We look to rebuild our military and strike back at Japan The U.S. Prepares for War We look to rebuild our military and strike back at Japan

The U.S. Prepares for War After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. found itself ill-equipped, wounded, and at war with three countries American spirits were low and needed a boost The U.S. had to build a military, train men for combat, and transition factories to start producing war materials

The U.S. Prepares for War At the start of WWII, the United States had only the 19th largest military in the world. (2.2 million men) They had a smaller military than some countries such as Finland and Romania President FDR sees this problem and immediately begins to boost defense spending for the war effort

The U.S. Prepares for War The first peacetime military draft started in 1940 by FDR. Men ages 21-36 had to register. Sixteen million registered and one million were drafted After Pearl Harbor the draft is expanded to include all men ages 18-64. However, the draft would focus on men 38 years old and younger Men were required to serve at least one year, or until the fighting was over.

The U.S. Prepares for War

The U.S. Prepares for War By the end of the war in 1945, over 50 million men had registered for the military, and over 10 million had been drafted What if you didn’t want to go?? Conscientious Objector: A man who refuses to fight in the war based on his religion, faith, or personal beliefs

The U.S. Prepares for War If you didn’t want to wait to be drafted into the Army you could volunteer and enlist early. Over 5 million men enlisted in a branch other than the Army. Not all men were selected for combat duty. Things were considered such as the soldier’s importance to the war, his health, and his family situation Men would undergo physical and psychiatric exams, be fingerprinted, given a serial number, administered the oath, and sent off for training

The U.S. Prepares for War

The U.S. Prepares for War At boot camp, men learned to adapt to a military life They underwent physical conditioning, learned to operate weapons, and taught specialized skills for 8 weeks Men could choose to focus on a specialized job or unit if they wanted such as a paratrooper, mortar man, radio man, or become part of an anti-aircraft team

The U.S. Prepares for War When they finished their training they became known as a G.I. or Government Issue. Term for a U.S. soldier in WWII Men then were given a week of leave before they embarked for either the Pacific or the European Theater.

The U.S. Prepares for War What were these men to fight with?? As these men were trained to fight, a new training was taking place in the U.S. Factories were quickly being retooled to produce tanks, planes, ships, and weapons By February 1942, the automobile industry was shut down and wartime production began

The U.S. Prepares for War America was ready for a fight, and wanted revenge against the Japanese first and foremost In the 4 months after Pearl Harbor, Japan continued to expand across the Pacific taking over European colonies and the U.S. controlled Philippines In April 1942, a plan comes together to strike back at the Japanese

The U.S. Prepares for War

The U.S. Prepares for War Doolittle’s Raid: Colonel James “Jimmy” Doolittle proposes a bombing of Tokyo from B-25 bombers We have no airfield in the Pacific close enough to hit Japan though. He will launch them off of an aircraft carrier!

The U.S. Prepares for War Bomber planes are too heavy to lift off from an aircraft carrier so he must make them lighter by getting rid of anything unnecessary This includes machine guns replaced by broom handles, radar being tossed out, and bulletproof glass being replaced Pilots trained for one month on these short runway takeoffs

The U.S. Prepares for War

The U.S. Prepares for War On April 2, 1942, the U.S.S. Hornet sets sail across the Pacific with 16 planes and 80 men They planned to launch from 400 miles out, bomb Tokyo, and land at a friendly Chinese airfield They are spotted by a Japanese fishing boat. It is sunk, but not before radioing in their position Planes now take off from 600 miles out

The U.S. Prepares for War

The U.S. Prepares for War All of the 16 planes make it to Tokyo and drop their bombs on factories, steel mills, oil tanks, and other military targets These planes continue to fly on to China or to the Soviet Union Japan captured one plane and the crew after they had to bail out. They were all executed in October

The U.S. Prepares for War The other pilots returned home safely and Colonel Doolittle was given the Medal of Honor by FDR The damage to Japan was moderate, but the surprise attack lifted the American spirit Reinvigorated by a victory over Japan, the U.S. focuses on the war effort at home