Texas History

Fort Burrows, B&B Ranch

17.4 - Texans Fight World War II

Main Idea:

Texas and Texans played a key role in the American war effort during World War II ( WWII )

Vocabulary:

dictator - a ruler who has complete power over a country

Fascism - system of government that has complete control over a country

empires - unites many countries under one ruler

isolationist - the desire to stayout of the affairs of other countries

aliens - foreign-born residents of a country who have not yet become citizens

internment - confinement, especially during wartime

Setting the Scene:

Andrew F Price, a member of the Thirty-sixth (Texas) Division, wrote about fighting in Italy.

“It is impossible to describe the hardships of that mountain fighting. It took two men from six to eight hours to carry a five gallon can of water up to some of the positions. Four men, that long to bring a wounded man down slipping, sliding, -- under fire most of the way… Some men went 48 days without a hot meal. It rained or snowed all the time. They were exposed to all the elements, muddy miserable, and so very tired. Four hours of uninterrupted sleep was a vacation, and that in a muddy Fox Hole.”

The Texas Division took part in some of the worst fighting in WWII. This war engulfed most nations into a fierce conflict like the world had never seen before.

The depression hit other countries as well. In Germany, Italy, & Japan, dictators took control. They began to attack other countries and build empires. In 1939, Germany invaded Poland, starting WWII.
The United States did not enter the war at first. The government did send aid to Great Britain and the Soviet Union, which were fighting Germany. Germany took control of much of Europe. / Then in late 1941, Japan attacked a US Naval base in Hawaii. The attack destroyed many ships. The next day, the United States declared war. Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and China were among the ALLIES. They fought Germany and Italy in Europe and Japan in the Pacific Ocean and Asia.
Texas played important roles in the war effort. Not only in the actual fighting, commanding, and planning, but also at home in the building, paying for, etc.

The Cause of WWII

Poor economic conditions in Germany and Italy following WWI lead to the rise of dictators

Invasions:

  • Japan invaded China in 1937
  • Italy invaded North Africa 1939
  • Germany had invaded Poland 1939
  • In response, Great Britain and France declared war on Germany
  • World War II had begun

Dictators and Empires
  • The Axis Powers -these countries sought to gain power by building empires
  • In 1933, Adolf Hitler became dictator of the Nazi Party in Germany
  • Benito Mussolini created a Fascist Party in Italy
  • In Japan, military leaders took over the government
/
  • The people of the United States supported the policy of isolationism in the 1930s.
  • They wanted to stay out of the affairs of other countries
  • By 1940, Nazi Germany had taken over most of Europe
  • The U.S. began to send aid to Great Britain

/
  • Japan saw the involvement of the US as a threat
  • On December 7, 1941, Japan made a surprise attack at the US naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
  • More than 3,400 were killed
  • Congress declared war
  • The US enters the war on December 8, 1941

  • The US joined Great Britain, USSR ( Soviet Union ), China, France and 35 other countries to form the Allied Powers

Texas and Texans in the War

  • Texas served as a training ground for US troops
  • Texas was the largest training ground for ALLthe of the United States Army
  • More than 1 million soldiers were trained in Texas
  • Forth Worth became the headquarters of the Air Force training command
  • Texas became a military aviation center
  • Texas also housed thousands of prisoners of war ( POWs )
  • Lots of land for prisoner camps, lots of military camps in Texas
  • More than 30 prisoner-of-war camps in Texas held about 800,000 captured troops
  • Aliens spent parts of the war years in Texas internment camps

Camp Howze was an infantry replacement-training center located adjacent to the town of Gainesville ( A few miles North-West ofGainesville on FM Road 1201 and FM Road 1202 ) in Cooke County, Texas. It was named for Major Robert E. Lee Howze, a Medal of Honor winner.

As the army and the rest of the United States, prepared to enter World War II, the active posts of the United States Army were inadequate for training the numbers of draftees necessary to fill the army's wartime ranks. Several infantry replacement-training centers were constructed, particularly in Texas, to accommodate the large number of new soldiers. Camp Howze was one such camp, and development began in December 1941. By 1942, trainees began arriving by train and bus from all over the country and the population of both Camp Howze and Gainesville quickly increased. The first commander was Major General John H. Hilldring. With a capacity of 39,963 soldiers, the camp was one of the largest training centers in the country. It was responsible for the preparation of several hundred thousand soldiers for both the European and Pacific campaigns. Divisions that were trained at Camp Howze included the 84th, 86th, and 103rd Divisions of the U.S. Army. The camp also housed as many German Prisoners of War. As World War II waned, the post was declared excess and closed in 1946. Farmers who had voluntarily and involuntarily given up land for the establishment of the camp were allowed to repurchase the property if desired. Some did, but many did not and towns such as Marysville and Sivells Bend never recovered from the war years. Gainesville, on the other hand, benefited greatly from Camp Howze and the $20 million dollars spent by the federal government. Additionally it benefited as citizens of the smaller towns in the area moved to Gainesville to be nearer construction and other jobs, many fueled by Camp Howze. Today, the Gainesville municipal airport, Moss Lake, and various industries occupy the former land of the camp. Much of the training area returned to farmland, particularly in the Red River valley. In the 21st Century, the army, and more specifically the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has returned to the former camps, including Camp Howze, to remove unexploded ordnance ( bullets, bombs, etc.) left over from years of training.

Texas Leaders and Heroes

  • The U.S.S. Texas became the only battleship that still survives today that served in both world wars
  • More than 750,000 Texans served in World War II, including 12,000 women
  • More than 23,000 Texans died in the war
  • 36 Texans received the nation’s highest honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor
  • Dwight D. Eisenhower – Native Texans, Denison, TX, Grayson County - became the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe
  • Led the Allies in their successful D-Day attack of Germany in 1944 (Defeated Germany)
  • Became 1stNative Texan President of US ( 1952, “I Like Ike” slogan )
  • Chester Nimitz, Fredericksburg, TX, Gillespie County, Commander-In-Chief of Pacific Fleet;led the Allies to victory in the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway
  • He received Distinguished Service Medals from both the Army and Navy
  • Audie Murphy, Kingston, TX, Hunt County, received more combat awards than any other soldier
  • Medal of Honor, the military's highest award for valor, along with 32

additional medals awarded for bravery and service

  • single-handedly stopped a German tank attack
  • Became a successful movie star
  • Oveta Culp Hobby , Native Texan, born in Killeen, Bell County - 1stCommander of the Women’s Army Corps
  • Received the Distinguished Service Medal
  • Samuel Dealey, Native Texan, born in Dallas, went to school at Oak Cliff High School - Commanded a submarine that sank 16 enemy ships
  • Received the Medal of Honor for Bravery
  • Doris (Dorie) Miller, Native Texan, born in Waco, McLennan County– 1stAfrican American male hero of World War II
  • Received the Navy Cross for Bravery
  • 1st African American Texan to have a naval ship named for him
  • Macario Garcia – from Sugar Land, TX, born in Villa de Castano, Mexico, was the 1st Mexican immigrant hero
  • He destroyed two German machine gun nests
  • Received Medal of Honor for Bravery
  • Received the Purple Heart
  • Cleto Rodriguez, 1stNative MexicanTexan, born in San Marcos, Hayes Countyto receive the Medal of Honor
  • one of only six Hispanic Americans to win the Medal of Honor
  • The war ends in 1945 after two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan

1.Under fascism, a country is completely controlled by ______

A. the militaryB. one religious leader

C. one rulerD. the government

2.Which of the following is a true statement?

A. Texas was the largest training ground for the United States Army

B. Texas was the only state with no camps for prisoners of war

C. Texas soldiers stayed in internment camps before heading to the war front

D. the U.S.S. Houston was the only battleship to serve in both world wars

3.When did the United States enter World War II ?

______

4.Which Texans made notable contributions to the war effort?

______.

5.Who was the Supreme Commander of the Allies ?

______.

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