When World War II began, America was far from ready for a global fight. Around the world, dictators and militarists armed their countries to the teeth in preparation for aggression. In the US, the country’s isolationism and then-skeptical attitude towards a large standing army ensured that America’s military was relatively weak when the world was plunged into war. The US Army, for example, was a relatively miniscule force of about 170,000 men. By the time WWII ended six years later, the country had mobilized about 16 million men across all services. About half of them, 8 million men, were overseas when the guns finally fell silent. Bringing them back home was a gargantuan task that, as seen below, was successfully carried out thanks to a massive logistics effort, Operation Magic Carpet.
15. America Mobilizes for War
Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor suddenly plunged the United States into war, and in the aftermath, America mobilized as it never had before or since. Beating plowshares into swords, the US began the Herculean process of shifting from a peacetime footing to one of total war. Industry was retooled from civilian pursuits such as manufacturing lipstick casings and converted to pumping out bullet cartridges; from producing typewriters to turning out tanks; and from assembly lines rolling out family sedans to rolling out heavy bombers by the thousands. More importantly, America mobilized her most precious asset: her manpower and the flower of her youth.
