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Today, 6/6/22, is the 78th anniversary of the Normandy invasion.

Starting today, and running through 8/15/22, Garland, Dallas County, is the only Texas city to host "Manufacturing Victory: The Arsenal of Democracy".

It tells the story of the country's rapid domestic production of tanks, planes, ships, and guns, and how they shaped both the war abroad and US society during WWII, according to the National WWII Museum, 945 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130.

The 1,500 square foot exhibit is located in Garland City Hall, 200 North 5th St., Garland, TX 75040. The building has no 30.05, .06., or .07 signage. Carry away.

It will include wartime artifacts, photos, interactive audio and video exhibits, and panels about Garland's war-era production history. Since manufacturing for WWII took off, Garland became reliant on industry for its tax base.

The exhibit debuted at The National WWII Museum in 2014. Now the display travels around the country.

Garland is scheduled to be the only Texas city to host the exhibit this year. It will be available from 6/6/22 - 8/15/22.

Attribution of the above data: I took most of this verbatim from a piece in the Dallas Morning News, around May dd, 2022. The author of this piece is Francesca D'Annunzio.

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If anyone takes a little day trip to Garland to view the above exhibit, you may wish to visit the Hatco Factory Store at 601 Marion Drive, Garland.

Garland is the Hat Capitol of Texas and makes thousands of hats a week, including Stetson, Resistol, many other cowboy hat brands, and other styles of hats as well. It is unlikely that you have ever seen as many hats as the Hatco factory store contains.

SIA

By the way, aircraft production during WWII was heavy in Texas and Kansas. Since at the beginning of WWII, it was unknown if the East and West coasts of the US would be invaded, the decision was made to locate aircraft factories in the middle of the country.

SIA

Yesterday, I went and saw this exhibit. I read everything and watched all the little videos. It takes 75 minutes to complete.

On the runup to WWII, the USA was in a serious deficit with regard to number of troops and weapons systems. It was so bad that General George S. Patton had to order hardware from Sears, Roebuck to repair his tanks. Troops drilled with wooden rifles, and threw eggs when they were doing grenade training.

FDR managed to recruit many captains of industry who cut through the red tape, obtained financing, and built a huge weapons industry.
These top notch men agreed to run the weapons production for the princely sum of $1.00 a year. One of these men was making $300,000 a year, in 1940 money!

I would like to think that if the US ever has to go toe to toe with Red China, that a similar ramp up of production would occur. The Ukrainians are doing a great job of reducing Russia's assets, so if we had to fight them, a bunch of A-10 Warthog sorties and missile-carrying drones should finish their vehicle/tank assets.

My father was drafted in 1943, to the US Army. He got a 90 day reprieve so that he could finish high school. During that time, he worked building Liberty Ships at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Mass. Every day his shirt and pants would be ruined, climbing around the ships.

So every week, he would go to Salvation Army and buy 5 shirts, and 5 pairs of pants. Total weekly wardrobe expense: 25 cents!

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After the City Hall visit, I visited the Hatco store and got me a nice new Stetson Open Road (aka LBJ) in charcoal gray. Double win for the day!

SIA

Native Garlandite, graduated from Garland High. When I was in HS, there was a factory there that was working 24 hours a day, 5 days a week making bomb casings (not the explosive insides). Used to be a great town in the 60s before it was engulfed by Dallas.

Resistol hats are great. Have several that I have purchased over the years from their outlet. Just about getting time to make another trip.

SIA, if you’re not already aware of it, you should subscribe to the The History Underground's YouTube channel. I think you’d like it.
https://youtube.com/c/TheHistoryUnderground

Hey, TAM:

Thanks for the link you have just provided. I was not aware of it, looked it over since you suggested it, and it looks right up my alley.

Happy Trails. SIA