Faded Glory: A Century of Forgotten Texas Military Sites, Then and Now

7. World War II

C h a p t e r 3 162 10 35 20 37 40 45 10 G u l f o f M e x i c o U.S.S.Aulick Riverside Addition Camp Hereford El Paso Dallas Camp Lufkin Houston San Antonio Amarillo Abilene Avenger Field Camp Bowie II Pecos Army Airfield Marfa Army Airfield Fort Clark Map by Molly O’Halloran N E W M E X I C O World War II M E X I C O O K L A H O M A A R K A N S A S L O U I S I A N A The author Studs Terkel once declared that World War II was “the last good war.” At first glance, such an observation might seem grossly inappropriate for an international catastrophe that claimed the lives of approximately 32 million people worldwide, including both military and civilian deaths. Another 7 million on the Allied side alone still remain unaccounted for but must obviously now be presumed dead. The United States suffered the loss of 292,000 military personnel and an additional 670,000 wounded in combat. In the grim shadow of such overpowering statistics, it is difficult to accept that there was anything at all good about World War II. In the now archaic conventional sense of warfare, however, and in view of its nearly unanimous public support, it perhaps should be considered as having been at least unique if not exactly good. The war was fought in accordance with time-honored rules of engagement , unlike the so-called little wars of the last 60 years. The adversaries in World War II battles were readily identifiable, fighting as they did in uniforms and under the easily recognized flags of their respective nations. Also unlike latter conflicts, it was a war that pitted one group of nations battling to attain clearly stated goals against another alliance of nations just as fervently fighting in order to attain totally different objectives. From the American perspective, World War II had a now rare, well-defined The news of Pearl Harbor fell even colder than the Panhandle Rain. —Elmer Kelton I have no idea when I will return. —Dwight D. Eisenhower to his wife, Mamie, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, December 12, 1941 The war made such an enormous impact on ourTexas culture it’s almost like talking about two different planets separated by only four years! —Col. Knox Bishop, USAF (Ret.) 7 WOrlD War ii 1941–1945 163 beginning at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and a distinct ceremonial conclusion onboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. The nature of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor launched America’s involvement in the war on a tidal wave of patriotism and resolve that continued relatively unabated throughout the three and a half years of conflict. The nation remained united in support of the war effort despite early setbacks in the fighting, personal sacrifices, and civilian hardship, as well as a steadily mounting death toll at the front. Unfortunately, the conflicts that followed World War II have failed to mirror that extraordinary level of unquestioning patriotism and national unity. If World War II were truly a “good war,” or rather the last understandable one, is perhaps an open question, but there can be no doubt that it was the seminal event of the 20th century. Its powerful impact upon the state of Texas was particularly instantaneous, limitless, and everlasting. When the war began, much of Texas languished in 19th-century attitudes and social conditions, even though the 20th century was almost half over. Nearly 60 percent of all Texans lived on farms, ranches, or in small isolated rural communities. Few people lived far from their place of birth in the countryside. Six out of 10 did not complete high school. Women were mostly limited to being housewives or, if they were a minority race, servants, and minority males had few employment opportunities beyond field hand or common laborer. Only one in five residents in the state owned an automobile, and even fewer living in the rural areas had access to a telephone. Further, the entire state was mired in the Great Depression in the late 1930s. Eastern demands for Texas agricultural products had dwindled because of the severe downturn in the nation’s economy. Unemployment remained high in the larger cities. By 1939, it...