The Homefront

Photos of The Homefront, party, pinup girls, janitors, war bonds, air raid, wardens

We have gathered a collection of some of the best and most moving photos taken of African-American soldiers during the Second World War. They are from the National Archives in Washington D.C.
Please browse at your leisure. Meditate on the sacrifices given by these men and women in wartime.

This page is dedicated to African Americans in the military on The Homefront

Brig. Gen. Robert N. Young, Commanding General of the Military District of Washington, assists Melba Rose, aged 2, daughter of Mrs. Rosie L. Madison, in viewing the Silver Star posthumously awarded her father 1st Lt. John W. Madison, of the 92nd Infantry Division, who was killed in action in Italy N.d. 208-AA-139B-1. The National Council of Negro Women entertained British war workers representing labor unions and American labor women just returned from an eight-week tour of Great Britain April 21, 1945. 208-NP-3AA-1.
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LSM Vessel No. 325 launching party. Mrs. Lula Martin, Chicago, IL, second from the left, was the sponsor. August 25, 1944. 19-N-7058. To learn how to shop with point stamps, these youngsters in a Fairfax County, Virginia, grade school have set up a play store, complete with point value table and informational material on point rationing. N.d. Roger Smith. 208-NP-4FFF-1
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Air raid wardens at a sector meeting in Washington, DC, discuss the zones they control during a practice air raid. N.d. Roger Smith. 208-NP-4W-3. V home campaign, Washington, DC. October 1942. 171-OCD-140.
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Cardozo High School, Washington, DC. High School Victory Corps. June 1943. Bonn. 12-E-41-398. William R. Carter, government pharmacist for 40 years. As [a] laboratory aide in the Food and Drug Administration of the Federal Security Agency, he is entrusted with the job of preparing media for testing the sterility of bandage material. N.d. Roger Smith. 208-NP-4JJ-1.
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Making model airplanes for U.S. Navy at the Armstrong Technical High School. Washington, DC. March 1942. Marjory Collins. 208-NP-3KK-1. The public school children of the South-Central District of Chicago purchased $263,148. 83 in war bonds and stamps a huge check representing enough money for 125 jeeps, two pursuit planes and motorcycle was presented to Maj. C. Udell Turpin of the Illinois War Bond Sales staff. N.d. 208-NP-3MM-1.
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This highly experienced Negro draftsman is one of many skilled technical Negro workers employed in speeding war production at a large eastern arsenal. May 1942. Howard Liberman. 208-NP-2HH-1. Cortez W. Peters, World's Champion Portable Typist, is shown with ten late model standard-size typewriters which he turned over to the Government to aid the drive for 600,000 machines for the Army and Navy. November 1942. Danor. 208-NP-1V-1.
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Pin-up girls at NAS Seattle, Spring Formal Dance. Left to right: Jeanne McIver, Harriet Berry, Muriel Alberti, Nancy Grant, Maleina Bagley, and Matti Ethridge. April 10, 1944. 80-G-23326. Final assembly of the pilot's compartment is being made by these Negro workers in a large eastern aircraft factory. These youths went directly from a war training course to their jobs in this plant. May 1942. Howard Liberman 208-NP-2VV-2.
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Insignia for military police are being turned out in an eastern quartermaster corps depot where this young worker has obtained war production employment. May 1942. Howard Liberman. 208-NP-2HHH-1. Under the direction of Cecil M. Coles, NYA foreman, Miss Juanita E. Gray learns to operate a lathe machine at the Washington, DC, NYA War Production and Training Center. This former domestic worker is one of hundreds of Negro women trained at this center. N.d. Roger Smith. 208-NP-2QQQQ-1.
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The Negro janitors of the plant maintenance department in North America's Kansas City factory in V-formation as they start out on their daily tasks. February 4, 1942. Carl Conley. 208-NP-1KK-1. Welders Alivia Scott, Hattie Carpenter, and Flossie Burtos await an opportunity to weld their first piece of steel on the ship [SS George Washington Carver]. Kaiser Shipyards, Richmond, CA. Ca. 1943. E.F. Joseph. 208-NP-1HHH-5.
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Bertha Stallworth, age 21, shown inspecting end of 40mm artillery cartridge case at Frankford Arsenal. N.d. 208-NP-1WW-1. Miss Clara Camille Carroll, contributes her bit to the war effort in her daily work. She is one of the thousands of Negro girls now filling clerical positions in the Nation's Capital. January 15, 1943. Roger Smith. 208-NP-3F-3.
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Women employed at Savannah Quartermaster Depot, Savannah, Georgia. Ca. 1943. 86-WWT-67-6. Howard Wilson operating the sewing machine in the C. & E. Shoe Shop at Fort Benning, Georgia, as he finishes off a pair of parachutists boots. July 1942. Mooney 111-SC13770.
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Mrs. Sam Crawford helps with tobacco harvesting on her husband's farm in Maryland. Mrs. Crawford wears the Women's Land Army uniform. October 8, 1943. Cooper. 145-AAA-272. Keep us flying. Buy War Bonds. Color poster of a Tuskegee Airman (probably Lt. Robert W. Diez) by an unidentified artist. 1943. 44-PA-1217.
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United We Win. Color poster featuring a photograph by Howard Liberman of integrated aircraft factory workers. 1943. 44-PA-370. Above and Beyond the Call of Duty. Color poster of Doris (Dorie) Miller by David Stone Martin. 1943. 208-PMP-68.
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