For the United States, World War II lasted from December 8, 1941, until September 2, 1945. During this period, communities across the country felt the impact of war in various ways. This chapter describes how the war affected San Diego, California; Washington, D.C.; the states of Michigan and Washington; North Platte, Nebraska; and the U.S. territory of Hawaii. The business of war significantly altered life on the home front in nearly every part of the nation; the communities described in this chapter serve as examples. From tiny North Platte to the boomtown of San Diego, citizens saw their communities transformed by the new wartime economy.

San Diego: Boomtown

With several large military facilities and an everexpanding aircraft industry, San Diego turned into a boom-town during the war years. San Diego, a beautiful temperate Southern California city with a deepwater port, became one...