America: The Story of Us (Part 10: World War 2)

The United States of America was built on hardship, sacrifice, and discovery. In 2010, the history channel have created this 12-part docu-series where it talks about many of those hardships, sacrifices, and discoveries.

This is part 10 of this 12-part wiki series about the History Channel's docu-series. In this part, we will talk about how America dealt with World War 2.

Just before we begin I have to let you know that there is already a wiki series about World War 2, just click here to read about it.

## World War 2

### America is attacked

The episode begins in Hawaii where America would receive a nasty surprise by the Japanese.

Even as World War 2 begins on September 1, 1939, the American people decide to stay out of it as nearly 3/4 of the population are in favor of neutrality, despite American aid to Great Britain as it was fighting against the Nazis in Europe. But on December 7, 1941, a squadron of Japanese Zeroes were flying towards the US Pacific Naval Base at Pearl Harbor.

The US Naval Base had radar systems as they can see where the Japanese Zeroes, but the people operating them didn't trust the technology, and they were only at these stations 3 hours a day, and even when they did get signals of the Zeroes, some didn't believe that the threat was true as they were given prior notice that a few B-17s were coming in.

But the threat was real, at 7:45 AM, the Japanese Zeroes make it to their target at the Naval Base. The sailors stationed were taken by complete surprise, around 500 Zeroes came in and attacked the base. They sunk around 7 ships (including the USS Arizona) and kill over 2,000 people. This would awaken a sleeping giant in America, no more being neutral, revenge against Japan ruled the minds of many Americans, a few days later the US would declare war against Japan, and then Nazi Germany.

The episode now goes to various places in the country (namely Texas) as America now flips on the production switch.

As America enters the war, it also ramps up production almost hundred-fold as it was making tanks, bombers, and an all-terrain vehicle which was simple called the Jeep.

The biggest contributors of the production boom were America's women, in fact around 20 Million of them would go to work at these factories to produce these tanks, bombers and other weapons such as bullets.

But making these weapons can be just as dangerous as using them, the gunpowder used to making the detonators is highly unstable, even combing your hair can dangerous. Especially if you find yourself in a thunderstorm and the lights go out, and in a panic the detonators fall onto the floor.

### Taking it to the skies

The episode now goes to the skies above Nazi occupied Europe to talk about how the Americans dealt with bombing raids.

As the war continued, the Allies were getting closer and closer to Nazi occupied Europe. By this time, the Allies were trying to solve the problem with bombing key areas of Nazi Germany as nighttime bombing wasn't effective. Americans say that bombing raids must be carried out during the day where the target can be seen. Though this move proved nearly suicidal, but it was successful nevertheless, and during the course of the European theater, bomber losses were reduced thanks in technological advances in Allied bombers, especially in the form of the P-51D Mustang.

### Recruits and Medical supplies

As the war continues and the Allies were gaining victory after victory over the Axis, this would see an influx of recruits and drafted others. However, segregation is still rampant in the US, and because of this there were units just with white Americans and units with just African-Americans.

With the influx of recruits and draftees also comes the likelihood of casualties, but America's production machine has provided its army with plenty of medical supplies from blood, prosthetic limbs, even fake eyeballs.

### D-Day

The episode now goes to Normandy where one of the biggest amphibious landings in history will take place; Operation: Overlord.

Around 156,000 soldiers were getting ready for this huge amphibious landing, some would write notes to their families. Nobody really knows what would happen and some of them try to keep an optimistic attitude about it.

After some deception from another operation called Fortitude as well as a parachute regimen going behind enemy lines, the initial invasion was underway. On June 6, 1944, thousands of Allied soldiers storm the beaches of Normandy and met with heavy resistance on the cliffs above. Within hours, the Allies make a breakthrough and they secure the beaches, though they would suffer around 2,000 casualties.

After D-Day, the Allies (along with the Soviets from the East) would sandwich the Nazis back to Germany and by May of 1945, the Nazis officially surrendered as does Italy. Only Japan remained as the last Axis Power.

### The Atomic Bomb

The episode now goes to the deserts of New Mexico where the Americans will work on a devastating new weapon.

In the summer of 1945, and with the war nearing an end, a group of atomic scientists led by man named J. Robert Oppenheimer have developed a devastating new weapon for the US to use to end the war; The Atomic Bomb. They tested it in a place in New Mexico called White Sands, it was tested successfully.

After the test, the Atomic Bombs were ready to go, on August 6, 1945 one of the bombs named Little Boy was dropped on Hiroshima, 3 days later Nagasaki was bombed. On September 2, 1945, Japan officially surrenders, and World War 2 is over. Now soldiers were coming home to their families and glad that the war is now over.

That'll do it for this part, in the next part we will talk about America's new status as a global superpower. Until next time this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.