Historical Markers In the Story
Original Documents
. Pennsylvania at War 1941-1945 . Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1946.
. Men and Women of Wartime Pittsburgh and Environs: A War Production Epic. Pittsburgh: Frank C. Harper, 1945.
Published in the spring of 1945, this heavily illustrated history of Pittsburgh contributions to the American war effort includes profiles of more than 100 companies that helped make Pittsburgh one of the nation's most important centers of American wartime production.
Bloomfield, Gary L., Shain, Stacie L., and Arlen C. Davidson. Duty, Honor, Applause: America's Entertainers in World War II. Guilford, CT: The Lyons Press, 2004.
This deeply-researched and well-written book includes both those entertainers who stayed civilians and worked for the war effort as well as current and future stars who donned uniforms to help America win the war.
Doughty, Heather, and Mary M. Geis. Medal of Honor Recipients, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commemorative Edition, 10 November 1994. Harrisburg: Office of the Cultural Advisor, 1994.
This 90-page book, published in conjunction with the dedication of the Medal of Honor Grove, located behind the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg, includes names of all recipients from the Civil War to Somalia, including details on their awards.
Lingeman, Richard. Don't You Know There's A War On? The American Homefront, 1941-1945. Thunder’s Mouth Press/Nation Books, 2003.
This marvelous book is an essential part of any library on America during World War II because of the author's great writing style and his ability to translate a huge subject into 350 pages of readable prose.
Lockman, Brian, and Dan Cupper. World War II in Their Own Words: An Oral History of Pennsylvania's Veterans. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2005.
Contains interviews with 32 men and 1 woman, culled from more than 150 interviews arranged by Pennsylvania Cable Network as part of its televised series.
McClure, James. In the Thick of the Fight: York County, Pa. Counters the Axis Threat in WWII. York, PA: York County Heritage Trust, 2005.
A heavily illustrated, 174-page book that examines York County in the war years.
Osborne, Richard E. World War II Sites in the United States: A Tour Guide and Directory. Indianapolis, IN: Riebel-Roque Publishing Company, 1996.
This handy guide lists war-related sites in the 48 contiguous states, including prisoner-of-war camps, the larger military installations, the most important industrial sites, museums, airfields, and other sites. Heavily illustrated with black and white photos.
Quillmanm, Catherine. "No Summer Solstice: War Stories of the Homefront Survivors.." Pennsylvania Heritage 19:4 (Fall 1993): 4–11.
A brief article that draws from the World War II oral-history program of the Chester County Historical Society.
Rajtar, Steve, and Frances E. Franks. War Monuments, Museums, and Library Collections of 20th Century Conflicts. Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Company, 2002.
Includes sites such as military monuments in town squares, museums, airplanes, ships, and larger, more important library collections.
Sickels, Robert. The 1940s. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2004.
Part of Greenwood's "American Popular Culture Through History" series, this book surveys topics such as sports, advertising, fashion, music, travel, food, leisure, and related topics for the 1940s decade.
Vogt, Susan. Pennsylvania's Heartlands Series, Volume 3: The World War II Years. Hummelstown, PA: Desktop Editing Company, 2003.
Vogt interviewed folks from central Pennsylvania who served in the military and worked at home. She includes excerpts from Pennsylvania at War, 1941-1945 and a section on the types of farm tractors at work during this period.
Wissolik, Richard D. They Say There Was A War. Latrobe, PA: Saint Vincent College Center for Northern Appalachian Studies, 2005.
Oral history interviews with Pennsylvanians who served in the military from 1941-1945.
Zauhar, Frances M. Out of the Kitchen: Women in the Armed Forces and on the Homefront: The Oral Histories of Pennsylvania Veterans, World War II. Latrobe, PA: Saint Vincent College Center for Northern Appalachian Studies, 1995.
Oral-history interviews with Pennsylvania women who were in the armed forces as well as several who recalled life on the homefront during the war.
Oral history interviews with western Pennsylvanians, who talk about the homefront and their experiences in the military.
Carnegie Library, "War and Conflict: Western Pennsylvanians and World War II." http://www.carnegielibrary.org/research/pittsburgh/history/ww2/
This project, a cooperative effort between Duquesne University and the Carnegie Library, consists of oral history interviews of western Pennsylvanians, including men, women, African Americans, and children, recalling their lives during World War II.
Delaire Landing Veterans http://www.zubeworld.com/ww2/
This site includes then and now photographs of 55 veterans from Delaire Landing, Philadelphia.
Eldred World War II Museum and Learning Center http://www.eldredwwiimuseum.org
Located in Eldred, Bradford County, this museum opened in 1996 in the former National Munitions Company plant, dedicated to preserving the heritage of the homefront workers there as well as those who served in the military.
General of the Air Force: Henry H. "Hap" Arnold http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=8526
A range of biographical articles and resources on famed Pennsylvania General Henry H. Arnold.
George C. Marshall Foundation http://www.marshallfoundation.org/
Extensive biographical materials, and speeches by the Pennsylvania-born Chief of Staff during World War II.
Library of Congress Veterans History Project http://www.loc.gov/vets
The LOC is collecting taped oral histories from American veterans from World War I to the present. Includes all service branches plus the Merchant Marine and Coast Guard, as well as civilians in defense industries and medical volunteers. See also Thomas Wiener (editor), Voices of War: Stories of Service from the Homefront and the Front Lines (Washington: National Geographic, 2004), for a companion book compiled from stories submitted to the project.
Mid-Atlantic Air Museum of Reading http://www.maam.org/
This airplane museum in Reading includes World War II aircraft and each June hosts a World War II weekend.
Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, "Women and Railroads During World War II" http://www.rrmuseumpa.org/about/rrpeopleandsociety/women2.shtml
A brief history of women railroad workers, including their work on Pennsylvania's railroads during World War II.
Rosie the Riveter World War II Homefront National Historical Park http://www.rosietheriveter.org
This national park is located in Richmond, California, on the site of the former Kaiser Shipyards, and features a memorial to women workers of the war, several historic buildings in one of the former shipyards, and the SS Red Oak, a Victory ship actually built in the Kaiser yards.
Simon Wiesanthal Museum of Tolerance Online Multimedia Learning Center http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.aspx?c=gvKVLcMVIuG&b=358201
A large website that includes articles about all aspects of the Holocaust, with more than 3,000 files and thousands of photographs.
The National Archives, "State Summary of War Casualties from World War II for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Personnel from: Pennsylvania." http://research.archives.gov/description/305222
Complete list of Pennsylvanians killed and wounded during World War II.
United States Naval Activities in Pennsylvania During World War II http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/ref/USN-Act/PA.html
A complete listing, organized by city, showing U.S. Navy activities in Pennsylvania. Includes locations for the college training programs, industrial production, inspectors stationed at navy-related industries, naval bases and stations, and recruiting stations. This listing is part of a larger World War II section on ibiblio, which collects and makes available documents relating to various historical subjects.
University of San Diego's World War II Links http://www.besthistorysites.net/index.php/ww2
A massive compilation of World War II links, organized into 24 categories ranging from General, A-Bomb, Homefront, to Museums, Books and Articles, Holocaust, and much more. A must-see listing that includes sites with even more links to please anyone searching for a World War II subject.
