Chances and Changes: My Journey with Molly

Describes what it would’ve been like to be alive during World War II in Molly’s time. Topics include:

• How it was hard for American families to take vacations together while fathers were away fighting the war and mothers were working in factories, making war supplies
• Summer camps were like large parks in the woods, on lakes, or near the ocean
  • They were built as places for children to study nature and have fun outdoors
  • Campers would cook over open fires, live in tents, and use outhouses instead of indoor plumbing
  • Children would learn wilderness skills as a popular part of camp life
  • Children would learn how to light a fire, study pictures of wild animal tracks, and learn which woodland plants were poisonous and which were safe to eat
  • But in reality, counselors and cooks were there to help take care of the children
• During World War II, campers and camps were proudly patriotic
  • Every day would begin and end with the Pledge of Allegiance and the flag ceremony
  • Campers wore uniforms and they would live together in groups like soldiers, where six to eight campers would share a tent or cabin
  • Although camps were run like the military, the focus was on fun, so campers would do arts and crafts, sports, swimming, games, and singing
• Between 1942 and 1945, more than 400,000 prisoners of war lived in 700 camps across the United States
  • The U.S. government worried that the presence of the enemy, especially Germans, would cause fear among civilians, so news reports about the camps were limited
  • Because so many men and women were doing war work, there was a shortage of labor, so POWs were paid to pick fruits and vegetables and work in canning factories, often alongside local residents
  • Because many German prisoners became friends with the Americans with whom they worked, when the war ended, thousands returned to live in America with their new friends