Here is a selection of posts about the major components within the U.S. military during WWII. On this page you may read a brief description about each posts and select the ones that interest you from the menu tab or click on the link in the posts description.
Rushing to the Call – When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, many St. Louis citizens were shocked and outraged just like countless others across the country. In response, thousands of men and women from the city rushed to join the military or civilian defense groups in order to do their part to defend their country. However, countless St. Louis citizens would suffer as the war went on, and many would end up making the ultimate sacrifice in the course of their duties.
Setting Sail for War – Thanks to its strategic location on the Mississippi River, St. Louis would serve as a vital transportation and production hub throughout the entire war. Initially producing ships to keep Allied troops supplied overseas, several plants played a vital role in producing the water craft that would storm enemy beaches in the later stages of the war.
Soaring to Victory – One of the two major contributions St. Louis made in the war was the production of aircraft. At first the city manufactured planes to help Great Britain continue it’s fight against Germany. Eventually however, the city produced record numbers of bombers, training planes, and aircraft for transporting cargo.
A City’s “Booming Industry – One of the largest munitions plants ever built in the mid 20th century was located in St. Louis itself. Millions of rounds of ammunition and countless amounts of explosives were produced here throughout the war. However, the plant frequently had to deal with labor issues among its African American and female employees with their white male counterparts.
(Image courtesy of Missouri Historical Society, St. Louis)
Tanks, Cars, and Infrastructure – Thousands of tanks and military trucks were built in the city during the war. In addition to this, numerous manufacturers made individual parts of vehicles to be assembled by larger companies, as well as equipment and infrastructure for roads and bridges in war torn theatres across the globe.
Army Ancillaries (Food, Clothing, and Medicine) – In addition to guns and weapons, an army needs basic items like food, clothes and medicine to keep it in prime fighting shape. In World War II, many citizens of St. Louis often had to go without basic household staples like meat and sugar as well as new shoes, so that the troops in the field could carry on the fight. The city also devised the means of producing life saving antibiotics like Penicillin.
