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Efforts During WW II

Running Head : EFFORTS DURING THE WAR

The Milford Community School System : Aid in Home Front Efforts

During World War II

Daniel P. Brady

College of Mount Saint Joseph

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Professional Article Review pg. 3

Abstract pg. 14

A Prelude to Global War pg. 16

How did Milford students and schools pg. 17

aid in the war effort?

What could administration and the Board of pg. 21

Education do to keep the school district
working during a time of turmoil?

The mentality of Milford’s students : pg. 25

Value of education vs. war efforts

Conclusion pg. 29

Works Cited pg. 31

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Professional Article Review

According to Brokaw (1998) in his book “The Greatest Generation”, these men were at a

time in their lives when their days and nights should have been filled with innocent

adventure, love, and the lessons of the workaday world, instead they were fighting in the

most primitive conditions possible across the bloodied landscape of France, Belgium,

Italy, Austria, and the Coral Islands of the pacific. They answered the call to save the

world from the two most powerful and ruthless military machines ever assembled,

instruments of conquest in the hands of fascist maniacs. They faced great odds and a late

start, but they did not protest. They succeeded on every front. They won the war; they

saved the world. They came home to joyous and short- lived celebrations and

immediately began the task of rebuilding their lives and the world they wanted. They

married in record numbers and gave birth to another distinctive generation, the Baby

Boomers. A grateful nation made it possible for more of them to attend college than any

society had ever educated, anywhere. They gave the world new science, literature, art,

industry, and economic strength unparalleled in the long curve of history. As they now

reach the twilight of their adventurous and productive lives, they remain, for the most

part, exceptionally modest. They have so many stories to tell, stories that in many cases

they have never told before, because in a deep sense they didn’t think that what they were

doing was that special, because everyone else was doing it too (Brokaw, 1998, pg 45).

Who are these people that Tom Brokaw speaks of in his essay “The Greatest

Generation?” They are the men and women of the United States that aided the world’s

greatest effort in America’s first total war. They are the youth of America that President

Roosevelt called upon to be America’s third army. They are grade school, high school,

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and college students who would be revered as the backbone of the war effort in the

United States during World War II.

How, may you ask, can a third grader aid in helping one of the most established

and polished militaries in the entire world fight against the spread of fascism in its

attempts to poison the world? This will be the focus of my literary excerpt. I will take a

look at professional essays and literary works from the state of Oregon where juvenile

delinquency was a chief concern, to Texas High Schools where curriculum was dictated

by the idealism of the war effort, all the way to the east coast where our government

called on America’s schools to create a “Victory Corps” for America.

From sea to shining sea students throughout this great country were asked to

mentally, physically, and in some cases emotionally pore their hearts out in aiding

America’s military machine. In some cases these propositions robbed this generation

from the one thing they counted on the most – youthful exuberance and their education.

The government pleaded educators throughout the country to teach patriotism and pride

to their students through tin rations, food drives, and bond sales. While forgetting the fact

that many of these children had seen their fathers, uncles, brothers, and even grandfathers

leave to fight the good fight against people they had never even heard of. These children

also did their duties while their mothers and sisters spent countless hours sewing clothing,

surrendering nylons, and cooking meals for the troops. Where does this leave these young

children in the quest for a proper education?

One Thing Leads to Another : Juvenile Delinquency Rises

Wartime social changes led to a rise in juvenile delinquency across the country, an

unwanted but not unexpected phenomenon. According R.H. Bailey (1943) in his article

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entitled “Youths on the Loose” from the April 4th issue of The Oregonian the Social

scientists had noted an increase in delinquency during World War I and Britain reported a

jump of fifty percent during the first year of World War II (Bailey, 1943 , pg 6). But

anticipating the problem did little to untangle the web of complex issues that caused some

alarming symptoms to surface nationally. Despite the wholesome portrait of unity,

sacrifice, and patriotism painted in movies and on posters, shocking and lurid behavior

drew the attention of newspapers and government officials alike. Both wondered how so

many youths could seemingly behave so out of control.

We look to statistics to answer the questions of why and how many. Nationally,

during 1942, the first full year of the war, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover reported arrests

of “young boys and men” actually dropped off as such as ten percent. But arrests of

minor girls increased a staggering fifty five percent. More detailed numbers showed that

arrests of girls under twenty-one years old for prostitution rose sixty-five percent; arrests

for other sex offenses jumped one hundred and four percent; arrests for vagrancy shot up

one hundred and twenty-four percent; arrests for disorderly conduct increased seventy

percent; and arrests for drunkenness rose forty percent. Another source measuring the

“rate of juvenile delinquency” saw an increase over the same period of eight percent for

boys and thirty percent for girls (Bailey, 1943, pgs. 20-25).

Why, you may ask, could the country’s greatest generation act out so dramatically

when the American government asks so vehemently to have pride in one’s own country?

The answer is pretty easy. Very similar to the “Wild West” of the late eighteenth century,

we see a generation of children growing up without guidance and more importantly

protection of the law. Many probation officers went into the armed forces or higher

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paying defense industry jobs during the war leaving fewer people to keep track of at risk

youth. There’s nobody at home anymore. Pop and Bud joined the Navy. Mom’s on the

swing shift. Large numbers of youth had to fend for themselves during the war, often in

less than ideal homes.

According to the article, Oregon Responds to World War II : One Thing

Leads to Another: Juvenile Delinquency Rises (1943), some other causes of

juvenile delinquency are flat out simple: Teenagers are “having a tough time – at a tough

time” ( U.S. Defense Records , 1943). In other words, it was difficult enough for anyone

to go through the developmental challenges of adolescence, even without the

complications of war thrown in. Beyond the intensification of the usual teenage

problems, officials cited other causes, with lack of parental supervision high on the list.

Fathers were often separated from their families by either working in distant war

industries or, beginning in 1943, being drafted into the armed forces. Meanwhile, mothers

often in full time jobs, sometimes working evenings or nights. Parents often returned

home from work too tired to pay attention to their children. Problems of parental neglect

frequently were exacerbated by the absence of older brothers and sisters in the house

hold, many joined the military or had gone off to work in defense jobs.

The government looked to the schools to provide vision and supervision for the

youth of America. The children would get moral, physical, and mental education from the

schools littering the American landscape. Oh, and while they are in school, the

government decided that they would create a curriculum that would benefit the idealism

of the war effort. This too would serve as a problem. In areas where war industries and

shipyards flourished a boom in school enrollments were seen. In 1943 Portland, Oregon’s

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grade schools had to make room for seven thousand new students. The crunch was felt

particularly acutely in North Portland near major shipyards where three schools went on

“double shifts” to cope with the influx. This meant that thousands of youngsters,

particularly in the nine to twelve year ranges, suddenly had all morning or all afternoon

off ( U.S. Defense Records, 1943).

The Answer : The American High School Victory Corp – organized at the request of the

leaders of our national government.

According to the Victory Corps prologue “Your government has asked your

cooperation in the Great War effort. Prior to graduation, you will be asked to contribute

portions of your time to community service.

Upon graduation you may be needed to serve either in the armed forces or in

industry. The High School Victory Corps is designed to aid you in both instances and

prepare you to fill positions in which you are best fitted and most needed. This is your

Program. It is developed to meet your needs” ( The Victory Corps, 1940, pg. 1).

The program listing this excerpt was taken from was a school district in Portland,

Oregon. The government felt that the Victory Corp would serve several roles – one being

getting the youth of American off the streets and back in the classrooms; secondly the

program was designed to promote community service; thirdly this program would mold

the minds of the youth of America in an effort to complete the total war in the event this

war lasted longer than planned; and lastly prepare the generation of soldiers for military

duty whether it be on American soil or abroad.

The Victory Corp program was placed in the hands of the students to determine

the various courses that were available to prepare the students to do their part in the war

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effort. Each student would create their own program to meet their individual needs. The

five divisions were constructed to train the children for certain positions in the armed

forces. It was the opinion of the U.S. government that the American high school student

should be appropriately trained to aid in the war effort.

One of the main goals of the Victory Corps’ high school curriculum aims on

developing a strong body. Strong, healthy men and women capable of withstanding the

stress and strain of war and industrial life were needed during this time like never before.

As a result of this situation the government felt that physical education should be stressed

above all other subjects for those who are eligible to enter the war within the next two

years. This meant that as students reach their junior year of high school, daily physical

education classes would be required. These stipulations were devised for both girls and

boys.

Freshmen and sophomores were expected to engage in intramural sports or at

least follow a program outlined for personal training at home. In the communities,

especially those in rural areas would have demands placed on them like never before. Aid

in harvesting crops, emergencies in canning industries, and drives of various kinds would

all require the help of the Victory Corp. School clubs would also be driven by the goals of

the war effort. Daily exposure to military drill would also be incorporated into the daily

physical education classes. The state guard even offered after school training to those

students wishing to continue their military aspirations. Government officials felt that

because of the lack of professional military instructors made the training in physical

educations all that more important (Victory Corps 1940).

Students were also asked to work collaboratively with their teachers in other

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classes such as mathematics to devise a program that would be serviceable to the military.

What I mean by this is that the government felt as though the military training in its own

way could work on military based instruction in the mathematics curriculum.

Their were several “special courses” that were offered through the Victory Corp.

All of these classes were geared towards preparing the American student for war specific

trades. These courses: Pre-Induction to Fundamentals of Auto Mechanics, Radio,

Electricity, Pre-Flight Course, and Machinery were all offered as one semester courses.

Each course was designed as an introduction to basic armed force occupations.

The requirements for general membership in the Victory Corps program were

pretty simple. It was open to all students in secondary schools. The United States Office

of Education had stipulated that candidates for membership in the Victory Corps Program

must meet some simple requirements. The first being the student must be participating in

the physical education program devised by their particular school. The second

requirement is that the student must also follow the regular curriculum created by their

school. And finally the student must be actively participating in one of the wartime

activities previously listed. In accompaniment with the wartime classes the candidates

also must participate in civilian defense activities such as the U.S.O volunteer activities,

Red Cross, farm aid, and school-home –community activities. Other school-based clubs

were also acceptable such as Girl Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, and the Boy Scouts.

Through reading this article I was able to see a concrete plan for servicing the

youth of America through education and discipline. In a way I believe it served several

purposes. First off, it aided the children, who were being neglected at home, with a

purpose in life. Secondly it created a platform for the young people of America to aid in

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the war effort. And finally it prepared the next generation of soldiers if the war continued

longer than previously expected.

Reemphasis of patriotism in the Houston Schools

According to O.L.Davis (2001) Houston’s schools reacted calmly to American

entry into World War II. Many of the city’s students and teachers listened to President

Roosevelt’s war message in stilled classrooms on Monday December. 8. However, for the

most part, school schedules and routines continued largely undisturbed for a number of

weeks. Only later did people notice the intense advocacy for participation in war-related

school activities. Then, Houston schools responded with enthusiasm (pg 27).

I accordance to my research questions surrounding the concept of school efforts

during World War Two I took a look at a particular school district in Houston, Texas and

their attempts at fostering patriotism amongst their student body. Particularly visible was

the work of Parent-Teacher Associations within the district. For example, throughout the

1940-41 school year, the Lamar High School PTA focused on the theme of “Training

Youth for Democratic Citizenship.” Also, a speaker addressed the Almeda School PTA on

the topic, “Helping the Child Adjust in a Changing World,” and the Taylor school PTA

heard an address on “War Relief as it Touches Women in the National Defense (Davis ,

2001, pg 29-31).

Just a week before Pearl Harbor, Milby High School PTA members discussed how

to develop strong citizens who can rebuild the world after the war. Routinely, school

children sang patriotic songs at PTA meetings and banquets featured patriotic colors.

Students at Alexander Hamilton Junior High School performed in a play, “How

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Democracy Is Being Taught in Our School.”

During the 1940-41 school year, most Houston schools organized Junior Red

Cross chapters. All students at the Harvard School became members. They contracted

games for soldiers in a nearby camp and toys for English children. Students at Kincaid

School knitted afghans for Red Cross distribution. Teachers also performed volunteer

civic, patriotic services. They began to serve without pay on the city’s draft advisory

boards. Their service was especially needed because Houston’s draft call for February

1941 according to Davis (2001) was expected to take 600 men (pg 28).

Graduation exercises and other events prompted special patriotic observances. For

example, at Jack Yates High School’s last mid-term commencement, graduates observed

senior night with an open forum on “What America Means to Me.” Reagan High School

promoted the “Pageant of America” at which Uncle Sam made an appearance. Sixth

graders at Poe School gave a benefit observance and donated the proceeds to the Houston

War Fund. Similarly, a high school pep squad sold flowers to aid the relief of disabled

World War I veterans.

In the final weeks prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Major Charles R.

Weeks, head of Houston’s city defense department, appealed to the superintendent of

schools and to the public to place increased emphasis on patriotism in the schools. One

response was the observance of American Education Week in November 1941. In that

observance, daily themes included “Seeking World Order” , “Building Physical Fitness” ,

“National Morale” , and “Learning the Ways of Democracy” (Davis, 2001 , pgs 27-31).

While many of us go through twelve years of primary education without glamour

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of attrition the country’s “Greatest Generation” lived through some of the toughest and

best of times. They rallied to collect tin, rationed their bicycle tires, and surrendered their

socks and sweaters –for what? Their government had asked them to give up many of the

guilty pleasures of childhood for a cause. This purpose, this cause, was democracy.

Many of the students during this era saw school as a way out, a place of refuge.

The government and their teachers prepared them physically and mentally for world war.

Many of these children did not even know what war was and certainly did not know what

this war was about. But what they did learn was a lesson in life. What self-sacrifice and

community truly meant. They had to overlook the anxiety created by a nation that feared

invasion. They were asked to bypass the tendency to be afraid or in many cases loneliness

and fight the good fight.

Were they preparing themselves to be great soldiers? I believe they were. They

sacrificed traditional education to prepare for a war that for all intensive purposes could

possibly end not just in areas of the world they had only seen in movies, but maybe even

in their backyard. The country looked at this war with a win at all costs mentality. The

men had to fight, the women had to work, the young men had to rally for democracy, and

the young girls had to sew until their hands bled. But education remained, for the most

part, the same as it always was and will always be. Whether its military training in the

schools with a focus on physical fitness or a traditional twelve -year private school with a

college prep curriculum. Education remains the same. The teachers may change,

administration may change, goals may change, but in the end education was and always

will be the opiate of the masses.

I have researched school districts from the west coast in Portland, Oregon to the

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southern tip of Texas. I will now look and focus on a rural town in the river city of

Cincinnati. This farm town, a suburb located on the east side of Cincinnati was affected

just like every other part of the United States by the events of World War II. Like

thousands of school districts throughout this great country, Milford City Schools, rallied

to provide the members of its community and its students a true meaning. That

meaning…….a quest for democracy or at least a chance of feeling safe and a part of

something bigger than just a school district could provide.

Abstract

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I have touched on the educational goals of American school districts throughout

this great country during World War II. The efforts of the “third army” comprised of

children that make up America’s greatest generation. I will now look at a particular

school district in a community that had true pride in their country and had meaning

behind everything they set out to accomplish. This school district in Milford, Ohio is

located in what was once considered to be rural Cincinnati. My research questions

revolve around the specific efforts by Milford students to aid in the war effort. What did

they do to help? What did they sacrifice? How did the aspirations of democracy resignate

through the schools in Milford? How did the students react emotionally, physically, and

socially to the events of World War II? How did the community rally around the schools

in an effort to do their part in he war effort?

I researched records from as far back as 1937 in the Milford Historical Society

located in the legendary Promont House in downtown Milford. I looked through

cardboard boxes in search of stories from the school children as they lived through one of

the most traumatic times in American history. I search the basement of the old Milford

Main High School in search of Board of Education minutes and receipts from purchases

made on behalf of the school district and in some cases the federal government. I went to

the Clermont City Library in search of old newspaper stories of Milford High School

students and their remarkable efforts to show their pride in their country.

What did I find? A story that every student in America should have to read about

today. It is a story of a group of students that sacrificed for the freedoms that we enjoy

today. A school district that sacrificed like no other while maintaining the sanctity of the

public education system we value so dearly.

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The class of 1944 was a class like no other. I have read through all four of their

yearbooks, “The Drofilm (which by the way is MILFORD spelled backwards), “ to

recollect their experiences during World War II. The class of 1944 at Milford experienced

more than anyone could ever imagine. The purpose is to pay homage to the class of 1944

and the entire Milford School District for their mental, physical, economic, and

sometimes personal sacrifices during WWII. This paper will be donated to the Promont

House archives for Milford residents to read for centuries to come. Hopefully no one will

ever forget the sacrifices made by the Milford Community Schools and more importantly

the sacrifices of the “Greatest Generation.”

A Prelude to Global War

World War II was truly a global conflict. The range of geographic names where

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Milford men were fighting developed knowledge of formerly little known or unknown

places. On the home front things were changing. Civil defense was considered very

important, maybe even essential, to victory for the United States during World War II.

High school students were taught to be plane spotters on the coasts, residents on the East

and West Coasts were required to have blackout curtains. Everyone collected foil from

cigarette packs, and grease, and used metals – all of which could be used in the war

effort. Gas, rubber, shoes, sugar, coffee, and meat were all rationed. In the following

excerpt taken from “Milford Remembered,” Magee Adams (1991) explains local blackout

tests:

The fun of sort, that made WWII endurable, came when Civil Defense staged blackout

tests. The first, in the summer of 1943, was promoted as an “area wide” test.

When the sirens wailed, the lights went out with smooth precision. I remember Blythe

Jones trying to cross Main Street at our corner blundering around in the dark. The sole

exception to inky blackness was the Civil Defense headquarters in the National Hotel.

(pg. 4)

When reading through the archives of old yearbooks during World War II there

was very little mention of the war itself. The students of Milford High School went about

their business as typical high school students do. Proms, clubs, plays, and sporting events

went on as scheduled. But what I did see was a common theme that pertanated

throughout all the classes. A self-sacrifice and prideful attitude towards their country. Not

a fear for their lives but a resignation to do their part in aiding the country’s patriotic

vision.

I did however find this explicit excerpt from the Milford Drofilm (1941) as it closed for

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another school year: Now, gentle reader, the preceding lines are by no means the full

account of the happenings of our class. Many little incidents have been left out that would

seem trivial to you, but these incidents have helped to mould our characters. The picnics,

hayrides, parties, and dances – these and many more will forever remain a part of each

and every one of us. To relate these would be only a futile attempt, for the pen could

never describe them as they really happened. Our senior year was a momentous one. It

was in December 1941, that the Japanese declared war on us and cinched a Second World

War. With an optimistic outlook, we threw ourselves into defense of the homeland. So

with these words the class history nears a heroic end; we hope everyone tries as hard as

we did (Drofilm, 1941).

How did Milford students and schools aid in the war effort?

According to Joyce Snell in “History of the Milford City Schools” Mr. Holmes

guided the school through World War II, a time when schools were required to make

sacrifices just as the rest of the country. Boys left school before graduation to join the

armed forces. This was not necessarily the goal of the United States government though.

Students collected tin cans, scrap metal, paper and rubber, which were piled on the school

ground for pick-up by large tractor-trailer trucks. High School boys were released from

school to help local farmers harvest their crops before frost. Girls knitted and rolled

bandages. Defense stamps and bonds were sold in classrooms and ration books and

stamps were distributed from the school. Mr. Shelly taught a military training course,

which could be substituted for physical education. Mr. Shelley also served as Milford

high school’s head basketball coach (Snell, pg 18)

The United States government to control the home front devised the third army or

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children’s army. Milford students, like those throughout the United States, would have to

do their part. Classrooms were used as rallying headquarters for bond sales. Contests

were held amongst grade levels and quotas were set in order to sell mass amounts of war

bonds. Students even had to collect milkweed pods to provide floss for navy life jackets.

The children would receive twenty cents per bag of pods. This job was opened up to the

Girl Scouts, Camp fire groups, 4-H clubs, and all school children.

The students found these jobs to be tedious but very worthwhile. They were

aiding a greater cause – their country and its patriotic fight for democracy. The sale of

war bonds provided the biggest push by the U.S. war commition. Students in the Milford

school district completed war bond quotas by canvassing the homes throughout Clermont

County. The purpose of the canvassing of neighborhood homes was to secure the promise

of every person with an income earned or otherwise, to purchase extra war bonds.

Another purpose of the canvassing was to find out as accurately as possible what amount

the government can count upon receiving from Milford residents through the purchases

of Seventh War Bonds. Lastly, to find through the student-to-home contact to carry the

story of the vital part of war bond investments play in winning the war and the peace.

Statewide the goal was to sell four hundred and three million dollars worth of war bonds.

The interesting thing about this mission to sell bonds is the fact that the town of

Milford is not one of your more affluent parts of Cincinnati. The residents of Milford are

farmers and small business owners with a pride in their community and their schools.

Even though it was believed that rural children were “seriously handicapped” (Clermont

Courier, 1943) because rural schools are inferior to urban schools. This was the

contention of many people in the area. The proof, according to the February 26th issue of

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the Clermont Courier– the average salary of rural teachers is $967.00 compared to the

$1,937.00 for urban teachers. Largely because of inadequate salaries, nearly sixty percent

of all teachers in rural elementary schools having one or two teachers have had less than

two years education beyond high school. Over half the nation’s children are educated in

rural schools, yet they have only thirty-eight percent of available funds for support of

schools (Courier, pg. 3)

Of farm youth between 16 and 17 years old, only fifty-eight percent were

attending high school in 1940, and it was estimated that fifty thousand rural children of

elementary age are not enrolled. Many rural buildings were deemed unhealthy by health

regulatory standards. Throughout the United States more than thirteen thousand rural

classrooms were vacant in 1939 because teachers could not be found (Courier, pg. 3)

Teachers from Milford High School also did their parts in helping foster a more

democratic attitude amongst their students. As I previously noted, throughout the United

States a Victory Corp was created to ensure all high school students began pitching in for

the war effort. Well, Milford High School would be no different. The establishment of the

Victory Corp in Milford Schools in the year 1942 saw a drastic change in the curriculum

that was being taught at Milford. According to the Miami Valley News December 3, 1942,

summarizing the contacts made by schools and teachers during last year, the association

announced that during the school year 1941-42, teachers gave 20,000,000 school hours

and 18,000,000 non school hours throughout the country to rationing and similar

activities (Miami Valley, pg. 6).

These efforts supplied by the backbone of the educational system also involved

additional time spent in such activities as Red Cross work, participation in First Aid

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canteen and production service, civilian defense duties such as those of air raid warden,

auxiliary police, and airplane spotters. Under the supervision of the teachers the Victory

Corp according to the January 14, 1942 issue of The Clermont Sun, made up of

30,000,000 school children, during the school year 1942-43 sold more that $80,000,000

worth of bonds and stamps, sponsored and cultivated 169,000 acres of victory gardens,

and produced 300,000 model airplanes for the armed forces through tin collections

country wide. They were also participants in the salvage campaign during which they

collected 150,000 tons of waste paper alone. American Junior Red Cross membership in

the schools now totals more than 13,000,000 (Clermont Sun, 1942, pg. 1)

Milford high school students eager to volunteer in the war effort would gather

daily in the basement of the Milford National Bank building with its entrance steps on

Garfield Avenue. Their initial effort at rationing was complicated by timing. In those

days, home canning or jelly making or preserving was a big thing, especially encouraged

by the war effort. Although fruit was plentiful, women had to get rationing certificates for

sugar from the rationing office. The result was a crowd that engulfed the bank corner

with lines that stretched a half block along Main and Garfield. Moreover, all this was

under a June sun that fairly broiled the unwary. Because of inexperience and confusion,

the ordeal went on for weeks. That is the way it was handled the first year of the war.

Come the next year things were changed. All rationing was handled through the Board of

Milford by mail.

Shoe, coffee and meat rationing were also pushed by the government’s pleas for

self-sacrifice. You were required to have coupons or points for these. This was a very

active Civil Defense outfit. I mean they had a lot of busy work and some of it was quite

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all right. The Milford Girl Scout troops also created what was called the “Victory Fund”

drive. During this drive, established to help troops world-wide, each Girl Scout will be

asked to increase her regular purchases of war savings stamps and to send at least one of

them to National Headquarters through her leader. This Victory Fund also served two

other, and in my opinion, more important goals: To help win the war NOW and to help

spread peace and understanding later on after the war.

Milford high school sent many young men and women off to war. The draft and

volunteers provided people for every service. The size and scope of World War II

experiences littered the yearbooks and newspapers of the Milford community, to many to

mention. This research paper alone could never do justice to the efforts of so many of the

Milford citizens. But there was an effort by the Milford community to honor these people

by the establishment of the Memorial Park on Main Street.

What could administration and the Board of Education do to keep the school

district working during a time of turmoil?

Through the years 1940 to 1941 the Milford Board of Education had a significant

role. They were the glue that held this proud community’s educational system in place. I

read dozens of stories from teachers who felt resignation was the only way to cope with

their experiences with the war. Wives, sisters, and mothers alike all sent letters of

resignation because of reasons like their husbands were being transported to different

cities for military purposes to they were taking higher paying jobs in the civil defense

industry. The most controversial issue in my opinion was the Board’s decision to fire

women teachers who decided to get married while they were employed with the Milford

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City School District. How could the Board fire women teachers during a time when there

was a significant teacher shortage?

The answer was simple; it was time to amend the policy. And that is exactly what

the Board did. This excerpt was taken from the Board of Education minutes from April 6,

1943 and it reads as follows:

“Motion by Mr. Doll seconded by Mr. Fley that the following resolution be adopted –

Resolved that the Milford Exempted Village Board of Education does not favor the

marriage of lady teachers during the term of the contract but owing to the war situation

the regular policy of the Board concerning married lady teachers is hereby suspended for

the duration and the question of procedure left with the Superintendent of Schools (Board

Minutes, 1943).

The Milford Board of Education also adopted a national plan known as the

“Wartime Allowance Fund”. This resolution would entice more teachers to go back to

work with school districts by raising their salaries by $155.00 per contract year. This did

help the Milford City Schools drastically as several teachers returned to teach in the 1944

calendar year (Board Minutes, 1943).

Other facets of the educational system in Milford pitched in to help with the

cause. The PTA sponsored a Halloween Dance that collected can goods and raised money

through dance sponsorships. All of the proceeds went towards the war effort. The Milford

Board of Education donated ten typewriters to the WPB. Even though the WPB mandated

that all school districts throughout the country donate at least twenty-five typewriters per

school it was still thought of as very helpful.

The bus companies in the Milford school district advised all students within a two

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mile radius begin walking to school as the number of bus trips were going to be

drastically limited due to gas rations. This also affected the sports teams dramatically.

The Milford City Schools sports teams no longer would play teams outside the Clermont

County city limits. Long trips meant more gas, and even in some cases, more buses which

at the time had been cut almost in half because of tire and rubber rations.

The U.S. Rationing Board was sure to bring to the attention of all high school

principals that the use of buses to transport athletes or students to athletic contests is

strictly prohibited bus OPA regulations. School bus drivers were also responsible for

upkeep on their bus tires. The Board called the attention of all drivers, as well as school

bus drivers to the rule that if cars or buses are operated past the point where tires can be

recapped, they will be denied certificates to operate vehicles of transportation for the

schools (The Clermont Courier, 1942).

I do want to share a few bits of research that I thought were very pertinent to this

paper. When researching through the yearbooks from 1939 to 1944 I found it interesting

how they encouraged patriotism amongst their students. Here are a few examples from

the Drofilm calendar.

1942

November 11 – Armistice program. President Roosevelt gave us a stirring speech – by radio

December 7 – Japan declared war on the United States. New slogan: “Remember Pearl Harbor.”

December 15 – Bill of Rights Day. I’m proud to be an American

February 8 – Tonight we went on wartime. An hour’s sleep was lost somewhere

1943

November 11 – Armistice Day. Mr. Holmes talked on the “Importance of Education in the War.”

November 30 - $540.00 worth of defense stamps sold this month

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December 1 – Gas rationing is now in and those moonlight drives are out – for the duration

December 5 – Joanne wins $25.00 War Bond

1944

September 21 – Are you doing your part? We receive pep talk on bond buying.

September 24 – No more absenteeism without a signed excuse from home. State Department of

Education says so, kids.

October 1 – Mr. Thirey’s assembly. Mr Hartsock gives us some idea of how we can be patriotic

and help speed victory

But the stories from the local newspapers and school publications were never

negative towards the Axis Powers like Germany or Japan. The messages were always

positive. I believe this to be essential in fostering proper democratic ideals especially in a

school setting. These messages were very different then the ones they may be hearing at

home, seeing on propaganda posters, or watching on the big screen at the local movie

theatres.

The next story came from the Miami Valley News on December 14, 1944. The

headline read, “Travel Kits Presented As Youths Leave School To Enter Service.” What

was interesting about these travel kits, which were bags of first aid supplies, toiletries,

pens and paper, gum, etc. were actually made in the basement of Milford Main School.

They made so many of them that there still remains about twenty-five bags stored away

in a cardboard box. I actually took one home with me. It is amazing how well the bags

have kept for sixty-five years. This article talks about three Milford high school juniors

who were called to service (Miami Valley News, 1944) :

P.F.C. William M. Myers was a starting guard on the Milford basketball team. On

December 13, 1944 he would play his last game, a victory over neighborhood rival

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Madeira High School 36-33. Dick Mitchell a junior in the high school band played

trumpet and was very popular amongst his fellow Milford classmates. And Bobby Setty, a

former Milford High School student who had recently dropped out to help with his

father’s farm while he fought in Europe. All three young men were honored at the

December 13th basketball game versus Madeira with a standing ovation, well wishes from

the crowd, and a presentation of these travel kits made in the basement of the high school

from the school’s principal (Miami Valley News, 1944, pg. 5)

The Mentality of Milford’s Students: Value of Education vs. War Efforts : can we

foster high self esteem through education instead of work?

One of the biggest obstacles in American education, especially in the rural town

of Milford, was how to keep young men and women from dropping out of high school in

order to aid in the war effort. High paying war jobs were recruiting children to work full

time in their factories and abandon their posts as high school students. With children in

homes where they are required to fend for themselves the lure of instant gratification was

very tempting. We have to remember we live in a capitalist nation where the

government’s laissez-faire attitudes towards businesses aided in creating the option to

drop out. But, what was the opinion of the U.S. government on this subject?

According to the August 14th issue of The Clermont Sun (1944), Ohio became one

of the first states in the country to be completely organized for a concerted drive to get

employed children back into their classrooms. In 1944 “Ohio issued the greatest number

of work permits, vacation and part-time in its history. Young people within the next few

weeks will have to decide whether to give up school or a job that means ready money

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“ (Clermont Sun, 1944, pg. 10).

The lure of the military was also very strong. But…their focus was on high school

graduates of Milford and not their present day students. I researched an article in the

Clermont Sun from August of 1944 whereas the headline proclaimed, “ Tell Students of

Navy’s Air Training Group.” Lieutenant G.E. Giesecke, U.S. Naval Aviation Unit, of the

Cincinnati area was in Milford last week, visiting school and talking with school leaders

about the Navy’s V-5 pilot officer training program. He encouraged Milford high school

graduates to consider the possibility of enlisting for such courses.

So what happens to the millions of high school aged students who dropped out of

school to work in munitions factories when the war is over? Those jobs will be given

mainly to the adult men and women who served abroad and the young people will begin

losing their jobs. The Ohio Board of Education took a proactive stance on this issue. They

began a “back to school” drive with the purpose of keeping in school and getting back

school aged boys and girls who have not completed their high school education. During

the war some three million boys and girls, 14 to 17 years old, were at work. Half of them

have dropped out of school entirely and about half were employed in part time jobs.

Why would this plan be appealing to teenagers who have dropped out or are

thinking about dropping out of high school? The Department of Education began selling

the long time values of education: “Invest in Yourself.” Learning in school can increase

your economic security, make you a more useful citizen, give you better understanding of

the world, develop your leadership qualities, and lay the foundations of healthful living”

(Miami Valley, 1944).

In the December 11th issue of The Clermont Sun (1941) the headline was “Stay in

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School is Advice To Young People of Ohio.” The article states that it will become

student’s patriotic duty to continue schoolwork until need is imperative. “Whatever the

future may hold, this country will need well-educated and intelligent citizens to help in

the solution of its problems.” Patriotism isn’t confined to those who enlist in the army

and navy, and those who work in shipyards and munitions plants. Any boy or girl who

prepares himself for constructive citizenship is serving his country. It was encouraged for

the children of the United States to begin thinking long term. Citizens of Milford

especially needed to think beyond the opportunities that have inhibited them for decades

(Clermont Sun ,1941, pg. 3).

It was pointed out in this article that even the President of the United States is

beginning to address the problems created by a lack of educated citizens. Dean Stradley

points out that president Roosevelt has taken recognition of this need in a recent

statement that “we must have well-educated and intelligent citizens who have sound

judgment in dealing with difficult problems. We must also have scientists, engineers,

economists, and other people with specialized knowledge to plan and to build for national

defense as well as for social and economic progress” (Clermont Sun, 1941, pg.4).

It was also believed that a warning should be sent to the youth of America that

taking jobs in war industries could seriously handicap them for the future. What happens

when the war ends and those jobs disappear. These young people will have no education

and no formal training to do anything else. The question is a difficult one to answer. How

does a young person say no to a job when the economy and their families are saying yes?

I believe it boils down to leadership in our schools and communities to positively

influence our youth to value education.

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The next question is, “Is it possible to create an educational environment with a

curriculum that prepares for war? The answer is yes it can. In Milford High School a

class was created with the premise of preparation for civilian defense. Can you imagine

taking a class like this? Instead of art third period students would learn how to survive in

the event the war spilled onto the home front. The initial goal of the class was to enroll

twenty-five students. The objective of the class would be to present a general outline of

the possible means and methods available for communicating in an emergency of local

extent.

While this course would not be detailed enough to suffice for vocational training,

it was believed that it would offer very useful information that is beneficial to the student-

civilian, who, though perhaps hopefully never called upon to put this to a test, will be a

better citizen for having this potential aid.

Conclusion

In concluding the final aspects of this patriotic tale I quote the Drofilm from 1944

in its final epilogue to the Class of 1944.

“As you, the class of 1944, pass through the school portals for the last time, you enter

upon the threshold of a new cycle of your life, a life that is becoming increasingly

complex and ever changing, a life that will challenge all your energies for every forward

stroke you take.

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Our hope is that you will make the fullest use of the ideals, friendships, loyalties, and

knowledge your school has endeavored to supply you, for the purpose of the attainment

in life of that which you most desire.

As our nation is going through a most critical period, most of the boys of your class and a

number of the girls will enter directly into the service of our country. We know that the

ensuing months will be trying ones for you and your parents, but we know that you are

endowed with the same spirit and ideals that have made our nation great and that you will

do your part in bringing a victorious and lasting peace. Your school extends to you its

best wishes for your success and happiness.” (Drofilm 1944).

The World War II years made life difficult on many levels for everybody in the

United States. President asked the citizens of the U.S. to conserve, volunteer, and

sacrifice for the home front. These requests may have been simple for a generation of

people who lived through the onset of military and economic disasters of the previous

two decades. But what about the school children that were asked to sacrifice not only

their education but also a sense of safety and positivity that usually comes in the early

years of the cognitive development.

In the town of Milford, where citizens young and old alike, fostered patriotism

and self-sacrifice that was unparrelled anywhere in this great country. How could a town,

a school, a social group sacrifice when they had nothing? How could a school cut

teachers and bus drivers when they were short-handed already? How could a child who

had no money give up a job? How could a family that had no resources begin donating

things that were essential to keep their lives going? It is simple – for freedoms that have

lasted until today and will last forever. Children throughout this country need to read

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these tales of school children from this community. There are not many children today

that would go to work on the farm two hours before school then go back to work hours

after school was over. But they did it, and why, because that was the call of duty during

World War II. And that is why they are referred to as America’s, “Greatest Generation.”

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