New Developments Station 1 MEDICINE

Penicillin Location: Peoria, Illinois. Head Developer: Alexander Fleming, a doctor and researcher at St. Mary's Hospital in London, England Notes: Penicillin is used to fight bacteria in the body. Had penicillin been discovered during WWI, many more lives would have been saved. The original process to create penicillin was started in London, England, but moved to the US in 1941 to protect it from the bombings in England. At the time, the US was not directly involved in the war. This represents another development in which the US supported the allies during the start of the war despite the fact that they were neutral. People in Illinois were told to bring moldy household objects to the local U.S. Department of Agriculture laboratory as part of the testing and development.

Blood Transfusion Location: Oakland, California. Head Developer: Edwin Cohn, a professor of biological chemistry at Harvard Medical School Notes: With the advent of portable refrigerators and better ways to keep items cold, Packed into boxes and kept cold, blood was flown to Hawaii and Guam, where it was re-iced and forwarded to the Pacific islands. The blood helped soldiers all over the battlefield survive wounds that they may not have survived in previous wars. Blood from all over the country was collected and sent to the naval depot in CA to be iced and prepared. Cohn also developed other products to aid in the medicine world after the wars.

New Developments Station 2 WEAPONS

Atomic Bomb Location: Alamogordo, New Mexico Head Developer: American physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer directed scientific research Notes: The early operations of the bomb took place on Manhattan Island in New York City, but was later moved to Alamogordo, New Mexico for testing. The project was given the nickname the “Manhattan Project” as a codename. The US had been warned by Albert Einstein that the Germans had begun testing and developing atomic weapons thanks to nuclear power and energy. In response, the US began their own project, testing their first bomb on July 16, 1945 in New Mexico.

M18 Rifles Location: Fort Benning, GA Head Developer: Jackson B. Davis Notes: The M18 and M18A1 recoilless rifle were developed late in World War II for use as a way to combat attacking soldiers or tanks, much like a bazooka was. It was light enough to be fired from the shoulder of any soldier, but powerful enough to be effective. The M18 was used by Marines in Okinawa (a battle we will study next week). The recoilless weapon was much more attractive to soldiers, as it eliminated the need for massive recoiled mechanisms required for previously conventional artillery. Removing mechanism made gun use much easier for soldiers and likely saved users’ lives.

New Developments Station 3 COMMUNCIATION

Walkie Talkie Location: Chicago, Illinois Head Developer: Galvin Manufacturing Corporation Notes: Galvin Manufacturing Corporation later came to be known as Motorola, the famous walkie-talkie company. Before World War II, most radio transmitters and receivers were big, bulky, and extremely heavy. This made it difficult to carry for soldiers and even more difficult to use, especially during battle. With the advent of the walkie talkie, soldiers could easily carry and use the device, improving the communication between army regiments. Radios were turned on by pulling out the antenna, while pushing the antenna back in turned it off.

FM Radio Frequency Location: Columbia University, New York Head Developer: Edwin Armstrong Notes: Considered the most significant wartime accomplishment in terms of movement, frequency modulation is the “FM” dial on the radio. FM radio broadcasts delivered a much clearer sound, free of static, than the AM radio, which was the frequency most used at the time. Interference from other radio signals, man-made electrical noise, and atmospheric disturbances, were the problems of the A.M. radio. With the FM station, this was not a problem, so wartime communication was much better thanks to FM radio. They also used less power to transmit which meant longer battery life. Many modern two-way radios and older cell telephones use this technology today