Introduction
North Carolina played a significant role in World War II. Approximately 258,000 of its citizens served in the army, 90,000 in the navy, and 13,000 in the marines. Home to twenty-four military installations, North Carolina trained more soldiers than any other state. It also excelled in producing textiles, ships, food, and other goods for the war effort. Outer Banks inhabitants observed blackouts and watched as German U-boats sank Allied ships just offshore. And people across the state did their part by rationing, growing victory gardens, buying war bonds, and volunteering at USOs.
Focusing in the classroom on North Carolina’s role in World War II, whether the subject is history, language arts, or even the arts, will help students understand how world and national events affect state and local communities. It will also illustrate how average North Carolinians have influenced history, as students themselves can shape the future.
General background and teaching materials about World War II are plentiful. Resources specifically about North Carolina’s role in the war, however, are less abundant. The goal of this pathfinder is to provide teachers with those resources so that they can incorporate local and state history into national and world history, and even other subjects. Background information, field trip opportunities, and teaching resources are included.
Library of Congress Subject Headings and Browsing Areas
To search a library catalog that uses Library of Congress classification for World War II–related materials, start with the following subject headings:
World War, 1939–1945
World War, 1939–1945 -- United States
World War, 1939–1945 -- North Carolina
Browsing Areas
Looking through books on a library shelf can be a convenient way to find materials. To browse for World War II–related books, look in the following library areas:
In libraries with Library of Congress classification:
| World War II | D731–838 |
| Postwar history, 1945– | D839–850 |
| Military science (general) | U1-900 |
| International relations | JZ5-6422 |
In libraries with the Dewey Decimal System:
| World War II, 1939–1945 | 940.53 |
| Military history of World War II | 940.54 |
Although these resources are not specific to North Carolina, they may prove helpful in preparing lesson plans about World War II. These materials can be found in the reference sections of many school and public libraries, or can be obtained through interlibrary loan.
Baudot, Marcel, et al., eds. The Historical Encyclopedia of World War II. Translated by Jesse Dilson. New York: Facts on File, 1980.
This five-hundred-page encyclopedia, translated from the French, includes a time line, bibliography, and commentary on the immediate and long-range consequences of World War II. Though lightly illustrated and out-of-date, it offers a European perspective on the war, which may be helpful in preparing lessons with an international viewpoint.
Boatner, Mark M., III. Biographical Dictionary of World War II. Novato, Calif.: Presidio Press, 1996.
Mark Boatner, a military historian and writer, has compiled concise biographies of over one thousand people influential in World War II. The dictionary includes an extensive glossary and bibliography, helping to make it a useful general reference resource.
Dear, I. C. B., ed. The Oxford Companion to World War II. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.
This comprehensive, authoritative work includes a 1,300-page encyclopedia of World War II terms as well as a chronology, numerous black-and-white and color maps, and many period photos. Plenty of tables help clarify statistics ranging from U.S. economic indicators during the war years to casualty figures from many countries.
Hogg, Ian V. Dictionary of World War II. Lincolnwood, Ill.: NTC, 1997.
Part of the publisher’s Pocket References series, this compact dictionary offers the same topics as World War II encyclopedias but in shorter, less detailed entries. It makes a valuable quick reference resource.
Polmar, Norman, and Thomas B. Allen. World War II: The Encyclopedia of the War Years, 1941–1945. New York: Random House, 1996.
This thorough 900-page encyclopedia includes an extensive chronology and black and white photos and maps. This work is unique in that its authors, Norman Polmar and Thomas B. Allen, both noted military historians, wrote it purposely with an American perspective; it thus covers such topics as the American home front, segregation, and women in the military in more depth than more general encyclopedias.
Pimlott, John. The Historical Atlas of World War II. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1994.
John Pimlott, a historian and professor, chronicles the war’s progression using color maps showing military movement. A brief essay accompanies each map. Charts, black and white photos, and inset maps also illustrate the text. A detailed index and thorough map key help make this a complete source especially useful for preparing geography lessons.
Most of the following books are available in public and school libraries across the state; if they are not accessible locally, all can be obtained through interlibrary loan.
a. General Background
Bigger, Margaret, ed. World War II—Hometown and Home Front Heroes: Life-Experience Stories from the Carolinas' Piedmont. Charlotte: A. Borough Books, 2003.
The Special Collections Unit of the J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the Levine Museum of hte New South in Charlotte collaborated on this collection of oral histories. Interview selections from those who served in the military, trained in the Piedmont, and helped in war efforts on the home front are included.
Lemmon, Sarah McCulloh. North Carolina’s Role in World War II. Raleigh: State Department of Archives and History, 1964.
Though dated in its discussion of minorities, this concise resource is the classic work on North Carolina’s contributions to the war effort. Illustrated with period photos and artifacts, the book covers wartime industries, military camps, daily life on the home front, soldiers native to the state, and sea battles fought off the Outer Banks. In addition to covering World War II as it relates to North Carolina, it provides a good general overview of the war.
Duvall, John S. North Carolina during World War II: On Home Front and Battle Front, 1941–1945. Fayetteville, N.C.: World War II Fiftieth Anniversary Commemorative Committee of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum Foundation, 1996.
Author John Duvall, director of the Airborne and Special Operations Museum in Fayetteville, provides this solid if overly positive overview of North Carolina’s role in the war and the war as a whole. It is heavily illustrated with period photos and artifacts and includes tables outlining North Carolina casualties by county, military installations in the state, and other valuable facts.
Dew, Stephen Herman. The Queen City at War: Charlotte, North Carolina, during World War II, 1939–1945. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America, 2001.
Stephen Herman Dew adapted his 1997 Ph.D. dissertation into this readable look at Charlotte during wartime, which can be correlated to other urban areas in the state. Lightly illustrated, the book gives a more detailed view than the two previous listings, including deeper discussions of state and city politics and life on the home front. Its many chapters focus on such topics as the draft, the creation of the Charlotte Army Air Base, rationing, entertainment, and civil defense. An extensive bibliography is included.
Southeastern North Carolina in World War II. Wilmington, N.C.: Wilmington Star-News, 1992.
This booklet contains a series of articles published in the Wilmington Star-News during the week of December 1, 1991, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the entry of the United States into World War II. The heavily illustrated articles cover subjects including local soldiers’ experiences, shipbuilding in Wilmington and other area war industries, rationing, offshore threats, fashion, the African American military experience, and the general effect of the war on the region.
Catlett, J. Stephen. Army Town: Greensboro 1943–1946. Greensboro, N.C.: Greensboro Historical Museum, 1994.
The Greensboro Historical Museum produced this booklet to accompany an exhibit by the same name. It presents an overview of Greensboro through World War II, which can be extrapolated to other cities in the state. The first section describes life for male and female soldiers stationed at the army air force base in Greensboro. The second section discusses the home front experience. The final section looks at how the war changed Greensboro.
b. The Home Front
Five Years of North Carolina Shipbuilding. Wilmington, N.C.: North Carolina Shipbuilding Company, 1946.
Shipbuilding became a major wartime industry in North Carolina in 1941. This short book presents a look into how shipbuilding affected the state’s citizens and cities. It is heavily illustrated with photos of the military ships built in Wilmington, employees—male and female—at work and at play, wartime fundraising campaigns, and ship construction. Though from the 1940s, the discussion of wartime industries’ effect on communities and excellent photos make this a valuable source of background information.
Munson, Barry. Carteret County, North Carolina: War on the Home Front. Morehead City, N.C.: Carteret County Historical and Genealogical Society, 2001.
This two-volume work presents World War II–related items from the Beaufort News from December 11, 1941, through December 30, 1943, including, as was common in small-town newspapers, letters home from soldiers. The book looks at how people in a typical small North Carolina town viewed and dealt with the war. It includes an index and a few photos of soldiers mentioned in the articles. It lends itself well to classroom application of primary sources.
c. Coastal War Activities
Cheatham, James T. The Atlantic Turkey Shoot: U-Boats off the Outer Banks in World War II. Charlotte, N.C.: James T. Cheatham, 1994.
This slim volume, heavily illustrated with photos and maps, offers a history of the devastating battles between German submarines and Allied ships fought off the coast. It adds a personal viewpoint through the reminiscences of citizens who witnessed the battles from shore and soldiers who lived through those battles.
Naisawald, L. VanLoan. In Some Foreign Field: Four British Graves and Submarine Warfare on the North Carolina Outer Banks. Raleigh: Division of Archives and History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, 1997.
Naisawald begins with an overview of the war as it was fought off the coast of the Outer Banks, then details the story of the HMS Bedfordshire, a British antisubmarine trawler sunk by a U-boat off Cape Lookout in 1942. He also discusses the fate of the four lost crewmen and the establishment of a British cemetery on Ocracoke.
d. From Training Camps to Battlefront
Autry, Jerry. General William C. Lee: Father of the Airborne. San Francisco: Airborne Press, 1995.
This biography celebrates the life of Lee, the Dunn native who pioneered the American paratrooper program during World War II and brought the airborne training program to Fort Bragg. The book is richly illustrated with personal and military photos of Lee and the 101st Airborne Division (in training at Fort Bragg and in combat) as well as scanned images of newspaper articles, letters, and telegrams.
Carraway, Gertrude Sprague. Camp Lejeune Leathernecks. New Bern, N.C.: Owen G. Dunn Company, 1946.
Gertrude Sprague Carraway, a historian and champion of historic preservation in Eastern North Carolina, presents a detailed history of Camp Lejeune, a large marine base in Onslow County. The base was unique in World War II in that it trained female marine reservists, African American marines, a group of soldiers from the Netherlands, and military dogs. Although the book is outdated, especially in its treatment of minorities, its discussion of these diverse training groups makes it an unusual and valuable resource.
Noah, Joe and Samuel L. Sox, Jr. George Preddy: Top Mustang Ace. Osceola, Wis.: Motorbooks International, 1991.
This biography discusses the personal and military life of Preddy, a Greensboro native who became one of the top aviators in the European Theater in World World II. Though the authors are not historians, the book is carefully researched using a wide variety of primary and secondary sources; it is also highly readable and richly illustrated with personal and military photos.
Tuttle, Shirley Easter, ed. Our Neighbors, Our Heroes: An Oral History of Rural Hall, North Carolina, World War II Veterans. Rural Hall, N.C.: Friends of the Library, Rural Hall/Stanleyville Branch, 2000.
Library staff and volunteers in Rural Hall recorded these interviews with fifty-five World War II veterans living in the area. Although women and minorities are underrepresented in the survey, those veterans who were interviewed had a wide range of experiences in all branches of the military and took up many types of duty. Most of the interviews are extensive and convey well the veterans’ emotions as well as experiences during the war. The book provides opportunities for classroom application of oral histories.
Documentaries can be valuable teaching tools; they can also be a good source of background information for educators. The following documentaries are available as VHS videos.
Duffus, Kevin P. War Zone: WWII off North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Raleigh: Video Marketing Group, 2001. Videocassette.
This three-hour, two-part video looks at the war fought off the coast and how it affected the lives of those who witnessed it. War footage, oral histories, narration, radio broadcast segments, and period photos combine to provide comprehensive background material. This video is appropriate viewing for students in grades 8 and up. It is available in many public libraries statewide or through interlibrary loan.
Ford, Glenn. Showboat, a Battleship at War. Wilmington, N.C.: USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial, 1978. Videocassette.
Though dated and somewhat propagandistic, this twenty-nine-minute video offers a thorough history of the USS North Carolina, including excellent battle footage, reenactments, and personal reminiscences. Available in many public libraries statewide or through interlibrary loan, the video would complement a field trip to the battleship well or could be used in place of a visit.
Morin, Charles Gerald. The Holocaust: A Personal North Carolina History. Greensboro, N.C.: North Carolina Council on the Holocaust, 1983. Videocassette.
This fifteen-minute documentary tells the story of the Holocaust through first-person accounts by concentration camp survivors and American servicemen in North Carolina, radio broadcast segments, and film clips from Nazi war trials. Best suited for older students, the video provides valuable background information for teachers of all grade levels. It can also be used to teach about primary sources. It is available for loan from the North Carolina Museum of History.
Webbere, Sandy. North Carolina at Home and at Play during World War II. Raleigh: North Carolina Museum of History, 2000. Videocassette.
Though it uses mainly static images, the varied content and wealth of images make this thirty-three-minute documentary a valuable classroom resource for both background information and presentation to students. With period music in the background, this video covers home front topics such as rationing, propaganda, recreation, the African American experience, and the changing roles of women. It also looks at life on North Carolina military bases. It is available for loan through the North Carolina Museum of History.
“Camp Davis/Burgaw/Fort Fisher.” Skylighters. http://www.skylighters.org/places/campdavis.html.
This page, part of the 225th AAA Searchlight Battalion Veterans Association’s Web site, contains a history of Camp Davis, an army antiaircraft artillery training center in Holly Ridge, and related military training facilities at Fort Fisher and Burgaw. It includes excellent slide shows of period postcards, photos, and pamphlets from the facilities and surrounding communities.
“The Home Front: Charlotte-Mecklenburg 1941–1946.” The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Story. http://www.cmstory.org/homefront/main.htm.
The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County offers this excellent look into life in Charlotte during World War II, which can be extrapolated to other large North Carolina cities during this period. The site uses short essays, oral histories, maps, and photos to tell its stories. It is divided into three sections: People, Places, and Winds of Change (the contributions that Mecklenburg County citizens made to the war effort).
"Camp Lejeune History.” MCB Camp Lejeune, N.C. http://www.lejeune.usmc.mil/main/aboutbase.html.
Learn about Camp Lejeune’s history on this Web page. The larger site also includes current news and activities as well as information for soldiers new to the base; this information could be used to compare base life and military activities today with what soldiers experienced during World War II.
“The Triple Nickles”: The 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion. http://www.triplenickle.com.
In telling the story of a little-known World War II battalion, this site reveals larger lessons. The “Triple Nickels” was the country’s first African American parachute infantry battalion. While the site is overly busy and text heavy, it is worthwhile for highlighting this unique battalion and for its reflection on the discrimination African Americans faced in the military during World War II.
“The Women Veterans Historical Project: Women at War: An Online Exhibit.” Walter Clinton Jackson Library. http://library.uncg.edu/depts/archives/veterans/portal.html.
The Women Veterans Historical Project, which began at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1998, presents part of its collection in this on-line exhibit. Though the exhibit is national in focus, UNC-G alumni donated much of the collection, giving the artifacts and story a strong North Carolina tie. Posters and photos, coupled with short essays, tell the stories of women in the WAVES, SPARS, WASP, marines, WAC/WAAC, Red Cross, and AWVS during World War II.
World War II: Through the Eyes of the Cape Fear. http://library.uncw.edu/capefearww2
This Web site presents primary sources from the William M. Randall Library at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the Cape Fear Museum. Included are transcripts of the oral histories (some with audio and video files) of soldiers and civilians, home front and battlefield maps, paintings by a soldier from Wilmington, and artifacts from daily life in the military and at home.
Airborne and Special Operations Museum
100 Bragg Boulevard, Fayetteville
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.; Sunday, noon–5:00 P.M.
Free admission
910-483-2766
http://asomf.org
The newest museum in the United States Army museum system offers exhibits and programs highlighting the history, equipment, technology, legend, art, and weaponry of the army’s airborne and special operations units in World War II. Call ahead to a schedule self-guided tour with an introductory video. If you can’t bring your class to the museum, its Web site presents online exhibits that lend themselves well to a virtual field trip.
Eighty-second Airborne Division War Memorial Museum
Gela and Ardennes Streets, Fort Bragg
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10:00 A.M.–4:30 P.M.
Free admission
910-432-3443
https://82ndairbornedivisionmuseum.com/
Learn about the role of the Eighty-second Airborne in Europe and the division’s major engagements during World War II. Call to schedule a self-guided class tour with an introductory video.
Fort Macon State Park
East Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach
Hours: 9:00 A.M.–5:30 P.M. daily
Free admission
252-726-3775
http://www.ncparks.gov/Visit/parks/foma/main.php
The U.S. Army manned Fort Macon during the Second World War. See one room of the fort restored as a World War II barracks. Call the park office to arrange a tour of the fort. The park also offers educational materials for grades 6–8 that correspond to North Carolina's competency-based curriculum in science, social studies, mathematics, and English/language arts.
General William C. Lee Airborne Museum
209 West Devine Street, Dunn
Hours: Monday–Friday, 10:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.; Saturday, 11:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.
Fee: There is a small charge for admission
910-892-1947
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/aviation/lee.htm
Lee, a native of Dunn and “father” of the Airborne, helped establish the American paratrooper program shortly before the war’s outbreak. This museum in Lee’s former home contains numerous World War II artifacts such as uniforms and weapons, as well as personal belongings. Call the museum to schedule a self-guided class tour.
JFK Special Warfare Museum
Ardennes and Marion Streets, Fort Bragg
Hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 11:00 A.M.–4:00 P.M.
Free admission
910-432-1533
http://www.soc.mil/swcs/museum/visiting.html
See exhibits on unconventional World War II warfare groups such as Darby’s Rangers, Merrill’s Marauders, First Special Service Force, the Office of Strategic Services, and the Alamo Scouts. Though the exhibits need maintenance and updating, the unique artifacts and meaningful interpretation make this museum worthwhile for a field trip. Call ahead to schedule school groups.
North Carolina Museum of History
5 East Edenton Street, Raleigh
Hours: Monday–Saturday, 9:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.; Sunday, 1:00–5:00 P.M.
Free admission
919-807-7900
http://ncmuseumofhistory.org
Exhibits containing World War II–related artifacts include A Call to Arms and David Marshall “Carbine” Williams. Call the Capital Area Visitor Center at 919-733-3456 to arrange a class tour.
North Carolina Transportation Museum
Highway 29, Spencer
Hours: May 1–October 31, Monday-Saturday, 9:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M.; Sunday, 1:00–5:00 P.M.; November 1–April 30, Tuesday–Saturday, 9 A.M.–5 P.M.; Sunday, 1–5 P.M.
877-628-6386
http://www.nctrans.org/
The museum features trains and cars that date to the 1940s.
USS North Carolina
Eagles Island, Wilmington
Hours: Memoriail Day–Labor Day, 8:00 A.M.–8:00 P.M. daily; After Labor Day weekend through the Thursday prior to Memorial Day weekend, 8:00 A.M.–5:00 P.M. daily
Fee: 12 and over, $12; seniors and mililtary, $10; children 6-11, $6; children 5 and under, free.
910-350-1817
http://www.battleshipnc.com
This living memorial tells the story of the battleship and its crew in the Pacific theater during World War II. Students can explore the ship to get a firsthand feel of life for the soldiers on board. Reservations are required for school tours, which include free educational materials and can include a thirty-minute slide presentation. The ship’s comprehensive Web site is a perfect opportunity for a virtual field trip and includes a kids’ page.
Tar Heel Junior Historian 25 (spring 1986) and 47 (spring 2008).
These issues of the magazine, produced by the North Carolina Museum of History for students across the state, covers various aspects of World War II as they relate to North Carolina. Both issues include articles written on a fourth-grade level, articles by students, and a geography activity.
Scher, Linda. The Holocaust: A North Carolina Teacher’s Resource. Raleigh: North Carolina Council on the Holocaust, 1998.
This comprehensive resource on the Holocaust, designed for middle and high school teachers, offers background information, lesson plans, handouts, a time line, a glossary, a bibliography, period photographs, and oral histories and biographies of Holocaust survivors now living in North Carolina.
“Teacher Resources.” Battleship North Carolina. http://www.battleshipnc.com/teach_reso/index.php.
The Battleship North Carolina’s Teacher Advisory Committee, composed of teachers, created lesson plans and activities for the ship’s Web site. These teaching resources covering grades K–12 include language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. All the materials, including oral histories, needed for the lessons are on the Web site, which also contains a field trip guide and list of other field trip destinations in the Wilmington area.