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Michael Schmidt
Dr. Murdock
English 2089
March 29, 2015
WWII and the effects on the Economy
History is events that shape and mold our society to what we are today. Many events that
happen in history are the building blocks of a culture and how it is represented. World War II
was no different for much of the world, especially the United States. Before this second war the
economy in the United States was in a depression. Women had little rights, if any and the men
were working long hours while getting paid low wages. Each individual has family ties to this
time in history. My family tie, is my grandfather Henry Schmidt. The stories my grandfather tells
of his life and the state of the United States economy after the war will be explored and
researched. The United States is a powerful nation with a powerful history.
World War II started off somewhat distant from the land of the United States. Most men
and women of this nation didn’t believe or know other countries at the time were in war. The
citizens of the United States were blindfolded with relation to other countries and their war
propaganda. During the years 1935-1940 the United States was in a depression with little
economic success.
“Most of the country was deeply confused. I didn’t find a job for a good wage until I
started working after the war. This country was still the best, however the community was poor.
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We lived in a two bedroom house with my parents and my two brothers. It was tight, but not as
bad as others. Times were tough.”
Before WWII America was hit hard with the stock market crash. “At the depths of the
depression, over one-quarter of the American workforce was out of work” (loc.gov). These
numbers were devastating towards the life of Americans and the families they raised. With much
of the world in economic downturn, it produced power hungry leaders to political power. This is
the beginning of individuals like Adolph Hitler and the leaders of Japan. Thus, becoming the
beginning of the II World War.
“War was not wanted by anyone at this time in America. We wanted structure and good
jobs in the community. In other words the economy was shit. The work was tough and the wage
was low. War wasn’t on anyone’s mind. The condition of living was.”
Unfortunately, the power leaders in Germany and Japan wanted to control the world.
After Germany ravished through Eastern Europe and controlled land, the United States knew
about the war in Europe, but stayed away. That was, until December 7, 1941 when Japan
attacked Pearl Harbor. At this time the men and women of America were going to war. The war
at this point wasn’t a choice. The American soil was attacked and Roosevelt decided to take
action and join the war.
“The men in my infantry were ready to back the country. Like I said before, the jobs were
scarce and the economy was down none of the group wanted to leave their loved ones in the
struggling community, but we all knew what needed to be done. That was the hardest part. In
other words everyone knew we would be gone for a while with no guarantee of what it would be
like when we got back.”
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The men and women in the United States wanted to gain back independence and wealth.
The war didn’t seem like the best option at this point. I start to ask myself how could one live
with this lack of wealth and structure in society. I begin to put myself in my grandfather’s shoes
and escape to a place of hardship within my life. Nothing. Not even a period of my life thus far
can relate to the hardship my grandfather experienced. I turn to questions about the community,
and how the people accepted the hardship and lack of wealth. He turns his body weight to the
other cheek. He stays silent for a second and responds with:
“We didn’t have a choice. The community was raised this way. You learn what you’ve
been taught. School was a recess from life. When we were at school the wealth and life around
us stopped. While growing up, school was a break from poverty. Some friends had it worse than
others.”
The community I see through his stories and eyes remains dim. How does poverty strike such a
large part of the nation? During my high school years I would go to my grandfather’s house after
school and sit with him from time to time. These stories I would hear from him about work and
the lack of pay, were shocking. Realizing the amount of money some members of society make
today. The amounts couldn’t be more lopsided.
Henry had a flair to him back in the day. His stories make me think he was a ladies man,
who liked to joke. The smiles on his face aren’t that often. He laughs at his own jokes and very
seldom holds back his input. I try to ask him about the early part of the military. These questions
are mainly responded with grey answers. None of the questions relinquish a thorough answer.
I move forward to the years when he gets drafted into the war. I can sense a great deal of
pride when he talks about his service. My father and grandfather attend breakfast every Thursday
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throughout the week. Almost every breakfast I attend, Henry is wearing a WWII veteran hat. The
reaction on his face when someone acknowledges the WWII hat is remarkable. He shows the
rare smile on his face which comes along with immediate stories. I respect the veterans more
each time I see others show gratitude towards them. When my grandfather finally speaks about
the beginning of the war, his tone is low and his responses are short.
“Heading to war was part of the job. When you can’t make any money at home, why not
join the military. At this time everyone wanted to because of the lack of jobs. Also the invasion on
Pearl helped land more volunteers.”
The invasion on Pearl Harbor rattled the American society and thousands started to volunteer for
duty. According to nationalww2museum.org “38.8% (6,332,000) of U.S. servicemen and all
servicewomen were volunteers, and 61.2% (11,535,000) were draftees.” United States might
have been in a financial depression, but it was clear the citizens of this country stood tall. As I
look back onto the men and women of the war, I see my grandfather as an icon to my family.
The passion he and other soldiers showed fighting for our nation is commendable, to say the
least.
I continue to question my grandfather about the war experience from draft to infantry
reality. The expression continued to change day to day with the interviews. Not one day was the
same. Slight dementia has set in, beings that he just celebrated his 93 birthday this past January.
The living room is filled with momentous of his life experiences. Medals from the war, photos of
his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. To think life before the war could establish
a life as good as this after a war is hard to imagine. War to me represents heartache and broken
communities. Some communities never bounced back after the war. They simply disappeared.
As I continue to look at the tangible and intangible items my grandfather has after his service, I
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smile inside. Back to questions about the enlistment in WWII, the reaction from him doesn’t
change. The little amount of exchange when we talk about the beginning of the war and
enlistment, makes me wonder how hard it actually was for these young soldiers to leave the life
they have created for another world. The next day I start back to question about enlisting. What
was the experience like? What made you the most concerned? Henry, again looked as if he
didn’t want to answer the question. He finally responds.
“The pride I wanted to show my mom. I wanted to become a soldier and come home after
the war and get a degree. I wanted to make my parents proud. The war scared me. Hell, the war
scared almost everyone. I also wanted to see the world. I didn’t see any place other than
Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. This was an experience to travel the world, while serving the
country. Then the attack on our soil. That really pushed the envelope. In other words, I wanted to
show my parents I can create my own life. A sense of pride.”
As I begin to indulge in the experiences of the enlistment, I think to myself what life
altering moments have I experienced that would compare to the story of my grandfather. The
time when I went away to college alone. No parents to direct my wrongdoing. No, close friends
to give me advice on situations. These moments I think about are difficult for a young adult,
growing into his/her own. I made bad decisions. Now, I’m 30 years old figuring out the last part
of my college experience. The first one didn’t work out so well, if you couldn’t tell. Then my
thought goes back to my grandfather and the experiences he started off with as a new young
adult moving into the world. The kicker is, this new world wasn’t a school less than 100 miles
from mom and dad. This was literally a different country. A different country with strangers. The
people you know are wet behind the ears and the leaders are in your face yelling and addressing
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you in names that aren’t on your birth certificate. These moments of thought make my life look
simple compared to the soldiers of WWII.
A week goes by and I return to my grandfather’s house with lunch and more questions.
I’m sure he likes to talk about these moments in his life, but most likely at his own accord. The
question I’ve gotten from him is always the same.
“When is this paper due?”
It is the third time we are meeting together. Today Henry seems to be more awake and vibrant.
The weather is turning warm and the sun is peaking through the clouds. Spring is approaching.
Today was different from previous days. Comments and statements were coming from him
before I could even ask the questions. After speaking about enlisting and stories involving
volunteered soldiers, actual war stories ensued. Henry spoke about these stories as if they were
normal activities during anyone’s lifetime. However, statistics of the war expose it was much
more serious than my grandfather portrayed his stories. “the Second World War was the most
widespread and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries and resulting in more
than 50 million military and civilian deaths”(history.com). Speaking about the war isn’t so easy.
Some members of the war find it difficult to even become a normal part of society. PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) didn’t become a medical term until the 1980’s. This made it hard for
veterans to talk about the problems they were interacting with. “The Department of Veterans
Affairs' National Center for PTSD estimated that 1 in 20 of the nation's 2.5 million surviving
World War II vets suffers from the disorder.” (ncptsd.va.gov).
It is day four of our discussions about WWII. Today I start to ask questions about the end
of the war and how the return back to America was perceived. The condition of the United States
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upon departure wasn’t so great. I start to sense a great deal of relief from Henry. Probably
because he knows the questions and prying into his life are finally over. He doesn’t mind talking
about his life and career when it’s on his terms. This whole process had his mind moving to
moments and emotions he hasn’t been to in a long time. Most of these memories haven’t been
talked about for years. The relief on his face is apparent when I tell him today is the last day of
questions. He actually breaks out a smile and says
“Finally, these questions have me going back to years I haven’t thought about since the
visit to D.C. with the veteran’s flight.”
I laughed. Then proceeded to ask more questions since this was the last day of work I needed. He
continues to sit in the same chair every day. The process was the same this whole time. The
television was propped in the corner of the living room with the shades drawn open to a view of
the street in the front of the house. The television was always on but the sound turned down to a
volume capable of hearing the questions and the rerun of law and order.
While my grandfather was serving the country at war the United States was making a
turn for the best economically. The war created a surge in production. This economic boom was
created from the production in war equipment. Planes were tripled in production. Other war
materials flipped the economic growth upwards. “During war, geographic mobility could occur
due to internal movement to war production centers or women moving to take jobs previously
held by men who were sent to the war. The process of demobilization of the armed forces took
place along the East, West, and Gulf Coasts, which are places that show growth on the map.”
(census.gov). The following map shows the changes in nation before the great depression, during
the great depression and the result after the war. These changes are due to the growing of the
economy throughout the years.
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(census.gov).
Henry was more outspoken about his experiences after the war then he was with stories
of the war. The whole experience shifted when he spoke about life after. After the war my
grandfather came back to the states and started working in the technology field. This was a
growing career after the war. Televisions, radios and other technology were creating jobs and
wealth. Henry speaks about his first job after the war and how it was a stepping stone. The
results of the war turned the United States into a world power. “The war brought the return of
prosperity, and in the postwar period the United States consolidated its position as the world's
richest country. Gross national product, a measure of all goods and services produced in the
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United States, jumped from about $200 thousand-million in 1940 to $300 thousand-million in
1950.” (let.rug.nl).
While my grandfather talks about the jobs after the war, I start to think about the
community and how it evolved since he left for war. The previous stories he mentioned didn’t
have any gusto. My grandfather spoke with low tones and never seemed interested in telling the
story. Now with stories after the war, the mood is opposite. Henry mentions his next job in the
medical field. This job was exciting to him. The look in his eyes was filled with pride. The pride
he wanted his parents to see when he left for the war.
“The community did a complete turnaround from the beginning of the war. I saw
shopping centers built. Cars were in every driveway. Friends would come over to watch
television. The whole life experience was different. My neighbors would all get together and grill
out. Houses were built and everyone had a hard working job. In other words the community was
happy and succeeding.”
The lasting job my grandfather had was selling new medical equipment to hospitals and doctors.
This was a growing demand because of the use of plastics. Plastics took over after the war due to
decrease in metals. “The first decade after World War II saw the development of polypropylene
and high density polyethylene and the growth of the new plastics in many applications.”
(pasticsindustry.org).
“Industry and jobs grew at a fast pace. America was back to being the best. I wouldn’t
change anything from past to present. I learned from the tough times and it made me the person I
am today. Blessed to live in the U.S.”
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These new engineered products created jobs and a vast array of different products. As I look
around the house at my grandfathers I realize how much of these items were introduced in the
period after the war or during the war.
He mentions how each community grew and population became more widespread across
the city. The government created a GI bill which helped returning veterans of the war with
numerous options financially. “It established veterans’ hospitals, provided for vocational
rehabilitation, made low-interest mortgages available, and granted stipends covering tuition and
living expenses for veterans attending college or trade schools.” (history.com). This bill helped
my grandfather and others live a life of prosperity.
As I look back at the stories and life of my grandfather during the war, the community
around him and around the nation strived to be great. This continues today in our society. The
vision that my grandfather had before he left for the war to make his parents proud, was
achieved. I can proudly say that my grandfather not only made his parents proud but also his
kids, and grandkids proud as well. He is a true hero to my family. The vision he had to be a good
soldier and to achieve financial stability for his family became fruitful. The economic impact that
these soldiers endured on the country was a great feat. From a nation on hard times, to a nation
of prosperity and power over all others.
“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” (FDR). This quote explains many hard
times in American history. America will continue to grow with the help of the economy and the
soldiers that gave freedom to the citizens of this great country. The impact on the economic
growth was a great contribution.
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References
“By The Numbers: The US Military.” Profile of US Servicemen (1941-1945). n.p., Web.
n.d.
“Geographic Mobility During Industrialization, The Depression, and WWII.” United
States Census Bureau. Web. n.d.
“G.I. Bill.” The Readers Companion to American History. Foner, Eric, and Garraty, John
A. Web. 1991.
“Great Depression and World War II”. Library of Congress. n.p. Web. n.d.
“History of Plastics.” Plastics Industry Trade Association, Web. 2015.
Roosevelt, Franklin. “Inaugural Address of the President.” Washington D.C. 4 March
1933. Keynote Address.
Schmidt, Henry. Personal interview. 12 February 2015. 21 February 2015. 11 March
2015.
“The Postwar Economy: 1945-1960.” Outline. University of Groningen. Web. 1994 –
2012.
“U.S. wars and post-traumatic stress disorder.” SFGate. Epstien, Jack. Miller, Johnny.
Web. 22 June 2005.
“World War II.” History Channel. A&E Television Network. Web. 2015
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