Released in 1994, this 5-1/2 hour audio documentary is quite informative and very entertaining as it takes you through the political, military and entertainment events of the war years, and the effects on the lives and culture of everyday Americans.

The Home Front takes the years out of the history books and brings them to life with the music, news radio soundbites, and commercials of the era.

An excellent commentary on WWII history, and a real treasure. Enjoy!

Added 01/15/2012 The Home Front Part 1 – Nazis & Martians (1938-39) 

[Audio clip: Please view the full post to listen]

Added 01/19/2012 The Home Front Part 2 – London Calling (1940)

[Audio clip: Please view the full post to listen]

Added 01/24/2012 The Home Front Part 3 – The Arsenal of Democracy (1941)

[Audio clip: Please view the full post to listen]

Added 01/28/2012 The Home Front Part 4 – The U.S. at War (1942)

[Audio clip: Please view the full post to listen]

Added 01/29/2012 The Home Front Part 5 – Give Til it Hurts (1942)

[Audio clip: Please view the full post to listen]

Added 01/29/2012 The Home Front Part 6 – GI Joe (1943)

[Audio clip: Please view the full post to listen]

Added 02/04/2012 The Home Front Part 7 – Liberation (1944)

[Audio clip: Please view the full post to listen]

Added 02/04/2012 The Home Front Part 8 -  Victory (1945)

[Audio clip: Please view the full post to listen]

The Juneau was sunk during the WWII Naval Battle of Guadalcanal, near the Solomon Islands in a torpedo attack.

The five brothers, George Thomas Sullivan 27, Francis "Frank" Henry Sullivan 26, Joseph "Joe" Eugene Sullivan 24, Madison "Matt" Abel Sullivan 23, and Albert "Al" Leo Sullivan 20 joined together to avenge the death of a friend killed at Pearl Harbor, and enlisted with the provision that they not be seperated.

Survivors reported that Frank, Joe, and Matt died instantly, Al drowned the next day, and George survived for four or five days before going over the side of his raft, and was never seen or heard from again.

As a direct result of the Sullivans' deaths, the U.S. War Department adopted the Sole Survivor Policy.

I think I have this whole "what's wrong with the world" thing figured out..

They need to bring back: Rooftop ballrooms, inviting a soldier to dinner, the percussion of high heels across a heavy wooden floor, film noir.

They need to bring back: Lips like crimson art, walking slowly in the rain, Saturday mornings at the barber shop, the buzzing of bad neon.

They need to bring back: The torch song, boats made of mahogany and toy prizes made of tin, pride in appearance, Gene Tierney's angelic glow.

They need to bring back: Black satin opera gloves, friends that sign your autograph shirt, Lux Radio Theater, riding in the rumble seat.

They need to bring back: The melody in music, handwritten letters from home, halos above street lamps in the rain, Winston Churchill.

They need to bring back: Radios as big as appliances, grilled cheese sandwiches with a dill pickle spear at Woolworth's, the soul of our nation.

They need to bring back: Stickball, the magic of Fred and Ginger, a silver dollar from grandma, picnics in the park, letting the good guy win.

They need to bring back: Dressing up for the movies, the warmth of Christmas morning, an evening next to the radio, Bogie and Bacall.

They need to bring back: Squeezing into the photo booth with your best friend, kissing goodbye at the train station, Kilroy, the dance hall.

They need to bring back: Sounds of children playing tag, leaning over the fence to talk to our neighbor, meeting a date at the soda fountain.

They need to bring back: Dancing until your wingtips glow, staring through display windows downtown, glass milk containers, the 1946 Wurlitzer.

They need to bring back: Making flour and water paste, a teen's jalopy, time standing still, sending box tops for decoder rings, Sunday dinner.

They need to bring back: Hide and seek at dusk, big bands, Hollywood elegance, Superman on the radio, the lunch counter at the 5&10, fedoras.

Thanks for reading.. and Merry Christmas!

Paul

Just a quick note to let you know that we are experiencing a problem with our music (media) player, which we also use to play OTR and more. This problem does not seem to exist in every browser, so you may not encounter a problem. If you do.. please know that we are working on it, and thanks!

But first..

A year prior to the 1940 Thanksgiving holiday, President Franklin D. Roosevelt made a proclamation moving the official celebration one week earlier than the traditional fourth Thursday of November.

Roosevelt was hoping that the move would help boost sales in a slow economy still pinched by the Great Depression. When the announcement was first made there was short notice given, which affected the holiday plans of many Americans and businesses, causing complaints and protest.

This earlier holiday lasted for three years and during the period, some began calling the holiday "Franksgiving". To understand the sentiment of the country, all you have to do is watch the classic 1942 film Holiday Inn. In one of the scenes, a November calendar appears, and you'll see an animated turkey jump back and forth repeatedly between the two weeks, until he finally just looks at the audience and shrugs.

Back to the photos..

Jack Delano is part of a group of very talented yet under-rated photographers that captured and preserved our nation's history on film from the late 1930s through 1943. An incredible service to our country.

Enjoy Thanksgiving at the Crouch family home, November 21, 1940. You'll see outside the family home where it looks like somebody has parked a convertible with the top down after driving for dinner, (brrr!) a photo of the 20 lb. turkey being carved, a young man checking on the pudding, a young lady checking on the pies, the children's table for dinner and more. Enjoy!