Bloomington before, after World War II

On Dec. 7, 1941, a paralyzed United States suffered national shock after Japan's attack on the American naval fleet based at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. \nThe local newspaper, the "Bloomington Daily Telephone," reported municipal officials and heads of community organizations met "to perfect the local civilian defense setup." \nEditor B.W. Bradfute wrote, "It is a safe assertion that never before have the American people gone to war in such a united manner."\nBloomington experienced a political transformation of sorts after World War II. Once the quintessence of small-town America and a bastion of support for the military, the city became a magnet for fresh ideas and cultures, said James Madison, an IU professor specializing in Indiana history.\n"Bloomington in the early 1940s was a small town, still very similar to other small towns in the Midwest," Madison said. "Today it is far more cosmopolitan, reflected, for example, in the variety of restaurants (here today) compared to the meat-and-potatoes restaurants of the 1940s."\nThis renovation of Bloomington's character stemmed from a surge in demand for education following the war, he added.\n"After the war, people poured into Bloomington from all over the world," he said. "The community became more global, urged in this direction by President (Herman B) Wells."\nWorld War II-era Bloomington, however, is a different story. \nWith the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor came steadfast support for American involvement in the war, Madison said. From then until after Japan's surrender in 1945, partisan politics took a backseat to support of the war effort.\n"There were always a few individuals who weren't keen on the war, particularly before Pearl Harbor," Madison said. "There may have been some scattered conscientious objectors -- perhaps a Quaker or two in a place like Bloomington. And many IU students, like students at most universities and especially before Pearl Harbor, were very opposed to entering World War II. They felt the U.S. had been taken advantage of in World War I: 'We don't want to have any part of European wars.'"\nBut the tragedy at Pearl Harbor reversed this popular isolationist view, Madison said.\n"Pearl Harbor changed that," he said matter-of-factly. "It changed that overnight, and it changed it entirely. And so the very same students who had been so opposed to it were soon marching off to war."\nRichard Stuart, a World War II veteran born and raised in Bloomington, agreed.\n"We knew we were going to get involved eventually," he said. "But I'd say the bombing of Pearl Harbor set the tone more than anything, so people were more 'for' the war."\n"Everyone was very supportive of it," he said. "We were all pulling together for the same effort, to eliminate the threat of Germany and Japan."\nStuart and his wife, Becky, grew up in Bloomington in the 1930s and 1940s. Drafted into the Army after he graduated from high school at 18, he served in the military from 1943 until February 1946. He was stationed in Europe for nine months and fought in the Battle of the Bulge and in the Rhineland.\n"You went into service and were made to obey whatever you were asked to do, without question," Stuart said. "Most of us didn't know what was going on 50 yards away from us."\nLocal sentiments on foreign policy during World War II lie in stark contrast to popular opinion of the same issues today, Madison said.\n"There was near-unanimous agreement that World War II was a necessary and just war," he said. "Today there is nothing of the sort. The war in Iraq is to many residents today a very different kind of war … with unclear origins and goals. "\nBecky Stuart, who found work at Wright Military Field in Dayton, Ohio, during the war but came home frequently to visit her family's farm in Bloomington, said the community came together for drives for materials such as paper, metal, rubber and gasoline and rallies to buy war bonds.\n"I'm pretty sure they discontinued big activities (sponsored by the government) like massive parades until after the war," Richard added. "The patriotic hullabaloo was selling of war bonds, saving materials, posters everywhere."\nThese posters, said Madison, came originally from the various agencies of the federal government. Early in the war, civil defense operations volunteers planned and enforced blackout programs.\n"I suspect that in small communities (such as Bloomington), it was easier to organize such things than in a big city like Chicago because of face-to-face interaction there," Madison said.\nAfter Japan announced its surrender in August of 1945, the Bloomington Star-Courier reported: "This city will reap dividends because it has not been a 'war boom town.' The future is bright if we develop civic leadership that will live up to the prospects."\nDespite changes that came later, World War II left lasting effects on the political climate of Bloomington and of the nation as a whole, Madison said.\n"Patriotism (became) the default," he said. "In a funny kind of way, it wasn't very important to wave the American flag at that time. People would have asked, 'Why should we vote for you because you support the war? So does your opponent, and so does everyone else.' Patriotism is … above politics. It transcends politics; it transcends parties. There's really nothing else like that"