Prisoners of War in the Old North State

North Carolina hosted some 3,000 Italian and 10,000 German POWs in the state. There were eighteen camps for Germans, where the men worked at farming, textiles, lumber, tobacco, and saw mills. Taking the place of American men who had gone off to war, the POWs were good workers with very few escapes and were able to make some lifelong friends with their employers.

Education and the University of North Carolina Pre-Flight School

Primary and secondary schools were hard hit by the war, with a dearth of supplies and trained teachers. Many colleges and universities, vacated by men off to war, would have had to close were it not for the U.S. military training units at the schools. Each institution in the state had some sort of government activity on their campuses, but the preeminent center was the Navy Pre-Fight School at UNC-Chapel Hill, where two future presidents of the United States, George H. W. Bush and Gerald Ford trained.

Introduction

Studs Terkel, in his illuminating history of World War II, The Good War, interviewed a graying veteran, who, like most of his compatriots, recalled the powerful influence that the war had on his life. “World War II has affected me in many ways ever since. In a short period of time, I had the most tremendous experiences of all of life: of fear, of jubilance, of misery, of hope, of comradeship, and of endless excitement. I honestly feel grateful for having been a witness to an event as monumental as anything in history and, in a very small way, a participant.”...

Tar Heel Heroes

North Carolina sent some 372,325 into service and 7,100 of those veterans lost their lives in service. Seven North Carolinians won the Congressional Medal of Honor. One was the bombardier on the Enola Gay, another flew the Memphis Belle, Major George E. Preddy was a top war ace, and the USSNorth Carolina, a mighty battleship, gave heroic service to the cause.

“This Is My War, Too”

North Carolina women made many important contributions to the war effort—without women the war could not have been won. Women became emancipated by taking the skilled jobs of men off to war—they were riveters, flew planes, made steel, served as nurses, and produced munitions. At the same time, they volunteered for the Red Cross and Travelers Aid; made blankets, bought war bonds, worked at the USO Club, and raised a family. Some joined the military in the WACS, WAVES, SPARS, and WASPS.

The Double V

African Americans in North Carolina were third class citizens with lower levels of education, higher disease and death rates, and higher unemployment while living in a segregated society that left them disenfranchised. Blacks had greater economic opportunities during the war with new jobs and enlistment in the military, but despite their willingness to fight for their country, they still faced discrimination. They continued to pursue the Double V—victory for democracy both at home and abroad—with protests and occasional armed clashes.

Conclusion

America wins the war in Europe; Hitler is dead. After the dropping of the Atomic Bomb, the Japanese surrender and the most destructive war in human history is over. North Carolinians celebrated with wild abandon, cherishing the victory but mourning the loss of loved ones. The state would never be the same after the war—changing from a backward, poor society into an industrialized state with less poverty, better education, improved health care, and a move away from ruralism to urbanism.

“Make Do with Less”

Other than taxes, the best way to pay for the war was through citizens purchasing War Bonds. The Office of Price Administration (OPA) was organized to set the prices of goods and prioritize the allotment of goods. Due to the primary needs of the military, many items were rationed. Most Americans accepted the system, but there were some violations of the law. Citizens helped in the war effort through victory gardens, scrap drives, Red Cross work, Civil Defense, and volunteer activities.

Torpedo Junction

From January to July, 1942, some 80 commercial vessels were sunk by German U-boats off the coast. The sinkings led to not only loss of lives but proved to be a huge blow to supplies bound for England. Initially the U.S. Navy’s response was inadequate, but by the summer of 1942 the U-boat menace had been eliminated.

A Call to Duty

The American Army was in woeful shape in 1940 and needed an instant infusion of troops. The Training and Selective Service Act of 1940 established the process where American men would be registered and inducted into the service. The complicated process, carried out by volunteers, had numerous exceptions for health, illiteracy, and family business responsibilities (work necessary to the health and safety of the country). With some exceptions, Americans obeyed the law and signed up in large numbers.