Utah's Involvement in WWII

• More than 71,00 Utahns left for service in the armed forces

• Thousands of women found jobs in manufacturing and other businesses after the men left.

• Most everybody was working hard to try to bring the war to a quick end. 

• Rations began being used to save on food

• Utah had an influx of federal personnel (and money) which boosted Utah’s economy

• Utah was a good location for military installations to be built because: 

• It was inland, away from coasts- harder to be attacked

• The open space was good for training

• Good transportation systems in place (railroads, highways, airports)

• Mines located nearby helped with production

• Well-educated workforce

• Already had some installations in place- Fort Douglas, Hill Field, and the Ogden Ordnance Depot

• Employment grew for Utahns

• New facilities were built throughout Utah

• New industries came to Utah

• Before the war, economy was based on mining, agriculture, and businesses. 

• During the war, the Government became the largest employer in Utah.

• By 1942, Utah reached full employment for the first time in the 1900’s.

Today we are going to create a new map, looking at the military installations that came to Utah. 

Click here for a map of Northern Utah, along with the locations that need to be found on the map.