World War II And The American Home Front, Life In Central Pennsylvania

APUSH into the Past

Even though World War II started in 1939, the United States did not enter until late 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's address following the attack stated that it was "a day that will live in infamy" before asking congress to declare war on Japan and its allies. On the home front, America did everything possible to provide supplies and fund the war. Agencies that were led by Bernard Baruch in World War I were once again imperative. Citizens were buying bonds to help our soldiers overseas. Many women were entering the workforce for the first time and picked up the jobs men left behind. All of these efforts continued until the end of the war when the Axis powers succumbed to the Allied powers in 1945. Harriet Magee was just five when the United States joined the World War II. The war was very close to the many members of her family. Living in Duncannon, Pennsylvania, Harriet's father was a contractor who helped construct naval bases and veteran hospitals as well as an air raid warden who would patrol the streets at night. Her cousin, Jack, was in the air corp and an active member in the war. Harriet also would help on the home front doing such activities like looking for airplanes and marching the streets of her hometown waving American flags. Even in adulthood, Harriet helped contribute to the war effort. During the Vietnam War, she was a civilian nurse who helped bring head trauma patients back to the United States for treatment. Later on, Harriet became a teacher and taught at Susquenita High School, continuing to help others.