Americans at War 11.7 Students analyze America’s participation in World War II 11.7.2 Explain U.S. and Allied wartime strategy 11.7.3 Identify the roles and sacrifices of individual American soldiers as well as the unique contributions of the special fighting forces

Expanding the Military Selective Service After Pearl Harbor, Americans were eager to sign up for military service But 10 million soldiers were still needed to fight, so the Select Service (draft) was instated again (originated during WWI.) Men between the ages of 21 and 35 were required to register with the military The men were selected by a lottery system

Expanding the Military Women Auxiliary Army Corps (WAAC) Women could volunteer for non combat positions

Expanding the Military Minority Units Tuskegee Airmen African American fighter pilots Code Talkers (Navajos and Comanche’s) Native American message carriers 442nd Infantry Japanese American Unit One of the Most decorated and celebrated units in WWII (18,143 awards)

Decisive Battles Pacific Theater Strategy Doolittle Raid (April 18, 1942) – first US attack on Japan Mainland Midway (June 4 – 6 1942) - Navy sank several Japanese ships carrying supplies and reinforcements Tinian (July 24 – August 1, 1944) – army base with runway for airplanes Iwo Jima (February 19 – March 26, 1945) – Marine base used as an emergency landing strip for the Army Air Corps Okinawa (April 1 – June 22, 1945) –siege a large island only 340 miles from mainland Japan (needed for the invasion of mainland Japan) Strategy Island Hopping – take control over select islands rather than all of the occupied islands

Decisive Battles Atlantic Theater Normandy – D-Day (June 6, 1944) Allied invasion of the Beaches of Normandy, France Orchestrated by General Dwight D. Eisenhower (the future President of the Untied States) Germans Surrender May 7, 1945 – V-E Day Hitler commits suicide a few days prior

Potsdam Conference July 26, 1945 – Gathering of Allies President Truman (USA), Prime Minister Winston Churchill (UK), Stalin (USSR), and other allied leaders Discussion of Unconditional Surrender from Japan Negotiated new boarders of Europe after Germany Surrenders This leads to issues during the Cold War

Japanese Surrender Firebombing Manhattan Project Operation Downfall Fire Bombing in Tokyo (February – August 1945 – B29 airplanes dropped fire bombs setting the city a blaze Manhattan Project Code name for the project to build the atomic bombs (only three were built) Operation Downfall dropping of the atomic bomb Hiroshima - August 6, 1945 Enola Gay (B-29 bomber) dropped the nuclear bomb “Little Boy” Nagasaki – August 9, 1945 Bockscar (B-29 bomber) dropped nuclear bomb “Fat Man”

Atomic Bombs Justifications for dropping Bomb Unforeseen Aftermath Shorten the war Japanese were prepared to fight to the death Save American lives Other option was a land invasion with entire US forces An invasion of the Japanese mainland would not be necessary Unforeseen Aftermath Radiation Poisoning

Soldiers Return Home G.I. Bill Migration to California Allowed servicemen returning from the war A low interest, zero down payment home loan Higher education allowance Migration to California Many servicemen left from the ports of Long Beach and San Diego and fell in love with California When they returned from the war, they brought their families to the “Golden Coast”