World War II began on September 1, 1939, when Germany, led by Adolf Hitler, invaded Poland. This act of aggression prompted France and the United Kingdom to declare war on Germany two days later, on September 3, 1939.
I am 80, but the final step to living up to the words of our Constitution started before I was born. Of course, there was the US Civil War, but from 1930 to 1940, the “Our Gang,” or later “Little Rascals,” dominated my parents' childhood; America started changing for the better (MAGA). It started with We the People; it took 35 years for politicians to see political value. Young Dems of the '60s radically advocated free speech. Young Democrats of the '70s demanded politically correct behavior, enforced with "Rules for Radicals" today becoming "hate speech," "disinformation," or "misinformation." The issues of race, gender, and class are minimal today. The threat to Democracy is the denial of those who, after nearly 100 years, will not give up their perceived political value of race, gender, and class. It is time for politics to give it up and return this issue to We the People. In today's world, all people are sufficiently equal, and bad things sometimes happen to good people.
When is Enough Enough
The Rich Do Pay a Fair Share
Top 1% of earners: According to various analyses and posts on platforms like X, the top 1% of income earners pay a substantial portion of federal income taxes. Recent figures suggest this group pays around 45-46% of all federal income taxes. Their effective tax rate has been reported to be around 25.9%.
Top 10% of earners: This group, including the top 1%, is responsible for approximately 72-76% of total federal income taxes paid.
Top 50% of earners: The top half of income earners collectively pay around 97-98% of all federal income taxes. This indicates that most federal income tax revenue comes from this group.
Bottom 50% of earners: The share of federal income taxes paid by the bottom half of income earners is relatively small, often cited to be around 2.3% to 3%. This is due primarily to the progressive nature of the tax system, where many in this group have incomes below the taxable threshold after accounting for deductions and credits.
My parents graduated from high school in Houston, Texas, about the same time in 1939-1940: My dad attended San Jacinto High School, and my mother attended Reagan High School. My mother had beautiful brown eyes, and my father had gorgeous blue eyes. They were considering college or a career.
After my father's mother divorced her husband, she raised my father as the only parent. He had no father figure. She said he was a bright child with a messy room and thus needed discipline. Marie Johnson kept her ex-husband's last name for herself and her son and never remarried. She was a robust, disciplined woman who raised my father to develop a solid moral character.
Marie was raised in a typical Texas working-class family. She and her father spent their lives working for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Her father was a blacksmith, and Marie was an office worker.
My father chose to pursue an engineering degree at Rice University, while my mother, Lois, decided to work in her father's drug store on Heights Boulevard near downtown Houston. My parents met, fell in love, and married during this time.
Suddenly, the United States entered World War II on December 7, 1941, after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. This event led to the U.S. declaring war on Japan on December 7, 1941, and subsequently on Germany and Italy on December 11, 1941, following their declaration of war on the U.S.
Like many other young American men, my father enlisted in the United States Air Force to help with the war effort. After my mother moved back into her parent’s home, my father went to boot camp and later pilot training. Boot camp gave my father the discipline his mother said he desperately needed. He failed pilot training because his instructor said he always wanted to know why and how a pilot maneuver worked before performing it rather than mindlessly doing it. The Air Force wanted doers, not thinkers, so my father was made a B-29 bomber Engineer maintaining the aircraft’s systems.
My Mother's Sister
My mother and her only sibling, sister Jean, could not have been more different. My mother was beautiful and girly, while her 15-year-old sister Jean was a tomboy, an athlete who ruled the softball field and her parent's home once my mother left to marry my father. She pitched softball as often as the rules allowed and an aggressive second base, frequently creating cuts and bumps like the one on her forehead in this picture.
My grandfather was once a great athlete and a very religious man, always ready with a Bible Story with a moral ending. He influenced his daughters, my mother, with his religion, and my Aunt Jean with his athletics. He was an exceptional grandfather and also a lovingly old man, really good with and good for children, most often under the influence of alcohol, an alcoholic.
His family came to America from Ireland, where the Dealy family published newspapers. He probably would have owned a liquor store if he had not owned a drug store. He loved to talk, and everyone he met was a friend. As you would expect, the kitchen was my grandmother's domain; however, starting years before, during prohibition, my grandfather brewed his beer and stored the bottles in the higher kitchen cabinets that were not usable by my grandmother anyway. All was good, except sometimes his brew would continue to ferment in the bottle, explode the cap off, and run down into the lower cabinets, soiling dishes, and spoiling food.
These are pictures of great-grandmother Boettcher holding me, Older Edward (my mentor), the son of a younger Balwin, his father, my great grandfather.
My grandmother tolerated my grandfather's love for beer and bourbon. She came from a German-French immigrant family that came to America in 1896 with enough money to buy millions of acres of timberland in east Texas: her father, Baldwin Boettcher. In Germany, Boettcher means his family harvested trees and made wooden barrels. Baldwin was on a ship from Europe, immigrating to America. On the ship, he met a beautiful French woman immigrating from France, my great-grandmother. They were a couple by the time they landed in Galveston, Texas.
Soon after marrying, they settled in Huntsville, Texas, and purchased millions of acres of east Texas yellow pine forest land to harvest in the first sawmills established in the State.
My Mother's Mother
She did not drink alcohol and did not like her picture taken, even though her parents came from big, outgoing European wine and beer countries. She always thought she had health problems that doctors and most people could not see. Her husband owned a drug store, but she believed that drinking Dr. Pepper at ten, two, and four was the medicine she needed. She spent a lot of time in her kitchen; she was an excellent cook, and she passed this on to my mother. In her large garden, she grew vegetables and enjoyed them for most meals. Once a year, when her garden peaked, she would supplement what was needed at a farmers market and preserve Chow-Chow in mason jars from all the vegetables. She used it on almost everything she ate year-round.
Somehow, my parents created me during one of my father's visits home from Air Force duties. However, before I was born, he deployed to the Mariana Islands, specifically Tinian Island, which was used as a launch point for the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. See the brief review of Tinian Island at the end of this chapter. The picture below shows a party the night before the last deployment to Tinian, 8,400 miles away. My mother and father on the far right must have been pregnant with me.
My father was experiencing the peak moment of his service, supporting the first attempt to strike Japan and bomb Tokyo, scheduled for November 1944. This was after the U.S. forces had captured the island and constructed the necessary air facilities to support the long-range B-29 Superfortress bombers, which were pivotal in the air campaign against Japan during World War II. It was so important to strike a blow upon Japan; instead of finishing the defeat of the remaining hundreds of Japanese soldiers living in underground caves on the high ground, the US posted troops 24x7 to protect the US positions. Still, there were constant attempts to rise from the caves and kill Americans. This was unsuccessful; the Japanese were always killed, valuing life much less than Americans; they would rather die than surrender.
Halloween - October 31, 1944
Being pregnant for the first time is stressful enough, but with the outcome of the all-out world war uncertain and her husband 8,400 away, closer to the enemy trying to kill him, stress and worry were unrelenting. Mom did have Francis Barnett, a close high school friend who married Roy and had given birth a few weeks earlier to my lifelong friend, Bob Barnett. There is a picture of the two of them, 8 months pregnant, on a Sunday, on a park bench, discussing their unknown future. Mothers did not know the sex of their unborn child until the 1950s.
My mother's labor pains started after a tomato and mustard sandwich on rye bread from her mother's victory garden she maintained in her backyard. After lunch, the day before Halloween, my mother had what were probably false labor pains, so the family of four packed up and headed to the emergency room entrance of the local hospital. My grandfather drove his 1939 Ford, which was still equipped with a hole below the radiator to manually crank-start the car in case the starter failed.
My grandfather took his other young daughter to the hospital lobby, the only place young children were allowed in hospitals in the 1940s. Also, the birthing rooms were usually reserved for women only. They waited for 12 hours. At least food and drink were provided. There must have been discussions of sports and maybe even some Bible stories.
My mother went through 12 hours of off-again and on-again labor pains. The hospital staff changed twice. Her mother was always ensuring the staff did something to lessen her daughter's pain and get on with the delivery of the baby.
Finally, at 3:15 a.m. on October 31st, I separated from my mother and was born. The nurse told my mother, "You have a little Spooky here. It became the only name I answered to for years until it was so inappropriate and humiliating. My womb buddy, Bob Barnett, and some family members still use this name, and I still acknowledge it. My parents named me "Tom Lloyd Johnson III", then there is my father "Tom Lloyd Johnson Jr", and my grandfather "Tom Lloyd Johnson Sr.". So, the nickname 'Spooky' came in handy to keep myself, my father, and my grandfather apart when together. My father's father, Tom, after serving in WWI, worked on heavy equipment building a dam on a river between Texas and Oklahoma. He remarried an immigrant named Teah and spent the rest of his life in Houston, Texas, as a Caterpillar Inc. (CAT) mechanic.
My father's mother, whom I called Dede, had a demanding life working for the Southern Pacific Railroad. She got the word that something was happening, but the prospect of a quick birth being dashed; she decided my mother's parents were capable people, and there was little she would be needed for, so she got a good night's sleep and went to work where she got a call.
Losing a Longtime Best Friend
My father received the radio message that he had a son and was cleared to visit his wife and new son for a week off. While home to see me, my parents spent time with my dad's best friend, George, who informed them that he had completed his B-29 pilot training and would be joining my dad to start bombing Japan on Tinian Island.
When the time came, my dad returned to war preparations. On the day George was landing the B-29 on the dark black runway on Tinian Island, my father was excited, and I am sure George was, too. It was a scorching day. As the B-29 passed over the brilliantly white coral of Tinian Island to the threshold of the black runway, control was lost, causing a crash that killed all aboard. Later, the coral was painted black far enough from the threshold of the runway to prevent sudden loss of lift for the landing B-29s. My mother and father named their third son after George.
Addendums
Describe America in 1944.
In 1944, America was deeply engaged in World War II, which significantly shaped its society, economy, and culture:
Economic and Industrial Activity:
The U.S. was at the zenith of its industrial power, with factories running total capacity to produce war materials such as tanks, aircraft, ships, and ammunition. Due to the war's demands, this period saw unparalleled industrial growth.
Women entered the workforce in unprecedented numbers, taking up jobs traditionally held by men who were now serving in the military. Rosie the Riveter became an iconic symbol of this demographic shift.
Social Life:
There was a strong sense of national unity and purpose, and much of the population directly contributed to the war effort through the military or war bonds, scrap drives, and home rationing.
Racial segregation and discrimination were still legally enforced in many parts of the country. However, African American contributions to the war effort began to highlight the disparity between American democratic ideals and practice, leading to some civil rights advancements post-war.
Military Involvement:
The year was marked by significant military events like the D-Day invasion on June 6, which was the beginning of the end of Nazi control in Western Europe. American forces were heavily involved in both European and Pacific theaters.
The Selective Service and Training Act of 1940 was in effect, and many men were drafted into service.
Political Climate:
Franklin D. Roosevelt was President, and his leadership was pivotal. 1944, he was elected for an unprecedented fourth term, though he died in April 1945.
The war led to significant governmental control over the economy, with policies aimed at controlling inflation, ensuring fair distribution of resources, and maintaining morale.
Cultural Developments:
War themes dominated the cultural landscape. Radio broadcasts, movies, and music often focused on patriotism, the war effort, and the home front.
Hollywood churned out numerous propaganda films and escapist entertainment to boost morale.
Rationing, blackouts, and victory gardens were part of civilian life, reflecting the war's direct impact on daily American life.
Technological Advancements:
World War II accelerated technological development, particularly in aviation, electronics, and medicine. Innovations like penicillin distribution, synthetic rubber, and radar technology saw significant advancements.
International Role:
By 1944, the U.S. had solidified its role as a global superpower. The Bretton Woods Conference, held in July 1944, established the International Monetary Fund, the precursor to the World Bank. This conference set the foundation for the post-war economic World Order, depending on the value and stability of the American Dollar, based on the only major nation whose infrastructure was not severely damaged by War.
Thus, 1944 was a year of intense activity, sacrifice, and transformation for the United States, with the war shaping nearly every aspect of American life.
Life Limited by Rationing - Suffering on Both Sides of War
Rationing during World War II was widespread in many countries involved in the conflict, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and others. Here's an overview:
United States
United States Start Date: Rationing began in the U.S. in 1942.
Sugar, coffee, meat, cheese, fats, canned goods, and some fruits and vegetables were rationed.
Non-Food Items: Gasoline, rubber, fuel oil, and other strategic materials.
Ration Books: Each person received a ration book with stamps or coupons for different goods. The amount of rationed goods one could buy was determined by the number of stamps or points they had.
Purpose: To ensure that supplies were distributed fairly and that military needs were met without causing civilian shortages.
United Kingdom
United Kingdom Start Date: The war started in January 1940, earlier than in the U.S., due to the proximity of the war and the immediate threat of invasion.
Food: Meat, sugar, tea, butter, cheese, eggs, milk, and jam were among the first items rationed. Later, bread, potatoes, and other vegetables were also rationed.
Clothing: Fabric was in short supply, leading to clothing rationing. People had to make do with "Make Do and Mend" campaigns.
Fuel and Power: Coal, gas, and electricity were rationed to conserve resources for the war effort.
Point System: In addition to specific rations, there was a points system for canned and processed foods, where each person had a certain number of points to spend each month.
Impact: The British government used rationing to manage shortages effectively, promote national unity, and prevent black market activities. Recipes and cooking tips were provided to help households make the most of their rations.
Germany
Germany Implementation: Germany also instituted rationing, but it was less systematic due to the war's varying fortunes.
Items: Foodstuffs like bread, meat, fats, sugar, and coffee were rationed. As the war progressed, rations became increasingly meager.
Effect: Rationing became more severe as the war dragged on, leading to widespread hunger and malnutrition, especially in cities towards the war's end.
Japan
JapanRationing: Similar to other nations, Japan rationed food, fuel, and other necessities, but the system became increasingly strained as the war continued, particularly after naval losses cut off supply lines.
Impact: The Japanese populace endured significant hardships, including severe food shortages by 1945, leading to widespread malnutrition.
General Impact of RationingHome Front Morale: Rationing often boosted national morale by giving civilians a sense of contributing to the war effort. However, it also led to hardships, with black markets emerging in many places.
Economic Management: Governments used rationing to control inflation, manage available resources, and ensure that essential workers had sufficient supplies to continue their vital work.
Social Change: Rationing altered how people ate, dressed, and traveled, influencing long-term dietary habits and social norms.
Rationing was not just about scarcity; it was a complex system of resource management that played a crucial role in sustaining civilian populations during the global upheaval of World War II.
Brief Review of Tinian Island and B-29 Superfortress
Location and Importance: Tinian Island, part of the Mariana Islands, is a U.S. territory approximately 1,500 miles south of Tokyo. Its strategic location made it an ideal base for launching air raids on Japan.
Infrastructure: After being captured by the U.S. in 1944, Tinian was transformed into one of the largest airbases in the world during World War II. North Field on Tinian was developed with multiple long runways capable of handling B-29 Superfortress bombers.
Atomic Bomb Missions: Hiroshima: On August 6, 1945, the B-29 bomber named "Enola Gay" took off from Tinian's Runway A carrying "Little Boy," the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.
Nagasaki: Three days later, on August 9, another B-29, "Bockscar," also launched from Tinian, dropped "Fat Man" on Nagasaki.
Post-War: After the war, Tinian's role in the atomic bombings solidified its place in history. The sites where the bombs were loaded onto the aircraft, known as the Atomic Bomb Pits, have been preserved as historical landmarks.
US rebuilding airbase used for atomic bombing of Japan - Bild
Since January 2024, the US has been working on the island of Tinian in the Pacific Ocean. Over 20 million km² of asphalt has been restored, and hundreds of hectares of jungle have been cleared.
Almost half a billion dollars have been allocated for the project. According to military experts, this is a way for the states to prepare for a possible confrontation with China.
This use of Tinian underscores its significant but somber role in ending World War II through the deployment of nuclear weapons, marking the only time such weapons have been used in warfare.
The atomic bomb detonates 1968 feet above Hiroshima. In less than one second, a 900-foot-wide fireball blasts the center of the city, vaporizing hundreds of people without a trace, & killing thousands more in seconds.
How did "our gang" reflect on racial equality during the 1940s?
Answer
"Our Gang," later known as "The Little Rascals," was a series of short comedy films produced by Hal Roach Studios from the 1920s through the 1940s, which had a complex relationship with racial equality reflective of the era's societal norms and aspirations. Here's how it reflected on racial equality during the 1940s:
Interracial Friendship and Play:
The series was notable for portraying interracial friendships among children, which was quite progressive for the time. In "Our Gang," black and white children played together, a depiction that contrasted sharply with the segregated reality of much of the United States during the 1940s. This integration on screen is an aspirational vision of racial harmony.
Stereotypes and Depictions:
While the series aimed to show equality among children, it sometimes fell into the trap of racial stereotypes. Characters like Farina (played by Allen Hoskins) and Buckwheat (played by Billy Thomas) were often depicted in ways that reflected racial stereotypes prevalent during that era. However, some also saw these portrayals as a form of inclusion, allowing black characters to be central to the narrative, albeit within the confines of the time's racial understanding.
Public Perception and Impact:
"Our Gang" was popular among both black and white audiences. For the African American community, the inclusion of black children in mainstream media was significant, even if their roles were sometimes problematic. The series provided representation when it was scarce, which could be viewed as a step towards racial equality in media.
Behind-the-Scenes Equality:
Hal Roach, the producer, was known for his relatively progressive attitudes towards race for the time. There were accounts of equal treatment for black actors on set, which was rare. This behind-the-scenes equality, however, only sometimes translated entirely into the content due to the broader societal constraints and expectations.
Criticism and Reevaluation:
Over time, the racial representations in "Our Gang" have been critiqued. Julia Lee's book, "Our Gang: A Racial History of 'The Little Rascals'," discusses these aspects, highlighting how the series was both reflective of and progressive against the racism of its time. It shows how "Our Gang" managed to be both a product of its era's limitations and a subtle push towards racial equality by showcasing black and white children working and playing together.
Cultural Resonance:
The show's depiction of racial interactions provided a narrative of racial equality in an era where such portrayals were rare. It contributed to cultural conversations about race, albeit indirectly, by normalizing (to some extent) the idea of black and white children as equals on screen.
In summary, "Our Gang" in the 1940s reflected the contradictions and complexities of racial equality in America. It offered a glimpse of racial integration in an idealized, child-centric world, which was more inclusive than many other media productions of its time. Yet, it also encapsulated the racial stereotypes and societal norms that were still very much in place. Its influence on public perception and its place in the broader narrative of racial equality in American media is nuanced, showing both progress and the limitations of that progress.
how many American families get money or services paid for by the Government
Approximately 99 million people in the United States participate in some form of public assistance program, which equates to about 30% of the population. This statistic reflects a broad range of government benefits including but not limited to:
Social Security: Around 66 million Americans receive Medicare, which often goes hand-in-hand with Social Security benefits for retirees, disabled persons, and survivors of deceased workers.
Medicaid and CHIP: Approximately 88 million Americans receive benefits through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health coverage for low-income individuals and families.
SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program): Around 41 million Americans utilize food stamps, indicating a significant portion of the population relies on this form of assistance.
Unemployment Compensation: Although not consistently detailed in the provided data, during economic downturns or crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, millions receive unemployment benefits.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): This program provides cash assistance to families in need, though exact current numbers weren't specified in the data, historical data suggest millions of families benefit from this program.
Housing Assistance: Millions receive help through programs like Section 8 vouchers, public housing, or emergency rental assistance, although exact figures for families weren't directly mentioned.
Child Tax Credit: Previously enhanced by the American Rescue Plan, it was noted to benefit nearly 40 million families in 2019.
Veterans Benefits: About 9 million veterans receive various benefits.
This information paints a picture where a substantial portion of American families and individuals rely on government assistance for various services or financial aid, covering everything from healthcare to basic living expenses. However, these numbers can fluctuate with policy changes, economic conditions, and demographic shifts.
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