With Memorial Day right around the corner, there’s no better time to look back on the sacrifices Americans have made for victory.
Take for example, the men and women of “Greatest Generation.” These folks came of age during the Second World War, and they know a little something about setting aside their own needs for the greater good.
Young and able-bodied men were in the military fighting on the battlefields of Europe for their country.
Back home, meanwhile, the women and children were supporting the war efforts through frugality and hard work, as we saw with the impressive female mechanics who took over while the men were at war.
These days, we still remember the folks on the home front for their efforts, especially for the famous Victory Gardens that kept people going through rations and tough times.
But did you know that Victory Gardens weren’t just a part of the WWII effort?
Check out the gallery below to learn more about the fascinating history of these delicious and nutritious gardens.
When America entered WWII in 1941, men across the country lined up to enlist and go fight in Europe and Asia.
Meanwhile, those who remained back home found different ways to commit themselves to the war effort.
Propaganda posters helped to direct folks at home and inspire them toward the war effort.
Lots of the most famous propaganda posters helped to promote “Victory Gardens.”
The idea was that folks at home would grow fruits and veggies in their own gardens to help the war effort.
These veggies could go toward stretching out rations and augmenting meals.
Any leftovers could be canned or pickled for the winter months.
These days, we almost always think of “Victory Gardens” as part of WWII.
In fact, they’ve been around for even longer; they first showed up during WWI, when they were called War Gardens.
In the U.S., they were usually used to supplement rationed food, while in England, lots of the produce went straight to the stationed soldiers.
For the folks back home, planting Victory Gardens was just one way to feel involved in the war effort.
Women, children, and men who couldn’t fight felt like a part of the victory, by picking up some of the slack at home.
Helping to stretch rations was a huge help to soldiers, and women were able to feed their families, even during wartime, thanks to the food.
During WWII, women entered the workforce in huge numbers.
Like the famous posters of “Rosie the Riveter,” women went to work in factories and munitions plants, filling in for the enlisted men who used to work those jobs.
It was the first time in history that women were employed in such large numbers, and they worked with a will to make airplanes, parachutes, and more for the men overseas.
During WWII, almost all of the home front propaganda was about scrimping and saving.
Not only did people have to get creative with their food to keep the boys on the front well-fed, they also bought war bonds to help the government financially, and collected scrap metal and fabric for producing uniforms, machinery, and so on.
Instead of using precious ration coupons to buy new cloth, people were asked to make do with what they had, patching and mending all of their clothes again and again to keep fabric use to a minimum.
Nylon stockings were an especially hot commodity at the time.
The fashionable stockings had just come into style shortly before the war, and weren’t available once America joined the effort.
Instead, women were encouraged to donate their old, stretched nylons for war parachutes.
In the meantime, lots of women painted their stockings on with makeup, until fresh nylons became available again.
If you’re continually impressed by everything that the “Greatest Generation” did for the cause, make sure to SHARE on Facebook!
0 nhận xét :
Post a Comment