Emily Laskowski
Conor, Helen. “Third Former Butler Student in Two Days Is Plane Crash Victim.” The Indianapolis Star. 4 March 1923.
*William Carson McClure killed in Bedford, VA
*Started training for army air forces cadet on January 13, 1942 when he was a junior at Butler
*Air Force admission in 1941 serving at Maxwell Field in Montgomery, AL; Sumter, South Carolina; and Albany, Georgia
*Became second liutenant on December 13
*Departed to report to group at Colombia
Conor, Helen. “Lost Sergeant’s Call Gives Mother Happiest Birthday.” The Indianapolis Star. May 1845.
*Sgt. Robert McClure was an aerial gunner
*MIA since Jan 31 that year. It had been nearly five months
*All his crewmembers were POW’s in Germany
*Father had given him a special coin that he had kept with him throughout WWI. He then carried this for 25 years afterwards. He wanted for his son to do the same.
*Transported from Paris to the United States because of his severe foot injury
Bielawski, Jane. Personal Interview. 13 April 2006.
*At the start of WWII, Grandma was a high school student. She was one of seven children to Mr. And Mrs. William McClure. The war was a time of rationing and service. Every person played a different role in order to benefit the country as a whole. Families paid the biggest price of all. Watching young men such as brothers and close friends enlist was difficult. “We would come home from school to find out that a friend’s boyfriend or a neighbor had died or was missing somewhere in Europe.” Most women began to take on jobs of men in factories and around local offices. Home life changed as well due to the needed supply of materials in order for the United States to be at war. It was difficult for Mrs. McClure to adjust to the change around the house. Having two sons overseas, a husband at work for the entire day, and caring for five children was a challenge. As food was rationed, she had to adjust to the short supply of every day materials such as flour and sugar. Cooking and Baking were more difficult, but most women managed to create new recipes.
*Brother Robert (Bob) McClure-He flew in a B-24 bomber plane and was stationed in Italy. Their plane went down over Hungary. All of his other crewmembers were taken as POW’s, but he hid out in the woods for three days. His feet froze, and he went to the hospital in Hungary where he was treated kindly. He was MIA for five months.
*Brother Bill McClure-He was a member of the army and later went through pilot training. His crew flew B-25 bomber planes at night. Since they flew at very low altitudes, the plane crashed in a Virginia mountain one night unexpectedly. All of the crewmembers were killed. There is now a memorial there. The fifty-year anniversary was a few years ago. My grandmother along with some of my mothers’ siblings flew out to Virginia for the day of memory. The plane had been restored, and they were able to fly around the East Coast skies in it. This was the same plane that my uncle had gone down in, therefore, this was a very special occasion for the entire family.
*Axis Sally-She was a propaganda woman for Germany on the radio. She came on every night in the United States and would tell the U.S. to surrender. She would list off all the POW’s. Grandma’s dad would listen every night to hear the names of his son since one had already been killed. It was hard for him because neither of his sons names were ever mentioned.
*Father William McClure Sr.-He was a chief associate managing editor for The Star. While one son was at war, he was offered a bigger and better paying job outside of Chicago. He didn’t accept the offer because moving meant his son would come home to an unfamiliar place. He would walk four miles to and from work because of gas rationing. In addition, most high school students at the time would walk to school, but now they began to walk or bike to their after school jobs as well.
*Sister Libby was starting at Butler in 1943. Sister Eleanor was in high school. Ruth was in grade school. Mary was 25 and working downtown.
*Although WWII as a whole was more than difficult for the McClure family, my great-grandparents managed to make it through.
“WWI Home front: The American Family.” May 2002. Ushistory.com. 14 April 2006. <http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1692.html>.
With war comes devastation, depression, deprivation and death. World War II was uppermost in U.S. history with costs exceeding $350 billion and more than 292,000 American servicemen killed in action. The families on the home front were profoundly affected.
An immediate political, psychological and economic shift took place following the Pearl Harbor in 1941, because the United States found itself unprepared. The onset of war necessitated numerous adjustments; while American forces were fighting overseas or training in U.S. military camps, families also were fully engaged in the war effort. The American home front geared up for an all-out effort to rush into war production, and American society experienced dramatic changes.
The first major impact was felt with labor shortages when the men went off to war. More and more women now entered the work force. Once reserved for men, women now took up jobs in industry, and Rosie the Riveter. became a popular icon in America. Widening their horizons, many women were now working full time and yet were still trying to maintain their home life. Attracted by waiting jobs, the number of high school dropouts increased significantly, resulting in the teenage work force swelling from one million to three million youngsters. In the meantime, federal inspectors ignored laws that regulated the employment of children.
Although the war had opened up new opportunities, it also brought much sadness and a far more serious reality regarding life in its normal state. Separation from fathers or sons left devastating effects, and in a sense, many felt robbed of their childhood. With the family shifting roles, each member was initially shocked and filled with mixed emotions. With added stresses it was an emotional time, to say the least — the American family would undoubtedly be changed forever.
Lawrence, David. “Women in WWII-Introduction.” 1 January 1999. Family Records.gov. 17 April 2006. <http://www.familyrecords.gov.uk/focuson/womeninuniform/wwii_intro.htm>.
Food rationing was the rallying cry on the American home front. The Office of Price Administration (OPA) was set up to determine rationing regulations. With the military as top priority, American families began to feel the pinch. There were now such substitute foods as dried powdered eggs and liquid paraffin instead of cooking oil. For those who violated the rationing rules, the punishment was strict.
"Victory Gardens" were started as the government encouraged Americans to grow their own food. Statewide competitions were conducted and winning recipes published to optimize use of home-grown vegetables. That endeavor was successful, and at one point during the war, 50 percent of the the nation's vegetables were grown in victory gardens. Although the nation’s farm population declined 17 percent during the war, modern farm machinery, good weather, and improved fertilizers actually increased agricultural production.
The sale of war bonds and war stamps also helped the United States to stage a rapid economic recovery. Unfortunately, only about one third of the American people could afford to contribute to the cause. Changes were felt all the way to the top. As the federal government continued to cut funding for many social programs, many idealists left their government positions.
War necessities directly influenced American fashion. The War Production Board (WPB) became the nation’s premier clothing consultant in the spring of 1942. They influenced the appearance of civilian apparel by dictating the conservation of cloth and metal, changing the very style — especially women’s garments. Dependence on fewer materials led to the two-piece bathing suit. Nieman Marcus called them "patriotic chic."
Taxes skyrocketed. It was not possible to purchase a car because none were being produced. To obtain a telephone, one had to be in a critical occupation of the war effort — and yet the U.S. standard of living actually rose during those years! The country had pulled out of an awesome economic depression thanks to greatly expanded war production.
The end of the war revealed pent-up demand. Prices skyrocketed with the removal of price controls, but women stayed on the job to buy items needed for the family. The American Dream now became a reality as families found it possible to buy a home, a car, a washing machine, and to give their children everything they had been deprived of for so long. As a result of the war, the nation had become more urbanized because 1.5 million Americans had moved from rural areas into the cities. Women’s labor force participation continued to increase after the war and has been rising ever since.
The vast changes in wartime society and domestic adjustments are evident even today. The Americans who survived the devastating effects of World War II hold deeply embedded memories. Fortunately, they were willing to share them.