Submitted by Neva Hanson
In 1941, when war was declared against Japan after
the attack on Pearl Harbor and in only a few days were into the war in Europe,
to help the other countries against Hitler in Germany.
We had to make many sacrifices at home.
Many foods were rationed: Sugar, coffee, shoes, lard, butter, canned
vegetables, tires and gasoline. The
pictures will show some of the stamps used.
We were not prepared for a war and especially not a
war in two places. Just imagine
getting food, army supplies and men across the Atlantic Ocean and to do the same
and fight a war in the Pacific Ocean on the islands.
In the fall of 1940, on October 16, all men between
the ages of 21 and 35, had to register for the draft. This was the first peace-time draft in the history of the
United States. When we were at war
in 1917, the draft was held after we entered into the war.
Registrations were held in the towns and then sent to
the county seat. When all
registrations were in and counted, there were 770 men registered from Griggs
County. If the men were working in
another state, they could still be counted for Griggs County.
The numbers were the same in every voting area in the United States.
A report came on the radio - no TV then - that the
numbers would be drawn out of what they called the fish bowl.
This must have taken place in Washington, D. C., who drew them out, I
can't remember, could have been the Secretary of War.
The first number drawn was 158. A
woman in the audience screamed, it was her son's number.
That number was drawn from every registration area.
The number 158 drawn in Griggs County was for Selmer Quam.
The next number for a Leonard Bierdsley, the next was Gordon Stokka.
Number 120 was drawn and that was Orville Boe of Hannaford.
The men were placed in four classifications:
Class I were all men eligible for training.
Class II were all eligible men engaged in skilled
labor essential to the war.
Class III were married men with a wife and children,
or perhaps not married with dependents.
Class IV were men physically or mentally unfit for
training.
They received their classification cards and carried
them at all times. The first number
drawn during World War I was 258.
Harry L. Thompson was picked by Governor Moses, those
orders coming President Roosevelt for him to head the Draft Board.
Three men from the county to be on the Draft Board: Henry Kolpin was one
and Helen Knauss (Mrs. Ole Broton) was also picked.
Throughout the years, many served on the Draft Board.
Volunteers were accepted, even though they had been
drafted. Questionnaires were sent
to all registrants.
Many foods were rationed. If we wanted toothpaste or anything in a tube, we had to turn
in the old tube before we could get another tube of toothpaste.
We were all caught up in the war effort.
Young men went into service, many couples went out west to work in
defense plants, such as Boeing Aircraft, Lockheed Aircraft, and many other
manufacturing plants in the defense of our country.
Very few young men were left at home.
We didn't have Social Security those days and all older men and women
went to work where they were needed.
We went all out in the production of food on the
farms. People were asked to produce
more butter, milk, etc. More wheat
was raised. That would be welcomed
in this day, but since it hadn't been many years since the depression, we were
not prepared. Our machinery was
small and perhaps old. And with
everything being made for the defense of our country, no new machinery was
available. Also, there was a
shortage of labor. Not many new
clothes or new furniture could be bought. Later
on we stood in line to buy nylon stockings and many other articles.
We had drives for people to buy War Bonds.
The school children could buy a 10ยข stamp as often as they wanted to.
When they had $18.75 in stamps, they could purchase a bond worth $25, at
maturity.
But even though we sacrificed at home, no sacrifice was greater than the loss of men killed, maimed, taken as prisoners, and all they suffered at the hands of the enemy. The Bataan March, the Normandy Beachhead and al