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First Assignment:

Spoiler

On the Home Front (PDF) »

Subjects: Social Studies, American History, World History, Civics
Grade level: 9 - 12

By 1945, the United States had produced nearly 300,000 warplanes, more than 100,000 tanks, 87,000 warships and nearly 6 million tons of aircraft bombs. The government rationed everything from gasoline to silk. The civilian population chipped in as well, growing victory gardens and saving rubber from tires and grease from cooking stoves.

In this lesson, students will examine and get a sense of life in small-town America prior to its entry into the war. Then they will explore the changes brought on by wartime industry and how the people adjusted to life in the industrial boomtowns and reflect on socioeconomic changes in the character of these towns and the reasons for them.

1. Develop a list of some of the major items that civilians in

the United States rationed, recycled or just went without

during World War II.

·          Sugar                                                      

·          Coffee

·          Shoes

·          Cheese

·          Butter

·          Meat

·          Rubber (tires)

·          Gasoline

·          Butter

·          Tin cans

·          Waste paper

·          Clothing

·          Nylon/ Silk

·          Scrap Metal

·          Fats and Cooking oils

 

2. How were these items used in the war effort?

These items were used in the war effort by giving them to soldiers who needed them, or being made into materials needed for soldiers efforts overseas.  Like silk and nylon were made into parachutes, fats and cooking oil into explosives, and scrap metal went to making planes and such.

3. How did the Depression help prepare many Americans for

doing without the luxury items?

The depression had already instilled upon many Americans the need to spend their money on necessary and needed things and not luxury items that they didnt need to have. In this way they had to learn to live without these luxury items, so the war was not that different.

After the war, recycling was discontinued. It began again, slowly, after the 1960s

on a volunteer basis. Why do you think Americans didnt

continue to recycle items after the war?

I think that Americans didnt continue to recycle after the war because they believed the materials were not needed anymore.

4. How do you explain the contradiction between Americans

whose act of rationing and recycling made them feel they

were part of the war effort and the emergence of a black

market for goods during the war?

                The contradiction would like in the fact that as Americans struggled to help ration and recycle to keep the economy from inflating and to help the soldiers others were using their rations to make more money for their own profit.

 

5. How did rationing and recycling contribute to a sense of community?

This contributed to a sense of community because everyone was working to help each other and give everyone a fair share of needed things. 

Do you think Americans today would ration

to contribute to a war effort? Explain your answer.

Yes, I do believe Americans would ration today to help contribute to the war effort because they would feel it was their duty to help in any way they could.

 

Letters from the Front Line (PDF) »

Subjects: American History, English
Grade level: 9 - 12

Soldiers and military personnel on the battlefronts of World War II stayed connected to their loved ones through letter writing. Because the U.S. military was concerned that intercepted letters would provide the enemy with detailed information about the location of troops and battle plans, all mail sent home was censored before it was mailed as V-Mail, or Victory Mail.

In this letter-writing activity, students examine the writing of one witness to war before writing their own letters.

Activity:

Ask students to imagine they are soldiers during World War

II fighting on the front lines of a specific battle. Then assign

them to write a letter home to family. They will need to

do some research to be able to put themselves in a real

geographical location and battlefront situation. Instruct the

letter writers to strike a balance between being unrealistically

upbeat and disclosing feelings and experiences that might be

too upsetting for the recipient to handle. Students may also

choose to write from the point of view of those holding a

variety of military occupations such as nurse, chaplain,

correspondent, supply staff,etc.

 

            Dear Mother and Father,

                                Yes I am fine.  No I wasnt hurt.  As you know I only arrived a few days before hand after more nurses were sent here to the Philippines. I was  actually stationed at the SternbergGeneralHospital at first, but when the Japanese attacked on December 8^th. (Which I found out just today was the day after they attacked Pearl Harbor. Those poor people! Especially the nurses; I can imagine their fear.) Clark Field, adjacent to the Army hospital at FortStotsenberg was attacked by bombs from planes. They just dropped them down without a care in the world! We could see the smoke from Manila.  Sternberg is actually in Manila and FortStonsenberg is 75 miles north of Manila, so that is quite a way.  The Chief nurse actually sent a couple of us girls along, after the three hour raid was over of course, to help the Stonsenberg nurses. Mama, I cant even begin to describe to you the men who were wheeled through that door seeking our care.  It was sohorrible. How could someone, anyone, hurt so many people in such a way, just blowing them up and flying off again. I refused to even ask these men their names; one of the other girls did that for me. I just didnt want to put a face to these dead bodies, or what would soon be a dead body.  Even if they didnt die now they would die soon with the way these monsters were fighting. So many of them were so young; 18 year olds shouldnt have to hurt this much Mama. Mama I have to go, more people need help. Take care of yourselves, Ill take care of me. And please, pray for these poor soldiers.  No, these poor boys.

                Sincerely,

Your Loving Daughter

P.S There are rumors we might evacuate Stotsenburg soon, but Ill only be moving back to Manila so it wont be hard. 

 

 

 

Japanese-American Internment (PDF) »
Subjects: History, English, Social Studies
Grade level: 9 - 12

On February 19, 1942, just two months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066.  Its tone was carefully neutral: it authorized the War Department to designate military areas that excluded people considered to be a danger to the United States. But, the order actually had a specific target: 110,000 Japanese Americans living along the West Coast of the United States.

In this lesson students will understand the history of relations between Japanese immigrants, naturalized Japanese-American citizens, and the United States Government in the 20th Century.

 Research the locations of internment camps in the U.S.

Have students identify how many centers existed and in

what states they were located.

10-  2 in California (TuleLake, Manzanar), Idaho (Minidoka), Wyoming (Hrt. Mnt.), Utah (Topaz), Colorado (Granada), Arkansas (Rohwer, Jerome), Arizona (Poston, Gila River)  

Ask students:

1. Why might the particular locations of the internment

camps be chosen?

These locations might have been chosen for the internment camps because of their seclusion from society, and maybe even their ample amount of space to house all the detainees. Also they might have been chosen because it secluded them from others making it difficult for any spies to get information out.  

2. Explain the difference between the following: AssemblyCenters, Internment Camps, Justice

Department Camps, IsolationCenters, and Temporary Detention Facilities.

Assembly Centers- temporary camps where Nikkei were sent as they were removed from their communities, frequently located at horse tracks.

Internment Camps- relocation centers

Justice Department Camps- Run by the department of justice, where first enemy aliens were sent

Isolation Centers- housed people considered to be problem inmates

Temporary Detention Facilities- after arrest people held here for periods of time, usually near their home.

 

3. What difficulties might Japanese American internees

have faced while living in these camps?

The Japanese American internees in these camps might have faced difficulties such as mal-nutrition from not getting enough food due to small rations, freezing when cold weather hit that they were unprepared for due to having to leave their homes so quickly, and living in small military barracks that werent equipped for family living. 

 

-- Edited by piracine at 20:31, 2009-02-11

-- Edited by piracine at 21:03, 2009-02-11

-- Edited by piracine at 21:31, 2009-02-11

On the Home Front: Activity 3

1. Develop a list of some of the major items that civilians in the United States rationed, recycled or just went without during World War II.

- Gas            - Cooking fats
- Rubber        - Sugar
- Bobby pins   - Canned goods
- Zippers        - Cigarettes
- Tin foil        - Matches
- Shoes         - Ketchup
- Whiskey       - Paper
- Gum           - Cloth
- Butter        - Flour
- Coffee        - Any type of metal
- Nylons        - Beef
- Butter

2. How were these items used in the war effort?

These items were used for the war in various ways to clothe and feed the soldiers, as well as make the equipment they needed to fight effectively. Gas, rubber, and scrap metal were all used to make fighter planes and tanks, while cooking fat was used to make munitions. All the food items were sent to the hungry soldiers and the cloth and shoes were used to make their uniforms. Nylons were used to make parachutes.

3. How did the Depression help prepare many Americans for doing without the luxury items? After the war, recycling was discontinued. It began again, slowly, after the 1960s on a volunteer basis. Why do you think Americans didnt continue to recycle items after the war?

The Depression helped prepare many Americans for doing without the luxury items because it taught people to save what money they had, and to do without many of the items they actually needed. When the war started, people were already used to not having these items, so it was really no different. I believe that many Americans did not recycle after the war because they figured that the extra materials were no longer needed. After all, recycling was only done to help the war effort in the 1940s, not to save the environment (like we think of it today).

4. How do you explain the contradiction between Americans whose act of rationing and recycling made them feel they were part of the war effort and the emergence of a black market for goods during the war?

The contradiction between the two is that while some Americans were feeling closer to the war by helping keep inflation down and giving aid to the soldiers, others profited on peoples selflessness by doing illegal transactions. Thus, making them further from the war effort.

5. How did rationing and recycling contribute to a sense of community? Do you think Americans today would ration to contribute to a war effort? Explain your answer.

Rationing and recycling during the war helped contribute to a sense of community because everyone was going through the same issues together, and everyone was helping each other in any way they could. But honestly, I do not think people would ration to contribute to a war effort today. People are much more selfish in todays society and we are stuck in a world where everyone wants the newest everything immediately. I highly doubt that Americans would give up everything they are used to for a war that they might not even agree with. You have to remember, WWII was the most popular war in America.

Combat & War: Activity 1

1. How do Daniel Inouyes and Quentin Aanensons recollections reflect similar sentiments? How do they differ?

Daniels and Quentins recollections reflect the similar sentiments in that they both were soldiers just doing their jobs. And also, both had reactions to seeing the realities of war. They differ in that Daniels sentiments were that of face to face combat on the ground, while Quentins were of him in an airplane looking down from above.

2. Soldiers are taught to think of the enemy as inhuman, but when they come close to the enemy that assumption is sometimes challenged. How did these two men view the enemy? How does the experience of battle differ on the ground and in the sky?

These two men viewed the enemy as the enemy first, and people second. They began their mission as thinking that the enemy was just something to be got rid of, but ended it actually feeling bad and realizing that the enemy was really people just like them. Daniel realized it when the German man tried to show him pictures of his family in surrender, and Quentin realized it when he began shooting them and saw that they died just like any other person. Battle differs on the ground because you get up close and personal with your enemy, while in the air you merely shoot them from a distance so you have more of a chance to stay indifferent and not let your emotions get in the way.

3. In its simplest terms, war means killing people. To win a war, one army has to kill more soldiers than the army it is facing. However, we are brought up in a civilized society that condemns killing. How do we expect soldiers to balance these notions? How can they, as Aanenson states, go out and do their jobs again and again and again?

I think most soldiers balance this notion by thinking of it as protecting themselves, their families, and their country. While we are taught to not kill for no reason, we do believe that if your own life or if your familys lives are in danger, you should do anything possible protect yourself or them. The best that soldiers can do is think of it as protection and do not let your emotions get the best of you.

Propaganda: Women in the War Effort

a. Describe how women like Emma Belle Petcher challenged the stereotypes about women in the workforce. Identify the ways her inherent talent helped her move up the ranks of the factory hierarchy.

Emma Belle Petcher challenged stereotypes about women in the workforce by going for a job in mechanics and parts (mens jobs) rather than doing secretarial work like all of her friends.  Her talent in mechanics helped her move up to the position of inspector because she was very careful and conscientious and knew how to put planes together extremely well.

b. Besides women having to make adjustment from the traditional role of homemaker to factory worker, wartown residents also had to adjust. Summarize the attitudes presented in the video clip as women began to work in the factories and explain why such change was difficult for some people to accept. How are some of these same issues present today?

For some people it was difficult to accept women in the factories doing mens jobs because they believed it was unnatural for women to be the breadwinners and wanted women to stay home and raise their children. They also might be worried about how being in childcare all day affects how the children grow up. These issues are definitely still present today because in most families, two incomes are needed to live, but some still believe that women should be with their children.

c. How do the posters encourage female participation in the war effort and address the stereotypes held by many that disapprove of such participation? Describe how you see the women depicted in the posters. How realistic do you feel these representations are?

Posters encourage female participation in the war effort because they tell women that they are needed to help the war and their husbands/brothers by taking the jobs they left behind to go fight. The women depicted in these posters are pretty, but are wearing work clothes and are portrayed as being tough, but still feminine. I feel that these representations are somewhat realistic because women wanted to work in mens jobs and prove their toughness, but also wanted to keep their identity as women at the same time.

d. Comment on the impact of women entering the workforce during WWII and the precedent this set for later generations of women. How did the newsreels and posters help contribute to this effort? Do you feel similar media messaging on a womans role in the work world is necessary today. If so, how might it be presented? If not, why not?

Women entering the workforce in a whole new way during WWII greatly impacted later generations of women. They believed that if those women in the forties could do it, why couldnt they? They wanted to break free from their roles as housewives and mothers. I do not believe that a similar media message is necessary though because women are already in the workforce doing what ever jobs they want to do. And while yes, there are some people that have issues with that, there will always be people with objections.

-- Edited by Jessica! at 03:12, 2009-02-12

Combat and War: Assignment 1

1. How do Daniel Inouyes and Quentin Aanensons recollections reflect similar sentiments? How do they differ?

Daniel Inouyes and Quentin Aanensons recollections reflect similar sentiments in that they both recall the first time they came face to face with an enemy and took a life. Also, both of them felt guilty afterwards and yet, they continued doing their job.

Their sentiments are different in that, while Daniels encounter took place on the ground, fighting in close quarters, Quentins was from the air. Daniels enemy tried to surrender to him, while Quentins had no idea what hit them. But each of these men were affected the same way by their experiences.

2. Soldiers are taught to think of the enemy as inhuman, but when they come close to the enemy that assumption is sometimes challenged. How did these two men view the enemy? How does the experience of battle differ on the ground and in the sky?

Daniel saw the enemy as a human, especially after the German tried to surrender to him, and showed him pictures of his wife and children. Quentin simply did what he had to do, and did not think about it until after he was safely home again.

On land, fighting among the enemy, Daniel was able to see the look on his enemys face, both as he tried to surrender and when he was killed. In the air, Quentin could only view them as rag dolls, being tossed around by his firepower and the bullets that tore through them.

3. In its simplest terms, war means killing people. To win a war, one army has to kill more soldiers than the army it is facing. However, we are brought up in a civilized society that condemns killing. How do we expect soldiers to balance these notions? How can they, as Aanenson states, go out and do their jobs "again and again and again?"

I believe that soldiers are trained to go out and "do their jobs" to protect their country. They are taught discipline and made physically strong to stand up to their enemies. Then, when the war begins, they are thrown into incredibly stressful situations, where it will be either them or their enemy. Given those two options, almost any man would fight.

Combat and War: Assignment 2

1.What are each mans thoughts as they land on Iwo Jima? Describe the intensity of what is going on around them.

As Bill lands on Iwo Jima, he thinks "uh-oh" after seeing many wounded marines that had come ahead of him. There is gunfire and explosions everywhere, and he says the sound was "demoralizing." He thought he might lose his mind.

From Petes experience, we hear about the horrors of the battle and Petes fellow soldiers being killed around him, as well as he himself being wounded. He remains grateful for the corpsman who gave his life to protect him.

2.How do the men draw on their previous combat experiences?

Bill uses his previous war experience to pull newer soldiers to safety out of the way of artillery.

3. Do you feel either man believes the individual has much control over his fate when engaged in battle? Explain your answer. What about the fate of those around them?

I believe that the men feel that they are going to do whatever they can to survive, but that it is ultimately not up to them. Also, they will do whatever they can to keep others around them alive as well, but they just want to make it home alive.

4. How does combat create a bond among those who have experienced it?

Combat creates a bond between those who experience it because they all sacrificed and gave their service to the same cause. Each of them had seen the same horrors and lived through them, and only fellow soldiers could possibly know how they were feeling.

5. What is a hero? Do we expect soldiers to be heroes? Why do you think many soldiers dont consider themselves heroes when they perform what seem to us to be incredibly heroic tasks?

The word hero is defined as a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities. This can easily be used to describe a soldier, who are often commended for their bravery and valor. Many of us expect soldiers to be heroes, from what we see in the media and in Hollywoods portrayals of war. Many soldiers do not want to be perceived as heroes because they feel that they were doing their jobs and did only what they had to do to survive.

6. What aspects of combat are common to all wars, and what experiences might differ in different wars? Think about battles during the Civil War, World War II and more recent wars. How has combat changed? Was there more to fear in battle then or now?

Aspects common to all wars include the destruction of human lives, and the economic, political, geographical, social, and military changes that wars bring. However, experiences of war differ as time goes on. For example, the calvary charges and infantry marches of the Civil War would be quite different from the trench warfare of WWI, and both are extremely different from the building clearing tactics used in Iraq today. As time progresses, technology becomes far more advanced, and military tactics follow. It is for this reason that there is much more to fear in battle now, with the threat of nuclear warfare, armor piercing rounds and smart bombs, to name a few.

Japanese-American Internment: Assignment 1

1. Why do you think only the Japanese Americans on the West Coast were affected by Executive Order 9066?

Japanese Americans of the West Coast were singled out because of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the fact that the West Coast was the closest part of America to Japan.

2. Why didnt fellow Americans object to the internment of Japanese Americans in 1942?

Americans didnt object to the order of Japanese American internment in 1942 because of fear of spies and Japanese American sympathizers in the US

3. What was the social, economic and personal impact of the internment - for those sent to camps and those left behind?

Those sent to camps lost everything. They were given one weeks notice to pack their belongings and were only allowed to take what they could carry. This was very stressful and heartbreaking for Japanese Americans at the time. They often felt they did not have a country, they were not from Japan, but America wanted nothing to do with them.

4. Was the government justified in sending Japanese Americans to relocation camps purely on the basis of ethnicity? Why or why not? What would other options have been?

The government was not justified in sending Japanese Americans to internment camps based on ethnicity. These Japanese Americans had done nothing wrong and were not Japanese sympathizers at all. Other options would have been to screen for spies and keep surveillance on possible suspects.

Assignment 1-Japanese American Internment

Spoiler

Why do you think only the Japanese Americans on the West coast were affected by Executive Order 9066?

The united states only feared sabotage, or public fear of sabotage, in regards to the Japanese Americans who were right across the ocean from Japan, and therefore could still have their allegiance to Japan.

Why didn't fellow Americans object to the internment of the Japanese Americans in 1942?

The majority of the Americans who lived on the West coast had discriminated against the Japanese Americans for years, and many of them took advantage of the citizens who were being forcibly evicted from their homes.

What was the social, economic, and personal impact of the internment-for those sent to the camps and to those left behind?

Those who were sent to the internment camps most often lost every penny to their name, were left nation-less as they had left Japan and had been rejected by the United States. They started little communities within the camps, and did they best they could. Those left behind either profited off the loss of competitors or mourned the loss of friends and family who had been sent to the internment camps for no discernable reason.

Was the government justified in sending Japanese Americans to relocation camps purely on the basis of ethnicity? Why or why not? What would other options have been?

The government was not justified in sending Americans to camps, they suspended their rights purely because of where they were from. In a country built on immigration, that's preposterous. It's hypocritical even. If they truly distrusted the Japanese, they should have examined each one by one, or perhaps they should've just listened to J. Edgar Hoover when he said they already had all likely suspects.

Combat and War

Activity 1: Feelings about War

How do Daniel Inouye's and QUentin Aanenson's recollections refletct similar sentiments? How do they differ?

While both do not enjoy the atrocities they commit because of the war, both also except that they are necessary, though Quentin feels ill thinking of the things he's done.


Question 2:
Daniel Inouye views the enemy as men, on a different side, and therefore not his equal. Aanenson views them more as people. On the ground, you see the more humane side of your enemy, you have to see his body, you can see exactly what you've done, it's a much worse experience from a psycological viewpoint.

Question 3:
We expect soldiers to kill in a war by saying it is their duty, by disguising it with patriotism and propaganda. They as soldiers, have to be taught where to draw the line, between what's right, what's wrong, and that killing in war is right.

Activity 2: Battle

1. Both men were overwhelmed with the war around them, and both just focused on trying to stay alive amidst the peril.
2. One of the men called on past knowledge and stopped men from digging foxholes that would only become their graves, while the other used his prowess to take out a pill box.
3. I don't believe that they believed they had control over their own fate, but judging by their actions, they believe that they can change others fates.
4. Combat is a horror that can only be understood by those who have been in it, and you develop a bond naturally with those that you understand and that understand you.
5. A hero is one who is willing to give up everything in order to save or protect another. They don't have to be fearless, or intelligent, or strong, just willing to do what must be done. We expect our soldiers to be heroes, but many heroes do not consider themselves heroes because they are only doing what must be done.
6. All wars have the fear of death, the desire for an ending, the bonding with your comrades. But now, war is less human, more vicious than ever before. Gas, bombs, remote operated vehicles, war is getting to be more and more technology versus man, and the man loses, and the fear is worse.

Essay:

    War is brutal, unmerciful, and horrifying, especially to those who are not actually fighting on the front lines. This assignment has not changed that view for me. I still believe that war can only truly be understood by the soldier on the front line. I will hopefully never feel what can drive a man to kill for his country, but I now can see that sometimes, killing is the only thing you can do, and you never truly have to be desensitized by the killing.
    I already had a good grasp of the Japanese-American Internment Camps from earlier studies, though the name of the order(Executive Order 9066) was not something I knew, nor did I know that people were interned in shifts, with insei being given more time than nissei to prepare to leave. I also did not realize just how few Americans sympathized with the Japanese Americans, nor did I know of how business interests of whites in Hawaii were the only reason that Hawaii was not also emptied of Japanese Americans.
    I learned of how letters were the most important thing to a soldier on the front, how little slips of paper were the key to keeping morale as high as possible. Even in the midst of war, love was a motivating factor for many soldiers, showing just how human killing machines can remain. These letters were the only link between a soldier and their family, a link that they cherished as much as they cherished their lives. But many of the letters that were sent were the last, as many, even just of the letters used in the documentary, were written only days before the writer was killed in action.
    I learned of the age old dispute of the morality of killing in a war. Of how it is right to kill, when we are raised in a society that preaches the opposite. But the government changes philosophy and ethics out of necesity, and morality is thrown out the window, with no one truly knowing who is right and who is wrong until the last shots are fired and the war ends. This caused soldiers much mental anguish as they struggled to accept their roles as executioners, with many becoming ill if they dwelt on the memories of what they had done.
    War brings death. Death brings comradeship. Comradeship brings unity. Unity brings life. This is human nature. We are born and bred to kill in order to thrive, but no one enjoys it. No one wishes to lock up citizens in order to prevent sabotage when there is no threat of sabotage. No one wishes to kill an unarmed soldier. But these things are done, and those who commit these crimes try to atone for them. That is the legacy of a war. Atonement. That is what I have learned.

-- Edited by James at 03:23, 2009-02-14

-- Edited by James at 03:50, 2009-02-14

-- Edited by James at 04:12, 2009-02-14

-- Edited by James at 04:46, 2009-02-14

For Pam's essay-
Historical content- 25/25
Historical context 24/25
Analysis 22/25

Comments-Pam, you had great knowledge of the subject and could connect facts well, but sometimes it seemed as if you were retelling facts a little too much. But it was of optime quality!

Activity #3:Rationing and Recycling
1. Develop a list of some of the major items that civilians in
the United States rationed, recycled or just went without
during World War II.
-gasoline
-fuel oil
-rubber
-bobby pins
-zippers
-tin foil
-shoes
-paper
-whiskey
-chewing gum
-butter
-coffee
-nylons
-tomato ketchup
-sugar
-canned goods
-fat
-cigarettes
-matches
-metals (cans, bed frames, etc were recycled to be made into scrap metal)
-some monuments were melted into scrap metal

2. How were these items used in the war effort?
     Almost everything recycled and melted down into scrap metal was turned into some sort of ammunition. All the cooking fat that was given to the salvage guys, and they would send it off to be made into explosives. All the scrap metal from tin cans was made into guns, helmets, tanks; almost everything that was made out of metal in the army. All the food that people donated or gave up, such as sugar, meat, butter or cigarettes, were sent to the soldiers on the front. The donated clothe and shoes were given to the soldiers to help protect them during the winter months. Many Americans gave up traveling and other activities so American gasoline could be used to fuel airplanes, tanks, and jeeps, instead of family cars.

3. How did the Depression help prepare many Americans for
doing without the luxury items? After the war, recycling
was discontinued. It began again, slowly, after the 1960s
on a volunteer basis. Why do you think Americans didnt
continue to recycle items after the war?
     The Depression led many Americans to do without because they realized that they didnt necessarily need many items, such as playing cards or other items. Instead of buying another hat, the father might buy an apple for himself if he knew he wouldnt eat the next day. It taught people to make due with the little they had, and to save money instead of spend it. It seems like people only do things when they have to. If there is huge financial problems or war, thats when people start saving money or recycling. Once everything is going okay, people return to their old habits of spending all their money and unwisely wasting items. They didnt feel that they had to do it, therefore they wouldnt. It seems like people only do things that involves any sort of sacrifice only when it is the last possible option.

4. How do you explain the contradiction between Americans
whose act of rationing and recycling made them feel they
were part of the war effort and the emergence of a black
market for goods during the war?
     The contradiction was even thought the war effort was pulling America together as a nation, the black market was selling items to households that should have been sent to the effort. It was like biting the hand that fed you; taking away from the effort that would help keep the American nation whole during the war, like sending the soldiers food.

5. How did rationing and recycling contribute to a sense of
community? Do you think Americans today would ration
to contribute to a war effort? Explain your answer.
     It added to a sense of community because everyone was doing it, and this created many friendships and pulling communities together. If everyone helped out a little bit and try to encourage others to do the same, it would open channels of communications in neighborhoods and maybe people make friendship bonds with other families. Unfortunately todays society would not pull together like it had in previous times of war. People are so wrap up in themselves, that they couldnt ponder helping others. Some people are just selfish and snobbish and dont want anything to do with anyone else. Others are still living in Depression mode; clinging to everything they have and not being able to help out. I believe that if everyone got their heads out of their own lives and didnt try to outdo everyone else, then America could help itself, even during a war effort.


Activity: Ask students to imagine they are soldiers during World War
II fighting on the front lines of a specific battle. Then assign
them to write a letter home to family. They will need to
do some research to be able to put themselves in a real
geographical location and battlefront situation. Instruct the
letter writers to strike a balance between being unrealistically
upbeat and disclosing feelings and experiences that might be
too upsetting for the recipient to handle.

Hey everyone!
     It's everyones favorite soldier; thats right, Im still alive. I wonder every day how I survived. I think it was because I broke my leg while coming out of my airplane. I guess I cant complain; my friend Jack cant find his. Hes alright though; hes mostly stopped bleeding, and he is scheduled to go home tomorrow. Ive been reading the newspapers, and from what Ive gathered America is trying to recycle stuff? Its a weird idea, but maybe itll work. At least that would explain the pink patch in my parachute. Right now I am sitting on the beach of Normandy in France. I dunno how much they tell you at home; there were two waves to todays attack. The first one was the air assault. That was the one I was in. The second one was called the amphibious landing, where boats and boats came with soldiers. Some of the boats never landed, and boy did it cause traffic! Theyre calling today D-Day, though Im not sure why.
     Really, though, Im doing okay. Its night time right now, and all is calm. Its really dead here. The moon is full tonight, which is why Im able to write. I can only see out of one eye, but thats only because Im pretending. See, if you look really badly beat up your officers have more sympathy. So, I put a bunch of band-aids and gauze on my right eye. Its only temporary though. Pretty soon Ill get an eye patch. Its kind of funny; my whole platoon has developed some sort of twitch over the past month or so. We all agreed it was because of the new food coming in; at least thats what were telling everyone. My other buddy got sent home because of what the doctors called shell shock, whatever that is. His name isnt really important; actually I forget it. The food is really good, too. The old MREs were really awful; they would give me horrible diarrhea. Another one of my friends got food poisoning from his. My feet are a little sore, and they have black stains on the bottom, and theyve turned blue because my socks were staining them. Its okay though; Im not like my other friend who got jungle rot. Its really gross. He wont show me, but they look like really bad ulcers on his ankles. They hurt a lot. Well, I dont really have that much time right now; I have to go to chow. Ill write soon. Hugs and kisses, my best.


Activity: Why We Fight

a. What are the messages presented in the newsreel
Why We Fight?
     The messages presented in this newsreel was basically telling you that the reason America was fighting so that these other horrible societies and governments wouldnt take over the world. It again and again kept showing how awful these ways of life were, such as taking out religion and showing children no more than 4 years old carrying Nazi flags and rifles. Some of these views I agree with, such as showing brainwashing (He [Hitler] is the most noble being in the world/ For Hitler we live/ For Hitler we will die/ Our Hitler is our Lord). This is clearly all American/Ally propaganda, showing how wonderful America is and how it is our duty to destroy the Enemy. Notice the music, tone of voice, the use of words while describing and talking about these two different worlds. They made America sound so pure, and noble, as if there was no blemish in American culture.

b. Why do you think Burnett Miller at first believed the
war time propaganda was an awful lot of baloney?
How did his attitude change later as the war progressed?
     He probably thought that this propaganda was a lot of nonsense because it just seemed like another ploy to get young men to throw themselves at machine guns for another useless cause, much like WWI. However, once Miller had probably fought at the Bulge, he probably saw that this specific piece of propaganda had a lot less fabrications than WWI propaganda and a lot more hard facts. Once he saw the footage, and compared it to what he saw with his own eyes, he probably changed his mind about the war and its propaganda.

c. Examine the propaganda posters individually, and
describe how well each might shape the thinking of
people like Burnett Miller.
     All of these posters seem to progress as the war continued over the years. At first they seemed to be like Dont forget to feed your soldier or Did you send enough socks for these boys? but as the war advanced, the posters seemed to post more dire warnings, like Fight, or see your neighborhood turned into a concentration camp or Be careful what you say, you could expose and kill soldiers, maybe your own son. If people started seeing the first set of posters, they would feel like the government was taken their money, energy, and supplies to fight a useless war. But, after a few major battles, and maybe sending some sons and husbands to the front lines, they began to see that this war really needed to be fought. (I, however, think no war needs to be fought, but you see what I mean) They began to see that what they said could possible be dangerous, overheard, and used against American soldiers. Also, people may be more willing to send food and supplies to soldiers that they fully supported.

d. Do you think such persuasion techniques in the
posters would be effective today? Why or why not?
     I am not sure if these posters would have much sway on people today. True die-hards either for or against the war effort may be inspired by these posters, but most average people probably wouldnt be affected by these posters. Truthfully, most people now see anything by the government to get them to give, whether that be food, money, etc., is just a way to get them involved. Gone are the days that giving something meant the end of it. Today, if you would give a donation to, just say, the Navy SEALS, they would have your information; your phone number at the least, if not your name and address. After your first donation, phone calls would come once a month, letters would come in the mail and pesky telemarketers would try to get you to give more. Once is not enough. Letters about how much your small can of peas helped, but you need to give more. And, if they find out you have a son, then the recruitment calls and letters and even real live visitors would come, trying to recruit him. I think these sort of tools cause much more headache and aggravation today then they used to. Thus, most people would ignore them.


-- Edited by joel the not so brave at 01:49, 2009-02-16

-- Edited by joel the not so brave at 22:10, 2009-02-16

      During this project, I learned that there was a lot more to WWII than most people think. War has been and always will be cruel and horrible. But most people dont realize just how awful and inhumane it can actually get.
Recycling came into full swing during WWII. Everything that could be recycled was recycled, anything from rubber tires to broken zippers. Recycled goods were usually made into materials to be used by soldiers, such as tanks or parachutes. Local knitters clubs would get together and knit sweaters for the soldiers during the winter months. Recycling pulled together many small communities, which escalated into pulling the entirety of America together to help fight one cause. It seems like a total crisis is the only thing that does that anymore. After WWII ended, recycling pretty much dried up and didnt begin to trickle into Americans life until the 60s, but only slightly. It is not until the world is in danger of being ruined from us that people are again pulling together to help recycling, salvage what we can and basically save ourselves. We only sacrifice only when it is our last option; human nature has changed very little over its history.
      War time is tough on everyone, but it is the most brutal on the poor soldiers on the front line. No matter what basic training puts you through, no matter how much physical and mental trauma you encounter while preparing for war, actually being on the front line is the only way you can encounter it fully. Many young soldiers, many just kids, barely out of their mommas house, were sent to the front line, ready and willing to give it their all. But what they didnt expect was for battle to take much more than they were willing to give, including their sanity and love of life. During my research, I discovered that many soldiers, including Babe Ciaro, kept it all to themselves. Their letters home merely contained cheery, short sentences saying dont worry about me, Im just hungry. The letters often left out the fact that all their friends were dying around them, they were sick and were psychologically damaged from what they saw. Watching the prep films in basic are nothing to seeing death with your own eyes.
      Why We Fight was a bit of propaganda to help recruit soldiers, nurses, piolets, etc. to the war cause. However, the propaganda between WWI and WWII were quite different. WWII propaganda had much less fabrications about the causes and facts about the war than WWI propaganda. Almost no one who fought for WWI knew exactly what they were fighting for, and many did not fully support it due to lack of want and understanding of the war. Many Americans had no idea what or where Sarajevo, nevermind who the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was. All the propaganda was triggered to just get bodies, bodies to throw themselves against machine guns and inhale chemical gases. Propaganda was the wrong way to recruit people during WWI, and many didnt know what to do with it.
      During WWII, however, propaganda was used differently, and much more efficiently. It was used still as a way to get people involved with the war, but this time it was much more factual. Yes, it was still very biased, but it still had all of the facts and reasons for fighting. Many people now knew the reason they were needed to fight in the war, or at least help out. Many wholeheartedly joined up for the army, of volunteer positions, knowing what they were getting into and wanting to help. Why We Fight was originally used for soldiers, but soon became a public recruitment piece of propaganda. People actually wanted to help, and word of mouth soon became another tool to help out with the war cause. I learned that propaganda is used for good things, and leads people to do what is right for their country, like recycle, and leads others to do again what is right for their country by fighting, but may not be necessarily morally right.
      I learned during the coarse of this project that wartime may not be that bad at the homefront. War itself, I feel, is wrong and the incorrect way to solve problems. That, this research project did not teach me, more so solidify my reasoning. However, during a time of war changes may happen in a country that may not be bad, like recycling. Wartime, and other crisises like the current global problems today, tends to bring us together as a world to try to work together. With recycling and giving to people who need our help, some results of wartime affairs may not be that bad. The actual war, however, is extremely debatable.

-- Edited by joel the not so brave at 00:41, 2009-02-17

spoilertagged for scrollability

Spoiler

Letters From the Front Lines
Activity 1

1. Babe is writing to one person, his wife, although it's evident he wants her to show them to the rest of the family to have them think he's doing all right.
2. Babe recounts that he doesn't have much to do but eat and sleep, talking of how he's gaining weight and receiving good, plentiful food. He also claims to be in the "very best of health." This was meant to calm his family because they would have thought he was just sitting around eating all day, not participating in the skirmishes during patrols that they knew was happening.
3. The details Babe includes make it seems as if he were on a vacation. He talks about going swimming in Tyrrhenian Sea and eating large dinners of pork chops. He also remarks that they're having good weather in the war zone he is stationed in. His omission of other details, like his combat experiences, also serve to make his deployment seem like more of a pleasure trip.
4. Babe may be implying that Anzio is a war-torn city where few places to buy things remain open, or that his needs are being met by the army rations and that he sees no need to go shopping in the city. He may also be implying that he cannot leave his division to go shopping.
5. The soldier conveys that he is still deeply connected to his family by talking about how glad he is to hear that Mothers' Day went well, telling his wife he wants to join in when they take their children on walks on the beach, and telling the family to be ready for him to have a considerable appetite when he gets home.
6. Babe might not have given his family more information on the real conditions at Anzio because of the disturbing things he may have been seeing there. At the time, Anzio was a war zone, with skirmishes frequently arising between patrolling groups of soldiers. It is very likely that Babe saw men die, and also likely that he was the one who killed them. Rather than burden his family with this knowledge, he may have thought, it would have been best to make it seem like everything was perfectly all right so they wouldn't worry too much.
7. Babe's brother no longer takes Babe's letters at face value. After thinking about the things Babe said, he realized that being stationed in Anzio was almost certainly not as cheerful as Babe made it seem to be. He notices that some of the claims Babe made were impossible, like the existence of food lines in the middle of a battlefield.
8. I think Babe most likely did the right thing in trying to hide the horrors of war from his family while he was still stationed in Italy. His family would have been terrified to hear about what the army would allow him to write of his day-to-day life, including instances of violence. While he was still in danger, his family would have been unable to function due to constant fear between the letters. He was doing them a favor.

Combat and War
Activity 1

1. Both Inouye's and Aanenson's memories involve feelings of remorse for attacking enemy soldiers. They both occurred after routine missions, and in neither of them were the person who was remembering the incident harmed. However, Aanenson was more detached than Inouye, and was more able to continue his duties.
2. Inouye seemed to view the enemy as desperate to kill Americans before the incident, and after the incident as people just like himself with families and lives behind the uniforms. Aanenson viewed the enemy as something it was his job to eliminate. At times, he thought about the moral implications of killing people, but it did not grasp him as strongly as Inouye. This could be because he was high above the battlefield in a fighter plane. Inouye and ground soldiers like him were occasionally confronted with incidents where they were face-to-face with men from the other army. Pilots could barely see the enemy, making it much harder to humanize them.
3. Our society expects soldiers to kill by trying to tell them that the enemy is evil. This can happen through propaganda, as shown in the stunningly racist anti-Japanese propaganda during WWII. It can also happen through direct appeals to emotion through heavily biased accounts of the enemy's so-called atrocities. In the modern era, the threat of another terrorist attack like that of September 11th, 2001 has been used to justify the killing of massive numbers of people in the Middle East. Soldiers are bound by law to follow orders, and if they do have an qualms with the war, to save them for when they are back home. This offers a second method to justify killing in war. The soldiers are supposed to think they are simply following orders, and that the people in charge of them have good reasons for ordering attacks. They may be told that the enemy would kill them without thought if they had the chance.

Combat and War
Activity 2
1. Bill Lansford thought, as he landed on Iwo Jima, that he would end up dead or insane by the end of the battle. He saw wounded men being hauled back to the boats and heard a terrifying cacophony of explosions, frantic yelling, and gunshots as he got out of the transport. Pete Arias had a sense of duty while being fired on from a bunker.
2. Lansford used his combat experience to help save some new soldiers who were unaware that the location they were occupying was a prime target for enemy shells, and to remain relatively calm. Arias used his experience to keep his head and his life during the ordeals he was involved in.
3. I think Arias believes that in battle, survival is more dependent on the actions of others on both sides than the actions of the individual soldier. Arias would have died had it not been for the appearance of a medic he had never seen before, and the man who helped him clear the bunker died because of a surprise attack. Lansford believed the situation had already determined that he would either die or lose his mind, although he did take steps to save his own life like running for cover while under artillery fire.
4. Combat creates a bond between those who experiencing it by making them quickly rely on each other and make sacrifices to ensure that as many of the group survive as possible. Battles provide many instances where people need to form strong bonds and cooperate to survive. The true measure of a person comes out when they are in constant danger of being killed or injured, and often are surrounded by people who are dying or wounded. People who see this true measure and appreciate it in each other can form friendships based on mutual admiration.
5. A hero is a person who takes action in the face of need or oppression where others fail. They may be the only person in a situation to react in a positive way while others stand by complacently or panic. They are normally wholly ordinary people whose heroic qualities do not come out until a situation in which they are needed arises. We expect soldiers to simply perform tasks and missions as ordered, but encourage heroic actions. This is done both directly through medals and indirectly through glorifying heroic action in our culture, through films, novels, and other media. Soldiers who show heroism tend to avoid the label "hero" because, in their minds, they were just doing what anyone should have done. Sometimes, they are just following orders, and other times, they go above and beyond the call of duty, but to them, they were simply doing what was necessary.
6. In all wars, death is omnipresent. The practice of sending young people to a conflicted area to fight and die has, with changes in method of fighting and strategy, occurred throughout human history. These people have, no matter the war, seen some of their friends and comrades die, and often have killed people from the opposing side. Often, they believe the forces they are fighting against are inherently wrong, barbaric, or evil. Obedience to orders, even seemingly suicidal ones, is a constant part of combat.
There is about as much to fear in combat today as there was in previous wars. Advances in medicine and technology that protect soldiers are in an unending race to catch up with advances in technology and tactics that kill them. These changes account for most of the changes within combat we have seen throughout history. As terrifying new weapons are created, scientists attempt to mitigate them with more technology. The result is that battlefields are constantly the trying grounds for the products of some of the most advanced science on the planet. The tactics of combat evolve to better suit the changes in technology.

Aanenson just died? That's a shame.

Activity 2: Battle 

-What are each mans thoughts as they land on Iwo Jima?Describe the intensity of what is going on around them. 

As he lands on Iwo Jima Bill Lansford is thinking about the danger he is stepping into, how he may not survive, and about the insanity of war. Meanwhile, Pete Arias is thinking mainly about performing his duty and surviving. The battle of Iwo Jima was one of the most intense and brutal battles of the war, the two men were surrounded by exploding shells and death.

-How do the men draw on their previous combat experiences? 

The men draw on their previous combat experiences by, in Bill Lansfords case warn and order younger soldiers to keep moving and knowing what to somewhat expect from the enemy, and Pete Arias was able to stay calm despite being wounded and seeing his friend killed.

-Do you feel either man believes the individual has muchcontrol over his fate when engaged in battle? Explain your answer. What about the fate of those around them?

I think Lansford believes his fate was controlled by his own actions and his experience. Arias, though seems to believe that his fate was controlled by the actions of those around him, like the corpsman who shielded Arias with his body when the shell exploded and by things that the individual cant control.

-How does combat create a bond among those who haveexperience it?

Combat creates some of the strongest bonds between those who experience it. The bond is something special between the individuals sharing it because only they know how that person will act in times of intense danger or pressure. Knowing the guy next to you is ready to give his life in order to save yours is something only a veteran of war understands. 

-What is a hero? Do we expect soldiers to be heroes? Whydo you think many soldiers dont consider themselvesheroes when they perform what seem to us to be incredibly heroic tasks? 

A hero is person who goes beyond what is asked of them despite the danger they face. A hero will also sacrifice their well being and lives to save the ones they love and care for. As a culture we are obsessed with calling people, especially common soldiers, heroes and it tends to be overused, not to say that the common soldier doesnt perform heroic duties. I think that many soldiers dont consider themselves heroes because to many they only did what they were ordered to do, the hero to them is the guy who is still over in a foreign land, buried in the fields of France or the beaches of the Pacific Islands.

Fist Assignment

Activity 3 : The War on the Home Front

 

1. Develop a list of some of the major items that civilians in the United States rationed, recycled, or just went without during WWII.

 

gasoline
metals
fuel oil
rubber
fat
bobby pins
zippers
tin foil
shoes
wiskey
chewing gum
butter
coffee
nylons
tomato ketchup
sugar
flour
canned goods
cigarettes
rags
clothes/cloth
matches

 

2. How were these items used in the war effort?

 

During the war metals and were used to make all sorts of amunition and weapons. Scrap metals were also used for tanks, helmets, and other forms of protection. Most rubber was used for tires. The extra baking grease and cooking fats were used for explosives. The rationed food was sent to the soldiers over in Europe. Old clothes and cloth was recycled and made into clothes for soldiers as well.

 

3. How did the Depression help prepare many Americans for doing without the 'luxury' items? Why do you think Americans didn't continue to recycle after the war?

 

During the Depression Americans basically became used to going without, considering there was a huge economic crisis. During WWII, even though jobs became available due to the war, Americans were now used to going without these said luxury items due to the previous lack of money. Hence, it was easier for them to donate more to help their soldiers. Americans most likely didn't recycle after the war because they felt that there wasn't a real need to anymore, and figured that their recyclables wouldn't be of good use now that their soldiers didn't need them. They also probably didn't realize the positive side of recycling either, and how it could still benefit them even though war was not going on.

4. How do you explain the contradiction between Americans whose rationing and recycling made them feel they were part of the war effort and the emergence of a black market for goods during the war?

 

The contradiction between these two groups is evident. The ones who rationed and recycled were most likely Americans who had friends or family in the war, or were once in war themselves. They understood the seriousness at hand. The ones who participated in the black market probably didn't have much of a connection to war, or possibly were outright selfish.

 

5. How did rationing and recycling contribute to a sence of community? Do you think Americans today would ration to contribute to a war effort? Explain your answer.

 

Rationing and recycling contributed to a sense of community because it allowed everyone to work together to accomplish a common goal. Neighborhoods, especially the children in them, would work collectively to save old scap metals and clothes (etc.) to help soldiers. Honestly I highly doubt America as a whole would ration to contribute to a war effort. I say this for many reasons. Firstly, we are actually going through an economic crisis at the moment, leaving many families financialy hurt. These families most likely wouldn't be too happy about rationing in a time like this. Also, people who are financially well off most likely wouldn't even think of rationing to contribute to a war effort because they might think themselves above it. (I'm talking about the snobbish rich people type here only though.) There may also be many people who do not support war at all. However, with the bad also comes good. I'm sure there are plenty of people who wouldn't have a problem with rationing, wether they are well off or not. They'd have their own reasons for doing so, wether out of the kindness of their hearts or because they are in some way connceted to the war.

(still working on the rest!! ug.)

Fist Assignment

Activity 3 : The War on the Home Front

1. Develop a list of some of the major items that civilians in the United States rationed, recycled, or just went without during WWII.

gasoline
metals
fuel oil
rubber
fat
bobby pins
zippers
tin foil
shoes
wiskey
chewing gum
butter
coffee
nylons
tomato ketchup
sugar
flour
canned goods
cigarettes
rags
clothes/cloth
matches

2. How were these items used in the war effort?

During the war metals and were used to make all sorts of amunition and weapons. Scrap metals were also used for tanks, helmets, and other forms of protection. Most rubber was used for tires. The extra baking grease and cooking fats were used for explosives. The rationed food was sent to the soldiers over in Europe. Old clothes and cloth was recycled and made into clothes for soldiers as well.

3. How did the Depression help prepare many Americans for doing without the 'luxury' items? Why do you think Americans didn't continue to recycle after the war?

During the Depression Americans basically became used to going without, considering there was a huge economic crisis. During WWII, even though jobs became available due to the war, Americans were now used to going without these said luxury items due to the previous lack of money. Hence, it was easier for them to donate more to help their soldiers. Americans most likely didn't recycle after the war because they felt that there wasn't a real need to anymore, and figured that their recyclables wouldn't be of good use now that their soldiers didn't need them. They also probably didn't realize the positive side of recycling either, and how it could still benefit them even though war was not going on.

4. How do you explain the contradiction between Americans whose rationing and recycling made them feel they were part of the war effort and the emergence of a black market for goods during the war?

The contradiction between these two groups is evident. The ones who rationed and recycled were most likely Americans who had friends or family in the war, or were once in war themselves. They understood the seriousness at hand. The ones who participated in the black market probably didn't have much of a connection to war, or possibly were outright selfish.

5. How did rationing and recycling contribute to a sence of community? Do you think Americans today would ration to contribute to a war effort? Explain your answer.

Rationing and recycling contributed to a sense of community because it allowed everyone to work together to accomplish a common goal. Neighborhoods, especially the children in them, would work collectively to save old scap metals and clothes (etc.) to help soldiers. Honestly I highly doubt America as a whole would ration to contribute to a war effort. I say this for many reasons. Firstly, we are actually going through an economic crisis at the moment, leaving many families financialy hurt. These families most likely wouldn't be too happy about rationing in a time like this. Also, people who are financially well off most likely wouldn't even think of rationing to contribute to a war effort because they might think themselves above it. (I'm talking about the snobbish rich people type here only though.) There may also be many people who do not support war at all. However, with the bad also comes good. I'm sure there are plenty of people who wouldn't have a problem with rationing, wether they are well off or not. They'd have their own reasons for doing so, wether out of the kindness of their hearts or because they are in some way connceted to the war.

Second Assignment

Double V : Activity 2

 

Questions for "Pittsburgh Courier"

 

1.When was the Pittsburgh Courier founded? Who were its three main editors? Who were some of its famous writers?The Pittsburgh Courier was founded after WWI by Robert Vann. Its three main editors were W.E.B Dubois, George Schuyler, and Marcus Garvey. Some of its famous writers were Zora Neal Hurston,

 

2. List at least five things the

Courier wanted to improve about black life in America in the 1930s and 1940s.The Courier wanted to improve African-American morale, social equality by getting rid of racism/prejudice, political equality, African American status/communication in the army, and the general knowledge African Americans had of what was going on in their world.

 

3. Which goal do you think deserved the most effort and attention, and why?

Improving political equality definitely deserved the most effort and attention. Race should play no part in saying whether a person can or cannot vote/ be involved in certain government activities. Equality should be offered to those who ask for it, especially considering the treatment given to African Americans during the plantation days.

 

4. What was the Double V campaign?

The Double V campaign was basically a campaign by African Americans trying to rid racism and prejudice and gain their equal rights.

 

5. List at least four tactics used by the

Pittsburgh Courier to fight for the rights of African Americans.1. informative columns 2. adopting the Double V sign 3. printing what the federal government didn't want spread 4. photography

 

6. In your opinion, which of these tactics was likely to be most effective, and why?

  Questions for Treason?

 

1. Who thought up the idea for the Double V campaign?

James Thompson, a cafeteria worker from Wichita, Kansas thought up the idea for the Double V campaign.

 

2. What did the symbol of the Double V stand for?

The Double V stood for victory of their (Af. Americans) from without (in war), and victory of their enemies from within (government).

 

3. List at least four of the ways the campaign was publicized.

1. Hairstyles 2. Flag waving ceremonies 3. Gardens 4. Songs

 

4. In your opinion, which of these approaches was likely to be most effective, and why?

I believe the flag waving ceremony would be the most effective. People are generally attracted to large crowds, especially if they're waving flags. They'd probably be interested in what the flag said and take a closer look, upon which possibly becoming involved in the cause.

 

5. What injustices did the Double V campaign bring to light during World War II?

The Double V campaign brought to light the unfair and segregated/racist treatment of African Americans in the Army.

 

6. What did the Double V campaign accomplish?

The Double V campaign accomplished the act of uniting African Americans against a common cause and furthermore raised the issue of their having equal rights in America.

 

7. Why did J. Edgar Hoover call the Double V campaign an act of treason?

Hoover called the campaign an act of treason because he believed the news that the Courier was printing was an act against the government.

 

8. Do you think the Double V campaign was treasonous? Why or why not?

I do actually think it was treasonous if the Courier was printing information that the federal government was refusing to or coincidentally "not printing". The Courier printed some of this information regardless, knowing full well that the government would not like it, therefore commiting an act of sedition and ultimately treason.

 

Third Assignment

Combat and War: Activity 1

 

1.How do Daniel Inouyes and Quentin Aanensons recollections reflect similar sentiments? How do they differ?

Daniel Inouye and Quentin Aanaenson's recollections both reflect similar sentiments because they both are basically about how the violence and reality of war effects you over time. It also seems as though both recollections seem to have been about attacking the enemy before the two really knew whether they were going to strike back.They differ because Inouye's experience was in ground combat. Aanenson's recollection however was from the view of a fighter pilot.

 

2.Soldiers are taught to think of the enemy as inhuman, but when they come close to the enemy that assumption is sometimes challenged. How did these two men view the enemy? How does the experience of battle differ on the ground and in the sky?

Inouye at first glance, I think, considered that the enemy was not the enemy after all. Then upon putting his hand in his pocket, the German automatically became the enemy again because he must be reaching for a weapon. Most likely to his surprise, Inouye discovered that this so called enemy was not really acting in enemy ways at all. I think maybe he began to view, at least this man, as another person, and not just an enemy. Aanenson's basically went through the same thought process. A first he saw Germans, who were clearly enemies. Then, once they were under fire and he watched them being shot, he saw them as just people, and not so much the enemy.

Experiencing battle on the ground is definitely more up front and personal than experiencing battle from the sky. On the ground war is right in front of you, and you're completely involved in it, as opposed to experiencing war in the sky. In the sky you're really just looking down at the battle, and possible the effects of the possible whatever your plane may have dropped. On the ground you're dealing with these possible bombs first hand and watching their effects within close range.

 

3.In its simplest terms, war means killing people. To win a war, one army has to kill more soldiers than the army it is facing. However, we are brought up in a civilized society that condemns killing. How do we expect soldiers to balance these notions? How can they, as Aanenson states, go out and do their jobs again and again and again?

Soldiers balance these notions by looking at the bigger picture, if you will, or maybe a kill or be killed kind of thing. They also must also think about the protection they are providing for their country, as well as the fact that as a soldier it is now their duty to protect their country, family, friends as well as strangers. They are able to go out there and do their jobs "again and again and again" because they know that worse things will happen if they do not.

 

 

 (still working on thisssss!!!! ugggggg no timeee!!!!)

-- Edited by mfloyd24 at 04:29, 2009-02-25

-- Edited by mfloyd24 at 03:11, 2009-02-26

for joel's essay :

Historic Contend - 23/25
Historic Context - 23/25
Analysis - 23/25

(wow, i did not do that on purpose!) Joel, I think you did a really good job understanding the information that you read. However, I do think that at times your essay became a little bit too factual. Your analysis was good, but I think you can elaborate a little bit more.

Monica's Essay:

Historical Content: 21/25
Historical Context: 23/25
Analysis: 24/25
Total: 68/75

I thought that Monica did a very good job analyzing the history she wrote about, but could have used more factual information in her essay.

-- Edited by Jessica! at 23:34, 2009-03-01

Grades Updated 3-1-09

This project gave me a larger insight into the personal stories of World War II and personalized a fight that can seem like just a large scale battle from the outside.
One of the topics that I learned a lot about was the recycling effort. Through these efforts, American citizens would gather anything that would help the military in war. People lived without things such as rubber, zippers, and shoes because they gave them up for the military to create weapons. I think the meaning in this is a demonstration of how the worldwide patriotism that was growing in many countries impacted average people, and it showed through the decrease in recycling after the war. I believe that this means the war brought the country together in an effort to reach a common goal, and without that goal some people could not see why they would continue recycling in the postwar period.
I also learned a lot about another way that average citizens demonstrated their patriotism during the war by purchasing war bonds. The government took advantage of the more advanced media of the time to help sell these war bonds. Advertisements spread a message that buying a war bond was a good moral act, and implied that those who did not buy a war bond were on the side of the enemy. I believe that the governments use of power in this situation was inappropriate because in a democratic country you should not be forced into fulfilling an act because you would otherwise be viewed as an enemy of the country. I think this means that American citizens felt like they were a part of something bigger than them and that was a motivation for them in wanting to contribute to the war effort.
In this project I also learned more in depth information about Japanese internment. When Executive Order 9066 was issued many Japanese Americans were forced into camps where they stayed with little supplies, and sometimes left their family at home with no means of survival because there would be no source of income. This primarily affected Japanese Americans on the west coast. I think this means that people viewed Japanese Americans on the west coast as more of a threat. This could possibly be because of the closer proximity the west coast has to Japan than the east which meant that there were probably more Japanese and they probably feared they could make contact with Japan more easily.
Overall, I think this project taught me more about World War II that did not just include the battlefields. I learned the stories of average people and how they were affected by what was going on. I also learned what a country does when the leaders believe there is a threat, and how the ordinary people sometimes just follow their orders out of fear. This project also taught me that Americans are willing to work together in times of trouble if it would be the best for everyone.

Through surfing about this website and competing the required assignments, I learned much more about first hand accounts of the soldiers and their experiences in battle. I was able to see how the soldiers felt while they were at war and how they feel about their actions now, many years later. Also I learned more about the internment of the Japanese in the American West, from the point of view of the Japanese themselves. I feel these topics are quite important in order to see how World War II affected Americans around the globe.

From assignments one and two I studied first hand accounts of soldiers fighting in different parts of the globe, both in Europe and in the Pacific (specifically Iwo Jima) From these accounts I was able to read about how different experiences in battle affected these soldiers, ranging from the first time they killed an enemy soldier to seeing their friends die in battle. By seeing these videos I can begin to understand the ordeals these soldiers were subjected to. Although I will never fully grasp how horrible their experiences must have been for them, the assignments have been a glimpse into their lives. Daniel Inouyes and Quentin Aanensons told of the first time they took an enemy life, and how they did not think of the enemy as human at the time, only as an enemy that was trying to take their lives. From seeing videos about Marines Bill and Pete, I was able to see their reactions as they talk about their time spent on Iwo Jima and the terrible occurrences they were put through. It was a great way to show the effect war has on the people fighting in it.

 

Also, assignment two required me to think more about what goes through a soldiers mind as he arrives in battle. The questions related to the assignment asked things such as how did soldiers rely on their previous combat experiences to help them survive? and did the soldiers consider themselves as heroes? these questions caused me to think about what the soldiers themselves thought of the war and of their part in it, rather than the citizens point of view. Many of the soldiers were just doing what they had to do to survive and didnt think of their service as heroic at all. 

 

Assignment three talked about the internment of Japanese Americans in the American West under Executive Order 9066. It provided several accounts of the events that occurred from the Japanese themselves, talking about how it affected them and their families. The assignment also explains why Americans did not defend the Japanese that were being interned for fear of Japanese spies and sympathizers, as well as the governments reasons for doing it in the first place.

 

These documents provided first hand accounts of the events that occurred during World War II from the people directly involved. By using people that were actually there and went through the experiences, it gives the statements meaning and purpose and makes for a very powerful statement. Assignments such as these truly show the less talked about side of World War II.

Grades Updated 3/8/09