The Lone Star State has a special relationship with World War II veterans. Texas sent more of its citizens off to the war than any other state. It also became a major training center for new recruits and a industrial power for the war effort. Today there are many organizations that support the state's veterans and educate school students about the history of a period that dramatically changed the face of the state. Veteran stories Texas are an important part of the collective memory.
The war changed the nature of the state and its people. Before the war, the population was almost entirely rural, impoverished during the Great Depression, and traditionally centered around agriculture and the home. While the young people responded to the call to arms, the rest of the population entered with great zeal into war efforts at home. Rural people flocked to the factories, causing the urban centers to swell. Women left the seclusion of their kitchens and became factory workers.
Over a million and a half new recruits were trained in the state. While 22,000 citizens gave their lives to the fight for freedom, the permanent population grew by one third. Famous Texans who returned from the war included Dwight D. Eisenhower, who became President, and Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in the Army. Murphy later starred in several popular Hollywood films.
Texans have continued to support veterans and their families. The Texas Historical Commission began a program in 2005 called ' 'The Texas in World War II Initiative'. This project is designed to celebrate veterans, the people who served at home, and local sites important to that period. Attention is also focused on educating middle and high school students about their rich heritage.
College Station TX is a metropolitan area, in conjunction with its immediate neighbor Bryan, that focuses on services for veterans and their families. The twin cities are located about 85 miles from Austin, 100 miles from Houston, 90 miles from Fort Hood, and 70 from a veterans hospital in Temple. This is called 'easy access' in an place where they are used to vast distances.
Brazos County, home to College Station, is also where a support group called 'Brazos Valley Cares' holds fundraisers for organizations that serve veterans. They raise money for the Texas A&M 'Veterans Recovery & Support Center' and San Antonio's 'Family Support Center". Check out their web page to see what else they do.
Many veterans have been able to return to normal life and resume both public and private affairs successfully. Others may suffer from post traumatic stress and not fare so well. All of them have stories to tell, as do those who stayed behind and supported the war effort. Texas beef fed armies, local industry made all the things wartime demands, and families struggled to survive without their young, strong men.
It is important to publish and preserve these stories for future generations. Supporting our veterans is a national effort, but all Americans can learn how to be effective by investigating the way Texans do it in the Lone Star State.
The war changed the nature of the state and its people. Before the war, the population was almost entirely rural, impoverished during the Great Depression, and traditionally centered around agriculture and the home. While the young people responded to the call to arms, the rest of the population entered with great zeal into war efforts at home. Rural people flocked to the factories, causing the urban centers to swell. Women left the seclusion of their kitchens and became factory workers.
Over a million and a half new recruits were trained in the state. While 22,000 citizens gave their lives to the fight for freedom, the permanent population grew by one third. Famous Texans who returned from the war included Dwight D. Eisenhower, who became President, and Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier in the Army. Murphy later starred in several popular Hollywood films.
Texans have continued to support veterans and their families. The Texas Historical Commission began a program in 2005 called ' 'The Texas in World War II Initiative'. This project is designed to celebrate veterans, the people who served at home, and local sites important to that period. Attention is also focused on educating middle and high school students about their rich heritage.
College Station TX is a metropolitan area, in conjunction with its immediate neighbor Bryan, that focuses on services for veterans and their families. The twin cities are located about 85 miles from Austin, 100 miles from Houston, 90 miles from Fort Hood, and 70 from a veterans hospital in Temple. This is called 'easy access' in an place where they are used to vast distances.
Brazos County, home to College Station, is also where a support group called 'Brazos Valley Cares' holds fundraisers for organizations that serve veterans. They raise money for the Texas A&M 'Veterans Recovery & Support Center' and San Antonio's 'Family Support Center". Check out their web page to see what else they do.
Many veterans have been able to return to normal life and resume both public and private affairs successfully. Others may suffer from post traumatic stress and not fare so well. All of them have stories to tell, as do those who stayed behind and supported the war effort. Texas beef fed armies, local industry made all the things wartime demands, and families struggled to survive without their young, strong men.
It is important to publish and preserve these stories for future generations. Supporting our veterans is a national effort, but all Americans can learn how to be effective by investigating the way Texans do it in the Lone Star State.
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Our website is dedicated to all the personal veteran stories Texas. To read the posts, visit the main page now at http://huavets.org.
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