OH+Research

OH Research

SOURCE 1: []
 * December 1, 1941- Pearl Harbor
 * after this, US entered the war
 * "a day which will live in infamy"
 * then Italy and Germany declared war on the US
 * the US was fighting in Asia and in Europe

SOURCE 2: []
 * before the war, civil rights activists wanted equal rights in the military
 * Roosevelt started the Fair Employment Practices Committee- defense contractors had to hire blacks "on an equal basis with whites"
 * thousands of black went up north to get war industries jobs
 * Double V- victory over fascism and over racism
 * African Americans made up about 1/8 of the armed forces
 * veterans came back and supported the CRM
 * after fighting the Nazis, white soldiers thought about if racism made sense in the US

SOURCE 3: http://www.pbs.org/thewar/at_war_infantry.htm
 * infantry men only carried the basics
 * men did not keep up with their personal hygeine
 * they were not always fighting
 * their were days of no action, where the men were bored
 * war is not something that the veterans like to talk about

World War II was a large part of American history. The US was fighting against the Axis Powers, mainly Germany. Germany had a dictator, and believed in it's Aryan race. The Nazis were using genocide to create a superior race. It's end set the stage for the Cold War, and the war was something unforgettable for anyone involved. The war for the US started in December of 1941. Until then, the US had tried to stay out of the war. On December 1, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. Days later, the US declared war. This is what starts World War II for the United States.

Men in the army had a very rough life. They did not carry many personal belongings, as they were hiking most of the time, and had to carry only the basics. The men did not keep up with their personal hygeine, and sometimes did not take showers for months. Many did not carry toothbrushes with them. Despite the popular belief that the soldiers were always fighting, this is not true. There were many lulls in the months that men were overseas. Rarely were they in battle. Most days were hiking and training.

There were racial tensions at home and overseas. African American men in the troops faced discrimination from the white soldiers. The Civil Rights Movement at home was gaining a little bit of momentum after President Roosevelt stated teh Fair Employment Practices Committe. This meant that all defense contractors had to hire blacks "on an equal basis with whites". African Americans made up about 1/8 of the armed forces. There were segregated troops in World War II. African Americans tried to reach the Double V- victory over fascism, and victory over racism. In the later part of the war, returning veterans supported the Civil Rights Movement. After fighting the Nazis and their narrow-minded, fascist ideas, the soldiers came back and thought about how hypocritical it was to fight the Nazis, and not treat the African Americans equally.

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