Gallery: World War II on the Home Front
Those of us under 80 years of age have no memory of life during World War II. For those who experienced it, it was a time of uncertainty. Word of the fighting and the status of loved ones was often slow in arriving with delays due to limited news venues- only telephones, telegraphs, newspapers, mail, radio and Movietone News Reels were available at the time. The war years were also a time of sacrifice at home. Certain food items along with goods such as gasoline and tires were rationed to civilians so supplies could be channeled to support the military.
But the wartime era was also marked by newfound opportunities. As the traditional workforce shifted to military service, women and minorities assumed factory jobs, while others volunteered with organizations like the Red Cross or USO. Whole communities showed support for troops through fundraisers and material donations.
This gallery spotlights the Hattiesburg area during World War II. The scans were pulled from two scrapbooks donated to the HAHS museum by former Hattiesburg American reporter Sarah Gillespie; the scrapbooks cover the years from 1943 to 1945. Space does not allow us to share the entire Gillespie collection, but the items we've selected provide a sense of how those who remained at home pulled together to support the war effort while maintaining an atmosphere of normalcy for themselves, their families and their friends.
selected men for military service
military service were common in the war years
at the Front St. USO
contributed their talents
events such as the Crippled Children's Clinic
garments for overseas shipment
gifts for children at Christmas
boxes to children in liberated Eurpean countries
collected books for distribution to service men
to reuse paper for the war effort
was a shortage of newspaper boys
raise funds for the war effort
to help finance the war
recognized for outstanding production of war material
a much needed Health Center
use available resources
groups like the Girl Scouts
have fun even during wartime
a treat for children and adults
as part of school life
students who were in the armed services
(on display at the Hattiesburg Cultural Center)
found ways to keep busy
there was golf
there was still time to recognize
individuals who touched our lives
Did You Know...
The USO (United Services Organization) was created to provide morale and recreational services to U.S. military personnel. It was established by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt through a coalition of six civilian organizations: the Salvation Army, the YMCA, the YWCA, the National Catholic Community Service, the National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board.
Nurse Clara Barton 
and close associates founded the American Red Cross in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 1881. Barton first heard of the Swiss-inspired global Red Cross network while visiting Europe following the Civil War.