World War II Chronicles

Congress passed the Serviceman's Readjustment Act in the Spring 1944 to aid veterans transitioning back home. Known as "The G.I. Bill of Rights," President Roosevelt signed it into law on June 22, 1944.

In preparation for invasion, the first bombing raids attacked the Marianas Islands on June 11, 1944. As soon as the bombing began, the Japanese fleet decided to attack the US carrier force, which was protecting the invasion of Saipan. On June 19, Japanese air & naval forces began their attack; it failed miserably. The two-day battle of the Philippine Sea saw a result similar to the Battle of Midway.

In June 1944, the next targets for attack in the US Central Pacific campaign were the Marianas Islands. They were to be a staging area for a future invasion of Japan. Capturing the island of Saipan was the first objective.

As dawn broke on June 6, 1944, the Allied invasion force emerged from the mist along the coast of Normandy. Troops emerged along the mine-filled beaches of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. On Omaha, American casualties were especially heavy.

Since their breakout from the Anzio beaches in Italy, General Mark Clark's forces had been driving east. Instead of continuing in that direction, General Clark chose to move west on June 4, 1944, and enter Rome.

In late April 1944, Gen. Henry "Hap" Arnold was commanding aircraft to make America's Air Force the mightiest in the world. The B-29 Superfortress was designed to be a global bomber, and around it was built an entire new Air Force. The 20th Air Force was enacted to carryout bombing operations specifically against Japan.

The war of attrition in Italy continued during early 1944. After failed frontal assaults, the Allied commanders accepted the wisdom of a flanking movement. North African troops of the French Corps fought their way through seemingly impassable mountains, and by May 17, seized ground near German positions on Monte Cassino. Allied forces staged a breakout at Anzio on May 23.

By the Spring of 1944, the number of Americans in uniform had severely strained the labor force. Millions of housewives, older children, and the elderly took on work, dropping unemployment to 1.2%. Yet there was a demand for even more workers.

The Soviet offensive on the Eastern Front gained moment during the early months of 1944. In March, a sweeping offensive began in the direction of the Odessa-Lviv Railroad. The assault moved so swiftly, that by the end of March the Red Army had invaded Romania. In mid-April, the Soviets had recaptured the port city of Odessa.

The Black Market was just as much a problem on the home front as it was in Europe during WWII. On the home front, it was the take of the Office of Price Administration (OPA) to stamp it out.