Tyler - Louisville in World War II

In 1990, I met Mr. James Sydnor, who worked as a photographer from the 1920s to the 1970s. He had lost his many thousands of pictures in a basement flood at his home. He only had about 200 pictures left. I interviewed him and catalogued his pictures. He eventually died, but I had been bitten by the photograph-as-historical-document bug and thought it worthy work to salvage family and professional photographs and get them published.

Jefferson County Commissioner Darryl T. Owens had introduced me to James Sydnor and told me to work with him and others. Owens decided to fund a project to work in Louisvilles African American history and supplied me with funding. He convinced Louisville city alderman Arthur Smith, a local minister of Portland Baptist Church, to join in and more importantly convinced me that I start working on a local history. They both had read Prof. George Wrights book, Life Behind a Veil: Blacks in Louisville, Kentucky, 18651930 (1985). They were so impressed and wanted him hired at the University of Louisville, but he was rejected and he went elsewhere.

At the University of Louisville, there have been a few strong supporters of the Urban Missiona program to research and help solve urban problems and illuminate urban historymainly at the photographic archives, such as Delinda Stephen Buie, Susan Knoer, Bill Carner, and especially James (Andy) C. Anderson, who labored long hours for several months to bring to my attention the best photographs for this book on Louisville in World War II.

I wanted to remind Louisvillians of their glorious past and the crucial role that their people and institutions played in the world war and the absolutely vital role played by Bowman Field and its troops in winning the international fight for democracy and serving in the worlds greatest international liberation army, the American military, despite its following the old Jim Crow racial patterns.

I received heroic help from Ada Lee Kane of Louisville, who rescued and brought to my attention, once again, the papers and pictures and life of Marguerite Davis, who served black troops at Bowman Field as their recreation director. Kane and relatives came to me, and Davis came herself to get involved once again and help preserve her work. Historian Charles Arrington introduced me to a lot of key information about Bowman Field to help make this book possible. I thank all the people who have worked to make this book possible. My debt is to the community people, like state representative Darryl T. Owens, who demanded that their history be recorded and published. I salute them and this is their history, Louisville in World War II .

Sincerely,
Dr. Bruce M. Tyler

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One

LOUISVILLE GOES TO WAR

With the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the nation, Kentucky, and Louisville mobilized as never before for full formal war to fight Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. Citizens of all races and economic classes united in the effort both abroad and at home. Louisvilles many industries banded together as well: the Mengel Company made wood products used in the war, and its staff burned a Nazi flag in an employee-held rally; Reynolds Aluminum Company manufactured arms and other war materials; Liberty National Bank sold war bonds at special windows; and the Louisville Ford Motor Company made at least 93,389 military jeeps out of the roughly 500,000 employed in the war. Louisville was an important industrial and military center and part of the Fifth Service Command area with surrounding states.

The 1940 U.S. Census revealed that Kentucky had a population of 2,845,000 people. Louisvilles population numbered 319,077, and it ranked 25th in the nation among other cities in population. Also Kentucky war plants set a record employment level with 172,413 employees in 1943 according to the Federal War Manpower Commission, and it expected Kentucky to exceed that number in 1944. Louisville, needless to say, led the way as the most urban and industrial section of the state of Kentucky. The 172,413 war workers across the state included both men and women, and Louisville accounted for 102,000 of the workers. Twelve thousand war workers were added to the employment roles in 1942, or about 1,000 a month. Women accounted for 10,000 of those new workers across the state. Women numbered 47,487 war workers in Kentucky, and that number was expected to rise to 60,000 by May of 1944. The Louisville War Manpower director was Harry H. Hansbrough Jr., aged 32; he had reported for military service on February 2, 1944. Louisville ranked number 18 among American cities as a vital industrial and war plant center. In short, Louisville was the regional Arsenal of Democracy. (See 1940 Census Shows Wide Inequalities, Louisville Courier-Journal , March 30, 1941, s-3, p. 9, col. 6; John P. Marcum Jr., Population, (714715) in John E. Kleber, ed. The Encyclopedia of Louisville . Lexington: UP of Kentucky, 2001; Sandy Wood, Kentucky War Plants Set Record With 172,413 Employees in 1943, Louisville Courier-Journal , January 2, 1944, s-1, p. 10, col. 69.)

The Mengel Company in Louisville was located at 1222 Dumesnil Street. At a July 4, 1944, celebration at the Fiber Container Department, management and employees burned a Nazi flag and hoisted the flag of the United States.

Shown here are students and their teacher at the Okolona Elementary School, a Louisville public school. This picture dated May 17, 1943, was made for the Central Dairy Council at 128 East Chestnut Street. It shows students how to eat healthy meals for sound bodies and minds as part of the home front effort to win the war. Note the slogan: Victory Demands Healthy Americans.

This is an image called Cadet Nurses lecture class that was made for the Central Dairy Council on September 15, 1944. Cadets were taught nutrition and healthy foods for healthy living and how to provide services to those in or going into service. The United States learned from the border fights with Mexicos Francisco Pancho Villa that hygiene and healthy habits were crucial to keeping soldiers fit to fight.

This is a photograph of the factory interior of the Porcelain Metals Corporation, on May 15, 1942. Louisville was a vital center of war production and supplies for the Armed Forces during World War II. Note the slogan hanging on a banner: YOU are a vital link in the chain of DEFENSE. Kentucky had 172,413 men and women war workers in 1943, and Louisville war workers comprised 102,000 of that number.