The Separate Unit Of African Americans: Tuskegee Airmen

1. Women worked outside the home during WWII to help in the war effort.

Yes, women did make a huge contribution to the homefront during the second world war, they took up the jobs left by the men who were going to war. These women started to fill the jobs left by the men, they became factory workers to help create supplies to send to the troops. Many women began working in the military after the first lady, Eleanor Roosevelt started taking action and helped create WACs (Women’s Auxilary Army Corps). This provided jobs for many women to provide service to many of the men fighting in the war. Another major role of women that helped the war effort was the service pilots called the WASPs. These women flew airplanes from the factory they were created to military bases. These women helped deliver cargo across seas and helped with some military missions. Many of these women also helped greatly in the Manhattan project finding new discoveries to help create the atomic bombs. Due to all of the women leaving their homes to work in factories and other places to help the war effort, Eleanor Roosevelt in 1942 creates the Community Facilities Act. This act allowed the women’s children to be taken care of so they could work and help out greatly during the war. Overall women were needed greatly in factories and other jobs occupied by men so they can keep the economy thriving as well as helping create military supplies to send to the troops fighting to protect their country.

But, women were not wanted by the men who owned the factories, due to many not thinking the women were capable of a man’s job. The women had stressful lives working all day and it was hard to take care of their families as well. Most women who worked got paid nowhere near the salary of men, but at the time they were paid the highest they have ever been. When the war had ended they were mostly pushed out of their new jobs by the veterans who came back after the war had ended. These women were then forced to go back home to take care of their families or work female jobs like being a waitress or secretaries. The recognition for the women who worked just as hard as the men did not get much recognition for helping in the war effort. These women helped keep America great by working to keep the economy strong and also while raising their young.

2. Japanese Americans were put in internment camps during WWII because the government felt they were a threat.

Yes, Japanese Americans were put into internment camps during WWII due to the events on December 7th, 1941. After pearl harbor had been bombed by the Japanese unexpectedly and it took many innocent American lives. Franklin D. Roosevelt executed order 9066 which was to move all Japanese American citizens to internment camps to prevent any Japanese espionage. The US thought that Japanese Americans could be spies for Japan, so they confined them for the national security of the country. These camps were not made to harm the Japanese Americans but just confine them to a certain space, so they could not interfere with any war effort or get in contact with Japan.

But, these internment camps made to house many Japanese-American citizens were not made to properly house around 117,000 people. These camps were created in areas that were not near much civilization and most of the camps did not have proper shelter for these people to stay in. In some places, such as Santa Anita Assembly Center, had shelter for some but around 9,000 people were found living in stables made for horses and cows. The mass population of these Japanese Americans moving into these camps, many of them became overpopulated which became a problem of not having enough food and supplies for everyone. These people did not have proper sanitation available for them on a daily basis. The young generation of Japanese Americans took work or school which separated them from their families. These jobs they got did not pay well and the older generation mostly stayed within the camp. The culture of the Japanese was destroyed within the US as well do to Japanese families having to get rid of anything that represented their cultures such as swords or many other things. The view of America was also impacted negatively due to how the US subjected Japanese Americans who were also US citizens to camps. The USA did not intend to kill or wipe out these innocent people but they were taking them from their homes due to their race. They grouped all of them up and put them into areas secluded to the rest of the country.

3. African American was drafted and fought with honor in WWII. They also worked in the industry to support the war effort.

Yes, African Americans did fight with honor in WWII and helped the war effort greatly. An important group of African Americans in the military was the Tuskegee Airmen. These men were highly skilled pilots who contributed greatly to the war by protecting bombers on many different occasions. These men were fearless fighters who did not even lose a man in over 200 missions. Another African American group that was greatly skilled was the 761st tank battalion, which had a major contribution to the Battle of Bulge. Many of these men helped transport a lot of war supplies through France and other countries. At home in the US, they were eventually given work in factories that created many war materials that helped create essentials in defeating the axis powers.

But, during this time of war African Americans were still segregated within the military. This meant that these African Americans were in their own separate units in the military and were not initially granted combat within the war. Some African Americans did not want to fight for the country due to the racism they receive in the US is not any different than how Hitler was treating the Jews. A movement called Double V was used for the objective of African Americans fighting for their country as well as destroying racism within the Nazi power and within the United States. Racism was still largely within the United States and was viewed as no worse than how the Jews were treated. Also, initially many of these African American soldiers did not get credit for their honorable work within the war. They came back home hoping to be greeted as war heroes and many of the citizens did not care what their contributions were, they were still racist towards these people. On the homefront of the war, many of the US factory owners resisted hiring any African American. FDR, however, did make an order to allow them to work within factories, but they’re still looked to be inferior by the owners of these factories or any line of work.

4. The United States was able to mobilize quickly and produce more war materials than any other nation during the war.

Yes, the United States was able to mobilize and produce more war materials than any other nation during the war. Troops were able to mobilize quickly into combat due to the first peacetime draft being created for men to be enlisted to the war. Also after the events of pearl harbor many people were up in arms ready to join the military to fight for their country. This was due to many people coming together to work within the United States by picking up jobs within the factories to help keep producing products for the war effort. Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to make the two-ocean navy and also produce many warplanes. To increase production within many factories he created the cost-plus plan, which was when a company produced the product faster they gained more money. This plan helped the war effort greatly by making more companies help the war effort by creating the products needed to support the military. Many different industries within the US, such as automobile companies helped to create many different means of transportation such as tanks, trucks, and jeeps. Everyone went to work hard every day due to the nationalism in being able to help support their country win this war. To keep the production of war materials moving FDR created the War Production Board to oversee all of the products being made for the war effort and to keep them producing. These Americans had true pride in helping their country produce everything they needed so they would be protected by the men fighting for them.

But, during the time the United States was mobilizing quickly and produced many war materials many people were rationing. Many people were working themselves very hard and did not get many breaks. The way of life for many people was that there was rationing for food and clothes. They were living conservative lives, that were saving everything they used such as clothes or rubber. The taxes were also raised during wartime so that they could have money to support the war. People were making money by producing all of these war materials but most of the money made was given to the government through taxes or people buying war bonds. Another downfall of fast production was that the government was giving away a lot of money through the cost-plus system that was integrated.

5. The US dropped the atomic bombs on Japan to end the war and was completely justified in doing so.

Yes, the US did drop two atomic bombs on Japan so that they would surrender and it was completely fine to do. The US had heard that it was possible that Germany had discovered the science behind the atomic bomb. FDR was startled by this news and created the S-1 committee to start doing research on the makings of the atomic bomb. The S-1 committee needed more funding to go through with the research on the creation of these atomic bombs so they went to the military for more funding. The Manhattan Project was then created and many scientists gathered to conduct research on fission and the makings of an atomic bomb. For over three years research was being conducted to create an atomic bomb, and finally, the scientists created two atomic bombs. The reason that these atomic bombs were made was due to the bombing of Pearl Harbor which led the US to join the war against Japan. Many innocent American lives were taken on this day and the military wanted to use these bombs against Japan. Dropping the atomic bombs Little Boy on Hiroshima and Fat Man on Nagasaki, caused panic to the Japanese government that we could possibly have more atomic bombs and could keep killing their people. The actions of the United States dropping the atomic bomb on Japan can be justified due to a couple of reasons, one being that this saved many American lives from dying trying to invade Japan. If these bombs were not dropped the military would have sent thousands of men to their death due to how prepared Japan was for invasion from the US. Another reason is that Japan did bomb innocent American lives during Pearl Harbor, so the US bombed Japan. This led to Japan finally surrounding to the United States and no more men needed to die fighting in the Pacific against Japan.

But, the United States did kill many innocent Japanese civilians by dropping the two atomic bombs. The bombing of Hiroshima killed many, around 100,000 people died instantly from the explosion of the bomb, vaporizing where they stood. Many others died later due to radiation sickness and terrible burns that engulfed their whole body. The city of Hiroshima was destroyed for 5 square miles, which destroyed more than half of the buildings that were standing there. The second bomb fat man, that was dropped on Nagasaki killed around 100,000 people that lived in Japan. The destruction of the cities was crazy due to most of the buildings being destroyed to rubble. The US did kill many innocent Japanese people and caused mass destruction in two of their cities. The US was the first country and last to ever use an atomic bomb in a war that affected many innocent civilians. The radiation survivors had children who have many birth defects that have affected many future Japanese generations.

6. The US did not do anything to prevent the Holocaust or help to escape Jews.

Yes, the US did not do anything to prevent the Holocaust or help to escape Jews, due to the United States having very strict immigration laws. These immigration laws came into effect after the great depression, not allowing many people like the Jewish to come into the US and affect the economy. Many people were scared to see the economy crash again and did not want to take any chances of allowing immigrants into the country that could take their jobs.

But, the US did have some effect on the Holocaust by Jewish Americans boycotting German goods to stop Hitler from not supporting the Jewish community. Also, many Americans were very busy creating war supplies they were not as informed of what was really happening to the Jewish. This could also be because in the US there was segregation and many people were fine with that way of life. Many different races were segregated within the US like the Japanese Americans in internment camps.

7. The US joined the war on December 8, 1941, and everyone in the US was involved in helping fight it.

Yes, the US joined the war and all Americans were involved by helping the fight in many different ways. As many men went off into war, their jobs were abandoned and then filled by women, African Americans, and Native Americans. All of these people put in mindless hours of war creating endless supplies of war materials to be used. Women were also involved in the war, one example being that they flew planes carrying cargo to military bases in Europe. African Americans helped in the war, an example being the Tuskegee Airmen who helped protect bombers. Native Americans helped in the war by being Navajo Code Talkers, which helped send messages that could not be intercepted and decrypted by the enemy. All of the people in the US with different ethnicities came together to help fight the second world war.

But, these people in the US that helped fight in World War 2 did not get recognition for the honorable and impactful work they provided in winning the war. The African Americans and Native Americans when fighting for the US hoped to come home and not experience segregation anymore. Segregation was still in America which did not give recognition to these fearless men who helped win the war. Women were also pushed back to work in their homes or “women jobs” due to the white males getting their jobs back after the war. Overall many people were still denied rights within the US even though they were fighting against Hitler for his anti-semitic ways, segregation was still a huge part of the United States.