Everybody sure looks happy when they have a purpose, a job to do, money in their pocket, a full belly with a roof over their head. That’s what makes me happy most of the time
Right!? 10yrs after more than half of the nation was starving, during a brutal war. Why ever would they look happier? That said, yes - getting FDR out of office would further boost how well off the nation was. Thankfully the end of said war would also see an end to incredibly naive fiscal policies that would have driven the country right back into the depression. Had he remained in office after the economic bubble of the war ended. Too bad that, here some 80 yrs later, we've reinstated those exact same policies.
What a great documentary. A similar thing happened here near Chicago - In 1942, the War Production Board of the United States of America purchased a plot of undeveloped Cook County prairie land called Orchard Place. The 1,790 acres of flat land was well suited for a huge airplane factory the government needed for the production of military aircraft, specifically Douglas C-54s during World War II. During the war, the airport was known as Orchard Place/Douglas Field, hence the airport’s identification ORD which remains today. In 1949, the airfield became Chicago O’Hare International Airport named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Edward “Butch” O’Hare, a young Navy flier who gave his life in defense of his country. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1942 and is credited with saving the aircraft carrier USS Lexington in the South Pacific by shooting down six of nine enemy bombers. O’Hare International opened to commercial air traffic in 1955 and was formally dedicated on March 23, 1963, by President John F. Kennedy.
Butch's dad was in the Chicago mob...and was rubbed out when he turned state's evidence, because he wanted to change for his son's sake. That enabled Edward to attend Annapolis.
The War Department, and military industrial production, were seriously kicking some ass in the early 40’s. It’s refreshing to see how together and focused the folks were back then.
One of the workers was an elderly lady, Helen Longstreet, second wife of Lee's "old warhorse," Lt. Gen James Longstreet, who married a young woman in his late years.
Love the safety standards, nobody wearing safety eyewear for instance! I’d like to see the accident reports on these factories (not sure they even had one!).
Fun Fact: this is Air Force Plant 6; built with taxpayer dollars and 80 years later still owned by the USAF. Back in WW2 it was operated by Bell Aircraft, but today it's operated for the benefit of Lockheed Martin. The taxpayers still foot some of the bills for security and upkeep, and the operators enjoy not paying property taxes on the facilities. It's a little bit like socialism, but we Americans look the other way. 🙈
Corporations make $$$ & get paid by the taxpayers, with few real & enforced laws against using as much $$$ as they can to lobby/influence/ almost outright bribe those making decisions to payout even more. So it goes.
Can anyone identify the piece being lifted @11:38->11:41 mark ? It looks too small to be a piece of the fuselage. There appears to be a hole for the pressurized tube over the bomb bay ?
