Download Ch 17 Sect 4 Notes-#14

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 stay out 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
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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 ALL the 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
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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 of Gainesville 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 1st Native 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
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single-handedly stopped a German tank attack
Became a successful movie star
Oveta Culp Hobby , Native Texan, born in Killeen, Bell County - 1st Commander 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 – 1st African
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, 1st Native Mexican Texan, born in San Marcos, Hayes County to
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 military
B. one religious leader
C. one ruler
D. 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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