Angry Staff Officer. A Socratic Dialogue with a Staff Officer. Word Press, 2015
Fagan, Shemia. Rationing: A Necessary But Hated Sacrifice. Oregon Secretary of State
Key items such as sugar, tires, gasoline, meat, coffee, butter, etc came under rationing regulations. Whiskey and cigarettes did not face rationing however shortages did occur from time to time. (Oregon Secretary of State) The government assigned "points" to each person which had to be turned in along with money to purchase anything made with restricted items. The Office of Price Administration was in charge of the rationing program but relied heavily on volunteers to carryout the program. (The National WWII Museum) However, the system wasn't perfect, when the Office of Price Administration announced an item would be restricted soon, citizens would rush to buy up as much of the item as possible, causing more shortages. Additionally, black market trading occurred. (The National WWII Museum) Customers, especially those with a higher income than usual from their high paying jobs in the defense industry, would pay a higher price to buy rationed goods without having to use a ration book or required coupon. (Oregon Secretary of State) Food rationing was strongly connected to patriotism.
Citations:
From the Collection to the Classroom. Rationing. Teaching History with The National WWII Museum
Fagan, Shemia. Rationing: A Necessary But Hated Sacrifice. Oregon Secretary of State
Clements, Caroline Sanders. The Tradition of Southern Victory Gardens. Garden and Gun, 2020
Propaganda posters urged Americans to plant "victory gardens" to help free up factory made foods for the military. (The National WWII Museum) About 25% of total food production in 1943 went to the armed forces and allies, leaving Americans in short supply. (Oregon Secretary of State) The government encouraged citizens to plant "victory gardens" to grow their own fruits and vegetables. In the name of patriotism, citizens planted gardens in backyards, empty lots, and even rooftops. It is estimated that this effort led to more than 9-10 million tons of fresh fruits and vegetables harvested from more than 20 million victory gardens. (Living History Farm) By 1944, 40% of America's fresh vegetables came from home gardens. While the victory gardens made a huge impact in regard to food production, the patriotism and sense of solidarity the public felt by "doing their part" was just as important— if not more. (The New York Times)
Citations
From the Collection to the Classroom. Rationing. Teaching History with The National WWII Museum
Reinhardt, Claudia. Victory Gardens. Farming in the 1940s, Living History Farm, the Ganzel Group
Fagan, Shemia. Cultivating for the Cause: Victory Gardens Till New Ground. Life on the Home Front: Oregon Responds to World War II, Oregon Secretary of State
Steinhauer, Jennifer. Victory Gardens Were More About Solidarity Than Survival. Beyond the World War II We Know, The New York Times, 2020.
The following object description information includes basic elements from the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI). An additional notes field is included to list dates from the actual letter, envelope postmark locations, and any other identifying details.
Had Margaret been able to indulge in this chow that John writes to her about? Or had she been missing it just as much as he had due to rationing and shortages?
Was it difficult for Margaret to acquire candy and other goods to send to John?
Did John smoke prior to enlisting in the military? Or did he pick up smoking once he was deployed?
Modern Graphic History Library. From Here To Victory It's Chesterfield. Washington University Digital Gateway Image Collections & Exhibitions, 1942
Collection: World War II. Collection 15. Stanford Research into the Impact of Tobacco Advertising
While smoking had been prominent in the armed forces since prior to World War I, the culture of smoking became even more prominent during World War II. Smoking served as a way for soldiers to pass time and to relieve the stress of the war. (Army Historical Foundation) In a study conducted during WWII, 50.1% of soldiers smoked.(Concordia Memory Project) General Pershing famously stated that cigarettes were more important to the soldiers than bullets. (Army Historical Foundation) America supplied cigarettes to military men at an alarming rate during World War II. U.S. tobacco suppliers reported rolling and selling 290 billion smokes in 1943. (Smithsonian) Aviation pilots were not supposed to smoke in their planes due to the fire hazard, however, many of the giants in military aviation in the 1940s smoked— both on the ground and in the air. Occasionally, American warplanes randomly exploded in a ball of flame and very few lived to discuss the cause. (Smithsonian) Soldiers in World War II had difficulty resisting the urge to smoke and many found it was almost impossible because it was so embedded in the lifestyle around them. (Concordia Memory Project) Still today the deployment of young Americans in the military places them at increased risk for not only war hazards but also tobacco addiction and disease. (National Library of Medicine)
Citations:
Graff, Cory. Aboard World War II Airplanes, It Was Strictly Smoking Allowed. Smithsonian, 2021
Smith, Elizabetha A and Malone, Ruth E.. “Everywhere the Soldier Will Be”: Wartime Tobacco Promotion in the US Military. National Library of Medicine, 2009
Modern Graphic History Library. From Here To Victory It's Chesterfield. Washington University Digital Gateway Image Collections & Exhibitions, 1942
