The Homefront! From Wisconsin to Texas, from Sacramento to Mankato, Minnesota to South Kingstown, Rhode Island - American civilians participated in World War II by keeping things going at home.
Everywhere one looked on the Homefront there was something to remind you that a war was being fought and your help was needed. Posters, billboards and advertisements supporting the war effort were everywhere. They encouraged, gardening - Your Victory Garden counts more than ever, canning - Can all you can, farming - Farmers...meet your goals they'll meet theirs!, and civil defense.
Flags were hung in the windows of homes with men in the service. Blue stars for each person from that household serving in the war, silver if the soldier, aviator or sailor was missing in action, gold if killed. Sometimes every house on a block would have some kind of star in the window.
What were people doing at home? Much of their time was spent simply working for the things they needed to survive. Everyone who had access to even a small bit of land was growing a 'victory garden'. If they didn't have a garden they better have a good reason why not.
Scrap metal was recycled to be used for the war effort. Children would go door-to-door collecting scrap metal in their wagons. High schools would have scrap metal drives. Beth Zimmer remembers "Tin Can Armies" where students collected iron to be used for soldiers weapons. There were drives for more than just steel and tin. Aluminum foil was also reused. Gum wrappers, cigarette packs, any foil was scrounged and school children would see who could collect the largest ball of foil. Paper and rubber were the aim of other drives and gave people a means of supporting the war effort.
Everyone was urged to buy defense bonds. Even students brought twenty-five cents to school to buy a stamp. It took 187 stamps, or $18.75, to fill a booklet, which could then be traded for a $25 war bond that matured in 10 years.
Material for civilian clothing was in short supply. Most of the good, new material went to soldier's uniforms or war supplies such as silk parachutes. Women's dress styles used half the yardage as pre-war styles. Dee Saman and many others recall wearing dresses made from flour sacks.
