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World War II air campaign -- civil defense United States
World War II Air Campaign: Civil Defense--United States
Figure 1.--Pearl Harbor stunned Americans. There was a real fear of Japanese air attack, especially along the West coast. Here California school children are preapring, December 18, 1941. The press caption read, "Los Angeles Starts War Time Training for School Children: Here's ascenge which is becoming increasingly common on the Pacific Coast. School children of Los Angeles' 74th Street School are shown taking taking bedding bags to cklassescwhere they may be needed. if the boys and girls are forced to remain in school buildings during an air raod. Thuis is one of the first attempts to insure protectiion of the children in case of attack on this country."
The United States began Civil Defense planning even before entering the War. The United States had ahuge advantage in its CD planning--the benefy of distance from agressor mations ad a two ocean shield. The World War I Council of National Defense was reactivated by President Roosevelt and created the Division of State and Local Cooperation to assist the Council's efforts. [SEMP] As a result, civil defense preparations began as a continuation of what had been implemenbt during World War I. Officials involved soon concluded that giving significant responsibilities to local and state councils was an inadequate resoponse to the dangers involved. The President vested responsibility primarily at the Federal level with the creation of the Office of Civilian Defense (OCD) within the Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) in the Executive Office of the President (EOP) (May 20, 1941).[SEMP] The OCD was originally headed by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia and was charged with developing both protective measures and suppoting national morale. La Guardia was to work with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, but the two did not get along. The matrix of American CD agencis effort was expanded just days before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor with the creation of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). The CAP was assigned responsibility for commissioning civilian pilots to patrol the coast and borders. They were also to engage in search and rescue missions as needed. And this woud soon be needed when German U-boats appeared off the American Atlantic coast. Pearl Harbor lent great urgency to th CD programs. And there was a near panic after Pearl Harbor about possible air attacks, especially on the West Coast. Many schools practiced air raid drils.
Sources
Suburban Emergency Management Project (SEMP), "What Is Civil Defense? World War I through the Eisenhower Administration," SEMP Biot No. 243.
U.S. War Department. "Civil Protection Against Gas Warfare in Enemy Countries" Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 17, (January 28, 1943).
