On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces bombed United States Navy bases at Pearl Harbor, and the U.S. plunged into WWII.

The citizens of our nation banded together to support the cause in every possible way. Every city endorsed the war in some way and Kenosha, Wisconsin was no exception. For the first half of the 1940’s, WWII mobilization dominated this waterfront city.

The sacrifices of the citizens of Kenosha are now being honored in an exhibit titled Voices of WWII. This exhibit can be viewed until September 30 in the Kenosha History Center.

Voices of WWII features audio players, posters, pictures and models so that visitors can learn about Kenosha’s wartime efforts. The exhibit focuses on interviews and personal experiences during the war, Kenosha’s war industry, and Kenosha’s home front. In the interview section of the exhibit, visitors can listen to the personal stories of George Pollard, a combat artist; Roy Staude, a front-line medic; Don Northway, a ground crew mechanic; and many more Kenosha residents who were involved in the war. In front of each audio recorder is a past and present picture of the person being interviewed.

The industry section of the exhibit shows the advertisements, photos, and actual products that Kenosha and its people produced during the war. During WWII, the citizens of Kenosha revamped their local industry to produce wartime necessities.

This part of the exhibit also shows how, when more and more young men were drafted into the war, women joined the workforce to pick up the slack. When women entered the workforce, the role of women in our society also changed significantly. Women were no longer seen as just caregivers and homemakers, but as an important part of the workforce.

In the home front section of the exhibit, visitors can see the ration tickets and guides that citizens had to use during the war, along with war bond ads and information about local organizations.

During WWII, goods were scarce and food, gas and even clothing was rationed. Citizens were given ration tickets to “buy” food and necessities.  The government also created war bonds ads to convince citizens to buy bonds and help fund the war. The United Service Organization, the Women’s Army Corps, and the Civil Air Patrol, were some of the organizations that were set up in Kenosha to help the war effort.

The Voices of WWII exhibit honors the citizens of Kenosha and the sacrifices they made for our country. From the wartime organizations to women taking up jobs in factories, the citizens of Kenosha are among the unsung heroes of WWII.

So if you want to brush up on your WWII history or learn about an important part of Wisconsin history, visit the Kenosha History Center. The center is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 4:30 pm, on Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm, and on Sunday from 12 pm to 4 pm.

For more information visit http://www.kenoshahistorycenter.org/.