IWWG - Military Bases and Production in Georgia (Lesson)

Military Bases and Production in Georgia

Introduction

World War II led an economic boom in Georgia. The state had been very poor even prior to the Great Depression. As war production amped up, the state saw infrastructure growth in the military installations and new industries moving to the region. Georgians began to make more money than ever before and push the economy into modernization of industries. 

 

Bell Aircraft

In 1942, the Bell Aircraft company located to the town of Marietta and began to produce B-29 bombers. During the war, nearly 30,000 workers worked at the plant. This caused Marietta’s population to boom. Bell Aircraft paid high wages. They hired women and African Americans and built over 660 bombers while the plant was open.

 

Shipyards of Savannah and Brunswick

Savannah and Brunswick, both deep-sea ports, provided the perfect location for naval yards to complete the construction of war ships. The Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation located in Savannah constructed over 80 ships, and the J.A. Jones shipyard in Brunswick produced almost 100 ships. Georgia became the home of the Liberty Ship, a large, square-hulled ship designed to carry supplies to troops such as grain, trucks, and mail. These ships transported troops and supplies to both the European and Pacific fronts. In April 1942, a German submarine sank an American ship a few miles off the coast of St. Simons, Georgia, reminding Americans the importance of a strong naval presence. 

 

 

Military Bases

During World War II, Georgia housed more military training bases than any other state in the U.S. besides Texas. Fort Benning near Columbus, Georgia, was the largest and viewed as the best infantry facility during the war. Other important installations included Robins Air Service Command near Macon, Fort Gordon near Augusta, and Hunter Field near Savannah.

 

Richard B. Russell

He served as the governor and senator of Georgia. He served as a lawyer and at 23 years old, he was elected to the Georgia General Assembly. He was the youngest Governor in Georgia’s history and the youngest member of the US Senate when he was elected in 1933. During his tenure in the Senate, he served on the Senate Naval Affairs Committee and during WWII he often visited US troops. He argued that the US needed military bases on foreign territory to secure international security. He accomplished bringing and maintaining 15 military bases to Georgia. The Centers for Disease Control established its research facility in Georgia thanks to his push. 

 

 

Carl Vinson

He served as a lawyer and served in the Georgia General Assembly in 1908. In 1914 he was elected to the House of Representatives. He served for 50 years in the House, longer than any other congressional representative did. Vinson served on the House Naval Affairs Committee. He won the nickname “the father of the two-ocean navy” due to focusing on the expansion of our naval forces to protect the security of the America. 

 

 

Review

Review what you've learned by completing the activity below.

 

 

 

 

World War II brought significant economic changes to Georgia. It pulled the agricultural state out of the Great Depression and put the citizens to work in new industries. Growth in military installations allocated federal funding to train and supply our troops abroad. Large industries such as Bell Aircraft and the large shipping ports on the coast put people to work and continued the shift from rural to urban living. Georgia continued to see the economic prosperity due to these new industries even after the end of World War II.

  IMAGES CREATED BY GAVS UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED