Eighty-two years ago today, at around 2:30 p.m. EST, many Americans were finishing Sunday dinner or sitting in their living rooms listening to shows on the radio like” Sunday Serenade” featuring bandleader Sammy Kay and his orchestra on the NBC Red Network or even a NFL game on radio station WOR between the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers from Ebbets Field when these and other programs were interrupted to announce that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii from the air.

It’s likely that in many American homes’ families consulted maps or atlases in an attempt to determine where Pearl Harbor was located. Until this time the United States had not emerged on the world stage and forays into international affairs had been limited to the Spanish American War and participation in World War I. Americans still heeded the words from George Washington’s Farewell Address to the People of the United States in 1796 that “It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliance with any portion of the foreign world.” Opinion favoring Isolationism, or the belief that American should stay out of the war was strong in several parts the nation

After the fall of France in June 1940, Americans became uneasy about Great Britain’s ability to defeat Germany on its own. In 1939, the U.S. Army ranked 17th in size just behind Romania and was woefully unprepared to fight a global war. National polls showed a growing majority in favor of instituting a draft, but members of Congress were more divided. When the original draft bill came up for renewal in September of 1941 it barely passed in the House with a vote 203 yes and 202 no.

Pearl Harbor changed everything. The nation came together, and isolationism was no longer spoken of. Soon after the attack recruiting stations were jammed with young men who rushed to volunteer. In this war women played an important role in the military serving in the Army’s Women Auxiliary Corps, the Army Air Forces WAAC’s, the Navy’s WAVES, the Coast Guard SPARS, Women Marines, and the Army Nurse Corps. Altogether more than 370,000 women served during the war. One of these women was my mother who left her job at Marquette University to join the WAVES.

The homefront was also mobilized for war. Rationing was introduced in the spring of 1942 because of shortages of certain foods and a lack of shipping. Families were issued ration stamps that were used to buy their allotment of butter, meat, fats, sugar, vegetables, and fruit. Rationing was also introduced for tires, clothing, fuel oil and gasoline.

Many families supplemented and brightened diets made dull by rationing by planting “Victory Gardens” where they grew their own fruits and vegetables. Both of my grandfathers tended victory gardens during the war.

American industry which was shifting more and more to war production by 1941 reached new heights of production during the war producing 80,000 landing craft, 100,000 tanks and armored cars, 15 million rifles, 300,000 airplanes, 3251 Liberty and Victory cargo ships, and nearly 2300 naval vessels of all types.

Many of the workers who were producing the instruments of war were women who replaced men who were now in the service. The role these women played was brought to life by the character of “Rosie the Riveter” who was seen on posters telling women that “We can do it!” There was even a song about Rosie that began this way.

All the day long, whether rain or shine She’s a part of the assembly line She’s making history, working for victory Rosie, the riveter

The entertainment world also got behind the war effort. Movie stars worked to sell War Bonds as did radio personalities like Jack Benny and Bob Hope and bandleaders like Kay Kyser. Hollywood produced war films like “Bataan,” “Guadalcanal Diary,” and “They Were Expendable” and movies about the home front like “Since You Went Away.” It also produced plenty of escapist dramas, comedies, mysteries, and westerns. MGM stars Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart both joined the Army Air force and flew combat missions over Europe with Stewart ending the war as a full Colonel. Bandleader Glenn Miller disbanded his civilian band in September 1942. He went on to lead the Army Air Forces Training Command Band later to be christened the American Band of the Allied Expeditionary Force after arriving in Britain in June 1944.

Major League Baseball continued throughout the war at the express wishes of President Roosevelt who felt it was important for the nation’s morale. Some 95% of the players who suited up in 1941 were now connected to the war effort so rosters were loaded with former minor leaguers, former major leaguers, and others. In 1945 the St Louis Browns signed Pete Gray, a one armed outfielder who appeared in 77 games that year.

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a turning point in American history. Faced with a world war the nation came together as never before and strived to bring about victory whether it be on the battleline, on the assembly line or in the home and accepted the uncertainties and privations of that war. If we face a similar situation in the future, will we do as well as they did? I hope so.

Thomas Kirkpatrick Sr. is a Silver Creek resident. Send comments to editorial@observertoday.com