Famous cover of Superman by Fred Ray, housed at the Jewish Museum in New York City

Although the United States didn’t join WWII until 1941, American comic book artists were already jumping into the fight in 1939 with the rest of Europe and Asia by creating their dare and do superheroes. Detective Comics’ (DC) Superman was one of the first to grace the scene, already being a major figure in the Great Depression. His popularity expanded to more than just  paper, though. Superman was also featured in cartoons with episodes focused on fighting the Japanese, such as “Japoteurs” and “Eleventh Hour.”

Superman, Robin, and Batman selling war bonds

Despite the fame he had, Superman could not compare to Captain Marvel. Created by Fawcett Comics, Captain Marvel sold more comic books than Superman and starred in a full-length feature film—not cartoons. DC later sued Fawcett Comics because Captain Marvel was too similar to Superman. The judge at the trial ruled in agreement with DC, concluding that the story lines of Captain Marvel were too similar to Superman to be original. The case was scheduled for a retrial, but Fawcett decided to settle the matter outside of court. It wasn’t long before Captain Marvel died off along with Fawcett Comics.

First appearance of Captain Marvel in 1940

Batman, Namor the Sub-Mariner, the original Human Torch, the Angel, Boy Commandos, Green Lantern, and many others were also hot on the shelves as the war progressed from 1939 to 1940. But comic book sales were just getting started, even though they were already immensely popular. The excitement grew in 1941 with the release of Captain America. It sold out of its first issue with the cover featuring a fierce Captain America giving a nasty punch to Adolf Hitler. In 1942, comic books sales grew from 15 million to 25 million copies sold per month in 1943.

"Smashing thru, Captain America came face to face with Hitler..."

Captain America’s sidekick, Bucky, along with Wonder Woman, were two big supporters of recycling the mass amounts of comic books and any other scraps of paper readers could find. The heroes encouraged children to gather bundles of paper and donate them to the troops. This action to support the troops was what turned the worth of those books from a dime into thousand-dollar fortunes in later years.

Bucky and Wonder Woman

Children in America weren’t the only ones enjoying the superheroes; troops were as well. Comic books of all sorts were sent to servicemen in their care packages. The servicemen enjoyed them and found a sense of hope and escape with each turn of the page. Some heroes were even featured as nose art, perhaps to add continued encouragement while in the skies.

Superman featured as nose art

Superman and other comic book stars could end wars and win battles with what seemed like one swish of their capes, but everyone else had to hold on for much longer. The superheroes of the Golden Age were the boost of strength and patriotism that many needed.

Rioters during the VE Day riot in Halifax, 1945

On 7 and 8 May 1945, while cities across the West celebrated the victory against the Germans, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the celebrations quickly turned into the worst riot the city had ever seen.

Before World War II, Halifax was a relatively small city, with a population of around 70,000. But during the war, the population almost doubled—to 130,000—as the city became Canada’s most important wartime port. Halifax’s infrastructure and resources couldn’t handle the rapid population growth, leading to severe shortages in housing and goods—which in turn led to bad feelings and animosity between the Halifax natives and the servicemen, who now made up half the population.

When the victory in Europe was announced on 7 May, Halifax’s restaurants and liquor stores closed in an effort to prevent drunken revelry and to give the employees the day off. But this left the 9,000 sailors who were given shore leave that day nothing to do when the Navy’s canteens closed at 9 p.m, so they joined the civilians still thronging the streets in celebration. Soon looting began to take place, especially in liquor stores, and one group of sailors commandeered a tram, broke its windows, then lit the seats on fire.

The Navy’s shore patrol tried to round up the sailors, with limited success. The next day, the sailors were still allowed “open gangplank,” since the admiral in charge didn’t believe that the sailors were responsible for the majority of the damage from the night before. As had happened the previous night, the crowd of 12,000 servicemen and civilians smashed store windows and stole merchandise. The Navy tried to hold a parade to distract the crowds from their vandalizing, but the rioters openly jeered the attempt. Finally, the admiral and the shore patrol came around in trucks, ordering the sailors to return to their barracks, and that, combined with it beginning to rain, helped disperse the crowds.

By the end of the riot, more than 500 businesses were hit by rioters, and around 300 of those were looted. Alcohol was the main target of the looters, and about 91,000 bottle of beer, 56,000 bottles of liquor, and 15,000 bottles of wine were stolen. Over 350 people were arrested, with about 150 of the arrests being for drunken offences. Three men died, two from alcohol poisoning and one from a possible murder. The total bill for the riot was around 5 million dollars.

View a slideshow of images of the Halifax riots from the CBC archives.

Soldier writing a letter to Mom

The origins of Mother’s Day began with a woman named Ann Jarvis, who organized groups of women to tend to the wounded of the Civil War, both Union and Confederacy. Her efforts continued afterward by involving the mothers of those soldiers in peace efforts.

Anna Jarvis, Ann’s daughter, arranged a large service to be held in her mother’s honor when she passed away in 1905. Anna passed out five hundred white carnations that day–a flower given to every mother in attendance.

With the help of Anna, in 1914 Mother’s Day was established as a national holiday by President Woodrow Wilson to commemorate mothers who had lost their sons in war. Soon the holiday became commercialized, and Anna began to protest. She disliked the impersonal printed cards people would send to their mothers and fought the growing popularization to the point of arrest and emptying her inheritance.

Despite the commercialization, the origin of the celebration was kept alive by the soldiers of the time. Even the year after Anna’s death, soldiers participated in parades around the world to honor their mothers. The following images capture the men of the 386th Bomb Group marching through St. Trond, Belgium.

Search for more photos of the holidays in the WWII U.S. Air Force Photos.

King George disagrees with the consumption of liquor during WWI

In the early 1900s, America wasn’t the only country encouraging prohibition of alcohol; the UK was considering it as well as they entered WWI in 1914. The Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, informed King George V of the influence alcohol had on workers in the shipyards and others affiliated with munitions. After hearing from employers and the war office regarding their struggles with liquor and laborers, the king was convinced that alcohol was taking its toll on war efforts.

King George claims that alcohol inhibits war efforts

Taxes were raised, the liquor was diluted with water, and public houses were not permitted to be as liberal with their opening or closing times. Some pubs were simply bought up by the government and many were even shut down, all in effort to reduce alcohol consumption.

King George took it upon himself to set an example by giving up liquor, along with his entire royal household, until the war was over. His motion was well-received by the public. They saw the king’s actions as a gesture of equality among classes—liquor was not just for the very rich or privileged, and the war was being fought by everyone.

Find more articles regarding Britain’s involvement in WWI in the Chicago Tribune years 1914-1918.

"...these goods were carefully infected...with yellow fever?"

The above statement referred to Dr. Luke P. Blackburn, a known confederate supporter famous for his expertise with the yellow fever. With his affirmative, “Yes, sir,” double agent Godfrey Joseph Hyams confirmed that a plan had been formed by Dr. Blackburn to infect clothing and other goods with yellow fever, then distribute those goods throughout the Union with the hope of creating an epidemic.

There was considerable evidence against Dr. Blackburn, though most of it was circumstantial or provided by witnesses with reputations that were questionable at best. He was acquitted by public court, but the sentiment of the people turned rapidly against him after learning of his potential involvement in such a cold-hearted scheme.

"To destroy the armies, to destroy anybody..."

Of course, any effort to destroy the northern population using clothing “contaminated” with yellow fever was doomed from the start; in 1900, it was discovered that the disease was spread through mosquitoes, not by contact. And even today, historians still debate about whether the story is true or false. But if Dr. Blackburn’s plot was real, it is one of the earliest known attempts at biological warfare in history.

Read the complete testimony by Godfrey Hyams and more in the Lincoln Assassination Papers.

VE Day celebrations in Toronto, Canada

On 7 and 8 May 1945, exultant crowds poured into the streets across the Western world to celebrate the news of Germany’s surrender and the Allied victory in Europe. Huge crowds gathered in New York’s Times Square, London’s Piccadilly Circus, and other cities to celebrate and let loose after years of fear and tension.

Newspapers began reporting the end of the war in Europe on the 7th, but it wasn’t officially verified until the 8th, which was declared “Victory in Europe Day.” President Harry Truman and Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave speeches to their respective countries, rejoicing in the victory against Germany but reminding the countries that the war with Japan was far from over.

Truman giving his VE Day broadcast

Truman remarked:

For this victory, we join in offering our thanks to the Providence which has guided and sustained us through the dark days of adversity.

Our rejoicing is sobered and subdued by a supreme consciousness of the terrible price we have paid to rid the world of Hitler and his evil band. Let us not forget, my fellow Americans, the sorrow and the heartache which today abide in the homes of so many of our neighbors-neighbors whose most priceless possession has been rendered as a sacrifice to redeem our liberty. [...]

We must work to finish the war. Our victory is but half-won. The West is free, but the East is still in bondage to the treacherous tyranny of the Japanese. When the last Japanese division has surrendered unconditionally, then only will our fighting job be done.

Churchill greets VE day crowds

Churchill made similar comments in his speech:

Finally almost the whole world was combined against the evil-doers, who are now prostrate before us. Our gratitude to our splendid Allies goes forth from all our hearts in this Island and throughout the British Empire.

We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. Japan, with all her treachery and greed, remains unsubdued. The injury she has inflicted on Great Britain, the United States, and other countries, and her detestable cruelties, call for justice and retribution. We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad. Advance, Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom! God save the King!

For more, read Truman’s and Churchill’s complete speeches online, or watch a video of London’s VE Day celebrations.

Troops at chuck wagon getting their lunch of peas, stew, biscuits, coffee, canned pineapple, and fried Spam

Spam was invented in 1937 but received most of its fame from the high demand for it in WWII. From 1941 to 1945, the company shipped over 100 million pounds of Spam to allied troops. Since fresh meat was difficult to come across, Spam was the next best thing. It came neatly packaged, was less expensive, and stayed fresh. Spam’s popularity spread from US troops to Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. It was often fried and served for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—at least that’s what the troops thought.

Troops in Northern Africa: "They lived in the desert on spam and cabbage..."

Marlene Dietrich eating Spam and stew with servicemen

"The menu is usually C-rations, but there is a kitchenette to cook Spam and beans..."

Despite the massive amount of Spam troops had while serving abroad, many were still in favor of the meat when they returned home. Spam continued to grow in popularity, especially in the countries US troops were present in during the war. A timeline of Spam’s prosperity and involvement during WWII can be viewed on their website.

Find more images regarding servicemen’s meals at WWII US Air Force Photos.

A view of San Juan Island at the time of the Pig War (artwork by James Madison Alden)

The 1859 “Pig War,” between the United States and Britain, is known for being a war in which the only casualty was a pig.

It all started with an unclear boundary determination off the coast of Washington state. An 1846 treaty stated that the channel dividing Vancouver Island from the mainland would split British and American territory—unfortunately, there were two different channels that fit this description, leaving possession of the San Juan Islands in question. The two countries set up a joint commission to determine where the boundaries actually lay, but the countries’ representatives reached separate conclusions. Each group declared that the treaty referred to the channel that would give their country possession of the San Juan Islands, and nothing was settled.

A map of the boundaries under dispute: the blue line represents the American preference, red the British’s, and green a proposed compromise that didn’t work out

During this time, the British Hudson’s Bay Company started a sheep ranch on San Juan Island, and a couple dozen Americans also settled there. On 15 June 1859, a pig belonging to a member of the Hudson’s Bay Company got into the garden of Lyman Cutlar, an American settler, and ate his potatoes. Annoyed, Cutlar shot the pig. With Cutlar under threat of arrest by British authorities, the settlers asked for American military protection.

In response, around 60 American soldiers were sent to the island; to counter that, the British sent three warships. The situation continued to escalate over the next two months, until there were 460 American troops and 2,140 British. This time of tension was described by British admiral Robert Baynes as “two great nations in a war over a squabble about a pig.” Both sides were commanded to only defend themselves and not to fire first, so as a result, no shots were fired.

British troops on San Juan Island, 1872

When word of the situation finally reached Washington and London, both governments were surprised to hear that things had gotten so out of hand. President Buchanan sent an official to mediate the disagreement. The negotiator got the two sides to agree to a joint occupation of the island, with no more than 100 soldiers each, until the boundary dispute could be settled. The American Civil War postponed the decision for a decade or so, but the troops from the two sides lived amicably during that time.

Finally in 1871, as a side result of a treaty resolving other issues, Britain and the United States decided that their boundary dispute would be solved through international mediation. They picked German Kaiser Wilhelm I—who in turn picked a three-man committee that met for a year. Finally, in 1872, the committee ruled in favor of the United States, giving it possession of the San Juan Islands. Within the month, Britain had withdrawn its troops from the island, peacefully ending the 26-year dispute.

For more information about the Pig War, visit the San Juan Island National Park website.

U.S. soldiers load art from Göring's secret stash. Göring was a German politician who acquired many of his possessions through confiscation or by using his status to get extremely discounted prices.

In 1944, before the Allied invasion of Europe, Justice Owen J. Roberts met with Brig. Gen. William J. Donovan of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and requested that a unit be formed that could deal with art looted under German authority. The inter-branch directive which authorized the group, known as the Art Looting Investigation Unit (ALIU), described their mission:

“It will be the primary mission of the Art Looting Investigation Unit to collect and disseminate such information bearing on the looting, confiscation and transfer by the enemy of art properties in Europe, and on individuals or organizations involved in such operations or transactions, as will be of direct aid to the United States agencies empowered to effect restitution of such properties and prosecution of war criminals.”

Much of the looted art went to one of Hitler’s pet projects: the Führermuseum. The Führermuseum was to be built in Linz, Austria, with the purpose of displaying art that had been plundered by the Nazis during World War II.

In the Consolidated Interrogation Reports relating to the unrealized Führermuseum, the ALIU made record of the confiscated art and the methods by which it was acquired.

ALIU report stating that confiscation played a role in German art acquisitions for the museum

Usually, the Allied groups focused on returning the art where it belonged (most notably the American ALIU) would work to bring the art back to its original country and leave it at that, hoping that the country’s authorities would find a way to complete the process of restitution to the owners themselves. In some cases, the artworks were successfully returned to their previous owners, but it is estimated that more than half of the artworks never made it back to their original homes.

U.S. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, inspecting art treasures stolen by Germans in a salt mine in Merkers, Germany.

Check out the ALIU page to learn more about their process and purpose, or check out this website to learn more about the looted art and browse the collections.

The Battle of New Orleans, by Edward Percy Moran, 1910

On 27 April 1959, “The Battle of New Orleans,” sung by Johnny Horton and written by Jimmy Driftwood, made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song stayed on the chart for twenty-one weeks, hitting #1 on 6 June and staying there for six weeks. The song also reached #1 on the country single chart and won a 1960 Grammy for both Song of the Year and Best Country & Western Recording.

Album cover for “The Battle of New Orleans”

The ballad is an extremely simplified (yet somewhat exaggerated) account of the American victory at the Battle of New Orleans, fought on 8 January 1815 as the last major battle of the War of 1812. The part of the song recounting the battle describes it like this:

Old Hickory said we could take ‘em by surprise
If we didn’t fire our muskets
‘Till we looked ‘em in the eye
We held our fire
‘Till we see’d their faces well
Then we opened up our squirrel guns
And really gave ‘em – well we

Fired our guns and the British kept a-comin’
There wasn’t nigh as many as there was a while ago
We fired once more and they begin to runnin’
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

Yeah, they ran through the briars
And they ran through the brambles
And they ran through the bushes
Where the rabbit couldn’t go
They ran so fast
That the hounds couldn’t catch ‘em
On down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico

While the Americans did defeat the British (with 71 casualties versus the British’s 2,042), and the British did withdraw, the battle wasn’t nearly as straightforward as the song presents. Quite a few things went wrong for the British from the beginning of the attack that had nothing to do with the Americans, including a dam failing, ladders and fascines being forgotten, and fog (intended to be used for cover) lifting. These factors combined with others to allow the Americans to essentially slaughter the British. After the British retreated, they received reinforcements and a siege train and could have attacked New Orleans again, but it was decided that the costs of such an attack would be too high. So the British instead sailed to Mississippi, where they successfully captured Fort Bowyer.

For the full lyrics of the song and a video of Johnny Horton performing it, visit the website http://ronny.cc.

Of course the War of 1812 is near to our hearts here at Fold3 as we work to digitize the paper pension files of soldiers who served in the War of 1812.  You can learn more about the project here.