Running head: CIVILIANS CONTRIBUTION DURING WW II

Civilians Contribution to WW II

Name

Institutional Affiliation
CIVILIANS CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD WAR II 2

Summary

“The Art to Zoo,” by Smithsonian, majorly explores various ways in which civilians and

the home front contributed to helping the servicemen during WW II. Although the article

explores the shortcoming and effects of the war, it is centered on how civilians obeyed the

rationing rules, buying bonds, collecting scrap, and sending cheery mails.

The WWII article by New Orleans’ overall idea is how the civilians contributed in world

war II through purchasing the bonds, abiding by rationing, voluntary efforts, planting victory

gardens, recycling scrap metals, and supporting government programs for civil defense.

Paraphrase

The civilian contribution was mainly to serve the needs of the war economy. The

civilians were supposed to work hard at their jobs, buy war bonds, maintain security, observe

rationing, donate blood, plant victory gardens, rent their spare rooms, not waste any material,

men, and take their place in civilian defense. Civilians wrote cheery V-mails to the servicemen to

let them know they were grateful.

The civilians were involved in contributing efforts during World War II. Although the

war was not taking place on American soil, civilians at home prepared through the office of

Civilian Defense. Volunteers were urged to be on the lookout for enemy planes. The lights were

either dimmed or blacked in their homes so the enemies could not have a target during the night.

Additionally, the civilians covered their doors and windows with blankets so the light from the

inside could not reflect on the outside. Another way in which civilians felt patriotic during the

war was scrapping. Civilians collected materials like papers, rubber, and metal. Also, civilians

used Victory mails to encourage the servicemen. Rationing and war bonds were also strategies

that civilians gave to ensure the servicemen had sufficient supplies.

CIVILIANS CONTRIBUTION TO WORLD WAR II 3

Quote

  In the entire source, backing up the war is the basic strategy expressed. If one had been in

US during World War II, one might have come across posts like these always “what did you do

today for freedom? back the attack with war bonds! Get in the scrap! Loose lips sink ships”

(Smithsonian Institution1988). Such messages appeared everywhere in the banks, factories, bus

depots, movie screens, meeting halls, newspapers, and magazines and repeatedly over the radio.

 
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References

New Orleans. The National WWII MUSEUM [Ebook] (p. 5). The National Museum. Retrieved

from https://extension.uga.edu/content/dam/extension/programs-and-services/school-

gardens/documents/5-Historical-Victory-Garden-and-WWII.pdf

 Smithsonian Institution,. (1988). Art To Zoo [Ebook] (p. 8). Washington D. C. Retrieved from

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/civilian_contributions/ATZ

_CivilianContributions_Jan1988.pdf