Part 1: When WW II came to The Arthur Area
Author: Bill Crane
This is now referred to as the ‘Greatest Generation’
This review of history is mostly about stories of the WW II generation in Arthur IL, but it
was typical of what all men and women experienced in their own hometowns across
America. Their sacrifice and gallantry paralleled what these folks in this story must have
felt. This story could be told for every branch of the service and all wars and conflicts.
Many years ago, a friend and a very wise man taught me, when I witness with my eye’s
events, or words written or spoken, I should always read between the lines, to discern what
is inferred and not obvious. That is where the intent and real truths are found. As you read
this history, read what is inferred. In your mind walk a mile in this generation’s shoes. What
was in their minds, torn from their future. Fearing their own death daily. Men who were
gentle and industrious, were forced to kill their fellow man to survive. To fight a war, they
did not ask for. This may be why the men that returned were reluctant to tell their stories
and remained silent.
Families would yearn for any little bit of news about their loved ones. They dreaded the
telegram that they might receive from The War Department, of a son, KIA, MIA, or wounded
in battle message. The wars visual news was at the local theater, and before the main
feature, there was Fox Movie Tone News films of the war. For a closer feeling of this war,
watch these Movie Tone films, as they can still be viewed on YouTube.
In the 1930’s a new generation was emerging from the cities, small towns, and villages,
and the farms across America. Times were tough but good. Most folks were unaware of
what was unfolding in the other hemisphere, as communication was in its infancy by today’s standard. In this greatest generation, many came from the rural schools and churches and walked the halls, were seated in the classrooms, and competed in sports against opposition teams, at 301 E Columbia Arthur Il, as many of you have who are reading this. They never had a thought that in a few short years their next opponents would be In Europe and the Southwest Pacific countries. An away game so to speak, against many brutal tyrants that were gaining excessive power over their people. They never studied in history class, names like Mao Zedong chairman of the Chinese Communist Party, Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini of Italy, and Emperor Hirohito. It was too soon for these names to appear in the history books they studied. They were unaware of their historic future military leaders, they would serve under, like General Dwight Eisenhower Supreme Allied Commander, General Douglas MacArthur Commander of the South Pacific theater, and General George Patton United States 3rd Army. They may not have heard about their next ruthless opponents, enemy leaders like Edwin Rommel, German Field Marshal and of Prime minister and Japanese military commander, Tajo Hideki. This new generation was focused on their own quiet and productive future in a free country.
They may have studied Fascism, Marxism, Communism and Socialism but never thought
for a moment these philosophies were about to affect them in a historic and horrific way
within a few short years. Many were unaware of the murder and unspeakable atrocity that
Japan had committed against the Chinese people and other neighbors. 20 million Chinese
died, mostly civilians slaughtered at the hands of the Japanese Army’s. The killing of
innocents at Nanking China was unspeakable. This was the lead up to Asian part of WW II.
In Germany, Austrian born Adolph Hitler representing the Nazi’s and Fascism, was
democratically elected. Germany stripped the right to own firearms from Jews and Aryans
or anyone considered an enemy of the state. The people at that time were suffering from an unsurmountable WW I debt with hyperinflation. They opted to print a fiat currency. At the
end of the war, it took 4.2 trillion Deutsche Marks to equal the value of one U S dollar. The
people were starving, and the worthless currency was used by the population as fuel in
their stoves to keep warm. The Nazi’s exterminated about 6 million European Jewish and
reclaimed their property. At least another 5 million people had the same fate as the Jewish.
The Holocaust was Nazi Germany deliberate, organized, state sponsored persecution of
people they deem as subhuman. This included the Gypsies, Aryan, Polish, Russians,
Clergy, the disabled, and any one they deemed undesirable. The Third Reich expanded its
conquest to France, Poland, Russia, and many other countries. When this brutal war ended
more than 60 million people had died in Europe, mostly innocents.
Since 1939 the United States was supporting Germany’s opponents with war material not
unlike what is now happening in Ukraine. We were trying to stay neutral. That failed in WW
I also. In many parts of America, depression was still raging. This meant poverty and hunger for many people. An overseas war would have been difficult. Then came the attack on Pearl
Harbor, December 7, 1941, a day the President Roosevelt said that will live into infamy. On
Dec 8 the United States with President Franklin D Roosevelt declared war on Japan. And
on Dec 11, 1941, Germany and Italy declared war on the USA. Congress immediately
formally declared war with Germany.
Then came the call to duty in 1940 when America could no longer stand on the sidelines.
The Greatest Generation moved from the classrooms to on-the-job training. Becoming the
actors for what would become the largest war of all time known to the world.
The United States Military was small, under manned and poorly equipped to deal with
what was about to take place. In 1939 our Army and Army Air Corp numbered only 174
thousand men and women. We rank militarily 17th in the world. By the end of the war, we
had the third largest military.
The part of the Americas population that did not put on the uniform, went into the
factories, and built a war machine like no other known to mankind. Remember Rosie the
riveter? The general population suffered with rationing of critical goods, remember sugar
stamps? The people bought war bonds to help finance the effort. No one in America was
left untouched by this war.
The war effort effected Progress industries in Arthur as they became a military supplier of
stainless-steel tanks. They also manufactured the carrying equipment for the two atomic
bombs used in Japan at Hiroshima (Imperial Japanese 5th Division command) & Nagasaki
(a major Imperial Japanese Navy base).
It was unexpected that Japan would surrender so quickly after the atom bombs were
dropped. The only other option would have been an invasion of mainland Japan. Japanese
military directives ordered the execution of all 100,000 allied POWs, If Japan was ever
invaded.
Secretary of War Henry Stimson estimated that invading Japan would cost 1.7 to 4
million American casualties, including 400,000–800,000 fatalities, and five to ten million
Japanese fatalities. If this came to pass, it would be hard to calculate how many more of
Arthur’s military would have perished. This gives you a concept of how difficult military
decisions are. I would hope that’s Americas will always have Commanders of this caliber.
Anything else could be a disaster for America.
The work for the greatest generation had begun. New places and words entered
everyone’s vocabulary, like Normandy, Omaha Beach, Alsace, Argonne, Midway,
Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima to name a few. To demonstrate our unpreparedness for this
conflict, the first 18 divisions deployed were National Guard Divisions. Their enlistments
were all extended by one year.
The military campaign in North Africa was for the control of the Suez Canal and
connection to Middle east oil. The USA and British forces fought an ultimately successful
campaign to clear North Africa of German and Italian forces.
In 1940 The U S census population of Arthur was 1410 people. More than 520 men and
some women from Arthur were called to military duty for this war effort. That was over a
third of the population of Arthur at that time. If you subtract the under aged, older
generation, and women, nearly every able-bodied man was called to fight. They left their4
wives and families and the quiet way of life to enter the hell of war. The conscription age
was 18 to 45 years of age. It has been reported that in Arthur some young men lied about
their age and entered at a much younger age. If you review the Arthur Armed Service page
of the Arthur Legion web site, you will become aware of this. https://arthurilamlegion.com
The parents of these young people who were barely starting a life, were almost overnight
faced with sending them off to the chaos of war, to places unknown, on the other side of the world. Can you imagine the anguished fear these young people must have felt knowing that on any given day they could be KIA. Communication at best was poor. No smart phones then. This is a fear not understood by most folks in these modern times.
Their mission was to defeat two of the cruelest leaders of all time. In Europe, Adolf Hitler,
Chancellor of Germany and leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party or Nazi.
And in Japan Emperor Hirohito who commanded the Imperial Japanese Army in the
Southwest Pacific. These leaders inflicted unbelievable atrocities on their people and the
countries they invaded and plundered.
The United States sent about 16 million men into battle against two powerful Axis powers.
Japan boasted 6 million men, and Germany 10 million men. WW II casualties were horrendous. It was the deadliest military conflict in history, a total of 85 million people perished, about 3 % of the world’s population. 55 million of these people were civilians. War always does touch the innocent in a huge way, just reflect on the images from the Ukraine, that we now witness every day.
The United States armed forces lost 420,000 personnel KIA. While it seems to be a
distance time ago, it was just 77 years ago, just one lifetime. How quickly we forget history.
In Arthur, WW II cost the lives of 18 young men, that never got to come home to be with
their families. One Arthur’s Navy flyer’s unmarked grave lays on the floor of the Pacific
Ocean, where abouts unknown MIA.
At the end of WW II this greatest generation had over 420,000 men killed in action (KIA)
About 79,000 Americans are unaccounted for, the number includes those buried with
honors as unknown, officially buried at sea, lost at sea, or missing in action. As of now there
are still 73,000 lost American that remain totally unaccounted for. The breakdown by branch of service is as follows: 20,401 are Army Air Corps, 16,787 are Army, and 3,085 are
Marines. There are 32,569 Navy missing who are classified as lost at sea and not capable
of being recovered.
Next time you witness a Military Color Guard or Funeral Honor Guard notice the black flag
that carries the white letters, POW - MIA. It is flown in respect for those that are missing
from their families and loved ones. They paid the ultimate price before they had a chance to live. Their final resting place whether it is scattered in the soils of the earth or the bottom of the vast oceans of this world, it is an unmarked grave, and location unknown, except to
GOD. When you see this Black POW-MIA flag take a moment in time to ponder its true
meaning. Think of the Arthur men that are MIA’s, never to be found, and their families have
never had experience of having their son’s come home.