The contributions made by women to the war effort during World War II, both in the civilian sector and in the military, are nothing short of monumental.
As America’s active-duty military forces swelled to more than 16 million by war’s end, women moved into traditional male positions working as welders, machinists, mechanics and other skilled tradespersons in the manufacturing industry that built airplanes, ships and other equipment crucial to the U.S. war machine.
The surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, on Dec. 7, 1941, is considered a seminal, pivotal and defining moment in U.S. history. Not only did it end the country’s isolation policy, it catapulted America into World War II.
“Pearl Harbor may be the most significant day in our country’s history in the 20th century,” said Seth Mallios, the university history curator at San Diego State University. “Without it, the United States doesn’t enter the Second World War, there’s no United Nations, and there’s no NATO. I can’t overstate the importance of Pearl Harbor.”
Magazines tell stories. Unlike a newspaper article or a 45-second report on the evening news, magazines afford the writer the ability to explore their subjects at a more in-depth level. Even in this day and age of the “news snippets” approach to journalism, magazine articles continue to play an important part in serving substance over style to the reader. . . if anyone today can find the time to read more than a few paragraphs.
People have always been captivated by pint-sized versions of life-size objects and machines. For more than a century, toy planes and trains along with horses and houses have provided endless hours of entertainment and excitement for the young and the young at heart.
Space and infrastructure limitations kept F-14 Tomcat squadrons from ever being assigned to the USS Midway’s airwing. The ship’s arresting gear and catapult systems weren’t designed for long-term F-14 operations, and the hangar deck wasn’t tall or expansive enough to allow for proper maintenance functions.
On a frigid and deplorable-weather day in September 1982, however, an F-14 pilot made history and became a member of an exclusive naval aviator club. Rick Berg was a young Tomcat pilot who had just reported to Fighter Squadron 114 (VF-114) aboard the USS Enterprises (CVN-65). He found himself in a untenable situation during NORPAC 82, a large joint training exercise in the Northern Pacific, and was unable to return to his carrier. His only option, short of ejecting over icy waters just south of the Aleutian Islands, was Midway.
Move over Park Place and Board Walk, and make room for Balboa Park and the USS Midway Museum. San Diego has just joined other California cities like Palm Springs, Lake Tahoe and Santa Barbara with the launch of its own special edition Monopoly game.
The announcement of the new version was made on the museum’s hangar deck before dozens of local tourism leaders.
Military veterans have been an essential part of the foundation that the United States was built upon. Their service and sacrifices over the course of the last 250 years has helped sustain the strength of that foundation as the nation has and continues to weather myriad crises both at home and abroad.