Home Front

Building the Military U.S. was building military before Pearl Harbor 15 million joined military or were drafted 1 st time: Women joined the military Army, Navy, Marines Did not fight in combat WASPs (Women’s Air Force Service Pilots) flew planes in United States.

Changing Economy Total War Economy National War Labor Board Settled labor disputes that might slow production War Production Board Helped factories change over to making wartime products Women replaced many men in factories 2.5 million Helped changed view of women

Funding the War U.S. spent $320 billion on war Increased business taxes Income tax War Bonds Way for gov’t to borrow money from citizens Example: Buy $75 bond, cash it in later for $100

Sacrifices Shortages of products Gov’t rationed some items Gas, tires, shoes, sugar, coffee, other things Separation from family members Many planted “victory gardens” to help with shortages Others helped with civil defense Helped protect United States from attack

African Americans About 1 million African Americans served in WWII Segregated units Tuskegee Airmen At home: Roosevelt: Fair Employment Practices Committee Made laws to end discrimination in workforce

Native Americans Ira Hayes Native American from Pima tribe One of the Marines to raise the flag on Iwo Jima Navajo Code Talkers Native language was not written down Marines used “code talkers” to speak in native language Japanese could not figure out how to break code

Latinos Hundreds of thousands served in U.S. military 13 Mexican Americans won the Medal of Honor Bracero Program U.S. recruited thousands of Mexican farm and railroad workers Helped with labor shortages during the war

Japanese Americans Japanese Internment Camps U.S. was worried about what Japanese Americans would do if Japan invaded Over 100,000 on west coast relocated to camps for 3 years Many lost homes and businesses 100th Infantry Battalion and the 442nd Regimental Combat team Most decorated units in American history!