George Zaprala was recruited from the state of Pennsylvania, from his hometown county of Philadelphia. Pennsylvania was a large producer in industry, with the current governor of Pennsylvania at the time, Arthur James, said the Keystone State would become the "Arsenal of America". During the course of World War II, Pennsylvania supplied 31 percent of America's steel and 20 percent of worldwide production. Factories were booming in Pennsylvania, especially steel factories, that even women in PA were joining the work force to help support the cause.
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania implemented bills that restricted and rationed the amount of gasoline, meat, sugar, rubber, and other important resources a citizen could use. This photo to the left is of ration books, which were supervised by the 422 ration boards. Rations were commonly overused, specifically in big cities like Philadelphia where gasoline usage was large.
Located in Pittsburgh, Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company was one of the largest and most productive factories in Pennsylvania during WWII. It had around 125,000 workers and manufactured around 100,000 products, ranging anywhere from gun mounts to electric power plants. This factory was a prime example of Pennsylvania's priorities of innovation during this time period.
This photo was taken after army recruits enlisted at the US customs house in Philadelphia in January of 1942. Recruits from Pennsylvania were described as "eager" and "spirited" in regards to the war effort.
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