These contextualized primary documents provide a window into the sacrifices, contributions and life changes of the Eastman family, like millions of other families, on the Homefront during World War II. We offer them in hopes that they will be of interest to any viewer, from the casually curious to the serious scholar.
Civilian Defense
On May 20,1941, in anticipation of the possibility of the United States entering World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Office of Civilian Defense. Its goal was to help synchronize combined efforts at the federal, state and local levels in protecting Americans in the event of war related emergencies, such as air raids.
The United States Citizens Defense Corp was established with the objective of recruiting and training volunteers. By November 1941, over one million of these volunteers were trained or in training.
In addition, blackout tests were held in Maryland and New England designed to test early warning devices.
Rationing
In preparation for the possibility of the United States entering World War II, the Office of Price Administration in the summer of 1941 began the process of determining what supplies commonly used by Americans would be in short supply due to industries converting to the war effort.
Almost immediately after the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States established a system of rationing. The rationing concern was caused by a shortage of rubber for tires, as Japan now controlled most of the rubber-producing areas in Asia.
By January 5, 1942, the Office of Price Administration designated automobile tires to be the first item to be rationed. At around that time, the War Production Board (WPB) ordered the end of all civilian automobile sales. Automobile factories were now converted to produce tanks, military aircraft, and weapons.
The OPA became an independent agency under the Emergency Price Control Act on January 30, 1942. Among its responsibilities was the rationing of scarce supplies such as sugar, gasoline, fuel oil, meats and processed foods. Harvey C. Mansfield Sr.’s book A Short History of the OPA, is highly recommended. Mansfield was a noted American Government and Public Administration scholar and professor at a number of learned institutions, including Ohio State and Columbia, and served as an executive in the OPA.
Gasoline Ration Coupons
In May, 1942, gasoline was rationed in 17 eastern states, and nationally by December 1942. The primary function of the gasoline ration was more to save tires and rubber than to save fuel. A nationwide speed limit of 35 miles-per-hour was now imposed.
Types of Gasoline Rations
Several types of gasoline ration automobile stickers were issued, including A, B, and C.
With an “A” ration, any automobile owner could receive 3 to 4 gallons a week.
Workers in any military industry could receive up to 8 gallons of gasoline a week with a “B” ration card.
“C” rations were afforded to anyone deemed essential to the war effort, for example, doctors, religious officials, postal works and railroad workers.
Lastly, “X” ration cards offered unlimited gasoline. These stickers were very difficult to obtain.
To be eligible for both an automobile sticker and ration card each driver had to prove the need for gasoline and own more than five tires per automobile. All stickers were to be placed on the windshield of each automobile. The side of the sticker facing the driver read “Is this trip really necessary? Share your car / To save tires drive under 35”.
Mileage Rations
Home Fuel Oil
The rationing of some fuel oil began in 1942. Depending on the season, rations ranged from 7-10 gallons per-unit per-month.
Sugar Rations
In May 1942, sugar was the initial commodity to be rationed. The ration was one-half pound per-person per-week and determine by the number of people in a household. In total, commercial bakeries received around 70% of their pre-war consumption. Private citizens received around 50%.
Food Ration Books and Stamps
In late 1942, the Office of Price Administration began issuing Ration Books, limiting consumption of canned goods, dried and frozen goods. There were over 5,000 local Office of Price Administration (OPA) Boards run by over 60,000 paid employees and 275,000 volunteers.
The first stamps in Book One, according to the instructions, were to be used for the purchase of sugar.
Additional books rationed sugar, red meat, coffee, dairy products and fats. Of all the beef produced in the U.S. during the war, around 60% was reserved for the military.
Contained within the ration books were ration stamps. Each stamp displayed various designs of tanks, naval ships, planes, guns, fruit, grain, etc. Each month, the OPA issued for each eligible person five blue stamps, and six red stamps. They were worth a total of fifty blue points for processed foods, and sixty points for meat and fats.
War Ration Book One
War Ration Book Two
War Ration Book Three
Point Tokens
Point tokens were issued in order to make change for ration stamps.
Wartime Cooking – Nutrition and Gardening
Amy Bentley’s well-written and researched book Eating for Victory: Food Rationing and the Politics of Domesticity notes that the majority of the women on the homefront were not “Rosie the Riveters”. For most women on the homefront – including both “Rosies” and homemakers, the war was bound up with women’s traditional role as the family member chiefly responsible for the family’s food consumption.
Wes’s mother Rachael D. Eastman was an outstanding cook. Before he was married, she graduated from the Fanny Farmer Cooking School in Boston. During the war she accumulated a bountiful collection of ration cooking books issued by both the United States Government and by individual authors.
Cooking
Nutrition
Victory Gardens
The United States government encouraged citizens on the homefront to plant “Victory Gardens” to help prevent a food shortage. In addition to ensuring that our military would have enough food, these Victory Gardens helped stretch civilians’ food ration coupons.
Victory Gardens ranged in sizes, from flower boxes, to small back home lots, to community garden lots in local parks and school grounds. Vegetables grown included beets, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, beans, spinach, cabbage and Swiss chard.
There were an estimated 20 million Victory Gardens planted across America, involving an estimated 60% of the civilian population. By 1944, Victory Gardens produced 40% of the vegetables grown domestically.
Canning
Any surplus food produced by Victory Gardens was preserved by canning. By 1943, over 75% of American women canned. According to Amy Bentley, over 4 billion jars of food were preserved either at home or at community canning centers. Each woman averaged 165 jars or cans!
Civic and Religious Efforts
The war effort on the Homefront encompassed all aspects of civilian life including moral and financial support through civic and religious organizations.
War Bonds and War Fund Drives
Throughout the war, the U.S. government sold bonds to help finance the war effort. These war bonds were sold in denominations of $25 up to $10,000. Each bond yielded a 2.9% return after a 10-year maturity. War Bond Stamps could also be purchased at 10-cents each, to eventually accumulate enough stamps to buy a bond.
Bond rallies and drives were held across the country, in many cases led by celebrities and dignitaries.
Links
List of World War II Memoirs (Wikipedia)
Witness to War: Preserving the Oral Histories of Combat Veterans
Pritzker Military Musuem & Library
World War II Diaries and Journals (World War II Today)