Sacrifice and Prosperity:
Tullahoma's experience during World War II (continued)
The United States entered the war on December 7, 1941 when Japan attacked United States military bases at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, 2, 388 people were killed with about 2,000 wounded. Japan saw the United States Navy as the only deterrent in its aim to completely control Southeast Asia and hoped to wipe out the Pacific Fleet in one swift blow.
On December 8, United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed Congress. He called December 7, "a date which will live in infamy." Congress swiftly declared war on Japan, along with Canada and the United Kingdom. On December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. The war was now a global conflict.
During a roadio speech the same day, Roosevelt urged Americans to back the war effort and avenge Pearl Harbor. He said, "Every single man, woman, and child is a partner in the most tremendous undertaking of our American history." Americans heeded Roosevelt's call to action, and a generation of Americans began fighting the war on the battlefront, on the seas, in the air, and on the nation's home front. Many would sacrifice much for the world's fight for freedom, and the citizens of Tullahoma were not an exception. In fact, the community of Tullahoma had already begun supporting America's military when construction of Camp Forrest began in October 1940. Citizens would open their homes and hearts to the many men and women who passed through the large, Army training base, and in many ways, the community and its citizens would be forever changed.
In the years leading up to World War II, times were difficult for many area residents. According to R.F. Goodwin, a Tullahoma resident during World War II, "we were ahead of the depression. When the depression moved in here, we were already poor." Jobs were hard to come by in the area during the 1930s, and if you had a job at the General Show Factory, the Ball Factory (Lannom Manufacturing), or the Overall Factory, you were lucky, according to Ralph Smoot of Manchester. Individuals would drive from the surrounding communities to work at these factories, and they never complained.