What was The CBI Roundup?

By Amy JohnsonAugust 20, 2017January 29, 2024 CBI, newspaper, Roundup, WWII 9 Comments

The CBI Roundup was a freely distributed newspaper founded by Captain Fred Eldridge, the first and only editor of the paper. He was an ex-reporter for the Public Relations officer on General Stilwell’s staff and of The Los Angeles Times as well. The newspaper was published by and only for the members of the United…

The Pilot’s Scarf – Its History, the Off-White Color and Uses

By Amy JohnsonJuly 20, 2017January 29, 2024 Army Air Force, pilot, scarf, WWII 4 Comments

They say fashion and comfort are two different things and mostly it’s the truth. But what’s also true is that fashion changes continuously. You can go back a decade and find a marked contrast in what people deemed to be acceptable clothing and in the way they decorated their bodies. Sometimes a few fashion items…

The song, “Buy me a Paper Doll” and Pin-Up posters during WWII

By Amy JohnsonJune 20, 2017January 29, 2024 Mills Brothers, pin-ups, Varga, WWII Leave a comment

It’s not surprising that through the work of artists, writers, and thinkers in all of history, you can find a window into the world they occupied and the social values that influenced their work. It’s also not surprising that the Second World War became the focal point or the backdrop of many works of art…

Victory Gardens during WWII

By Amy JohnsonMay 20, 2017January 29, 2024 Victory Garden, WWII Leave a comment

By all accounts, WWII showed how far or low humanity can go if its efforts are committed to a single cause and it is made to believe in the inevitability of salvation. However, while the Second World War is undoubtedly referred to as the darkest hour of man, a few shining examples of human perseverance…

WWII Posters Encouraging Sacrifice

By Amy JohnsonApril 20, 2017January 29, 2024 posters, propaganda, WWII 1 Comment

From the beaches of Normandy to the living rooms in the United States, no one was left unaffected by the long and bloody Second World War. Thousands enlisted in the army while others contributed to the war effort from home with the sweat of their labor. As bloody casualties, bombarded cities and weary men grew…

Uncle Sam Needs Your Stockings

By Amy JohnsonMarch 20, 2017January 29, 2024 DuPont, stockings, WWII Leave a comment

As if crippling the transport system by rationing gasoline wasn’t enough, the United States donned its fun police cap and took away women’s stockings to fuel the war effort. Though in all seriousness, it wasn’t because the country’s army decided to defeat its enemies by embarrassing them with their lack of fashionable undergarments, but it…

“The Kid in the Upper 4”

By Amy JohnsonFebruary 20, 2017January 29, 2024 New Haven, Train Travel, Upper 4, WWII Leave a comment

To put it lightly, vacations weren’t the most pleasant form of R&R during the time of WWII. Stories of death and devastation unfolding on the other side of the ocean were inescapable and plentiful. Even if you could find a place to get away from all the dread, you’d run into transport issues. Automobile owners…

Gas Rationing in WWII

By Amy JohnsonDecember 20, 2016January 29, 2024 gas rationing, rubber shortage, WWII Leave a comment

I was having a casual discussion with a friend about recent political events that have transpired in the U.S and it made me think about the fragility of international relations and our interdependence on earthly resources. Immediately I was drawn back to 1942 when the government started rationing for gasoline following their entry into the…

Fountain Pens & World War II

By Amy JohnsonNovember 20, 2016January 29, 2024 fountain pen, WWII Leave a comment

The things we underestimate today. It never occurred to me until recently when my friend and mentor, David Wojdyla, asked me, “Did you ever wonder why none of these letters were composed with a ballpoint pen?” Truly, I didn’t. I never made the association to the small box of well-used Wearever fountain pens in my…

The China Burma India (CBI) Theater

By Amy JohnsonSeptember 22, 2016January 29, 2024 CBI, China Burma India Theater, WWII 1 Comment

The China Burma India (CBI) Theater of war operations is often considered the forgotten campaign. The purpose of this war was for the Allied powers to prevent the Japanese from invading India. Three armies were used to fight this campaign, led by Field Marshal William Slim from Britain, General Chen Kai-Shek from China and Lt….