I'll post some stuff here that should be in the useful-suggestion category, I hope. But first, here are some thoughts that came to me yesterday.
I often listen to old radio shows at night (helps me fall asleep), many of which are older than I am! During WWII, things really required patience and discipline for those who were home in the USA. As I understand them, they included...
And much, much more. None of this includes all the military people who were deployed, of course. They did the real suffering!
This was an enormous effort by the country. I found myself feeling inconvenienced today as I was walking in the rain (I'd normally go to the mall in foul weather because they open early for folks wanting to walk). Then I thought about what the country did for over 4 years during WWII...didn't feel quite so inconvenienced after that!
I often listen to old radio shows at night (helps me fall asleep), many of which are older than I am! During WWII, things really required patience and discipline for those who were home in the USA. As I understand them, they included...
- Scrap metal drives (to recycle for the war effort): people threw into the truck any metal they could possible part with, which meant getting rid of some sentimental stuff.
- Gasoline was critical to the war effort, so the gov't gave you a coupon book to meter your purchases.
- In Nov. 1942 they started to ration coffee. People used chicory to make something similar, but I doubt it was very satisfying. (Sorry - I didn't mean to scare anyone!)
- Gas was rationed tightly. You needed government-supplied coupons to be allowed to purchase gas.
- You were only allowed to possess 5 tires for a car. If you were caught with more than 5, they stopped giving you gas coupons. The surplus had to be sold to the government (to recycle for the war effort).
- There were drives for rubber items (to recycle for the war effort).
- There were no nylons to be purchased (to recycle or turn into parachutes etc. for the war effort), so women used an appropriately colored special "paint" to make it look like there were wearing nylons.
- Some cities had blackout drills, for which everyone had to have shades or drapes they could close if a siren went off (enemy planes could only pick targets visually then).
- Civilian volunteers patrolled our coasts to warn if any unwelcome craft tried to come ashore.
- Food was partially rationed (to make sure enough was available for the military). You got coupon books of points. It might take more points to buy corn than other veggies, for example.
- All (I think) of our car makers stopped making civilian vehicles. Some plants were converted to build planes, tanks, or smaller gear. You needed to take really good care of whatever car you owned!
- Citizens were "discouraged" from driving over 35, and I believer there were lowered speed limits nationwide. The slower speeds saved gas and caused reduced tire wear.
And much, much more. None of this includes all the military people who were deployed, of course. They did the real suffering!
This was an enormous effort by the country. I found myself feeling inconvenienced today as I was walking in the rain (I'd normally go to the mall in foul weather because they open early for folks wanting to walk). Then I thought about what the country did for over 4 years during WWII...didn't feel quite so inconvenienced after that!
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