Cleveland County in World War II


Book Description

Cleveland County, North Carolina, selflessly gave to World War II, with 6,500 people--more than 11% of the county's population at that time--taking part in the conflict. This rural county, which contributed almost double its share of service personnel, lost 190 fine young men--almost five times the expected casualties for a North Carolina county. Cleveland County residents participated in most significant engagements of the war, in every imaginable capacity, and in every branch of service--from the infantrymen, to the sailors, to the airmen, to the marines. At home, window banners displayed blue stars for each family member serving and gold stars for those who made the supreme sacrifice.




Cleveland County Heroes


Book Description

Biographical sketches about World War II veterans, originally published in The Star between August 2001 and July 2002.




Cleveland in World War II


Book Description

Berthed on the Cleveland lakefront, the battle-hardened submarine USS Cod serves as a proud reminder of the wartime contributions from the Greater Cleveland community. Clevelanders did their duty and more, from round-the-clock work on the factory assembly lines to the four Medal of Honor recipients on the front lines. The Cleveland Bomber Plant churned out thousands of B-29 parts, while Auto-Ordnance Co. developed the design for the Thompson submachine guns used by GIs on nearly every battlefield. Indians pitcher Bob Feller left the game to go into the service, and Clarence Jamison flew with the famed Tuskegee Airmen. Through interviews and archival material, authors Brian Albrecht and James Banks honor a time when Clevelanders of all stripes answered the call to arms.







Norman's Navy Years: 1942-1959


Book Description

In 1944, A.L. Simon, a sailor at the Norman Naval Air Station, illustrated a booklet, "On the Beach," about Navy life in Norman, Oklahoma. The title he chose reflected the irony of the US Navy establishing two bases in a landlocked prairie town in 1942. The initial activation of the Navy bases (from 1942 to 1945) and their reactivation (from 1952 to 1959) greatly increased the employment rate and economy in Norman, offering locals a much-needed boost after the Great Depression of the 1930s. The men who influenced the Navy to choose Norman as the location for Navy installations were T. Jack Foster, of the Norman Chamber of Commerce; Joseph Brandt, president of the University of Oklahoma; and Savoie Lottinville, director of the University of Oklahoma Press.










Rutherford County in World War II


Book Description

This highly anticipated follow-up to Rutherford County in World War II continues to illustrate the tremendous contributions of a brave community to the World War II effort. Rutherford County residents participated in almost every major campaign of the war, including Pearl Harbor, the air offensive in Europe, and D-Day, and those on the home front did all they could to support the troops. These patriotic photographs-many of which were collected by the authors during personal interviews with local veterans and other dedicated residents-memorialize this proud county's service and commitment to the war effort.