Search results
Second World War Commences. World War II brought a level of growth to NAS Pensacola dwarfing that of the Great War two decades earlier. “Mainside,” as the air station was known, served as the hub for a network of surrounding auxiliary air stations and outlying fields collectively known as Naval Air Training Center Pensacola.
This lesson is part of a series teaching about the World War II home front, with Pensacola and Escambia County, Florida designated as an American World War II Heritage City. The lesson contains readings and photos to contribute to learners’ understandings about the Armed Forces presence there.
- Preparing For War
- Florida Answers The Call to Serve
- Training The Military
- All in For Victory
- Defending Florida
- Producing For The War Effort
- The Double-V Victory
- After The War
World War II got underway in Europe and Asia in the 1930s, years before the United States became involved. Americans debated whether the United States should have a role in the war. Some believed the United States ought to stay neutral and let the Asian and European nations sort out their own problems. Others, including President Franklin D. Roosev...
As the threat of war increased, the United States took steps to prepare. National Guard units, including nearly 4,000 troops from Florida, were called into service. In 1940, Congress and President Roosevelt approved the first-ever peacetime draft. Men between the ages of 21 and 45 had to register for military service. On December 7, 1941, Japanese ...
World War II forced the United States to build up its military to an enormous size very quickly. More than 170 military installations were established in Florida during the war, including major bases like Camp Blanding, Camp Gordon Johnston and the naval air stations at Pensacola and Jacksonville. The warm climate meant troops could practice their ...
American civilians took steps to support the war effort at home. One of the most important tasks was to conserve materials that were needed for fighting, especially metal, paper, construction supplies, rubber and food. In 1942, the federal government began rationing critical necessities for the war effort, starting with rubber. Within a year, gasol...
As the name suggests, local defense councils also had a more pressing job—to prepare their communities for potential enemy attacks. Florida's position between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean made this especially important because of the threat from German submarines and the possibility of air raids or sabotage. Defense councils along the ...
Citrus fruits and other agricultural products were Florida's main exports during the war. From 1942 to 1945, the federal government bought virtually all of the fruit grown in Florida for military purposes. Two Florida scientists invented a new method for concentrating orange juice, which made it easier to transport and preserve. The high demand for...
Many African Americans served in the military, defense industries and volunteer efforts on the homefront. And they did it despite the ongoing reality of segregation and racial discrimination. The irony of the situation was obvious to many black Americans—the United States was fighting overseas to end tyranny and restore democracy, and yet racial pr...
News of Japan's surrender reached Florida just after 7:00 p.m. on August 14, 1945. Virtually the entire state erupted into a frenzy of celebration unlike anything in the history of Florida. The Allies had won the war, but only at a high cost. More than 418,000 American citizens – soldiers and civilians – lost their lives as a result of World War II...
World War II changed this statistic. Florida played an important role in the events leading up to and during World War II. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. On December 8th, America entered World War II. Many men and women came to Florida to help prepare soldiers for the war. Among the large number of soldiers from all ...
First constructed in 1826 as a U.S. Navy Yard five miles south of Pensacola, this site was virtually destroyed when abandoned by the Confederacy during the Civil War. Despite reactivation after the war and activity during the Spanish-American War, the Pensacola Navy Yard closed in 1911. With the need for aviation training becoming more apparent ...
Sep 26, 2017 · According to government statistics, approximately 248,000 Floridians served in World War II. During the war, the population of the state exploded. Key West had 13,000 residents in 1940, and 45,000 ...
People also ask
Why did people come to Florida during WW2?
How did World War II affect Florida?
Why did Pensacola become a Naval Air Station?
Did Florida remember World War II?
How many people fought in World War II in Florida?
What was Florida's role in World War II?
This lesson is part of a series teaching about the World War II home front, with Pensacola and Escambia County designated as an American World War II Heritage City. The lesson contains three primary reading sources and photos to contribute to learners’ understandings about the role of the Pensacola Vocational School in training home front war workers, and particularly women.
