (800 women)

6. Office of Scientific Research and Development
Most important of all offices created
Made a great number of scientific and technological contributions
War Weapons
Catch up in development of high speed missiles and rockets
Bazooka rocket launcher
Atomic Bomb
War Technology
Improvement to Radar and Sonar
DDT pesticide to prevent body lice
Penicillin antibiotic that saved lives
Semi conductors
Computers
Freeze Dried Food
Synthetic materials
See Pages

7. War Production Board Introduced to maximize production of war material
Curtailed or banned production of more than 300 nonessential items
Refrigerators
Bicycles
Beer Cans
Automobiles – Feb the last car rolled off the assembly line
Find other materials for nonessentials
Convert Production
Many industries converted to make war materials
Auto industry retooled to make tanks, planes, boats, and command vehicles
New Production
Synthetic Rubber
Nylon and other synthetic materials
Organized drives to collect needed recyclable products like tin, scrap iron, paper, etc.

8. Office of Price Administration
Organized to fight inflation by freezing wages, prices, and rent
Rationed foods, such as meat, butter, cheese, vegetables, sugar and coffee
Rationing – establishing fixed allotments of goods deemed essential for the military
Citizens were allotted rationing coupons
Black Market – illegal market in which rationed items are sold are very high prices

9. Paying for the War Revenue Act of 1942
Raised the top personal-income tax to 88%
Added lower- and middle-income Americans to the income-tax rolls
Selling War Bonds – government encouraged Americans to purchase bonds.
It helped fund the war
It helped with inflation

10. Women in the Workplace 6 million women joined the workforce
Some thought women couldn’t handle the work
Women proved they could operate welding torches and rivet guns as well as men
Women earned about 60 % as much as men doing the same jobs
Rosie the Riveter r